Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[blueandgoldguy]

The NBA is the worst league when it comes to parity. In the past 40 years, only 11 teams have won the title.

Since 1980:

LA Lakers - 11 championships
Chicago Bulls - 6 championships
San Antonio Spurs - 5 championships
Boston Celtics - 4 championships
Detroit Pistons - 3 championships
Miami Heat - 3 championships
Golden State Warriors - 3 Championships
Houston Rockets - 2 championships
Philadelphia 76ers - 1 championship
Toronto Raptors - 1 championship
Dallas Mavericks - 1 championship
Cleveland Caveliers - 1 championship

This will continue with superstars attempting to strongarm their way out of markets and conspiring with other players to form superteams.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Columbus seems to be doing ok given the complete lack of any success whatsoever for that franchise. I've previously pointed out how Arizona has had a similar lack of success which has stunted their growth, and when they did have some success it was during a tumultuous time for their ownership group. Florida's in that group, too. Minnesota's probably there, too.

The thing about franchise sports, as we all know, is that they perpetuate parity and cylical teambuilding every 5-10 years. They're rewarded for being bad. Teams build, they have a competitive window for 3-6 years, and then they decline, rebuild, and start over again. Most teams follow this pattern with some exceptions. It's expected that most teams have a chance to win a championship at some point and most do. 13 different NHL teams have won a Stanley Cup in the past 25 years, and 11 additional teams made a Final without winning in that same time frame (and a lot of the overlapping of winners was between 1995 and 2003, prior to the salary cap being introduced).

The more teams you add obviously makes winning overall less likely but at the same time....the more teams you add the more potential there is for wild-card, play-in, and playoff games.

I suppose my theory will eventually be put to the test with all of these rumours of league expansion to offset covid losses. Part of buying a season ticket is buying into the hope that your team will some day win it all... if you had a time traveller tell you that your favourite team would in fact miss the playoffs this season, would you really want to pony up for tickets? I'd imagine that most wouldn't.

It's kind of crazy that there are now old people who have been lifelong Canucks or Sabres fans (or Leafs fans for that matter) who have never ever seen their team win it all.

[craner]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Canadians massively under-estimate how deeply ingrained sports are in the culture of these places. This below isn't even professional sports but at a university with only 50% more students than the University of Manitoba. Camp Randall dwarfs anything in Canada. It seats 80,321 and sometimes sells out before the season even starts. Can you imagine a scene like that at the University of Toronto? It won't happen in our lifetime because Torontonians just don't care as much as they do about sports or football. Nothing like it exists in Canada with the possible exception of pro football in Saskatchewan.

Madison, Wisconsin

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That “Jump Around” is absolutely awesome !!
And I agree - nothing comparable in Canada.

[thurmas]

I am amazed when I travel to U.S. cities in the midwest be it Detroit, Minneapolis even little ol Grand Forks North Dakota how intense and passionate the sporting cultures there is for pro and ncaa sports be it baseball, softball, hockey football it is simply insane compared to other countries in the world that are passionate about 1 maybe 2 sports in their cultures.

[megadude]

Got to experience this first hand. Caught a Brewers game then headed to Madison for the Badgers next day. Tonnes of cool traditions at college games, most of which are not known on a national level. Jump Around is the best at Wisky but only one of a few great chants/songs/dances/crowd participation (though Mich. St. is the best for me). And some of it is not family friendly, though not to the level of soccer in Europe and SA.

And Camp Randall is only the 5th largest CFB stadium I've been to. But due to the enclosed nature of it, it was louder than the 100k seaters I've been to like the 4 ahead. Though part of that was that they weren't playing a cupcake team so the game was competitive and people more into it.

And ya, Canadians don't have that sporting culture, which I am fine with. I think Americans in general are more emotional and have more obnoxious people so the spectacle there will be better. Love a good atmosphere but I don't want the antics associated with it on a regular basis.

Though another thing I will add to be comparable (remotely) is TFC ultra fans. It was rowdier back in the day but due to the novelty wearing off and crackdown by security, it's not what it used to be. But groups like Red Patch Boys and U Sector, etc. provided great atmosphere with their signs, flares, chants, throwing streamers (I nailed a DC player in head once with a streamer, though of course he didn't flinch because it was only a streamer), etc. I used to be one of them but it gets annoying after a while because there's always a couple real douches among the group like the idiots throwing beer cans at Becks and Ljunberg and even our home announcers. Also, total fail for the stadium selling beer in projectile cans instead of cups like usual. Of course, this is not the general fans in attendance but specific groups based in some corner of the stadium, and obviously on a much smaller scale.

I went to Impact game once 3 years ago but only for the first half. I can't recall if I saw a vocal supporters group. I'm sure they'd be noticeable for a big game though, particularly back in the day when things weren't as strict as now.


The other HYPED UP tradition I've witnessed that is at least equal to Jump Around is Enter Sandman at VA Tech. But with this, the build up and anticipation is what makes it different. Start at 2:45.

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Penn St. for a whiteout game with 100k decked out in white gear shouting WE ARE PENN STATE over and over as the team enters the field with fireworks going off is cool too, but the song is Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (Woah Oh Oh Oh). Not as hype inducing as the other songs mentioned. I wasn't at a whiteout night game there so I didn't get the premium experience but a great time nonetheless shouting WE ARE PENN STATE even though I have nothing to do with Penn St. Though a woman we talked to said good luck this semester. I guess I should have been flattered that at 32 I was mistaken for a student. I guess doing my third PhD.


https://www.centredaily.com/sports/c...229419114.html

Originally Posted by isaidso

From a corporate POV I'd have to agree. The NHL is a business and a dearth of corporate backing is a deal breaker. It's why the NHL is in Phoenix but not in Quebec City. On the surface a metro of 1.6 million may seem too small to support 4 pro teams but the culture in that part of the US is extremely sports oriented. People in Wisconsin do travel for sports so the market is really 5.8 million. I doubt they'd have a problem with attendance.

Canadians massively under-estimate how deeply ingrained sports are in the culture of these places. This below isn't even professional sports but at a university with only 50% more students than the University of Manitoba. Camp Randall dwarfs anything in Canada. It seats 80,321 and sometimes sells out before the season even starts. Can you imagine a scene like that at the University of Toronto? It won't happen in our lifetime because Torontonians just don't care as much as they do about sports or football. Nothing like it exists in Canada with the possible exception of pro football in Saskatchewan.

Madison, Wisconsin

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[Coldrsx]

Well said. It is on a whole different level down there.

We tailgated a Harvard-Yale football game back in 08' and holy moly was it amazing.

[thurmas]

I think Iowa Hawkeyes might have a better entrance than Wisconsin just by a hair:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p7e4h4vjqw&t=147s

[megadude]

You mean than VA Tech? Wisky Jump Around is after the 3rd quarter.

Iowa is not nationally known for their entrance due to the fact that they almost never, if at all, have been the national night game. Their most nationally known tradition is pretty new and will bring a tear to anyone's eye. Mid-way through the game everyone on the field and in the stands turn towards the new children's hospital and waves at the kids through the windows.

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Originally Posted by thurmas

I think Iowa Hawkeyes might have a better entrance than Wisconsin just by a hair:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p7e4h4vjqw&t=147s

[megadude]

As awesome as well knows pump up songs playing at stadiums I'm more of a sucker for actual school fight songs, be it official or unofficial like Rocky Top at Tennessee throughout the game or Country Roads at WVU at the end of the game.

Singing the two most famous with everyone in attendance is a dream experience. Those being Notre Dame's Victory March and Michigan's Hail to the Victors. But my all time favourite is Michigan State's Falcone Fight. Another spine tingling experience is singing the alma mater song at the conclusion of the game when everyone puts their arms around each other and sway side to side to Notre Dame's Our Mother or OSU's Carmen Ohio.


Anyway, we may not have that in this country but the good news is that it's still accessible. Well easier for some than others depending on where you live. Now if you want to take in soccer experiences in Europe or SA then that's a total mission. Though, who knows when we'll actually be able to do it again.

[thurmas]

It's too bad TSN and Sportsnet don't try and help build U Sports in Canada rather than the lazy route they take and just air feeds from ESPN of NCAA football and basketball everyday. I know it's cheaper but I think it is something the CRTC should look into to help build Canadian content in spheres where growth of our own sports is needed.

[megadude]

And here's the obnoxious side I am talking about. There's the usual shit I see like fights in the stands or walking into the medical centre to get a bandaid and seeing what looks like a MASH unit with a bunch of students passed out or with bloody noses, or white guys standing nose to nose at a tailgate calling each other the n-word and then there's this:

I watched this live mascot, the Mountaineer, do some cool shit on the field and fire his musket. Two months later the same guy did this. Scroll to 0:19. You probably don't want to do this as the official mascot using the official musket. Murica!

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I mean, I left the game with good vibes after participating in this, singing the song with everybody. Then dude reminded me of the REAL West Virginia.

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[JHikka]

Originally Posted by thurmas

It's too bad TSN and Sportsnet don't try and help build U Sports in Canada rather than the lazy route they take and just air feeds from ESPN of NCAA football and basketball everyday.

Based on the replies in this thread on this page they've made the right decision.

Originally Posted by esquire

I suppose my theory will eventually be put to the test with all of these rumours of league expansion to offset covid losses. Part of buying a season ticket is buying into the hope that your team will some day win it all... if you had a time traveller tell you that your favourite team would in fact miss the playoffs this season, would you really want to pony up for tickets? I'd imagine that most wouldn't.

Not much different than playing the lottery, honestly; it's for the hope.

Originally Posted by esquire

It's kind of crazy that there are now old people who have been lifelong Canucks or Sabres fans (or Leafs fans for that matter) who have never ever seen their team win it all.

Yep. Sabres got a raw deal in the late 90s and mid-00s.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by thurmas

It's too bad TSN and Sportsnet don't try and help build U Sports in Canada rather than the lazy route they take and just air feeds from ESPN of NCAA football and basketball everyday. I know it's cheaper but I think it is something the CRTC should look into to help build Canadian content in spheres where growth of our own sports is needed.

In spite of my usual discourse on here, I don't think it's realistic to expect to build up U Sports to anything resembling even 2nd or 3rd tier college sports in the U.S. It sucks a bit but that's just the reality.

When you think about it, "college" or "university" or even "school" sports as a spectator thing is very much a U.S.-only phenomenon. There might some other place I am overlooking where it's a big-ish deal, but in most of the world this concept is basically non-existent.

If anything, spectator sports associated with educational institutions are probably bigger in Canada than most anywhere else - except for the U.S. of course.

I still think that Canada's sports media do a piss poor job in building domestic sports properties (the CHL is a good example of squandered potential) but I don't think U Sport is the right place to focus our scorn - even if they could do better on that front too.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I still think that Canada's sports media do a piss poor job in building domestic sports properties (the CHL is a good example of squandered potential) but I don't think U Sport is the right place to focus our scorn - even if they could do better on that front too.

Its because our media (sports and entertainment) are lazy. Why use all that blood and sweat and treasure to build up a small Canadian industry when you can just tap into the massive market to the south. Just pay for the rights fees and "tada!" instant profit (maybe).

[wave46]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Its because our media (sports and entertainment) are lazy. Why use all that blood and sweat and treasure to build up a small Canadian industry when you can just tap into the massive market to the south. Just pay for the rights fees and "tada!" instant profit (maybe).

Instant filler, perhaps.

Profit is nice, but this is mostly the filler between the premier moneymakers.

But yes, I agree with the lazy sentiment.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Its because our media (sports and entertainment) are lazy. Why use all that blood and sweat and treasure to build up a small Canadian industry when you can just tap into the massive market to the south. Just pay for the rights fees and "tada!" instant profit (maybe).

Yup. Which is why you get NCAA SEC regional gymnastics competitions featuring Ole Miss and Alabama in prime time on the main channel of a national Canadian sports network.

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by Acajack

When you think about it, "college" or "university" or even "school" sports as a spectator thing is very much a U.S.-only phenomenon. There might some other place I am overlooking where it's a big-ish deal, but in most of the world this concept is basically non-existent.

If anything, spectator sports associated with educational institutions are probably bigger in Canada than most anywhere else - except for the U.S. of course.

High school baseball is a big deal in Japan.

[Acajack]

Cool! I did not know that.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There might some other place I am overlooking where it's a big-ish deal, but in most of the world this concept is basically non-existent.

Schools rugby is pretty big in South Africa.


I think part of the difference may be that in Europe players are going into the pro structures (academies) for soccer and rugby around 16 y.o., and not really going to university. So the athletes aren't there for college sports to become such a big thing.

[Coldrsx]

Korean Baseball is nuts.