How popular are the Stars in Dallas?

[rfournier103]

I lived in Texas for a little while, and knew a guy from Dallas. He was a VERY casual Dallas Stars fan. That is to say he will watch when they are in the Stanley Cup Final.

College sports in the US is a very interesting phenomenon.

To someone from another country, getting fired up about your alma mater may seem foolish, but we humans often don't understand a situation when we're on the outside looking in. Until the second half of the 20th century, a college/university education was very rare unless you came from money or were very gifted academically. Naturally, classmates and alumni like to "stick together" and often times helped each other out in the "real world." From my own experience, I once got a job because the gentleman in charge of personnel graduated from the same university I did. I believed then as I still do today that was more than qualified for the position, but we stick together and take care of our own.

In a way, I think people from other countries bond together differently than Americans do. I'm not sure why that might be, but I think there's something to that. Perhaps a sociologist should write a paper on it.

Not only is college football massively popular in Texas, but high school football is as well. High school games are played on Friday nights so spectators don't have to sit in the sun during day games, and Friday night high school games don't conflict with Saturday afternoon college games or professional football on Sunday. In fact, when the NFL was founded, they decided to play their games on Sundays because college football was more popular and already had a stranglehold on Saturdays.

As far as NHL hockey in Texas goes... I think it's seen as a novelty and definitely not taken very seriously but pretty much everyone. As with most of the country, the NHL is a "niche" sport and kind of an afterthought if it's thought of at all. A friend of mine from Texas when we first met just assumed that hockey was "a sport played by French guys from Canada," and knew absolutely nothing about the game. He's a great guy and a very good friend, but he would much rather watch the Dallas Cowboys or the Texas Longhorns than a Stanley Cup Game 7.

In America; schools are places where you go to play sports, socialize, get new experiences,
have fun and pay shit loads of money to do so.

Rest of the world : get education to get a better job, work really hard, learn and improve self

----------

Sure i'm generalizing here but still... looking America outside in, i think for most that's how it is.
- for example, College is larger than life thing, its a concept really

For someone like me, a guy from Finland, it is so ridiculous looking outside in about College
and how big thing it is in your country.

I'm pretty sure that if you attended an American university and applied that degree toward your career you may feel differently. As I said in a different post, its a lot different when you're on the outside looking in.

EDIT: I attended a university to better myself and get an education. I worked hard and earned my degree. The people I knew who were just there to party flunked out and never graduated. Shame on them.

 

[JungleBeat]

Kyrie + Luka vs the Stars. I know who I’m watching.

 

[My3Sons]

NCAA is more popular than the professional leagye is some states, right?

yes and in Atlanta I’d expect UGA to outdraw the Falcons. Louisiana would favor LSU over the Saints but the Pelicans are well ahead of LSU basketball. Still, the ferocity of college fans in the US south is a unique animal that has to he experienced. Until you’ve been to Tuscaloosa for the Auburn game you haven’t seen it the way it really needs to be seen.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I have lived in the city of Dallas for over 10 years. SMU is nowhere close in popularity to the Stars, let alone any of the big college football teams/other pro sports.

I sort of wonder how a team with a wealthy fan base like SMU might perform in the NIL world in coming years, i.e., whether they can become another private school like USC which simply buys top players.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Just a comment on the US college sports, Texas is like the place for football in the entire USA so it must be even extra important. I was in Oregon five years ago and the impact of the Oregon Ducks and Oregon state beavers was huge. Far more college jerseys there and hats, merchandise than anything to do with the Portland Trailblazers.

In Canada university/college is pure utility. You go to school for better job prospects. when the average Canadian graduates and leave they most likely will never set foot back into that building again. And no-one would ever donate any significant amount of money to an alumni. That would be regarded as odd and a complete waste of money.

It is a complete waste of money. You pay thousands upon thousands of dollars to attend a school, why should they get more of your money. I get the whole tax right off, but even then donate to a charity.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

In America; schools are places where you go to play sports, socialize, get new experiences,
have fun and pay shit loads of money to do so.

Rest of the world : get education to get a better job, work really hard, learn and improve self

----------

Sure i'm generalizing here but still... looking America outside in, i think for most that's how it is.
- for example, College is larger than life thing, its a concept really

For someone like me, a guy from Finland, it is so ridiculous looking outside in about College
and how big thing it is in your country.

There's about a thousand community colleges as well as many technical institutes which people attend solely for an education. As an outsider, you just notice the big schools more because they make the most noise.

 

[Kranix]

Dwarfed by football nfl and college

 

[DaPhazz]

Kyrie + Luka vs the Stars. I know who I’m watching.

Still hockey?

 

[oconnor9sean]

I sort of wonder how a team with a wealthy fan base like SMU might perform in the NIL world in coming years, i.e., whether they can become another private school like USC which simply buys top players.

SMU doesn't have anything that the other schools in the area don't. They all have PLENTY of alumni billionaires that want their athletic departments to succeed. SMU also has a much smaller alumni base to pool from.

 

[beedee]

Ugh, never mind, cant figure out how to do the spoiler.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Ugh, never mind, cant figure out how to do the spoiler.

Spoiler

they're pretty easy to set up

[SPOILE R]just remove the space before the R and you're all set [/SPOILE R]

 

[RalphyDanger]

They are behind and out of state college team? That shocks me but I am not an American. College sports have no relevance in Canada. Maybe ignorance on my part.

Ok...I am learning tonight.. that US college sports have there own unique dynamic. So far, it appears the Stars, albeit at the bottom of the local rankings, are more of a reflection of what sounds to be a thriving sports scene overall than with any particular flaws with their own franchise. Oh and another thing.. thank so so much for your old coach...we owe you. Not a playoff round maybe, but beers for sure.

Didn't read through the whole thread yet, so maybe someone already addressed this.

The OU and UT rivalry is big in Dallas, and Houston/San Antonio as well. I don't want to discredit some schools so Houston and SA also get the Texas A&M/LSU influence. A lot of people who go to school at these universities move to Houston, Dallas or San Antonio because of the industries there, and they keep their loyalty to their school.

When it comes to people following the Stars in Dallas it's different, not a lot of them were introduced to hockey before going to see a game, these schools don't really have a large following for their hockey teams, OU probably has the strongest. A lot of them are introduced to hockey through the Stars and they develop their fandom through them. So a lot of fans might cheer for OU over UT, or UT over OU, but they are all fans of the Stars. I would say the Stars have a solid fan base, although more people in Texas care about Football. The sports fans who like football and hockey all cheer for the stars whether they like UT or OU. They are the only pro team in Texas, and most hockey fans who are introduced to the sport here love them. If you are a hockey fan before moving to Texas you probably will keep cheering for your original team.

 

[NeelyWasAWarrior]

In America; schools are places where you go to play sports, socialize, get new experiences,
have fun and pay shit loads of money to do so.

Rest of the world : get education to get a better job, work really hard, learn and improve self

----------

Sure i'm generalizing here but still... looking America outside in, i think for most that's how it is.
- for example, College is larger than life thing, its a concept really

For someone like me, a guy from Finland, it is so ridiculous looking outside in about College
and how big thing it is in your country.

It's a work/life/balance thing. Socializing is good, playing sports is healthy, getting new experiences improves your well roundedness. At the end of the day the american mantra has always been work hard, play hard.

Now of course, what you said is a blanket statement. There are those in demanding curriculums that will rise to to the occasion and those in that will not. The ones that don't will go to the extremes of partying and having fun. Then there are those that are in soft majors. They will get by just enough. At the end of the day, if you have a hard major, you still have to do the work at the standards demanded by the college.

 

[Rob]

As long as they are more popular than Dallas FC.

 

[JungleBeat]

Still hockey?

Hell no

 

[dortt]

I imagine it's sort of like the junior leagues in Canada. The NFL, NBA, and MLB don't really have minor leagues...other than college.

MLB has a far more robust minor league system than does the NHL. There are 6 or 7 levels below MLB

 

[S E P H]

I was travelling to a hockey tournament one time in the Midwest USA and I passed the University of Nebraska throwball stadium and seriously you wouldn't understand how huge it was. That thing fits 90k and it was the first time I ever saw something that truly big that was used for sports. It was nuts.

I don't want to sound judgemental because I truly am not trying to be, but the states that don't really have a lot of things to do in them, tend to cater to their college teams. For example, North Dakota doesn't have the population or infrastructure to house a pro sports team of the major five, but every state does have a power five school. That's why the Fighting Sioux are crazy popular in that state for the same reason why Alabama or Crimson are the talk of the town for not just the college city, but for the whole state. It's literally "something to do" on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. It's also the reason why the major metropolitan cities have awful college cultures like New York, Chicago, LA, and Philly amongst others. I think Columbus is the only city off the top of my head that has a large population and loves its college teams more than any professional club. New York and Chicago in particular got some of the best universities in the nation. Hell, Northwestern is one of the HARDEST to get into and one of the most well-known non-Ivy league universities, but nobody cares about their throwball team.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

I was travelling to a hockey tournament one time in the Midwest USA and I passed the University of Nebraska throwball stadium and seriously you wouldn't understand how huge it was. That thing fits 90k and it was the first time I ever saw something that truly big that was used for sports. It was nuts.

I don't want to sound judgemental because I truly am not trying to be, but the states that don't really have a lot of things to do in them, tend to cater to their college teams. For example, North Dakota doesn't have the population or infrastructure to house a pro sports team of the major five, but every state does have a power five school. That's why the Fighting Sioux are crazy popular in that state for the same reason why Alabama or Crimson are the talk of the town for not just the college city, but for the whole state. It's literally "something to do" on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. It's also the reason why the major metropolitan cities have awful college cultures like New York, Chicago, LA, and Philly amongst others. I think Columbus is the only city off the top of my head that has a large population and loves its college teams more than any professional club. New York and Chicago in particular got some of the best universities in the nation. Hell, Northwestern is one of the HARDEST to get into and one of the most well-known non-Ivy league universities, but nobody cares about their throwball team.

North Dakota is not a power 5 school m8

 

[S E P H]

North Dakota is not a power 5 school m8

I know that, I was generalising just as I know that Alaska or Maine or Vermont don't have any P5 schools either fam. However, the norm is that at least one state has a power 5 school and the ones that don't go against the means (aka they have too little of a population due to factors like farming, mountainous/forest terrain, etc.).

 

[chirrrs]

I sort of wonder how a team with a wealthy fan base like SMU might perform in the NIL world in coming years, i.e., whether they can become another private school like USC which simply buys top players.

How ironic would that be considering how it turned out the first time 35 years ago?

For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, SMU famously received the NCAA death penalty in 1987 for doing exactly this. There was a really good 30 for 30 called "Pony Excess" about it.

 

[VictoriaJetsFan]

Well the thread has died down so I wanted to thank everyone for their contributions here. I learned alot. Never did I think the Stars or anyone else would rival football but boy did I learn how big a role college ball plays in the Dallas sports scene. I expected the Mavs to be huge and read nothing here than to think otherwise.

As for the Stars, they popularity is less an indication or reflection on them than an intensely crowded and competitive marketplace. In such an environment the Stars could have easily gone the way of the Atlanta Thrashers or true irrelevance such as Arizona. However they have clearly carved out a relevant niche for themselves and it appears impressive. In a warm climate with no NHL history to reference, they have done an impressive job of being where they are. Maybe being stuck in 4,5 or even 6th place is a lame bar to reach, but given the context, its really not.

I think I will do this about other American cities as well and see what the response is. this thread was great to read. Thanks for the input everyone, enjoy the Super Bowl.

Mods you can probably close the thread now. Thanks.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

The Cowboys are obviously in another tier from all the other pro teams, and I do agree that the Mavericks are probably a safe 2nd. But I'm surprised the Rangers are ranked ahead of the Stars. I've seen plenty of their games since the Mariners are my favorite AL team, and they never struck me as having a hardcore fanbase.


I'll obviously defer to you more as a local, but once you add college sports in, I'd think the Longhorns would be 2nd for how huge college sports are there. Not as big as the Cowboys since there's more college teams, but the only team I'd think could even be in the same tier. And the Rangers being more popular than the Longhorns is something I can't even fathom. as college football seems to be far bigger than pro baseball in Dallas. Would be curious to know what I'm missing.


I don't think any pro team in Florida is even close to the tier of the Gators and Seminoles. Maybe in their city itself, but statewide it's these 2 by a mile.

Florida State alum here.

I would rather the Pittsburgh Steelers win the next 5 Super Bowls than that team in Gainesville win one CFP title, and take a look at my avatar to tell what I think of the Steelers. I literally give the middle finger to alligators I see at zoos, as long as my daughter isn't watching.

That should tell you all you need to know about football in Northern and Central Florida. NCAA football isn't a sport in the South, it is a religion.

 

[LightningStorm]

Florida State alum here.

I would rather the Pittsburgh Steelers win the next 5 Super Bowls than that team in Gainesville win one CFP title, and take a look at my avatar to tell what I think of the Steelers. I literally give the middle finger to alligators I see at zoos, as long as my daughter isn't watching.

That should tell you all you need to know about football in Northern and Central Florida. NCAA football isn't a sport in the South, it is a religion.

The religion part is spot on. My dad is from Athens, GA, and I see the religion of Bulldogs football there whenever I go visit his family. The town basically revolves around them. Outside of the Cowboys in Texas, I don't think any pro sports team in the south can compete against the religion of college sports in the south (basketball in North Carolina and Kentucky, football in the rest).

 

[TheGreenTBer]

The religion part is spot on. My dad is from Athens, GA, and I see the religion of Bulldogs football there whenever I go visit his family. The town basically revolves around them. Outside of the Cowboys in Texas, I don't think any pro sports team in the south can compete against the religion of college sports in the south (basketball in North Carolina and Kentucky, football in the rest).

Not even the Cowboys in Texas IMO. A Cowboys home game, no matter against whom, is child's play compared to a game like the Iron Bowl which basically shuts down the entire state of Alabama completely.

The Cowboys' fanbase is extraordinarily widespread, and they have a large and devoted following in Dallas and Texas as a whole..but it's just not the same as NCAA football.