txpd
Registered User
I think what you are missing in comparing nascar's growth with the nhl's need to grow is one significant thing. the fan base of nascar racing is that it is a major league sport for people that dont live in or near a major league city. which is actually most of the country.
because the series is a national series and because "your team" is one of the teams in the race every week, you can root like they are the home team. I found this when I moved from the Washington/Baltimore area to Eastern NC where they have no major league or major college sports. None of my teams in whatever sport were ever on tv, but the races were on every weekend.
the explosion in the popularity of the sport is a result of the larger markets/major league cities starting to catch on to what people in Rockingham, NC, Terra Haute, IN, and Bakersfield, CA have loved for years.
Hockey doesn't have that and never will have that. Neither does baseball, football or the nba. its a totally different situation.
because the series is a national series and because "your team" is one of the teams in the race every week, you can root like they are the home team. I found this when I moved from the Washington/Baltimore area to Eastern NC where they have no major league or major college sports. None of my teams in whatever sport were ever on tv, but the races were on every weekend.
the explosion in the popularity of the sport is a result of the larger markets/major league cities starting to catch on to what people in Rockingham, NC, Terra Haute, IN, and Bakersfield, CA have loved for years.
Hockey doesn't have that and never will have that. Neither does baseball, football or the nba. its a totally different situation.