Are the Avs a "fairweather" fanbase?

[CobraAcesS]

Been a fan since they moved to Denver and I was the ripe old age of 6 years old. Used to watch games with my Dad and liked the Avs because of Sakic and Forsberg. I was a child in Michigan at the time too which made things interesting, to say the least, when I worse my Avs jersey to school haha. I actually remember getting a detention one day in elementary school and the teacher told me that I should have been suspended just for wearing that jersey lol.

You just described my childhood haha

Mad respect lol

I'm hoping even one of my kids ends up an Avs fan, but they are growing up in Michigan. So odds are not on my side. Any tips lol?

 

[Foppberg]

Mad respect lol

I'm hoping even one of my kids ends up an Avs fan, but they are growing up in Michigan. So odds are not on my side. Any tips lol?

Drug them

 

[Avelanche]

There’s only a handful of sports teams that can go through bad periods without losing most fans. In hockey it’s probably just the leafs and Habs. Don’t let anyone kid you Boston, Chicago, Pitts etc. stadiums were all empty when they were bad.

 

[Soedy]

I was still getting up to listen to games on the NHL radio in the night when Tyler Arnason was our 1C, so...

 

[the_fan]

Most teams are the same. When they win, fans are happy, more supportive as far as spending money to go to games and stuff, and they don't when the team losing.

Didnt the red wings had to change their arena seats from red to dark so it didn't look too empty?

 

[Pokecheque]

Most teams are the same. When they win, fans are happy, more supportive as far as spending money to go to games and stuff, and they don't when the team losing.

Didnt the red wings had to change their arena seats from red to dark so it didn't look too empty?

Yep, and they put black slipcovers on them until the seats could be swapped out. What a enormous waste of money and resources.

Anyone here remember those bright orange and gold seats at McNichols? Good times.

 

[MarkT]

Mad respect lol

I'm hoping even one of my kids ends up an Avs fan, but they are growing up in Michigan. So odds are not on my side. Any tips lol?

Making watching Avs games with you a bonding, family experience. Have them associate the Avs with good memories of their father.

Then you can tell how much they love you based on how much they support the Avs

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

This is a Donkey town. Always has been, always will be, and just as like with the media here, and the rest of the professional sports teams, unless they are winning and competing for titles, no one here pays any attention. Just the way it is. Win, and they come out of the woodwork and pay attention. Don't and they DGAF.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

This is a Donkey town. Always has been, always will be, and just as like with the media here, and the rest of the professional sports teams, unless they are winning and competing for titles, no one here pays any attention. Just the way it is. Win, and they come out of the woodwork and pay attention. Don't and they DGAF.

Agree. Been here since 1982. Even before that this city was all Bronco's. Nuggets a distant 2nd. (Heck, even today, turn on certain local prime time TV news broadcasts and you'll get a Bronco's report nearly every day.)

Been a hockey fan since I was a squirt aged player. Love the sport more than any other. Went to Rockies games in the 80's but have never been to a Bronco's game. So that should establish that I'm probably a bit abnormal. But I bought season tix as soon as the Avs moved here even though as a Sabres fan, I hated the Nordiques. Became an Avs fan in short order. I was in the building when the Avs eliminated the Red Wings in '96. Same goes for winning the Cup at Pepsi Center in 2001. Still watch every game. Realized a long, long time ago how different this market was from Toronto and Boston and even Buffalo. Especially in the media coverage.

Bottom line, you grow up playing the sport and you become a life long fan. Those squirts and peewees I coached back in '96 are now having kids of their own. And they are enrolling them in youth programs. So give it a few more years and this area will also have that multiple generation fan base supporting the Avs and fair weather fans will be the minority.

I'll probably get blasted for this but it looks like it's football that's beginning to experience a decline in interest and participation these days...

 

[Chiarelli]

Been a fan since I was 7 or 8 around 99’. Have religiously followed the league and stayed a fan of the team the entire way.

 

[UncleRisto]

Mad respect lol

I'm hoping even one of my kids ends up an Avs fan, but they are growing up in Michigan. So odds are not on my side. Any tips lol?

Oh, just force it on them. Ezpz.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

Born, raised, & still reside in Ohio. Never had a team growing up, as the Jackets didn’t exist until I was in high school, while thanks to other sports team affiliations I disliked/despised the other hockey teams in this region (especially Pittsburgh & that team in Michigan).

Latched onto the Avs along with a group of buddies during their inaugural season, as they were the cool “new” team, while they sparked an instant rivalry with Detroit. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one from that group who still supports them. I can’t say I’ve always lived and died with the Avs (kinda got away from hockey outside of the postseason circa 05 lockout-Duchene draft for varying reasons), but they remain, & will always be “my” team. Hoping to make it to Denver for a game one of these years. They play in Columbus on a Saturday this season, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice (Of course, their 1-3 record at Nationwide Arena when I’m in attendance, not so much ).

 

[Babel Salamander]

This is a Donkey town. Always has been, always will be, and just as like with the media here, and the rest of the professional sports teams, unless they are winning and competing for titles, no one here pays any attention. Just the way it is. Win, and they come out of the woodwork and pay attention. Don't and they DGAF.

People always say this as though the Broncos are the only team in town that could withstand an extended period of futility. But the current period of futility, which has lasted all of two seasons, is the longest period of futility the fans have had to face in almost fifty years, and it's been about three and a half years since they won the Super Bowl. Other than that Bronco fans have not had to face consecutive losing seasons since the early 70's, when the Avs and Rockies did not exist and the Nuggets were an ABA team called The Rockets. I really don't think the Broncos would be as impervious to a stretch of futility after the Super Bowl afterglow grace period wears off as many people believe. Especially if the Avs and Nuggets become perennial contenders, which is not at all a stretch, I could see either overtaking the Broncos in popularity if the Broncos aren't able to right the ship. Of course if they do right it to at least become a mediocre to competitive team, they will be #1. Mediocre has generally been the low bar for the team since the 70's.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

People always say this as though the Broncos are the only team in town that could withstand an extended period of futility. But the current period of futility, which has lasted all of two seasons, is the longest period of futility the fans have had to face in almost fifty years, and it's been about three and a half years since they won the Super Bowl. Other than that Bronco fans have not had to face consecutive losing seasons since the early 70's, when the Avs and Rockies did not exist and the Nuggets were an ABA team called The Rockets. I really don't think the Broncos would be as impervious to a stretch of futility after the Super Bowl afterglow grace period wears off as many people believe. Especially if the Avs and Nuggets become perennial contenders, which is not at all a stretch, I could see either overtaking the Broncos in popularity if the Broncos aren't able to right the ship. Of course if they do right it to at least become a mediocre to competitive team, they will be #1. Mediocre has generally been the low bar for the team since the 70's.

So, what you’re saying is, the Broncos management should run the Avs, Nuggets, & Rockies.

 

[Bonzai12]

To put it into perspective, look at 2001. The Broncos were second in the AFC West and lost their wild card game. The Avs won the cup with Bourque. I think the teams were probably on equal footing back then. I’d definitely say the Avs/Nuggets would have to have a string of late playoff runs (and the Broncos to have long term mediocrity) to convert fans for their #1 love.

 

[armedequation]

I may be unusual but i dont like one more than the other. Ive been a broncos fan since around 87 and an avs fan since their inception. I cheer them both equally. I prefer hockey over football but when it comes to my teams i dont choose one over another

 

[Moosehead1]

Been a fan my whole life, lived in several different states and have always stuck by the avs.

But regardless, hockey is still a business and not immune to the same similarities that you will find in the business world. As teams go through good/bad cycles they will gain and lose fans; just as the NHL will focus marketing efforts year to year on great new talent arriving to the NHL - which typically go to the teams in bad skill cycles.

It’s all cyclical; to the fans that have stuck it through since the beginning I applaud you. To the new fans, I welcome you. The the ones that left and came back...I’ll like you if you buy me a beer. So long as you’ve never repped any dead wings gear :p

 

[Ryan Pat80]

Yep, and they put black slipcovers on them until the seats could be swapped out. What a enormous waste of money and resources.

Anyone here remember those bright orange and gold seats at McNichols? Good times.

Sure do. Went to my first ever Avs games in 96 against the Canucks in the playoffs. Went to a Grizzlies game there a year prior, but man was Big Mac nuts that night for the Avs.

 

[Babel Salamander]

So, what you’re saying is, the Broncos management should run the Avs, Nuggets, & Rockies.

Ha, heck no, unless the equivalent of a hockey/basketball/baseball Peyton Manning is out there waiting to be signed. But I'd love to see how much the fan bases of those teams would be galvanized by 45 years without consecutive losing seasons and 3 more titles.

 

[katfude]

According to ESPN, we were always high-to-mid 20s overall among teams for arena attendance record, even throughout the years of misery and woe. They stopped doing percentage tracking in 05-06 and we were a bit higher but it seems pretty consistent for a team that has been very inconsistent in performance.

As stated prior, Donkeys rule Denver. When the Donks are doing well, that's all everyone ever talks about. When they're doing poorly, then you start to hear people talking about the other teams, but only after a short "so the Broncos suck, huh?"

We're consistent. We have our core group of fans that stick with it with the team and some of the general sports fans that follow intermittently.

We've never really had a fear of losing the team due to lack of fan support. The only fear was a scared assumption when Kroenke bought the St. Louis Rams, but that would have been a business issue, not a fanbase issue. We're not Arizona, or Atlanta, or the Blackhawks when they sucked and couldn't fill their arena.

 

[Metallo]

There are 2 types of bangwagoners:
1) Those that hop on/off their team;
2) Those that always hop on the hot team, always switching.

I don’t mind 1) but can’t stand 2).

 

[Pokecheque]

People always say this as though the Broncos are the only team in town that could withstand an extended period of futility. But the current period of futility, which has lasted all of two seasons, is the longest period of futility the fans have had to face in almost fifty years, and it's been about three and a half years since they won the Super Bowl. Other than that Bronco fans have not had to face consecutive losing seasons since the early 70's, when the Avs and Rockies did not exist and the Nuggets were an ABA team called The Rockets. I really don't think the Broncos would be as impervious to a stretch of futility after the Super Bowl afterglow grace period wears off as many people believe. Especially if the Avs and Nuggets become perennial contenders, which is not at all a stretch, I could see either overtaking the Broncos in popularity if the Broncos aren't able to right the ship. Of course if they do right it to at least become a mediocre to competitive team, they will be #1. Mediocre has generally been the low bar for the team since the 70's.

Very astute and I agree wholeheartedly. Love it when Broncos fans try to make it out like we've had it rough with other fanbases online. I've lived in Nebraska since 2010 and it's no secret the Huskers football team is the local religion here. The whole city essentially shuts down apart from Memorial Stadium and the surrounding sports bars/pubs and what not. And it's not like there's really much else to choose from when it comes to sporting events around here. And even THEY encountered quite a bit of fan apathy after continual failure for years (and I also saw a notable rise in fan toxicity around here because, as I've said, it brings out the crazy zealot-types who think their fandom is some kind of status symbol). Their sellout streak at Memorial Stadium (which are dumb to begin with) has been kept alive because of generous donors just scooping up unpaid seats.

So yeah, if we saw the Broncos truly plummet like the Raiders have for the past decade or so, I don't think they'd be dominating headlines as much as you think, and there'd be a TON of empty seats at No-Name Stadium. I don't think even then that they get bumped out of #1, but don't think for a minute apathy wouldn't be setting in. Part of me almost wants that to happen just to see the idiots running The Fan twist in the wind.

 

[Ncit3]

Fairweather? Not any more than any other team.

Pessimistic? Hell yeah. One of the most pessimistic in the league.