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Old 01-14-2014, 07:21 PM
 
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,819,647 times
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OK regarding the major league teams in Phoenix (Suns/Coyotes/Cardinals/Diamondbacks), several questions....

How's the passion with the fanbase?
Is there a hometown element and do transplants adopt any loyalty?
What do you think of the stadiums, arenas, and venues?
How well are the teams performing?
Which franchise in Phoenix do you think has the biggest following?
Any particular rivalries with other cities?

All these are curious and pondering thoughts of mine. I think my favorite Arizona sports moment was seeing the D-Backs beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2001, though I'm a Red Sox fan so I appreciate any team that beats the Yankees.

Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 01-14-2014 at 08:02 PM..
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Old 01-15-2014, 06:00 AM
 
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People in Phoenix are not very attached to their teams. I've lived in Phoenix on and off for the past 16 years and when I first moved here everyone was in the throes of baseball passion. Nobody and I mean nobody talked about football. Had one friend that would go to Cardinal games and people would look at him like he was crazy.

Now it's reversed, everyone is talking about the Cardinals and nobody really talks about baseball. Basketball goes through the same spurts, hot one year, cool the next. Living in Phoenix is not like living in other major league cities where there is a passionate fan base year in and year out for the same teams.
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Old 01-15-2014, 06:09 AM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
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There's a core passionate fan base for all the teams, it's just not large enough. The Cardinals have the largest, most consistent one, over the last few years. For the rest, there are a lot of bandwagon fans, and those who will come to games wearing the jerseys of their hometown teams. Some transplants adopt the local teams, some don't.

The venues are great. Just not always enough people in the seats.

Biggest rivalries? With Suns, the Lakers and the Spurs. With the Cardinals, the 49ers are probably atop that list. Diamondbacks? Dodgers, no question. Giants too. Coyotes? I'm not sure. I will confess not to folowing them as much as the others.
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Old 01-15-2014, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Sonoran Desert
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The Suns have a base though ownership has been frustrating it for years. The rest: we love em when they win, ignore them when they don't.
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Old 01-15-2014, 09:00 AM
 
Location: Surprise, Az
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Phoenix sport fans are a front running bunch. The support is there when the teams are winning.
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Old 01-15-2014, 09:55 AM
 
9,091 posts, read 19,221,658 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by caphillsea77 View Post
OK regarding the major league teams in Phoenix (Suns/Coyotes/Cardinals/Diamondbacks), several questions....

How's the passion with the fanbase?
Is there a hometown element and do transplants adopt any loyalty?
What do you think of the stadiums, arenas, and venues?
How well are the teams performing?
Which franchise in Phoenix do you think has the biggest following?
Any particular rivalries with other cities?

All these are curious and pondering thoughts of mine. I think my favorite Arizona sports moment was seeing the D-Backs beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2001, though I'm a Red Sox fan so I appreciate any team that beats the Yankees.
How's the passion with the fanbase? - A lot less than other cities. There is a small core group of really passionate fans and then more of the tourist fan base that will fill up the venue dependent on the teams chances. This is improving over time, but I hope it never reaches the unhealthy level of some other places.

Is there a hometown element and do transplants adopt any loyalty? - There is a hometown element, but again it can depend. The Suns are the most entrenched as they have a long standing presence and some of the generational fan base. The Cardinals are starting to build this given the popularity of football, their new stadium and some recent success. Transplants can go either way. Personally I think geography is a convenient reason to have a favorite team, but maybe not the best. I've followed the same teams since I was a really young kid and have lived in different cities. Typically I'll continue to follow my teams and then hope the best for the locals as it does add some buzz and excitement.

What do you think of the stadiums, arenas, and venues? - Top notch all around. Even with some minor flaws in really all of them except the hockey arena, they are all really good and well appointed. We also have a bunch of fantastic spring training facilities out here as well.

How well are the teams performing? - most have been stuck into that dead zone between rebuilding and being a real competitor - the cardinals had a great year but were saddled by really poor expectations even through the season, it's like the 10 wins snuck up on people and the season was over before the casual fans realized they were good ......... the suns were supposed to be horrible this year as part of a rebuild but they have been entertaining and fairly competative ...... the d'back disapointed last year ....... the coyotes had their 3 year playoff streak snapped last year and are currently struggled trying to stay in competition for the last playoff spot

Which franchise in Phoenix do you think has the biggest following? - I would say the Suns most consistently - although when football is going it's definitely the king sport ........ I would also say this is a great city if you like baseball, it's almost non-stop out here

Any particular rivalries with other cities? - Suns have Lakers/Spurs, D'backs have Dodgers - the others aren't as entrenched ... I would say the Cards & Niners although the Cards haven't really ever gotten over on them - there is the typical venom towards Dallas & Pittsburgh ....... The Coyotes have their divisional opponents with the Kings probably being the most hated along with an occasional flareup against the Blackhawks from some playoff bad blood
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Old 01-15-2014, 11:09 AM
 
Location: Chandler, AZ
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Suns games seem to be more about socializing than watching the actual game

Cardinals? One of the original NFL Franchise teams (Racine Cardinals/Chicago Cardinals/St. Louis Cardinals/Phoenix Cardinals/Arizona Cardinals) this team got no respect in the valley until they stopped playing at Sun Devil Stadium and got their own facilities...which I think was more that people wanted to go to the stadium rather than actually watch the Cardinals. Most people I know go to the games when their team is playing the Cardinals...although there was a surge in fans during the 2008 season. Personally...one year of good doesn't make up for the 25 years of mediocrity.

Coyotes...aka the Winnipeg Jets...never a very good team even with Gretzky's coaching/name. A lot of people questioned Hockey in the desert...but with the amount of Snowbirds and transplants that come to the Valley they thought it was a good idea. I don't really follow them but I don't think they are doing well...they usually make the playoffs but not past the first round.

Diamondbacks...expansion team...they have a pretty strong following but I believe they get buried by (or people are burnt out on baseball after) all the Spring Training that happens here.

I think all in all, as Phoenix and AZ as a whole is a very transient state, you see fans for a lot of teams here...some people get caught up in the whole "this is my home team" thing but most do not. If you like them, you like them. If not? You are fine rooting for whatever team you prefer.
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Old 01-15-2014, 11:31 AM
 
848 posts, read 967,452 times
Reputation: 1346
Giants fan through and through. But when we move to Phoenix, I will be adopting some local love, however. I will root for and try to watch the Diamondbacks. Unless of course the Giants come into town . I'm just wondering if I'll be able to find one of those hats like I've seen some SF/LA fans wearing, where half of the hat is a Giants hat and the other half is a Dodgers hat, or if I'll have to get it made. Except it'd be SF/PHX.

Quote:
Originally Posted by caphillsea77 View Post
I think my favorite Arizona sports moment was seeing the D-Backs beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2001, though I'm a Red Sox fan so I appreciate any team that beats the Yankees.
I remember that and still mention it! I was in college in L.A. at the time, and I was rooting for the Diamondbacks because I hate the Yankees with a deep, heated, flaming passion. I wanted to strangle the AZ closer when he blew games 4 and 5 right at the end and made the series go 3-2 NY. That was an edge of my seat series, but fortunately, each team won all of their home games, so luckily AZ had the homefield advantage. The best moment was having Randy Johnson come in to close out game 7, which Shilling had started, after Johnson having had pitched the night before.
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Old 01-15-2014, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
17,914 posts, read 43,412,732 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixSomeday View Post
The best moment was having Randy Johnson come in to close out game 7, which Shilling had started, after Johnson having had pitched the night before.


You are so right. Watching him walk in from the bullpen was a goosebump moment never to forget.

Last edited by observer53; 02-05-2014 at 01:02 PM..
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Old 01-15-2014, 02:04 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
6,405 posts, read 8,986,231 times
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Phoenix sports fans get a bad wrap but I think the teams have decent fanbases given the circumstances. Newer teams and a transplant population will make it hard for any team to grow strong roots. The Coyotes are the only local team I consider myself a fan of but they are still my number two team.

The locals I know tend to be sports fans and they do like the local teams. I know a few diehard Suns, Dbacks and Yotes fans.
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