Quote:
Originally Posted by henriksedin33
Geez, just a little defensive? All I said was that there are better options than Seattle, and the team would struggle to draw crowds if they aren't competitive. Especially competing with an NBA team, which they would be. Thats the exact same thing several other people in this thread have said, and probably one of the reasons they've never had a team! If it made sense don't you think they would have had one by now before cities like Miami, Nashville, Tampa, Phoenix, etc etc.
You're surprised the Giants only draw 7k? Theres a difference: Vancouver has other hockey options (ie. a NHL team), Seattle does not.
As for MLS, both teams have very good attendance, at or near capacity (you DO realize BC place is capped at 21k for soccer). Seattle having one of the best teams in the league and a population of 1 million more people probably contributes to them blowing away every other city in the league in this regard.
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Not defensive as much as pot calling the kettle. If Seattle fans are fair weather, what does that say about Vancouver fans?
I like the MLS analogy b/c like hockey, it is a fringe sport at the pro level in US culture even in Seattle. Yet you see the record attendance the Sounders have comparable to even European attendance figures.
If someone had asked me ten years ago which of the two cities would support pro soccer more, I would have said Vancouver hands down b/c it showed organically. The craziness of the Commerical Drive during World Cup, lots of community fields of all ages playing the game and the long standing tradition of organized competition.
I've never seen that to the same extent in Seattle but the attendance figures speak for themselves. I went to more Whitecaps games last year than Sounders. The fans (other than the Southsiders) were corporate--sitting on their hands. Compare that to the Clink where the atmosphere is electric. The crowd participation is a game within the game with some amazing tifos.
I think you're right that people here aren't obsessed with spectator sports or it doesn't dominate like hockey does in Canada but I wouldn't discount Seattle fans as fair weather. The number of teams and attendance to support those teams prove it.