Quick Question About Pens Fans in DC

[rkhum]

When I watched the NBCSPORTS Pens Caps rivalry show Alan May said before either Mario or the Pens 1991 season there were no Pens fans at the Caps Center.
I find this hard to believe and wanted to ask if the Pens always had a large showing of fans pre cup or pre Mario.

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[Carlzner]

Well they are a massive bandwagon fanbase so that quote doesn't shock me

 

[Ridley Simon]

Pittsburgh had a professional hockey team before Mario Lemieux?

I thought he started their franchise and most of the NHL as well??? Isn’t Bettman his little brother?

 

[txpd]

I would say that about covers it.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Tough crowd.

I'm not old enough to know pre-Mario but the numbers have definitely increased post-Crosby.

 

[g00n]

My family is from PA and through all the Pirates and Steelers seasons of the 70s and early-mid-80s the Pens never came up once. I saw my first Pens fan in college in the early 90s. Had a Jagr mullet.

 

[brachyrynchos]

I have no problem with Pittsburgh or the players they had. It took the Pens a while to get there, it wasn't until the late '80s early '90's that things started to fall in place for them. In terms of Penguin fans in DC I kinda think distance and scheduling could play a part. Cheaper for Pens fans to visit Philly or to see them at home, inconvenience making the trip especially mid week I would assume would be a real hassle. I can say that it's cheaper and easier for me to see the Caps at MSG or the Coliseum (gonna miss you) or on tv than to head down to DC. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Even in the Mario days, I associate the Flyers with the Cap Centre invasions, not Pittsburgh.

 

[txpd]

Even in the Mario days, I associate the Flyers with the Cap Centre invasions, not Pittsburgh.

That's true. I experienced some of that mess myself

 

[Ridley Simon]

Even in the Mario days, I associate the Flyers with the Cap Centre invasions, not Pittsburgh.

I was mid to late 80’s and Islanders were the foil. This was pre-Pens.

Flyers were the squad too....but more Regular Season foibles. We lost to Isles/Rags during those years in the Loff’s

 

[g00n]

I may be wrong but I don't think Pens fan invasions were a thing beyond playoff games until the firesale when regular season attendance started to drop. Any STH from the 90s recall?

 

[rkhum]

I may be wrong but I don't think Pens fan invasions were a thing beyond playoff games until the firesale when regular season attendance started to drop. Any STH from the 90s recall?

Even in the Mario days, I associate the Flyers with the Cap Centre invasions, not Pittsburgh.

No I disagree. I go back to the 90s, the Pens, Rangers, Flyers, Red Wings were massive invasions. However my memory (I was born in 84) doesn't go before 1993.
I've seen highlights in 91 and 92 which clearly were invasions.
I am wondering, pre-Mario, and then Mario but pre 90s, were there Pens invasions?

 

[sycamore]

The wild thing is, since winning the cup in 2018, we're actually starting to see Caps fan invasions of opposing stadiums! In all my years as a Caps fan (40 years) I never dreamed I would see that happen -- in fact, to me, that is a MORE remarkable occurrence than the Caps winning the Cup. But is happening to be sure -- we saw a bit of it when they played Las Vegas in the Finals. Game 5 was about 50% Caps fans.

 

[Carlzner]

The wild thing is, since winning the cup in 2018, we're actually starting to see Caps fan invasions of opposing stadiums! In all my years as a Caps fan (40 years) I never dreamed I would see that happen -- in fact, to me, that is a MORE remarkable occurrence than the Caps winning the Cup. But is happening to be sure -- we saw a bit of it when they played Las Vegas in the Finals. Game 5 was about 50% Caps fans.

I've been to a couple recent Caps/Avs games in Denver and the amount of Red was always insane. Although I believe the most recent one (that I didn't attend) was even significantly more than before, judging by the twitter photos IIRC.

 

[twabby]

Caps fans always had a strong showing in Tampa but it was like 40% Caps fans for the last regular season game I went to in December.

 

[discobob]

I have it on good authority (*1) that most Pens fans started off as non-hockey fans who were converted to the Pens. Most were drunk Cowboys fans who were easily duped by other drunk Cowboys fans at tailgating parties into buying Penguins apparel






*1 #statistics

 

[Chokingdogs]

I was only rarely going to games back then....watched just about all on tv....but no, the bettguin bandwagon didn’t fire up until after their first cups...and really took off once Cindy came along.

they were a poopy team, even with Mario, missing the playoffs for years in a row. Of course fans were there, but it was more or less a smattering.

As said prior....flyer fans were out in force...it was a distance thing. Isles too and the jerks.

funny, during the dark ages, cassidys tenure, deadthing fans would take over the section I sat in.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I recall more Philly and NY fan invasions back then.

 

[usiel]

I recall more Philly and NY fan invasions back then.

Same. I think for me personally with the pens was just annoyed at the crazy talent they had scoring. I was at the 4 OT game that Jagr one on a wrister coming down the left side..was at the end seating, sigh.

 

[Foots]

The Pens are a bandwagon team.

 

[sycamore]

The Pens are a bandwagon team.

Yeah, but quite frankly, so are the Caps now.