London Knights said:
Nashville impressed me with the fan interest during the stretch to the playoffs and into the playoffs. But I have to agree. It would be nice to see Crosby wind up in a Canadian city, or New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, etc. A team where there is either the potential for massive media coverage, or where there is a good sports following already.
Although I would be scared that the moment Crosby had a bad game if he was a Flyer that they would start booing him out of the building.
Ahhh, but it's the chicken and the egg scenario.
EVERY market has the potential for massive media coverage. That's why professional, major league sports teams are based in large cities rather than Podunk, Iowa. Look at the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, traditionally a wasteland in professional sports that has been embraced by the national media for a turnaround of a few short years. Who's to say if Crosby lands in Phoenix, the same won't happen with the Yotes?
But the relatively larger markets (top-10 US TV markets and Toronto) will afford that opportunity sooner and with less risk of failure from an exposure/media standpoint. The fact that media scrutiny is already present will only heighten when a potential superstar, read: Crosby, comes to town, and with the NHL being so off-the-radar right now, bringing him into a large market may thrust the entire sport back onto a national stage automatically in a way a smaller market would have to work for.
So it depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking to resurrect a franchise on a national stage (Phoenix, Columbus, Pittsburgh), bring a niche team into the mainstream spotlight (Edmonton, Vancouver, Minnesota) or strengthen the presence of an already established media power (Detroit, Colorado, New York) hoping it will bring the sport back to the forefront?
All three have their merits...