Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Birmingham at Memphis looks like an old WFL matchup (I was a STH of the original Jacksonville Sharks).
Fans in San Diego are still bitter about the Chargers leaving. Atlanta and Phoenix have had multiple professional sports for years (although both have struggled to make the NHL work). I can understand why there would not be much of an appetite for what can reasonably be called a minor league playing at a non-traditional time of year in those markets. San Antonio and Memphis have NFL aspirations. Orlando and Salt Lake both have NBA teams but no other top level pro sports, but I don't see either city making the top level in pro football.
Orlando is, in general, the second or third best team in the league, so far as attendance. Neck and neck with San Diego
They're basically shaking out like this..
Excellent - San Antonio
Very Good - Orlando and San Diego
Mediocre - Birmingham and Memphis
Poor - Atlanta, Arizona and Salt Lake City
I'm a touch surprised at Birmingham, because they generally have a record of supporting teams. Perhaps it's just because they're so close to Atlanta, which also has a team.
Orlando is, in general, the second or third best team in the league, so far as attendance. Neck and neck with San Diego
They're basically shaking out like this..
Excellent - San Antonio
Very Good - Orlando and San Diego
Mediocre - Birmingham and Memphis
Poor - Atlanta, Arizona and Salt Lake City
I'm a touch surprised at Birmingham, because they generally have a record of supporting teams. Perhaps it's just because they're so close to Atlanta, which also has a team.
Birmingham like other smaller southern cities, I imagine prefer college sports. I’m sure the’re much more interested in the likelihood of ‘Bama playing Clemson next year (again), than having an professional football team they have no incentive to support.
San Antonio wants to separate itself from a Dallas and Houston. It has surpassed Dallas in population but doesn’t have the respect of a large team that would come in time.
San Diego proves Spanos is an idiot.
Memphis is too close to Nashville relatively speaking. I don’t think Tennessee is a large enough state to support two football leagues.
Orlando surprises me because I always see it as transient. I wonder if FL can support four teams and two leagues.
Salt Lake City is not a football town.
AZ and Atlanta already have NFL teams that they barely support. I can’t see them supporting a second league.
Having said that, I would like the league to succeed. We’ll see how this continues to shake out.
Birmingham like other smaller southern cities, I imagine prefer college sports. I’m sure the’re much more interested in the likelihood of ‘Bama playing Clemson next year (again), than having an professional football team they have no incentive to support.
Birmingham has a good history tho. They did well with the XFL, and they were one of 6 USFL teams to remain in the same city throughout the league run
San Antonio wants to separate itself from a Dallas and Houston. It has surpassed Dallas in population but doesn’t have the respect of a large team that would come in time.
City to city, yes. But METRO, no... leagues look at metro areas/markets, not individual cities, so that's why San Antonio doesn't get as much attention for more major pro sports teams. Greater San Antonio doesn't even come close to The Metroplex.
But, because both San Antonio and Austin are (slowly but surely) growing into each other, and with the attendance numbers they're pulling out, it should turn more heads.
Quote:
San Diego proves Spanos is an idiot.
Agreed. And the Chargers shouldn't have left. Ironically, they were the only team that actually started in L.A., yet they're the least wanted team in that city.
Quote:
Orlando surprises me because I always see it as transient. I wonder if FL can support four teams and two leagues.
I doubt that. Orlando is still more of a two-sport city. They're really good with the Magic and Orlando City, but I doubt they could support more than that. And Florida in general is notorious for not supporting its major pro sports teams (Miami, especially) so idk.
Quote:
Salt Lake City is not a football town.
I'm not surprised, but didn't think much of that.
Quote:
AZ and Atlanta already have NFL teams that they barely support. I can’t see them supporting a second league.
These are two other cities that aren't really big on their pro sports teams in terms of support... except with Atlanta and their soccer team. Go figure that one out.
Quote:
Having said that, I would like the league to succeed. We’ll see how this continues to shake out.
It'll be the NFL's G-League. The signs are there...
phoenix suffers from sports overload. they have the diamondbacks, the suns, the cardinals, the NHRA, nascar, the hotshots, among others. the city isnt big enough to handle all those sports. but they do draw from tucson and flagstaff, so that helps, but still not enough.
phoenix suffers from sports overload. they have the diamondbacks, the suns, the cardinals, the NHRA, nascar, the hotshots, among others. the city isnt big enough to handle all those sports. but they do draw from tucson and flagstaff, so that helps, but still not enough.
San Antonio wants to separate itself from a Dallas and Houston. It has surpassed Dallas in population but doesn’t have the respect of a large team that would come in time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJG
City to city, yes. But METRO, no... leagues look at metro areas/markets, not individual cities, so that's why San Antonio doesn't get as much attention for more major pro sports teams. Greater San Antonio doesn't even come close to The Metroplex.
Yes, I have no idea why people can't figure this out. The size of the core city is irrelevant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJG
But, because both San Antonio and Austin are (slowly but surely) growing into each other, and with the attendance numbers they're pulling out, it should turn more heads.
For pro football, Austin is already in the San Antonio market.
There are only 8 NFL home games each season. For that reason, the NFL base extends much further out than for other leagues that play ~40 homes games (NBA, NHL) or 80+ homes games (MLB). It's why the Packers can play 100 miles from the bulk of the population that supports them. People will drive one, two, three hours 8 times a year to see their team. They won't do it 40 or 80 times.
It provides some validation to the discussion we were having a while back.. When the new investor came onboard, whether the payroll problems at the time were spin or legitimate just a mistake.
The fact that without the new investor, it now seems they wouldn't have made it three weeks is quite surprising.
The fact that they say they need practice squad players to make the league successful is also quite surprising. I don't see that making a lick of difference. The product they're putting out now, I think by all accounts, is pretty good. I don't see practice squad or futures players making the difference between success and failure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
