Quote:
Originally Posted by Plett25
So 20 years ago, it was a fringe sport played by a miniscule fraction of the 13,000,00 people who lived there and now it is a fringe sport played by a tiny fraction of the 20,000,000 who live there.
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I don't think anyone would disagree that support for the Coyotes isn't where everyone wants or hopes it to be, but what we should be trying to measure is future potential and not current situations.
It's an abstract thing to measure, but I do believe the Phoenix market still has a lot of potential, it's just that too many walls have been built and a perfect storm has resulted. Poor arena location and a badly managed team that has had modest success is bad for a newer market, but make no mistake, there is money there to be had. It could also be a crucial market to have for getting national television deals.
I also don't think it's fair to judge support growth (or lack thereof) over the course of this whole fiasco which has been going on for almost 4 years now. It's hard to grow a fanbase when there is a serious question on whether or not the team is going to stay long term. No one wants to support a lame duck and then get their heart broken. The same thing happened in Winnipeg when it became apparent that the Jets were likely going to leave.