Jarnevic
Registered User
"I went to Alaska recently...and they're kinda cocky 'cause they're an insecure state. They're like, 'Our state is twice the size of Texas.' I'm like, 'Ya, we don't like THAT state either." - Mike Birbiglia
With the amount of empty seats in Dallas during the NHL AllStar game... that alone to me speaks volumes about the validity of hockey in Texas. Sure it is packed when the Stars are Stanley Cup contenders, but otherwise...
Like Bill Parcell's leaving the Cowboys was the only sports news in Dallas on the day of the AllStar Skills, Young Guns - and the NHL was pushed to page 10 of the news.
The same city that lost an NFL team once before in football mad Texas.
And I know some will get all defensive about what I'm saying. And so be it. It's the truth.
The Dakotas? Minot, Rapid City, Souix Falls, Grand Forks, Bismark, Fargo? Is there a facility in Crosby? That could be an enticing move, from a marketing perspective, for the Penguins. At least it snows there.
Uhhh there are 650,00 people in the entire state of North Dakota, 750,000 in South. You really think they could support a team?
Top city in each Dakota
Population of Sioux Falls 139,000
Population of Fargo 90,000
The NHL controls most of the seats for the All Star game. The organization gets very few seats which, as already stated in the this thread, were sold.With the amount of empty seats in Dallas during the NHL AllStar game... that alone to me speaks volumes about the validity of hockey in Texas. Sure it is packed when the Stars are Stanley Cup contenders, but otherwise...
I don't know about that.As mentioned before, the All-Star game was a sellout. What are the chances of all 18,000 people being in their seats at the same time? People go to the bathroom, concession stands, the bars, etc. The YoungStars Game and Skills Competition was also sold out but people (mostly NHL people, not Texas people) didn't show up.
I was at the game and can tell you the place was packed.
If you want to talk about the validity of hockey in Texas why not start with how much hockey has grown in the 13 years the Stars have been in Texas.
The city of Houston (2,016,582 - 4th largest city in the US) is bigger than Dallas (1,213,825 - 9th largest), although the Dallas metro area is a little bigger than Houston's (5,819,475 vs 5,280,077). Numbers from US Census 7/1/05 population estimates.This is a point that seems lost on a lot of people when discussing market success/viability. If a metro area has a gigantic population, it might not even matter if hockey is popular in the area overall. It can still be a successful business there. The Dallas metro area has what, six million people? That is huge. The Houston metro area... well over five million people? Again, huge. Heck, hockey could probably even be tenth on the sports popularity totem pole in places like this and still succeed as a business just because the sheer population numbers are so overwhelming. (Not to mention corporate presence as well, of course.)
I was pretty close.the Dallas metro area is a little bigger than Houston's (5,819,475 vs 5,280,077). Numbers from US Census 7/1/05 population estimates.
The city of Houston (2,016,582 - 4th largest city in the US) is bigger than Dallas (1,213,825 - 9th largest), although the Dallas metro area is a little bigger than Houston's (5,819,475 vs 5,280,077). Numbers from US Census 7/1/05 population estimates.
With the amount of empty seats in Dallas during the NHL AllStar game... that alone to me speaks volumes about the validity of hockey in Texas. Sure it is packed when the Stars are Stanley Cup contenders, but otherwise...
Like Bill Parcell's leaving the Cowboys was the only sports news in Dallas on the day of the AllStar Skills, Young Guns - and the NHL was pushed to page 10 of the news.
The same city that lost an NFL team once before in football mad Texas.
And I know some will get all defensive about what I'm saying. And so be it. It's the truth.
I was thinking, since the North Stars moved to Dallas maybe the NHL can some how get the wild to move to Houston to really piss of the Minnesota fans.
Houston is the largest TV market in the US without an NHL team.
The one fly in the ointment would be the Minnesota Wild since they own the Houston Aeros of the AHL. There would definitely have to be some compensation handed over to them if the Pens (or any other NHL team) were to move to Houston. I doubt there is any workable solution to have both the Aeros and another hockey operating out of the same building. The Aeros would have to move elsewhere.
Right, because it would be a much smarter decision to put a team in Badger Titty, Alberta or some other little Canadian "city," right? Because they're real fans! At least they get snow!
Right, because it would be a much smarter decision to put a team in Badger Titty, Alberta or some other little Canadian "city," right? Because they're real fans! At least they get snow!
(A) Contraction will not happen for the simple reason that the rest of the owners are not going to cough up over $150million per team to buy out the current ownership of any team.I'd like to see contraction before I see a team in Houston. The talent pool is too thin already. Nashville is good example of a southern team not working, as is Florida. A Canadian city should get a team easily. There is no way Houston deserves a team because of TV rating and such. Texas is a football state let's face it. You can't spread hockey in a state that the high school football teams get more air time. It's better to get front page news in the north than in South Fork. Anyhow the cap will help an team now with finances. Let's keep going south that'll save the NHL. Common.
The peg sucks! There is very little corporate support there and population. Why don't you guys get it through your head? The NHL FAILED in winnipeg and it was an economic disaster.
Again, the NHL failed in Winnipeg... bottomline.
So what? The NHL "failed" in Minnesota (North Stars), Colorado (Rockies), Northern California (Golden Seals), and Atlanta (Flames). All re-acquired teams later on. Should those cities never have been given a second chance?
The peg sucks! There is very little corporate support there and population. Why don't you guys get it through your head? The NHL FAILED in winnipeg and it was an economic disaster.
Again, the NHL failed in Winnipeg... bottomline.
Ignorant Americans.