OT:What is Atlanta United FC doing different that the Thrashers did not do?

[varsaku]

I don't know what you're expecting fans or NHL management to do, certainly not hockey fans fault that more people don't appreciate the sport and MLB is doing just fine. Sure they lost some people right after the 1994 players strike but baseball has been doing well as of late.

MLS is trying to build a relationship with their communities through supporters groups and youth academies. Which I think is a great idea to build a sense of community. That helps build a solid base to expand of. NHL should try something like that. Just putting a team in a new market doesn’t instantly make hockey stick there. That’s why you have so many teams that struggle financially once they run into poor form and have to rely on being good to stay relevant in their cities.

 

[YEM]

EA does make a hockey video game too you know, it's just that soccer is more accessible because all you really need is a ball, an open field and some shoes.

you don't need much more than a stick and an old tennis ball to play some street hockey

MLS is trying to build a relationship with their communities through supporters groups and youth academies. Which I think is a great idea to build a sense of community. That helps build a solid base to expand of.

except in Columbus​

 

[NSHPreds1835]

MLS is trying to build a relationship with their communities through supporters groups and youth academies. Which I think is a great idea to build a sense of community. That helps build a solid base to expand of. NHL should try something like that. Just putting a team in a new market doesn’t instantly make hockey stick there. That’s why you have so many teams that struggle financially once they run into poor form and have to rely on being good to stay relevant in their cities.

I honestly don't get the point of supporters groups, what purpose do they serve? I'm sure every NHL team does a lot in their respective communities.

 

[ForumNamePending]

MLS is trying to build a relationship with their communities through supporters groups and youth academies. Which I think is a great idea to build a sense of community. That helps build a solid base to expand of. NHL should try something like that. Just putting a team in a new market doesn’t instantly make hockey stick there. That’s why you have so many teams that struggle financially once they run into poor form and have to rely on being good to stay relevant in their cities.

I think a number of franchises are involved in helping to get rinks built and getting local rec/youth/high school leagues going, but it does feel like the league and individual franchises could/should be doing more.

Going full off topic hot take for a moment... I think the NHL should abolish the draft*. It would force franchises to invest heavily in programs introducing kids to playing the game (including some who otherwise would never get the chance to try it) and academies to develop the kids who show natural talent (including some who otherwise can't afford to spend stupid money playing the level of hockey required to pursue a future in it). The GTA/GH started producing a steady flow of NBA talent within 15 years of the Raptors coming to town, unfortunately it seems to take a lot longer for the same sort of thing to start happening with hockey, and no doubt the (lack of) accessibility of the sport plays a huge role.

*I'm pretty sure I don't honestly believe this is a great idea, but it's an interesting hypothetical to think about.

Anyway, back to Atlanta's soccer team. It's not like they unlocked some sort of secret to success. It's a new team, playing in a new stadium, and they are scoring a lot of goals while winning a lot of games. If/when they go through a period of sucking interest/enthusiasm will decline, and as the team rebuilds and improves so will interest/enthusiasm. You know, just like almost every other sports team in NA (and other places).

 

[SCBlueLiner]

MLS is trying to build a relationship with their communities through supporters groups and youth academies. Which I think is a great idea to build a sense of community. That helps build a solid base to expand of. NHL should try something like that. Just putting a team in a new market doesn’t instantly make hockey stick there. That’s why you have so many teams that struggle financially once they run into poor form and have to rely on being good to stay relevant in their cities.

From what I have seen, NHL teams do the exact same thing with community outreach and supporting hockey in their local market. I know the Wild do where I live. When I travel to Chicago I've driven by many parks that have outdoor rinks built by the Blackhawks. I would have to guess that other NHL franchises get involved in the local hockey scene as I have heard/read stories about the Red Wings, Flyers, Preds, VGK, Kings, Ducks, Stars, and many others.

 

[Pilky01]

I honestly don't get the point of supporters groups, what purpose do they serve? I'm sure every NHL team does a lot in their respective communities.

"Supporters groups" aren't really the same thing as what North American teams have always had, which are more like "Fan Clubs".

The singing and chanting you hear at MLS games, that isn't coming from the whole stadium, it is coming from the supporters groups. The massive signs you see at MLS games....those are created by the supporters groups. They are integral to the stadium's atmosphere. More so than any other sport, the fans can make or break the experience in soccer.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Football as a whole was never that popular in New England. The patriots were number 4 before Brady and will be after.

Belichick*

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I honestly don't get the point of supporters groups, what purpose do they serve? I'm sure every NHL team does a lot in their respective communities.

It's where the drunkest, rudest fans of teams get together to get sloshed and take out their anger on anyone wearing the wrong colors.

But from a distance they're fun and bring a lot of character to the experience. Basically take the student section at a college football game and up the production values. Some of them are legitimately witty too.

 

[PCSPounder]

It's where the drunkest, rudest fans of teams get together to get sloshed and take out their anger on anyone wearing the wrong colors.

But from a distance they're fun and bring a lot of character to the experience. Basically take the student section at a college football game and up the production values. Some of them are legitimately witty too.

I’d argue that the craziest guys in Timbers Army are the straight-edge fans.

Key reasons for a soccer supporters group:

• First off, independence. Love the team, but not officially part of it, which gives you a little bit of power in trying to negotiate ticket prices with a given front office. We provide atmosphere and expect something in return. Trying to yield that power in MLS doesn’t always work; the TA season ticket started out at $360 in 2011, just like Atlanta now, but in Portland is now $455. That’s the unfortunate byproduct of selling out every league game since joining MLS.
• That independence means developing our own chants, tifo (banners and other “choreographies”), generally having some artistic control. No swearing... well, no “official” swearing.
• The best byproduct of this: huge amount of charity opportunities. In fact, the supporters group umbrella org took existing “time-card” software and created a time tracker and sign-up system for all the charities we support, so as to ensure too many people aren’t at one event over another, and so we (and individuals) can track what we’ve done. The lone city councilor who voted against funding the stadium effort has lauded us for this... and has season tickets.

On the last... I really believe that, if you want your city to provide public funds for an arena and otherwise can’t justify the expense, creating such a group (which, naturally, the NHL will probably want to discourage) and promise community and charity outreach might start getting somewhere. Mind you, part of what worked in Portland was minimal public funds and more efficient use of existing facilities.

 

[Melrose Munch]

I would love for Seattle to be like this for the NHL.

 

[GoldenSeal]

It's not hockey.

 

[Howie Hodge]

No it's not hockey; but it illustrating how there are unique ways fans can both support and promote their teams.

I have heard LAFC also has a crazy number of Supporters groups.

Maybe someone can tell us how that's working for the new MLS club?

 

[Pilky01]

Atlanta has got the best home field video review advantage in all of sports.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

No it's not hockey; but it illustrating how there are unique ways fans can both support and promote their teams.

I have heard LAFC also has a crazy number of Supporters groups.

Maybe someone can tell us how that's working for the new MLS club?

They have so many that they have a union of supporters' groups...which seems excessive for an expansion team in the same city as the most successful team in league history, but I digress.

I’d argue that the craziest guys in Timbers Army are the straight-edge fans.

The next bad thing I say about Portland fans will be the first. I'm an absolute sucker for the atmosphere and passion the Cascadia teams bring to the table.

 

[Pilky01]

Portland's stadium is so cool!

The rare former baseball stadium converted to a soccer specific stadium.

 

[SCBlueLiner]

It's not hockey.

The sport of hockey has had booster clubs forever. Ask Reggie Dunlop, the boosters were behind the Chiefs 100%.

 

[PCSPounder]

Portland's stadium is so cool!

The rare former baseball stadium converted to a soccer specific stadium.

Considering it was first a half a football stadium that was sort-of converted into a partially baseball stadium in the first place, yeah, something like that.

I'm just saying that the baseball alignment never really worked there, and there's three different iterations of the Portland Beavers now playing elsewhere to prove it.

 

[GoldenSeal]

The sport of hockey has had booster clubs forever. Ask Reggie Dunlop, the boosters were behind the Chiefs 100%.

Huh, I'll admit that I did not know that. Thank you, I'm going to have to read up on that.

 

[SCBlueLiner]

Huh, I'll admit that I did not know that. Thank you, I'm going to have to read up on that.

Can't tell if this post is sarcasm. My post to you was sarcasm. I was just messing around.