Would you support a second football or basketball team in Chicago?

[knightni]

I don't quite understand the first part of your post if you are from Chicago.

 

If you live in Chicago, and you decide at some age that you like football, the Bears are your team. At least that's how it should work. Yet somehow you don't like that team, live here, then would jump onto a new team also representing Chicago? I don't get it. I mean, I am a die hard Hawks fan, and for all the s*** that happened when I was growing up with them, they were my team. I liked hockey and lived in Chicago. They are my NHL team, for better or for worse, that's just how it works. In baseball you have a decision to make. In the other sports, you don't.

Was every fan in New York required to be a Yankees and football Giants fan prior to the Mets and Jets arriving?

[Rowand44]

I don't quite understand the first part of your post if you are from Chicago.

 

If you live in Chicago, and you decide at some age that you like football, the Bears are your team. At least that's how it should work. Yet somehow you don't like that team, live here, then would jump onto a new team also representing Chicago? I don't get it. I mean, I am a die hard Hawks fan, and for all the s*** that happened when I was growing up with them, they were my team. I liked hockey and lived in Chicago. They are my NHL team, for better or for worse, that's just how it works. In baseball you have a decision to make. In the other sports, you don't.

I guess I can kind of answer this. I grew up a Dolphins fan(as you well know) because my dad for whatever reason didn't like the Bears and was a big Dan Marino fan. Once Marino retired I pretty much lost my connection to the Dolphins and just never really became a true Bears fan. I like them enough now but I guess fantasy football sadly has become more important to me than the Bears ever could. I would definitely try to become a legit fan of a 2nd Chicago NFL franchise just because it'd be nice to have an actual NFL rooting interest besides for fantasy sake but I couldn't guarantee that I'd actually establish a die hard connection with them like I have with the Sox and Bulls.

[IlliniKrush]

Was every fan in New York required to be a Yankees and football Giants fan prior to the Mets and Jets arriving?

Well yeah...if they like football or baseball, those were the teams available to them.

[IlliniKrush]

I guess I can kind of answer this. I grew up a Dolphins fan(as you well know) because my dad for whatever reason didn't like the Bears and was a big Dan Marino fan. Once Marino retired I pretty much lost my connection to the Dolphins and just never really became a true Bears fan. I like them enough now but I guess fantasy football sadly has become more important to me than the Bears ever could. I would definitely try to become a legit fan of a 2nd Chicago NFL franchise just because it'd be nice to have an actual NFL rooting interest besides for fantasy sake but I couldn't guarantee that I'd actually establish a die hard connection with them like I have with the Sox and Bulls.

I don't know if you've read Simmons book, but you qualify for a reason to root for a team outside your own city - family. Your dad's reason might be questionable, but your reason isn't. Well that and you like teal, so I can't get on you for that.

 

[Soxbadger]

I cant really see myself rooting for another team if they came to Chicago. I may take them as a "second" team especially if they were an AFC franchise. But I cant imagine watching every game for a second franchise or caring that much. Itd just be an excuse to watch football or basketball.

[Rowand44]

I don't know if you've read Simmons book, but you qualify for a reason to root for a team outside your own city - family. Your dad's reason might be questionable, but your reason isn't. Well that and you like teal, so I can't get on you for that.

Didn't read Simmons book. And ya, my dad is just an odd sports "fan." The only team he's a true fan of is the Bulls(basketball is his favorite sport, was a ball boy for the bulls when he was a kid, etc) so naturally the Bulls were my first love growing up. Besides that, he just didn't like the Cubs so I became a Sox fan and didn't care for the Bears so I became a Dolphins fan and didn't really follow hockey but since I played it when I was younger I always watched it somewhat and then I met this asshole kid from the internet who was obsessed with it, the Hawks got on tv and then all of the sudden I became a big time Hawks fan, funny how s*** works.

[Balta1701]

Was every fan in New York required to be a Yankees and football Giants fan prior to the Mets and Jets arriving?

I don't know the football timeline, but especially in baseball, that argument doesn't work. The Metropolitans appeared in the early 60's, less than 10 years after a pair of teams from NY picked up and moved to the west coast in the same year.

 

If the White Sox left, would you immediately become a scrub fan? Or would you hold out and hope that another team appeared?

[DukeNukeEm]

I'd support new ownership for the Bears long, long before I would a new franchise.

[bmags]

It has taken Peyton Manning to start to get people in NWI to switch loyalties. Unless the 2nd team offers a big time winner, it doesn't matter.

 

Probably why we haven't discussed adding another team for indianapolis.

[southsider2k5]

Probably why we haven't discussed adding another team for indianapolis.

 

The same ideas would apply in Chicago. Simply adding a second team isn't going to change many minds. They have to win before people will really switch loyalties.

[bmags]

The same ideas would apply in Chicago. Simply adding a second team isn't going to change many minds. They have to win before people will really switch loyalties.

 

but it also depends which city people identified with. Southern illinois are more cardinals fans b/c they identify more with STL than chicago. That NWI doesn't hold much sway. The fact that a winning team was able to move loyalties says a lot.

[Balta1701]

The same ideas would apply in Chicago. Simply adding a second team isn't going to change many minds. They have to win before people will really switch loyalties.

And winning one year out of every 3 or 4 like a normal NFL team wouldn't do it. You'd need a sustained, New England or Indy style period of true excellence to really engrain the 2nd team.

[southsider2k5]

but it also depends which city people identified with. Southern illinois are more cardinals fans b/c they identify more with STL than chicago. That NWI doesn't hold much sway. The fact that a winning team was able to move loyalties says a lot.

 

It used to be all Bears fans. This era of Peyton Manning has made it about 50/50.

[RockRaines]

No, I'm saying that the Bears make it difficult for Joe Average to be more than a TV fan of them.

 

The Colts and Lions have nosebleed seats for 20 bucks - the Bears do not.

 

Plus, new Soldier Field and its s***y turf is a joke compared against new stadiums.

I've never paid over 100 bucks for a ticket to the Bears. For an 8 game season, I dont expect to pay 20 bucks. I pay the same for a Bears game as I do for a Buckeyes football game, I assume thats the price you pay.

 

 

And if everyone is so sure a new team would sell out, why cant our "second" baseball team that has recently won a title and has a TON of history, sell out our ballpark. The Bears would be much harder to compete against than the Cubs.

Edited April 19, 2011 by RockRaines

[LittleHurt05]

It used to be all Bears fans. This era of Peyton Manning has made it about 50/50.

 

The question is, when Peyton Manning leaves and if the Colts can't make the playoffs consistently anymore, will those people stay Colts fans?

[southsider2k5]

The question is, when Peyton Manning leaves and if the Colts can't make the playoffs consistently anymore, will those people stay Colts fans?

 

We will find out soon.

[kjshoe04]

I've never paid over 100 bucks for a ticket to the Bears. For an 8 game season, I dont expect to pay 20 bucks. I pay the same for a Bears game as I do for a Buckeyes football game, I assume thats the price you pay.

 

 

And if everyone is so sure a new team would sell out, why cant our "second" baseball team that has recently won a title and has a TON of history, sell out our ballpark. The Bears would be much harder to compete against than the Cubs.

If the Sox played 8 games a season they would all sell out.

[Balta1701]

The question is, when Peyton Manning leaves and if the Colts can't make the playoffs consistently anymore, will those people stay Colts fans?

A lot of the kids will. They've grown up being Colts fans.

[Soxbadger]

And if everyone is so sure a new team would sell out, why cant our "second" baseball team that has recently won a title and has a TON of history, sell out our ballpark. The Bears would be much harder to compete against than the Cubs.

 

I agree completely.

 

The only reason the other NFL team may sell out is because its only 8 home games as compared to 81. The new NFL team wouldnt even have to draw 1mil over the season to sell out.

[bmags]

It used to be all Bears fans. This era of Peyton Manning has made it about 50/50.

 

Which argument are you making?

[southsider2k5]

Which argument are you making?

 

It takes a lot to get people to adapt a second team. People aren't going to adapt it just because ticket prices are chep.

[Chisoxfn]

I might not live in the city, but I wouldn't support another team in either sport.

 

I will however, support the Anaheim Royals

 

But that is because I don't live in LA, despise all things LA, and enjoy basketball so I would have a local connection to my squad.

[bmags]

It takes a lot to get people to adapt a second team. People aren't going to adapt it just because ticket prices are chep.

 

Yeah but i think the fact that people that probably identify more with chicago are now fans of another city now because they started winning a lot shows that these loyalties are a lot more fluid than we'd imagine. I think there is enough of a market of people who are half bears fans or who are big football fans to fill up 8 games. Do I think it would be as successful as the bears? No. Do I think it would be more successful than the jaguars? Yes. Same with the white sox. We may play second fiddle to a second team in the city but we grab enough to justify chicago having 2 baseball teams.

[southsider2k5]

Yeah but i think the fact that people that probably identify more with chicago are now fans of another city now because they started winning a lot shows that these loyalties are a lot more fluid than we'd imagine. I think there is enough of a market of people who are half bears fans or who are big football fans to fill up 8 games. Do I think it would be as successful as the bears? No. Do I think it would be more successful than the jaguars? Yes. Same with the white sox. We may play second fiddle to a second team in the city but we grab enough to justify chicago having 2 baseball teams.

 

The Sox have been in Chicago for 110 years. Adding a new team will start from stratch.

[bmags]

The Sox have been in Chicago for 110 years. Adding a new team will start from stratch.

 

I really don't think it matters. Baseball for one is a terrible example, because their stadiums are huge and play 81 damn games each year and 2 months of terrible weather. But strangely enough a lot of cubs fans go to sox games and vice versa. There's a huge market for sports in chicago. I think you could find more sustainable support in Chicago for another basketball/football franchise than in a lot of teh other markets we think would be a good fit just because of population.