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.
Atlanta is known for being a very poor sports town. The Braves have a hard time selling out PLAYOFF games. Atlantans support college football and NASCAR, and that's about it.
Sadly, I agree. I just don't know how cities like Tampa Bay or Miami (Panthers) can support hockey teams, but Atlanta has such a difficult time. Even Nashville and Carolina are doing alright, but somehow Atlanta can't manage to garner enough support. Seems odd to me.
It's an easier sell when you run the franchise correctly and engage the community. I fault the Thrashers for their failure, not Atlanta or its fans.
The Flames were an entirely different scenario. The NHL was trying to branch out into unexplored territory as the WHA was emerging and doing the same, not unlike when the American Football League was taking root in the Midwest and Texas and the NFL decided to put a team in Dallas to get a foothold in the new market That turned out pretty well....but that's football.
But then eventually the NHL made it to Dallas and it went over well there. Why? Because they had ownership that did everything the Thrashers did not do. Not only were they putting a competitive product on the ice, but they put a lot of effort into introducing kids to the game. Sure enough, the Stars have been in Dallas for 18 years and there are some kids now considered NHL prospects who were born and raised there.
This could've just as easily have happened in Atlanta.
It's an easier sell when you run the franchise correctly and engage the community. I fault the Thrashers for their failure, not Atlanta or its fans.
The Flames were an entirely different scenario. The NHL was trying to branch out into unexplored territory as the WHA was emerging and doing the same, not unlike when the American Football League was taking root in the Midwest and Texas and the NFL decided to put a team in Dallas to get a foothold in the new market That turned out pretty well....but that's football.
But then eventually the NHL made it to Dallas and it went over well there. Why? Because they had ownership that did everything the Thrashers did not do. Not only were they putting a competitive product on the ice, but they put a lot of effort into introducing kids to the game. Sure enough, the Stars have been in Dallas for 18 years and there are some kids now considered NHL prospects who were born and raised there.
This could've just as easily have happened in Atlanta.
no offense but i disagree. as others have pointed out in this thread atlanta does not do a very good job of supporting their sports teams even when they win. the braves can't even sell out playoff games. now we're supposed to believe that simply doing well would have caused hockey to go over great in atlanta? please. There are plenty of teams that have had success in the south and still they hurt in attendance. The hurricanes and lightening each won championships just this decade and have had some very competitive teams and yet none the less they rank toward the bottom of the league in attendance.
Dallas is the exception that proves the rule. It's a great sports town and they have embraced the stars. People should not expect the same of other warm weather teams.
Atlanta never could been successful in creating a large enough fan base to support an NHL team no matter what they did. Hockey will never work in Atlanta.
no offense but i disagree. as others have pointed out in this thread atlanta does not do a very good job of supporting their sports teams even when they win. the braves can't even sell out playoff games. now we're supposed to believe that simply doing well would have caused hockey to go over great in atlanta? please. There are plenty of teams that have had success in the south and still they hurt in attendance. The hurricanes and lightening each won championships just this decade and have had some very competitive teams and yet none the less they rank toward the bottom of the league in attendance.
Dallas is the exception that proves the rule. It's a great sports town and they have embraced the stars. People should not expect the same of other warm weather teams.
Atlanta never could been successful in creating a large enough fan base to support an NHL team no matter what they did. Hockey will never work in Atlanta.
Dallas took a dive in attendance last year and still outdrew New Jersey, Colorado, Columbus and the New York Islanders. Carolina and Tampa Bay drew comparable to Edmonton last year, and the Hurricanes weren't even very good last year.
Atlanta indeed is not that great of a sports town. Neither is Miami, unless it's the Dolphins or The U.
Dallas took a dive in attendance last year and still outdrew New Jersey, Colorado, Columbus and the New York Islanders. Carolina and Tampa Bay drew comparable to Edmonton last year, and the Hurricanes weren't even very good last year.
Atlanta indeed is not that great of a sports town. Neither is Miami, unless it's the Dolphins or The U.
Atlanta drew fairly well until the past few years. Few teans in America could survive ZERO playoff eins in ten years PLUS poor ownership.
They likely outdrew Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, Washington and Pittsburgh, Nashville, etc., for some stretches (those teams all had attendance issues in the past 10 yrs.). Even Vancouver was drawing as little as 12,000 on some weeknights in 2000, no?
Sure, their announced attendance reflected deep discounts and giveaways, but their crowds were competitive with the Atlanta Hawks for awhile. (of course, ticket prices may have varied).
They soldout their only 2 playoff games; Boston, until recent years, had some non-sellouts in the playoffs.
Their first few years saw solid attendance.
Dallas' attendance, and to some extent Colorado, is frightening now with non-playoff teams recently. It may get very bad this year now that the Mavs won the NBA title. Hard to believe they outdrew the Mavs for a few years way back when. Can't watch a tv game from there due to all those empty seats.
Due to lsck of playoff success, once solid Columbus has faltered at the gate the past 3 years.
Atlanta needs better ownership...and another chance in 5-10 years.
What about Quebec? They went to Colorado. The original Winnipeg? They went to Phoenix. It works both ways but at least it has been proven that Atlanta is not a great city for Hockey. Maybe revisiting Hartford and bringing back the Whalers might be a better idea.
It works both ways but at least it has been proven that Atlanta is not a great city for Hockey. Maybe revisiting Hartford and bringing back the Whalers might be a better idea.
This is an incongruous statement, as you are assuming the failure of one franchise as representing the wholesale, indisputable failure of the sport in a city, then turn right around and suggest another city that lost its team get one again.
What's that? Hartford is a better hockey market? Possibly, but in the end they couldn't manage the public support to get themselves a new building - in a much more prosperous time economically than today - which they legitimately needed to compete with the rest of the league. 15 years later, nothing new.
If it was all about geography, then why are the Islanders and Devils kicking it with Phoenix around the bottom of the attendance rankings? Sure, the Islanders have been weak and they play in an outmoded arena, which makes them essentially the same as the Whalers in their final years in Hartford. And I've wondered if New Jersey has been hurt the recent rule changes that have more or less targeted the Devils specifically. Either way, it shows that location isn't everything.
For that matter, going back to Canadian teams, Ottawa was no overnight success when the Senators came back around in 1992. Everyone in Ottawa was either a Leafs or Habs fan, the Sens had an unstable ownership situation and the team itself was godawful those first three or four seasons. Building that fanbase was a gradual process, but two decades later it's there and they're a success story.
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.
