Quote:
Originally Posted by Ringmaster316
thats what ppl said when Ottawa got a team...your either a leafs or habs fan lol
stupid people think that way
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it's not stupid. I grew up through it. It's a very real issue that needs to be considered. In the long-term, it's not a problem, but in the short term, it's going to be a very real issue that the franchise will have to deal with.
from my experience in ottawa:
Years 1-2: Yay, we have an NHL team.
Years 2-10: Crap, we have a terrible expansion team.
Years 10-20: Fanbase now growing (up, as 'sens kids' such as myself now start going to games, maybe even buying tickets themselves instead of relying on mom and dad).
Looking at vancouver, even in the early 00's, leafs games in vancouver were dominated by leafs fans. Leafs playoff series packed bars in vancouver.
I'd say years 2-20 are going to be tough years for hamilton/markham/kw fans if the team performs anything like the typical expansion team, and it will take a full 40 years before homegrown fans reach the age that they make up the majority of the ticket-buying public. It's going to affect attendance, it's certainly going to affect advertising revenue, and it's going to affect the profile of the team on the national stage.