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Post by hc87 on Sept 28, 2021 21:02:26 GMT -5
The Pats likely downturn may actually help BC this year and moving forward....be interesting how that plays out. May actually help HC in a Kennedyesque "rising tide lifts all boats" sort of a way. Old enough to remember, even pre-Flutie, how BC was basically Greatahh Boston's team. That has largely disappeared (along with our support from non-HC Woo) ovah the last few decades. The Pats have fallen off the radar screen. No interest at all detected for this weekend's game. They are playing some out of conference team. After this week though, I think Pats interest is going to start to wane this season....I think their fandom is fairly tenuous, been propped up by a 20 year run of excellence in general. Question is, do disaffected Pats fans become BC or HC fans (in terms of going to games)
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 28, 2021 22:58:34 GMT -5
The Pats have fallen off the radar screen. No interest at all detected for this weekend's game. They are playing some out of conference team. After this week though, I think Pats interest is going to start to wane this season....I think their fandom is fairly tenuous, been propped up by a 20 year run of excellence in general. Question is, do disaffected Pats fans become BC or HC fans (in terms of going to games) I find myself more interested in the Bucs with Brady and Gronk last year and this year. I'll be back with the Pats when there is something to cheer about, like there is at HC.
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Post by bfoley82 on Sept 28, 2021 22:59:06 GMT -5
The Pats likely downturn may actually help BC this year and moving forward....be interesting how that plays out. May actually help HC in a Kennedyesque "rising tide lifts all boats" sort of a way. Old enough to remember, even pre-Flutie, how BC was basically Greatahh Boston's team. That has largely disappeared (along with our support from non-HC Woo) ovah the last few decades. The Pats have fallen off the radar screen. No interest at all detected for this weekend's game. They are playing some out of conference team. I believe we are heading to pre Parcells level interest in the Patriots...Boston is a poor football market
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 28, 2021 23:10:36 GMT -5
The Pats have fallen off the radar screen. No interest at all detected for this weekend's game. They are playing some out of conference team. I believe we are heading to pre Parcells level interest in the Patriots...Boston is a poor football market I learned Italian from the Pats. "It's a a long bomb, Babe Parilli to Geno Cappelletti!"
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Post by hc87 on Sept 29, 2021 12:51:47 GMT -5
The Pats have fallen off the radar screen. No interest at all detected for this weekend's game. They are playing some out of conference team. I believe we are heading to pre Parcells level interest in the Patriots...Boston is a poor football market It will be interesting how this likely Pats downturn (and really, after this past 20 years, how can it not happen?) on the field will affect fan-dom, media coverage etc in New England. The NFL is so popular in general, that the Pats will remain pretty popular but will some E/C Mass. football fans forego going to Gillette on a Sunday for a trip to Fitton or Alumni on a Saturday....or did that ship sail long ago? I think Boston in general is a pretty good football market...it's just more divided than the Midwest or Southern markets in whom to follow. The Pats crowd/following the last 20 years is probably the closest this area has come to having an SEC or B1G like fervor/following. Will that sustain with mediocre records moving foward? We'll see.
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Post by gks on Sept 29, 2021 13:21:11 GMT -5
I believe we are heading to pre Parcells level interest in the Patriots...Boston is a poor football market It will be interesting how this likely Pats downturn (and really, after this past 20 years, how can it not happen?) on the field will affect fan-dom, media coverage etc in New England. The NFL is so popular in general, that the Pats will remain pretty popular but will some E/C Mass. football fans forego going to Gillette on a Sunday for a trip to Fitton or Alumni on a Saturday....or did that ship sail long ago? I think Boston in general is a pretty good football market...it's just more divided than the Midwest or Southern markets in whom to follow. The Pats crowd/following the last 20 years is probably the closest this area has come to having an SEC or B1G like fervor/following. Will that sustain with mediocre records moving foward? We'll see. The Flutie years skewed our perception of BC media coverage.
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Post by bfoley82 on Sept 29, 2021 13:34:03 GMT -5
I believe we are heading to pre Parcells level interest in the Patriots...Boston is a poor football market It will be interesting how this likely Pats downturn (and really, after this past 20 years, how can it not happen?) on the field will affect fan-dom, media coverage etc in New England. The NFL is so popular in general, that the Pats will remain pretty popular but will some E/C Mass. football fans forego going to Gillette on a Sunday for a trip to Fitton or Alumni on a Saturday....or did that ship sail long ago? I think Boston in general is a pretty good football market...it's just more divided than the Midwest or Southern markets in whom to follow. The Pats crowd/following the last 20 years is probably the closest this area has come to having an SEC or B1G like fervor/following. Will that sustain with mediocre records moving foward? We'll see. I disagree with that 100 percent. Boston is a terrible football market as seen with the Patriots having to pay home games at Harvard, BC, and Fenway before Foxboro Stadium was built. Before Parcells came here in 93 (only eight years before the Patriots were in the Super Bowl) the team struggled at the gate with home games blacked out in the local market. The stadium is now 19 years old so that won't be a draw anymore either.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 29, 2021 13:38:13 GMT -5
Could a market change over time? I don't believe that Boston was a great baseball town before 1967, for example.
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Post by bfoley82 on Sept 29, 2021 13:40:27 GMT -5
Could a market change over time? I don't believe that Boston was a great baseball town before 1967, for example. Good point....
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Post by alum on Sept 29, 2021 13:57:12 GMT -5
Could a market change over time? I don't believe that Boston was a great baseball town before 1967, for example. Things certainly can change. The Sox put Wildcard and ALDS tickets on sale this morning. I set an alarm to go online at 10 am and buy them. I waltzed right into the virtual waiting room and was buying tickets within 20 seconds. I need not have rushed. They are still available five hours later. I don't know if it is COVID, four straight losses making this seem like a long shot anyway, or lack of interest in baseball, but this would not have happened ten years ago.
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Post by hc87 on Sept 29, 2021 18:29:39 GMT -5
It will be interesting how this likely Pats downturn (and really, after this past 20 years, how can it not happen?) on the field will affect fan-dom, media coverage etc in New England. The NFL is so popular in general, that the Pats will remain pretty popular but will some E/C Mass. football fans forego going to Gillette on a Sunday for a trip to Fitton or Alumni on a Saturday....or did that ship sail long ago? I think Boston in general is a pretty good football market...it's just more divided than the Midwest or Southern markets in whom to follow. The Pats crowd/following the last 20 years is probably the closest this area has come to having an SEC or B1G like fervor/following. Will that sustain with mediocre records moving foward? We'll see. I disagree with that 100 percent. Boston is a terrible football market as seen with the Patriots having to pay home games at Harvard, BC, and Fenway before Foxboro Stadium was built. Before Parcells came here in 93 (only eight years before the Patriots were in the Super Bowl) the team struggled at the gate with home games blacked out in the local market. The stadium is now 19 years old so that won't be a draw anymore either. A lot of that bouncing around was due to the Pats being in the AFL then which many viewed as inferior to the NFL. The Sullivan ownership largely did the franchise no favors as well, most things being done on a wing and a prayer. The Pats actually had a pretty decent following for much of the Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro era. There were some lean years granted but they were outnumbered by seasons that most games were well attended/sold out. They didn't have the following they do today but it was not insignificant. It very much is a pro football market today. How long they remain at the top of the heap in the Boston sports scene is the question.
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Post by mm67 on Sept 29, 2021 21:16:15 GMT -5
Could it be? Boston is a hockey town. Bruins always sell out. Popularity ebbs & flows for every other team in Boston depending on circumstances. The Red Sox were largely a moribund franchise for many years. TBT they were an afterthought for much of my youth in NY. The current Red Sox ownership/ management did a fantastic job in hyping the rivalry with the hated Yankees - "Evil Empire," "Curse of the Bambino" & all that foolishness. And they hired the right people to field great teams - three WS championships in this century. And sellouts with increased Ad revenue followed. And, the Pats have been spectacular, a 21st c legend. Nonetheless, the attendance at their games very much depends on their success on the field.. Again attendance was weak during their years of futility. The legendary Celtics have not had the support they deserve. Attendance drops precipitously in off years. Lousy Knicks teams sell out. Great TV ratings. Believe(not sure) they are the most valuable team in the NBA.Size matters. Imagine the wonderful Celtics with NY as their home? OMG! It's too much to contemplate. Lately, Boston has been a cradle of champions. Obviously the fans are attracted to success but it seems the fanbase is not strong enough to support their teams in great numbers during lean years. From a dejected, jealous NY sports fan.
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Post by hc87 on Sept 29, 2021 21:31:23 GMT -5
Greatahh Boston has always been a "hockey town"... in the Wintahh anyway. That may be changing a bit as the NBA is popular with the youngahh demographic. It's interesting, breaking it down to a more micro-level, southern Mass. (cities like New Bedford and Fall River)., RI and Connecticut have historically been more basketball ovah hockey regions. The closer you get to metro-Boston, the more of a hockey hot-bed in terms of playing, following the B's it is etc. College hockey has been and mostly continues to be more popular than college hoops in the Boston-area. And the Sox have won 4 WS in the 21st C mm67
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 29, 2021 21:34:55 GMT -5
Haven't checked populations in quite awhile but years back when NYC population was 8 million, Boston was 800,000 - 10%. Metro areas an even greater difference. So, even though NY metro has multiple teams in sports to Boston one of each, the sporting public can be spread just so far and if a team isn't doing well, I can see them suffering.
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Post by hc87 on Sept 29, 2021 21:39:37 GMT -5
I don't think any of the 4 major Boston pro teams are going to suffer....just that there may be a reshuffling to an extent on what team(s) get the most interest from fans, media etc.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 29, 2021 22:23:47 GMT -5
I don't think any of the 4 major Boston pro teams are going to suffer....just that there may be a reshuffling to an extent on what team(s) get the most interest from fans, media etc. BC is fascinating. They drew 44,500 against Missouri in Chestnut Hill. Missouri surely has avid fans but there is a pandemic and they likely had to fly to Boston for the game and prove they're vaccinated, etc. Some part of that forty-four five has to come from New England area sports fans not directly connected to either team.
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 30, 2021 8:38:31 GMT -5
OK, so "suffer" might be too strong a word when referencing multi-millionaire (billionaires?) owners and conglamorates but, oh wait, if they lose money or fan interest, that will be "suffering" for them (egos, anyway).
So many "fans" today really aren't. Remember the word "fan" was shortened from "fanatic" who would be a supporter of a team regardless of their winning or losing (think Chicago Cubs, as an example, or maybe fans of Crusader football, basketball, hockey . . . . . you get the idea).
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Post by timholycross on Sept 30, 2021 9:06:54 GMT -5
I don't think any of the 4 major Boston pro teams are going to suffer....just that there may be a reshuffling to an extent on what team(s) get the most interest from fans, media etc. BC is fascinating. They drew 44,500 against Missouri in Chestnut Hill. Missouri surely has avid fans but there is a pandemic and they likely had to fly to Boston for the game and prove they're vaccinated, etc. Some part of that forty-four five has to come from New England area sports fans not directly connected to either team. If you looked at the tv shots of the end zone upper deck, there was plenty of room up there. No sellout, but certainly 40 or more. Of course, BC has a loyal following of alumni and friends who hang out in the parking lots, just like the Cross. So there's a good chance they actually sold those tickets.
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Post by timholycross on Sept 30, 2021 9:13:12 GMT -5
I don't think any of the 4 major Boston pro teams are going to suffer....just that there may be a reshuffling to an extent on what team(s) get the most interest from fans, media etc. I think the pandemic has brought out to Red Sox fans the old Yogi Berra adage that "it's so crowded that nobody goes there any more". In other words, it's for most people not a comfortable and easy overall experience; why go as much as one used to? And whoever you root for, the games are too Gdamned long and lacking in action; most notably the exponential rise in strikeouts. Fenway is much more of a functional place when the attendance is 25K or less. Save the big crowds for the Yankees and (when they're good enough) the playoffs.
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Post by ndgradbuthcfan on Sept 30, 2021 9:28:05 GMT -5
When I was a kid in the fifties, attendance at Red Sox/Yankee games (Williams, Piersall, Mantle, Berra, etc.) was < 10,000. Question: Is there a way to avoid having to login every time one accesses Crossports?
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Post by newfieguy74 on Sept 30, 2021 9:39:18 GMT -5
In the late fifties my grandfather worked for a company that had Red Sox season tickets. I remember going to see Ted Williams play in front of crowds in the 8K range.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 30, 2021 9:51:37 GMT -5
OK, so "suffer" might be too strong a word when referencing multi-millionaire (billionaires?) owners and conglamorates but, oh wait, if they lose money or fan interest, that will be "suffering" for them (egos, anyway). So many "fans" today really aren't. Remember the word "fan" was shortened from "fanatic" who would be a supporter of a team regardless of their winning or losing (think Chicago Cubs, as an example, or maybe fans of Crusader football, basketball, hockey . . . . . you get the idea). Another factor is the internet makes being a fanatical follower of a team easier without attending games often.
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Post by HC92 on Sept 30, 2021 10:03:40 GMT -5
Could a market change over time? I don't believe that Boston was a great baseball town before 1967, for example. Things certainly can change. The Sox put Wildcard and ALDS tickets on sale this morning. I set an alarm to go online at 10 am and buy them. I waltzed right into the virtual waiting room and was buying tickets within 20 seconds. I need not have rushed. They are still available five hours later. I don't know if it is COVID, four straight losses making this seem like a long shot anyway, or lack of interest in baseball, but this would not have happened ten years ago. Baseball may be pricing itself out of the market. I looked at Wild Card tickets at Yankee Stadium several days ago. No idea what they went on sale but there were a decent number of tickets available. Not great seats and the face value before all the fees was $155-$185. So, you’re at $200 with the fees. If I take 3 of my kids, that’s $800 + $50 parking plus food plus gas plus tolls = $1000 baseball game for a family of four.
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 30, 2021 10:06:31 GMT -5
Yeah but they are worth it and you can afford it!😂
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Post by bfoley82 on Sept 30, 2021 10:06:32 GMT -5
Things certainly can change. The Sox put Wildcard and ALDS tickets on sale this morning. I set an alarm to go online at 10 am and buy them. I waltzed right into the virtual waiting room and was buying tickets within 20 seconds. I need not have rushed. They are still available five hours later. I don't know if it is COVID, four straight losses making this seem like a long shot anyway, or lack of interest in baseball, but this would not have happened ten years ago. Baseball may be pricing itself out of the market. I looked at Wild Card tickets at Yankees stadium several days ago. No idea what they went on sale but there were a decent number of tickets available. Not great seats and the face value before all the fees was $155-$185. So, you’re at $200 with the fees. If I take 3 of my kids, that’s $800 + $50 parking plus food plus gas plus tolls = $1000 baseball game for a family of four. And then if that is a work/school night, you are looking at getting home past midnight..
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