Originally posted by kerouac9
I believe that this is the long and the short of what I'm trying to say. IMO, what the Cards are doing are moving away from some of their less sucky fans and into an area with a base of, at best, unknown quality fans.
The only thing is that the location that they're moving to is going to have a far larger population of transplants, and that doesn't bode well for a franchise that hasn't done much to connect with native fans.
Living in Vegas is quite similiar to Phoenix in this respect. Vegas has no 'major league' sports team but what it has in the 4 + years I have lived here has been:
1. Three different minor league hockey teams from two different leagues
2. 2 different basketball teams from 2 different leagues
3. 1 AAA Dodgers farm club
4. An XFL team
5. And prior to me living here a CFL franchise
This town, outside of the current hockey team, does not support those teams for one very big reason. None of them where very good.
It is very true when people say that if your a winner fans will come. But there is another part to this equation. If you are a new team to an area, it isnt just good enough to win, but you have to win immediatly. The reason is start solidifying the roots of a fan base.
A Fan base isnt just fans. It is a group that will follow a team whether they win or lose. (a la this board). That was never established in PHX and the major reason for that is the lack of winning right when the team came to AZ.
Those same people who came to opeining night (67,000+ ) and their sons and daughters/granchildren etc would have supported this team through thick and thin if the team could have made a legitimite connection with them from day 1. The way to make that connection??
WINNING
The problem now lies in the fact that if this team can turn it around it cant be for 1 or 2 seasons. They still have to make that connection with the fan base. They have to have unprecented run that will allow all these fans the opportunity to revel in the winning and be able to shrug off the losing when it comes. Yet still support this team.
Consider the opening of this stadium as 1988 all over again. True its about winning, but more importantly, its about making that connection, so when the losing comes, and it will come, fans will not abandon this team!
That is why the next few seasons are soo critical for the success of this franchise. If fans do not show up in support then money that sould be used for supporting this team will not be there, thus the losing cycle, and no fan base, will continue.
Like I said before this cannot be 1-2 solid seasons. This team needs to connect with the fan base, change the pereption of the team and its owners, shake things up, grab some
exciting playmakers whatever it takes to show the valley that this is not your Fathers cardinals!
