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Old 11-25-2009, 11:08 PM
 
Location: Tennessee
6,295 posts, read 23,213,753 times
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I don't know that there is one answer to a question such as this (Nashville vs. Knoxville as a sports town); a lot depends on what criteria someone is using (fan interest vs. variety, pro sports vs. college level, national interest vs. regional interest, etc). Here on this forum most of us are generally biased toward our own region of the state anyway.

I will point out one tiny little things since UT has been mentioned so much. It is the University of TENNESSEE, not the University of Knoxville. There are probably as many UT fans in Middle Tennessee as there are in East Tennessee; and many people make the drive over to go to games, especially football games.

Last edited by alleycat; 11-25-2009 at 11:27 PM..
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Old 11-26-2009, 06:01 AM
 
13,353 posts, read 39,963,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VolDude View Post
The list generally defines sports teams by viewing area/market. It's not like the Jets, Giants, or Nets added (or subtracted) from East Rutherford, NJ's ranking.

Do the Ice Bears draw far, far less than the Predators? Yes, but I'd bet money that the decrepit Civic Coliseum is generally closer to capacity on a given night than a game in Nashville. The Preds are always close to the bottom in NHL attendance.

Their AAA baseball team drew all of 600 more fans per game than Knoxville's AA one.

IMO having more options doesn't mean better fandom, game experience, or better overall sports city. It's all about how folks approach and participate in sporting events. Otherwise Atlanta and Miami, two cities notorious for having horrible, transient fans, would be great sports towns on that alone, all the while being unable to sell out playoff games.
Nashville's AAA baseball team actually plays in Nashville. Knoxville's AA baseball team plays in a different county and is not included in this survey. Note that Kodak is listed separately from Knoxville.

Nashville's NHL franchise may average only 14,000 per game, but that's still 400% more than Knoxville's minor league hockey franchise. Nashville's hockey arena is about 82% filled, Knoxville's is about 50% filled.

Nashville has a lot more options for those who want to watch sports than Knoxville. Knoxville has one NCAA football team, Nashville has two. Knoxville has one NCAA basketball team, Nashville has four. Nashville has the gigantic Centennial Sportsplex, Knoxville has nothing comparable. For baseball, Knoxville has just one option, UT. Nashville has 5: AAA baseball and four NCAA baseball programs.

If we want to say "well Knoxville's AA baseball team is just one county away" then we have to give Nashville the same courtesy and say "well another NCAA Division 1 school (MTSU) is just one county away" in which case Nashville comes out ahead again.

I love U.T. as much as the next guy and go to as many games as I can. I was sitting above the south end zone on Saturday screaming hysterically as Wes Brown intercepted a Vandy pass and returned it for a spectacular touchdown. But Knoxville hosts just 6 football games a year. Nashville has 23-24 (8 NFL games, 6 Vandy games, 6 TSU games, 1 NCAA bowl game, and 2-3 NFL preseason games).

There is absolutely no way that Knoxville is a bigger sports town than Nashville.

Last edited by JMT; 11-26-2009 at 07:13 AM..
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Old 11-26-2009, 06:20 AM
 
13,353 posts, read 39,963,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alleycat View Post
I will point out one tiny little things since UT has been mentioned so much. It is the University of TENNESSEE, not the University of Knoxville. There are probably as many UT fans in Middle Tennessee as there are in East Tennessee; and many people make the drive over to go to games, especially football games.
EXCELLENT point.
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Old 11-26-2009, 07:08 AM
 
Location: Putnam County, TN
231 posts, read 585,902 times
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I have to agree that the fan support for University of Tennessee is AWESOME and everywhere I go in Tennesee I see alot of Orange. More so than I see support for the Titans.
I bought a UT T-Shirt while traveling through the area in October and made the mistake of wearing it in the Atlanta Airport the day that UT played Georgia. A couple of smiles from UT Fans, but when I walked into the terminal lounge to watch the game, the Georgia fans actually commented that I shouldn't be in there wearing my T-shirt.
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Old 11-26-2009, 08:03 AM
 
Location: The Conterminous United States
22,584 posts, read 54,285,430 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by as3369 View Post
I have to agree that the fan support for University of Tennessee is AWESOME and everywhere I go in Tennesee I see alot of Orange. More so than I see support for the Titans.
I bought a UT T-Shirt while traveling through the area in October and made the mistake of wearing it in the Atlanta Airport the day that UT played Georgia. A couple of smiles from UT Fans, but when I walked into the terminal lounge to watch the game, the Georgia fans actually commented that I shouldn't be in there wearing my T-shirt.
That's why I like this state. A Tennessean would never do that.

I don't care for sports so I guess I didn't contribute much to Boston being the number one sports city. In my opinion: Big deal.

What made me an loyal Vols fan was there unbridled enthusiasm couple with their sportsmanship. The classiest fans in the country.
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Old 11-27-2009, 09:07 PM
 
Location: Chattanooga, TN
623 posts, read 1,542,655 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT View Post
Nashville's AAA baseball team actually plays in Nashville. Knoxville's AA baseball team plays in a different county and is not included in this survey.
That aside it's still a very strong example. Disregarding Kodak not being grouped with Knoxville (which is completely contradictory to their other "rankings"), it's pretty telling that the attendance numbers are so close when one team plays in the center of a large metroplex and the other in a tourist trap 25 miles east of Knoxville

Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT View Post
Note that Kodak is listed separately from Knoxville.
Further proof that the list is crap and the formula is completely faulty. There has to be no reason behind that. So Arlington, TX, which sports the largest professional football stadium in the world and a major league baseball stadium doesn't even make the list (probably got grouped in with Dallas-Fort Worth) yet Kodak does? I'm not saying that Kodak, TN is a suburb of Knoxville to the same degree that Arlington is to DFW, but come on, it's a city of over 300k and is the same distance from the those two cities as Kodak is from Knoxville.
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Old 11-28-2009, 07:29 AM
 
13,353 posts, read 39,963,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VolDude View Post
That aside it's still a very strong example. Disregarding Kodak not being grouped with Knoxville (which is completely contradictory to their other "rankings"), it's pretty telling that the attendance numbers are so close when one team plays in the center of a large metroplex and the other in a tourist trap 25 miles east of Knoxville



Further proof that the list is crap and the formula is completely faulty. There has to be no reason behind that. So Arlington, TX, which sports the largest professional football stadium in the world and a major league baseball stadium doesn't even make the list (probably got grouped in with Dallas-Fort Worth) yet Kodak does? I'm not saying that Kodak, TN is a suburb of Knoxville to the same degree that Arlington is to DFW, but come on, it's a city of over 300k and is the same distance from the those two cities as Kodak is from Knoxville.
Kodak is not part of the Knoxville MSA (which is strange). Arlington TX is part fo the DFW MSA. That could be why Arlington is included with Dallas in these rankings while Kodak isn't included with Knoxville.

At any rate, Nashville desperately needs a new baseball stadium. Greer Stadium is an embarrassment and is located in a dank, dark hole that's not easy to find. If it were built today it would not meet AAA baseball standards, not by a long stretch. Even Jackson TN has a nicer minor league stadium. The fact that over 300,000 people brave getting tetanus in a decrepit and crumbling stadium isn't too bad. And it's still more than the Smokies' shining wonderhouse attracts even though the Smokies' stadium is adjacent to the interstate, next door to Bass Pro, and in the middle of a wildly popular tourist area.
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Old 11-28-2009, 09:04 AM
 
Location: Chattanooga, TN
623 posts, read 1,542,655 times
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Good points.
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Old 11-29-2009, 06:45 PM
 
Location: Cookeville,TN
421 posts, read 1,691,295 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT View Post
Kodak is not part of the Knoxville MSA (which is strange). Arlington TX is part fo the DFW MSA. That could be why Arlington is included with Dallas in these rankings while Kodak isn't included with Knoxville.

At any rate, Nashville desperately needs a new baseball stadium. Greer Stadium is an embarrassment and is located in a dank, dark hole that's not easy to find. If it were built today it would not meet AAA baseball standards, not by a long stretch. Even Jackson TN has a nicer minor league stadium. The fact that over 300,000 people brave getting tetanus in a decrepit and crumbling stadium isn't too bad. And it's still more than the Smokies' shining wonderhouse attracts even though the Smokies' stadium is adjacent to the interstate, next door to Bass Pro, and in the middle of a wildly popular tourist area.
Chattanooga Lookouts used to have about the same situation but their new downtown stadium is great and right in the middle of everything.
I was really hopeful when they came out with some drawings a year or so ago of a new Sounds stadium on the river downtown, with or without the hotel and the marina etc...
But so far can't get the financing without taxpayer funding and I don't blame the citizens of Nashville for not wanting to foot the bill for another stadium.
Maybe someday...


firepower
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