Flyers lost their charm for Philadelphia fans

[Coinneach]

I will post for you some passages from my interview with sport journalist Jonathan Tannenwald from Philadelphia Inquirer.

The full interview you can find here (in Czech): Pohled z Philadelphie: Flyers ztratili na popularitě, rivalita s Penguins je ale stále silná - nhlnews.cz

In the Czech Republic Philadelphia is reputed to be a hockey town. Flyers are very popular among czech hockey fans (especially thanks to Jakub Voráček). But Philadelphia is home of five professional teams (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS). How strong is the status of Flyers among them?

I would say the Flyers rank No. 4 out of the five. When the 76ers were bad, or even mediocre - just uninteresting, really - the Flyers were definitely No. 3. But in recent times with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in town, the 76ers have jumped over them. Also, the Flyers aren't quite as big a deal in the NHL as they used to be. It used to be, as you know, that every game was sold out forever. That isn't the case anymore.

Is it possible to compare the popularity of Flyers captain Claude Giroux with the greatest stars of Eagles or Phillies?

I'm not really an expert at this - you know I'm a Capitals fan first, not a Flyers fan, since I grew up in Washington - but I'm not even sure Giroux is the most popular Flyer. That might be Wayne Simmonds or Shayne Gostisbehere. And as the new group of young players comes up, someone new might overtake them - maybe Nolan Patrick? We will see.

Are Union (in terms of popularity) for Flyers a threat?

That is a good question. I don’t think so, but I think that soccer overall in the country is going to approach hockey’s popularity over time.

Many fans of the MLS claim that the term Big 4 is obsolete. Do you think the MLS is of such a level as to begin to use the concept of Big 5?

I don’t think MLS is all the way there yet. But I think it is getting there, and I think there is at least an agreement that this point that the fifth biggest league is MLS, and the fifth biggest sport is soccer. It used to be that people said that the fifth biggest sport is auto racing, I don’t think people say that anymore.

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Thanks for posting this, bud.

This part

"I'm not really an expert at this - you know I'm a Capitals fan first, not a Flyers fan, since I grew up in Washington"

... is great lol. We can't catch a break with our media, can we? What a ****show.

 

[hatcher]

Nothing that fun to watch that's for sure.

 

[Striiker]

Who the hell is Jonathan Tannenwald?

You’d probably have been better off interviewing a random Flyers fan off the street. Talking to local media member (basically guaranteed to be an idiot, even without knowing him), who isn’t even a Flyers fan, isn’t going to get you the best answers that represent the city/fanbase.

 

[Psuhockey]

Who the hell is Jonathan Tannenwald?

You’d probably have been better off interviewing a random Flyers fan off the street. Talking to local media member (basically guaranteed to be an idiot, even without knowing him), who isn’t even a Flyers fan, isn’t going to get you the best answers that represent the city/fanbase.

Do you think what he said is wrong?

 

[Striiker]

Do you think what he said is wrong?

Not necessarily, but basically saying "I don't really know, but I think..." for every question makes the answers worthless.

Each of the answers should have been pretty easy and obvious.

 

[Fire Tortorella]

Who the hell is Jonathan Tannenwald?

You’d probably have been better off interviewing a random Flyers fan off the street. Talking to local media member (basically guaranteed to be an idiot, even without knowing him), who isn’t even a Flyers fan, isn’t going to get you the best answers that represent the city/fanbase.

I believe he's a reporter for the Union primarily...hence the soccer questions. I know you hate the media but he's pretty decent.

 

[Lotusflower]

Thanks for the article. The reporter isnt wrong. The city really connected with Carter + Richards era because you could see those guys around town, they had an exciting style collectively and they were very competitive.

Giroux era has been marred by bad coaching and at times bad front office management.
Flyers havent really popped in the city since 2012 series against the Pens and even that was slightly behind the Sixers hype when they upset the Bulls in the first round that year and took the Celtics to 7 games.

 

[magnumpi]

I became a fan between 1985 and 1987.
That was a great team. The Flyers as an organization had a great identity.

Today, they have no identity. As a whole, hockey lost something following the lock out. It doesn't seem the same to me.
Compare the intensity of that 2004 Toronto series or even the Tampa series, there hasn't been anything like that following the lockout.

Regardless, if I was a 14 yr old boy in 2018 I would have no reason to be a fan of the Flyers. I wouldn't be interested at all.
The Eagles would probably be my only real interest.

 

[Curufinwe]

The problem the MLS will always have is that all the best players in the world are playing in other leagues.

 

[landsbergfan]

I need to hear news like this from someone in Morin's family for me to believe any of it

 

[Striiker]

I believe he's a reporter for the Union primarily...hence the soccer questions. I know you hate the media but he's pretty decent.

That’s weird. How does he end up talking about hockey then?

 

[Coinneach]

That’s weird. How does he end up talking about hockey then?

Jonathan is a soccer journalist, who love hockey. That was interesting for me.)

 

[renberg]

Article was a waste of time. I lost a few minutes of my life reading it.

 

[tucson83]

not surprising because the flyers fo hasnt done anything to make this team exciting, not trading for a star and not getting rid of the lame duck coach.

 

[Rebels57]

I stopped reading when I saw he was a Capitals fan.

Who gives a flying f*** about his opinion on the Flyers and their fanbase?

Good lord.

 

[macleish1974]

Hockey has changed from 1971 [when I started to be interested in it] to now. The NHL went from essentially a Canadian/Upper Northeast USA/Minnesota sport transitioning to an international sport, in the sense that the players come all over the world where there is snow and ice. And that will probably change as well. Of course, the game has changed too, from a tough as nails, ultra testosterone driven sport to a less physical, cerebral systems game. But the players, I think, are more talented than in 1971. Maybe to Millennials , the days of stick swinging, spearing [ I cannot recall a single spearing penalty this year], line brawls, bench clearing brawls, and cross checks to the head, would horrify them, but it was a cro-magnon sport back then. Eat or be eaten. Then the Canadiens of 1975-1976 with speed, more speed, and even more speed, changed the game. Bowman was a genius. My moniker reflects the fact that Macleish was mostly out of the line-up in the 1975-1976 season [ remember 3-peat?] , plus in wonderment, would have his speed and shot changed the outcome of the SC finals....., probably not, but he would have made it more interesting........

BTW......pro football is boring because of all the commerials, basketball and baseball still have their moments, but there is something thrilling in hockey that makes me watch it, even if it is not the Flyers or Phantoms.

 

[Beef Invictus]

The team has had a shit identity since Berube took over. Hak finished the job.

 

[Psuhockey]

I stopped reading when I saw he was a Capitals fan.

Who gives a flying **** about his opinion on the Flyers and their fanbase?

Good lord.

The messenger sucks but the message is true: this team has plummeted in fan interest in the city. The die heads still remain but that’s all that’s left. It’s going to take something big for this team to become relevant again.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Didn't read at all but I only hate watch the Flyers at this point. I get absolutely zero enjoyment out of it and i'm a Season Ticket Holder.

That isn't hyperbole.

 

[Rebels57]

The messenger sucks but the message is true: this team has plummeted in fan interest in the city. The die heads still remain but that’s all that’s left. It’s going to take something big for this team to become relevant again.

You're right, it's hard to argue with that notion. We only have Hextall and Holmgren to blame at the end of the day.

 

[Rebels57]

Didn't read at all but I only hate watch the Flyers at this point. I get absolutely zero enjoyment out of it and i'm a Season Ticket Holder.

That isn't hyperbole.

I can't even hate watch. It's gotten that bad for me. I get so angry every time they show Hakstol that my blood pressure raises and I get chest pains. This is not hyperbole.

 

[Psuhockey]

You're right, it's hard to argue with that notion. We only have Hextall and Holmgren to blame at the end of the day.

I agree but Holmgren really shouldn’t be blamed anymore. 5 years should be enough to rebuild or at least have one player to get the fans excited to see.

 

[Rebels57]

I agree but Holmgren really shouldn’t be blamed anymore. 5 years should be enough to rebuild or at least have one player to get the fans excited to see.

Agreed, but the decline in our identity and interest in the team started with him and his awful contracts and Berube hiring, plus he is still with the team. Until he is out of the organization, i'm lumping him in.

 

[macleish1974]

Why do you watch the Flyers? Is it for mordid curiosity? Is it like when their is a suicide jumper, and everone on the ground yells "Jump!" Or everyone is enraged on the SureKill Expwy because there is an accident and find out it is "only" a fender-bender rather than someone actually killed or maimed? Just curious......

Personally I watch so I can see what incredibly boneheaded play they can make or some incredibly stupid idea the coach comes up with so I can threw a bowl of loaded cheese fries at the TV. Fortunately I have cut back on the throwing and saved a few TVs plus I felt why waste loaded cheese fries on this loathsome product called Flyers hockey?........