Amen Chris, amen. I am born n raised in Calgary, 26 years, and I've always lovedMLB Jerseys. Not becasue of my nationality, or that it snows here. But because I love the game. It's fast, exciting and physical. I have played soccer for 21 years now, having been 1st generation Canadian to very Scottish parents....but even then, it never changed my love of either sport. I've had people say to me that the sunbelt doesn't deserve hockey for a laundry list of specious reason. No fans, climate and heritage are usually the leading reasons. Yet at the same time, those same people chastise me for having played soccer my whole life in a "no traditional market" for the game. So this elitist attitude towards the game here seems to wear blinders to block it's peripherals when dealing with other sports. I always try to remind people thatNBA Jerseys, basketball and lacrosse were all bred and fine tuned here north of the 49th. But of course, climate usually plays a role in people's opinions as to why those sports "suck" to them. It's ridiculous to be honest. I always laugh when I see a player interviewed after they are traded from say the Panthers to the Oilers. "I'm excited to come to a hockey market where the entire city embraces the team", blah blah blah. But lets be honest, I've been to Edmonton, and no offense to its denizens.....but who in there right mind would choose Edmonton over Miami? Having also been to markets such as Phoenix, Nashville, Los Angeles and columbus, I must say that the passion and love for the game amongst the fans there is equal to, or superior to some markets here. Let's face it, Canadians seem to take the game for granted. Saying hockey belongs here over the states when we're host to 6 NFL Jerseys franchises, 4 in the AHL and 52 major junior teams in the CHL. The game is taken greatly for granted here. Very few are able to see past their own love for the game and recognize it in others from around the world. You look at the World Championships this year and you see Canada finishing 5th, with Europe sweeping all the medals, and Norway and Germany shocking all by placing 6th and 7th respectively. But here in Canada, where the game is "ours" and "belongs" here, there was barely anybody watching it. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who knows who won the gold once Canada was bumped for those who did watch. Problem though, the court of public opinion up here will never change on this matter. So long as there are teams in the sunbelt in the Wholesale Jerseys, Gary Bettman will continue to be the Great Satan of hockey. Which is to bad for the thousands of fans that exist in all those markets. With Winnipeg back in the league, little will change. There presence in Canada will not affect tickets sales in the other 6 cities. Save for Ottawa, the other 5 rinks have been sold out since the lock out.....regardless of the visiting team. So realistically, Winnipeg visiting these cities will not alter attendance anymore than say the Rangers, Thrashers, Blues or Predators would. So why does anyone up here besides those in Winnipeg really care so much? As you said, it's that innate entitlement that drives them. It makes them think they're more deserving of being a fan of the game over any fan in Atlanta. Which is a shitty reason to like NHL Jerseys.
I've been reading in non-hockey circles that Atlanta's NHL Jerseys has floundered in the last decade or so. My union rep tells me that there isn't a single tower crane in operation, compared to 167 in Toronto, which is currently experiencing a miniature economic boom. The tower crane figure is a decent indicator of the amount of economic activity for a city, due to the work being done underneath them, generally. By all accounts, Atlanta's economy is in the dumps. Never mind the small number of serious fans; the city's economics make it hard for a major professional sports team to get the funding base they need to survive through sponsorship and seat licensing. Also, you can buy NFL Jerseys with passion. The intensity of the devotion of the small number of Thrasher fans is clearly not bankable enough to pay Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byufglien their salaries. I'm a hockey evangelist, I think it's the most exciting, entertaining, and fast-paced game in the world, but not every new hockey market is capable of sustaining an Wholesale Jerseys, and Atlanta's had their shot, twice now. As far as I'm concerned, it's not about how much an individual loves the sport or their team. It's about the general consensus. And if they move the Thrashers to Winnipeg, believe me, the entire Canadian city will live and breathe their team. Unlike in Atlanta where there aren't enough of those passionate fans to fill up half the arena throughout the seasons. The proof is there and it can't be denied. It has nothing to do with anything geographical, but everything to do with how passionate Winnipeg citizens will be. And again, I'm not talking about specific fans of the team like in Atlanta, but an entire city who will be all over this. And I'll make the same exact claim for Quebec. And even more for them. I don't know if you guys are aware, but Nordiques fans organize rallies and get-togethers where thousands upon thousands show up to display their want for a hockey team. Thousands get on buses and travel to other cities where they pack up another team's arena to show the NBA Jerseys that they mean business (ask the NY Islanders about how there were more Nordiques fans in the stands than either team who was playing that night at Nasau Coliseum, including the home team). I would feel bad for Thrashers fans if they actually packed the house and the city was hockey all-year round. But I don't feel sorry for them because the folks in Hotlanta didn't show enough interest in the local team. So too bad! And I'll say the same exact thing about any team whose arenas are only full when their team is in the playoffs, but are barely half full during the year. The league has a good bunch of teams full of bandwagon fans. I would say the same exact thing if the team was Canadian. But that is far from the case for sell MLB Jerseys. To quote the American Kurt Angle "It's true. It's damn true!"
As a passionate die-hard Calgary fan, I've always been partial to the MLB Jerseys, right from the very start. I'd cheer for them for no real justified reason and then tell my friends that when Atlanta becomes a contender, I won't be the bandwagoneer. I figured since they've been re-building --rather building---- a team for more than a decade now, the elite version of the team must be on its way. Atlanta seems like a perfect place to live and play hockey as an Wholesale Jerseys, the media doesn't dissect your every move, your kids can go to school and be normal, a trip to the grocery store doesn't result in mass autograph mobs.... and it's warm there! So why can't Thrashers management pay enough money to bring or keep free agents? Why is it that a metro city of well over 5 million people can't even find 18000 people to watch a game? Why is it that it cheaper for me to buy a plane ticket to Atlanta, rent a hotel room and a car for a weekend and sit in the lower bowl for a Thrashers game than to go watch a game in a Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal? Why is it that not a single prospective buyer has come forward to purchase the team and keep it in Atlanta? Atlanta got two chances to prove it was a hockey town, as did Minnesota, and the Bay Area (Oakland Seals anyone?). The difference with the latter two is that fans now regularly show up to games in respectable numbers, even San Jose, which has certainly had its fair share of perpetual underachievement. I heard they were going to have a rally in Atlanta to show support for the Thrashers........I didn't hear how many people showed up. Enough to fill an arena? Enough to fill all of downtown? Enough to fill a major street downtown? Maybe a few downtown pubs? Did the police have to show up for crowd control? Where there any rallies elsewhere in Georgia? Did it even make the news in Atlanta? Or was it those few passionate ones that filled a curb side with a few NBA Jerseys and a few signs? As another poster said, cheering for perennial mediocrity is very tough. No doubt about it. I know what it's like In fact, unless you only cheer for the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Yankees, the NFL Jerseys, or the New England Patriots, EVERYONE knows what that's like. I also have no doubt that there are passionate hockey fans puts on NHL Jerseys in Atlanta. But it's clear that something has to change, because only a handful of passionate fans won't cut it. The hockey business is a service industry, if a service (aka a means to provide entertainment, stress relief therapy, social gatherings, etc) isn't provided, then it won't be successful. Plain and simple. If I run a barber shop, and I give crappy haircuts, I'm eventually going to go out of business! If I re-open my barber shop in the same place and continue to give crappy haircuts? You guessed it, I will go out of business. If Atlanta, Minneapolis, and San Jose can all get a second chance to prove themselves, why can't Winnipeg?
Did Phoenix fans shed tears for Winnipeg? Did Colorado weep for Quebec City? Did Carolina cry for Hartford? Nope. It's unrealistic to expect Winnipeggers/Canadians to feel bad about a market we don't care about. We're just happy to have a team back. A few more: Van Damme's Sudden Death featured the Pens. Lethal Weapon 3 had a game between the Leafs and Kings (for the most part, they switched to generic logoMLB Jerseys when the cops crashed onto the ice). Mystery, Alaska featured the Rangers. The real Mighty Ducks made a cameo in one of their namesake films. Joey Lauren Adams wore nothing but a NFL Jerseys in Chasing Amy (can't remember which team). Mark - it's called empathy. Basic human emotion. Seems to me as though you could use a bit of it. What exactly do you think happens in those post playoff series handshake lines? The loser congratulates the victor, and the winner tells their conquest that they fought hard and gave it their all. Common respect between people. Today sucks for us Thrasher fans, but it is nice to see the joy in the faces of those in Winnipeg who had their team taken from beneath them unfairly 15 years ago. Just find it interesting to note that the Jets final season's attendance averaged about 11k per game. Atlanta's worst season was 13k. (Mind you, league average jumped up 2k since the mid 90s). Anyway, I'm firmly against relocation, I'd rather see Canada NHL Jerseys get teams via expansion. I'm a fan of the Sens and Oilers, both of whom faced difficulties and could've been sent packing to the US. I don't think the league has a bias against Canada. I also think Winnipeg isn't a greater market than Atlanta. I'd argue they're about the same: Winnipeg might have a larger percentage of NBA Jerseys fans, but Atlanta's got a much larger population to draw from..
The whole NHL Jerseys in film thing kicked off another thought: How about polls for the best and worst jerseys in films? Like specifically movies about hockey (but not Miracle or the MLB Jerseys in MD2 &3). You could pull from Youngblood, The Slapshot series, the Mighty Duck series, etc. There are some great shirts (and some real turds out (I'm looking at you MD2 Trinidad jersey!). As a Thrasher fan...this is a hard day. I have to tell my kids the team is gone just as my Mom had to do back in 1980. To say we abandoned the team is wrong - we had an ownership group that went out of its way to ruin hockey for both the fans, and possible corporate sponsors in this city years ago. Every media outlet in Canada has pointed out the ASG has written the definitie novel on how NOT to run a franchise. For the Calgarian above who said this was a mistake from the onset - you could never be more wrong. In a down economy, to ask someone to support a product that is purposefully kept mediocre is insulting. The difference between Altanta 1980 and 2011 is staggering. At least we have the ECHL Gladiators. Perhaps we can move up to the AHL and bring back the name Atlanta Flames. The sad part is the Canadian dollar will inevitably fall back to the historical level of 75% of the USD and the small market teams there will be in trouble again. I think the cinema thing would be fantastic, as long as notes are included with it. For instance, the NBA Jerseys from Ferris Bueller's Day Off . The Wings have never worn a white collar on their red sweaters. I think that's a nifty little tidbit to include. Add to it a rating on "How well was this NFL Jerseys used?" was it included in the script? was it just a background item that's never talked about (like the random Islanders gear in ALF)? does it help develop a character (like Dr. Cox in Scrubs)? and you have a voting basis like this site has always done so well. The idea I'd like to see most would be the "That which never was". I've grabbed photos of never-wornWholesale Jerseys whenever I can, including the gold Dallas Stars jersey, the Nordiques 1996 changes, what was allegedly a 1980s Nords rebrand, and most recently what is supposedly a Cooperalls rebrand for the Jets, which is crazy looking. Other logos, such as the Caps rebrand that never happened, the alternate ideas of the Burger King logo through the Blue Jackets cannon logo, are stuff that has been mentioned on this very blog. That would probably be the most interesting of the above ideas.
ON two notes for this one. First, Winnipeg fans don't forget the heart ache of losing a team. That's why we are celebrating as hard as we can on the premise of one coming back. Do you remember when Minnesota lost their North Stars? When theNHL Jerseys returned via expansion, they haven't had one game where they didn't sell out their stadium since. They felt the loss. As do we. For Atlanta fans, I feel for you I do, but we can share the team for a season before you turn your focus to Nashville or Tampa. And Point 2: How I met your mother prominently shows hockey, including multiple vancouver canucks, and New York Rangers references. IncludingNFL Jerseys and Mason Raymond. Despite passing the midway point of the Conference Finals this weekend, the hot topic seems to have been the future of the Atlanta Thrashers and whether or not it will be in Canada. Winnipeg, specifically. My inbox is filling up with questions about the situation. I'm not an expert on this particular subject so I'd like to defer to those who are. Like many of you, I've been reading a lot about what may or may not be going down. To make this easy, I've assembled a list of articles from well-repected sources to paint a picture of all that's going on with regard to this subject. But first I should say something. As I've reviewed my post from Friday about the Thrashers' imminent move, my bias is clearer to me. As a fellow Wholesale Jerseys from a southern state, I feel for Thrashers faithful who are on the brink of losing the team they love. I'm bothered by the apparent heartlessness of Winnipeg residents who should know what it's like to have a franchise ripped right out from them. But it's not heartlessness, is it? If we step back and look at the numbers, it's hard to argue with them. How can we expect them to feel bad for Atlanta when all they've wanted for 15 years is to have their team back?Add to that, the hundreds, even thousands of diehard Thrashers fans are dwarfed by an entire city of more than a half-million that would live and die by the team. That's awfully hard to deny. If it's a question of who deserves it more — and it shouldn't be — who wins out? Atlanta has the team now. They've supported it (mostly) for 12 years. But from everything I've read, it sounds like the ownership, Atlanta Spirit, has let them down. So it's hard to blame the fans in Georgia. And it's just as hard to tell the folks in Manitoba to subdue their excitement. I still have no patience for any Canadian who innately thinks their geography makes them more deserving of hockey. (Remember, you keep coming back to read a hockey blog written by a Floridian.) But I recognize the predicament both cities are in. Now, having said all that — which I'm sure most of you didn't bother to read for MLB Jerseys — here are the bullet points from the weekend.