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WCHS used to be the only station live-streaming a national radio show I like to listen to, so I used to listen to the station fairly often. I took notice they also broadcast Pirates games in the summer and Bengals games in the winter. I've been curious ever since about the area's sports allegiance. Does the Charleston area look more toward Pittsburgh teams, or more toward Cincinnati teams, or is it split, or do people look to different cities depending on the sport, kinda like downstate Illinoisians who follow the Cardinals in the summer and the Bears in the winter?
I would say Pittsburgh sports teams have a slight edge over Cincinnati teams, however there is no clear allegiance for our area. The Reds have a strong following here, but so too do the Pirates. The Steelers have the biggest following of any NFL team, but there is also a sizable Redskins and Carolina fan base. Lots of Penguins fans. The NBA isn't really a thing here, but the people that I know that watch it like teams from all over the place.
Chris is probably right in most of his observations. There are probably a few more Pirates fans than Reds fans. In football, I see more Steelers fans than any others, although I know several Browns fans and a few Tennessee Titans fans. The only NHL team I've seen mentioned is the Penguins. I don't know who likes who in basketball.
Since West Virginia has no major league sports teams (in any sport), college sports are a big deal. Both WVU and Marshall have strong fan bases around Charleston.
I feel there are more Reds fans in the area than Pirates. But that may be due to me growing up in Jackson Co, living in Putnam Co, and now working in Huntington. There are a TON of die-hard Reds fans in the Huntington area. They still bring a Reds caravan to town regularly. My wife and her family are all Pirates fans, but that could also be due to her grandfather being from the Northern Panhandle.
The NBA is about the players anyways, everyone follows their favorite players around the league. That's what a lot of casual NBA fans do. Some folks still have their favorite team, but watch games to see the superstars shine. When the playoffs begin i always have a rooting interest in a team, and that usually changes every season.
Geography does play a part in the Reds vs Pirates fan base. As mentioned, Huntington area would support Reds while northern areas would support Pirates. Charleston I would say is split more evenly.
I also agree more Steelers than Bengals or Browns although the Parkersburg area has many die-hard Browns fans.
NBA is so far removed, the support swings annually.
Free agency has killed a specific favorite "team" for many people.
I'll throw in my two cents, since I grew up in Huntington, worked in both cities, and live in-between.
For baseball, the Huntington area is more about the Reds, but like already mentioned, Charleston is more split between the Reds and Pirates. With that, probably more Pirates fans than Reds in Charleston. At least it seems that way. Also, like everywhere else, we have our share of Cubs fans.
As for football, the Huntington area is usually more about the Bengals and Charleston leans toward the Steelers. Of course, we have plenty of Patriots and Cowboys fans, and a healthy amount of Browns fans too.
Chris is probably right in most of his observations. There are probably a few more Pirates fans than Reds fans. In football, I see more Steelers fans than any others, although I know several Browns fans and a few Tennessee Titans fans. The only NHL team I've seen mentioned is the Penguins. I don't know who likes who in basketball.
Since West Virginia has no major league sports teams (in any sport), college sports are a big deal. Both WVU and Marshall have strong fan bases around Charleston.
West Virginia has no major league sports teams...and clearly lacks the necessary population to draw one, but I have always wondered if the state could support a major racetrack. Thoughts?
Does the Reds allegiance in the area stem partly from the many pennant and World Series winning teams 1970-1990? There have always been diehard Reds fans in the region...as a kid i remember looking at old Gallipolis newspapers and noted that the Reds clinching of the 1939 pennant received a banner headline and person on the street interviews in the Gallipolis (Ohio...a river town forty miles from Huntington) Daily Tribune. I wander if the allegiance in Huntington and Charlestons sways markedly based on the relative success of the Steel and Queen City teams. Were there more Bengals fans in the Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason days when the Bengals were advancing to Super Bowls? Where would things stand if the Bengals had five Super Bowl trophies to none for the Steelers?
^^ Don't forget the Pirates were pretty competitive in that era too with a couple World Series titles of their own.
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