Comments on: The LA Times ranks baseball’s best and worst fanbases http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/ Baseball. Baseball. And then a bit more baseball. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:39:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: ddjesus http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178493 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:31:39 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178493 I love how defensive and obnoxious biceps gets when actual numbers are thrown in his face to show what a fair weather fanbase Philly has…

]]> By: Jeff M. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178443 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:30:37 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178443 “. . .but it’s well known that many of their fans just don’t care. Show up late and leave early. . .”

Is it, now? That’s pretty vague, sir. What exactly are you basing this on?

]]> By: Kevin S. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178411 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:01:31 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178411 In 1997 they only had fourteen teams.

]]> By: derpdederpdederp http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178407 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:45:29 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178407 hahaha why wouldnt I believe it? Yanks fans were complete a-holes to Lees family in the stands during the WS and if you think that didnt factor into his decision youre just ignorant

]]> By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178391 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:05:11 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178391 If you honestly believe that than I have a few bridges in Manhattan I’d like to sell you. Can do a package deal, real cheap…

]]> By: royalsfaninfargo http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178381 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:49:44 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178381 How can you have a list that ranks fanbases and not include all the teams? That is lazy and shows this guy isnt really a baseball fan.

]]> By: derpdederpdederp http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178377 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:20:22 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178377 With the Yanks and Phillies in the top 5 youve gotta think the writer never considered fan conduct. The Yankees fans played a hand in Cliff Lee spurning the organization (to go to the lesser of 2 evils I guess)

]]> By: nomoreseasontix http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178371 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:03:08 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178371 And the Raiders’ return to Oakland in 1995 and simultaneous stadium remodel absolutely destroyed the place for baseball.
Has to be nearly the worst venue in MLB now.

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178368 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:59:28 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178368 Alright, enough fun for a Sunday. Just couldn’t resist shooting a couple fish in a barrel.

BTW, I like the new biceps a lot better – and respect the fact that (despite the “POS” and “scumbag” you threw out there today), you didn’t completely melt down like the old bicepts would have. Good on ya.’

]]> By: nomoreseasontix http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178365 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:55:22 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178365 I’ve gone to A’s games for over 40 years and I guarantee that if they had a decent ownership that wasn’t purposely degrading the product in order to kill attendance they would draw over 2 million per year.
Since the Haas family sold, they have been saddled with owners who have been persuing an agenda geared toward moving the team rather than putting a good team on the field.

]]> By: thephilsabide http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178364 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:54:28 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178364 Oh wait, then the Brewers were AL, weren’t they?

]]> By: thephilsabide http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178362 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:52:30 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178362 The NL has 16 teams, AL 14. So if they were 14th, they weren’t last.

]]> By: halladaysbiceps http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178361 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:51:04 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178361 I read what you said, genius. Just don’t trash my city nor fanbase. We have more passion in our one pinky than you have in your whole body.

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178360 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:43:18 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178360 Learn to read, bicepts. From my original post:
“In the 8 years before CBP opened, the Phillies ranked in the bottom half of NL attendance EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR! And were dead last in one of those years!”
I was absolutely, totally, completely crystal clear to anyone (other than one Phillies fan, apparently) that I was speaking about the NL, the NATIONAL LEAGUE!
If it’s “open season,” seems strange that you’d show up completely unarmed.

]]> By: halladaysbiceps http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178359 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:29:21 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178359 You pulled up NL stats, not all of baseball in attendance.

Don’t tell me to curb personal attacks. You just trashed my city and the Philly’s fans, a-hole. You set yourself up for open season.

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178358 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:23:32 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178358 The year… 1997… Philadelphia ranked 14th (out of how many NL teams?… that’s right, 14!). Uh, that makes them DEAD LAST. I’m citing Baseball Reference. Who’s losing credibility now?

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178357 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:20:18 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178357 Now, now, bicepts, watch the personal attacks. Have you learned nothing. May the lord be with you (The lord of baseball, that is… I think you know him as Joe Carter.)

]]> By: halladaysbiceps http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178356 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:19:52 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178356 “And were dead last in one of those years!”

Bullshit! The Phillies have never over the last 20 years ever been last in attendance. Your credibility is dwindling with every post that you make.

]]> By: halladaysbiceps http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178355 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:16:16 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178355 dprat,

You are a loser. You wish you were a Phillies fan, so I understand your admiration. Philadelphia, fair weathered fans? You must be joking. Rudeness? Is that the best you have, scum bucket? Come on and debate me, piece of sh*t. None of this Happy Sunday crap.

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178354 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:16:11 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178354 bicepts,
In the 8 years before CBP opened, the Phillies ranked in the bottom half of NL attendance EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR! And were dead last in one of those years! This despite being the 5th largest city in the country. Go back further, and the record is similarly awful. Even the first year bump of the new CBP fell off nearly 20% in year 2, and most likely would have continued that downward spiral but for a suddenly winning team. So, congrats, Philly, you’ll come to the ballpark to see a championship team. So unique that way, you Phillies fans.

]]> By: dprat http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178353 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:03:34 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178353 Yeah, what dnc6 said. Phillies fans have about 3-4 years of great attendance now, and an incredibly horrendous record for the 100+ years before that. They seem to be the absolute definition of fair-weather fans.

By the way, I love that Phillies fans these days love to claim they are one of the great fanbases in the country, more passionate than any other (save one or two, perhaps), but when it comes to fan misbehavior, they claim they are exactly no better nor worse than any other… it’s just the bad ol’ media picking on them.

A rational person might recognize that it might be likely that the two things go together: a more passionate fanbase might be more likely to fill the park… AND more likely to have their passions occasionally get the better of them.

But, hey, it’s Sunday, and even Reason recognizes a sabbath and takes a day off. So though I’ve never been to CBP, I won’t let that stand in the way of taking the anti-Philly fan side: you have 100+ years of factually damning evidence of being the most shallow, band-wagon jumping fans ever who do not hesitate to abandon the team in down years, BUT can take pride in an unmatched public record for rudeness and hooliganism.

Happy Sunday.

]]> By: itsabergthing http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178352 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:48:47 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178352 I think a look at the population density of a given city compared to the average home attendance of each team would give a better indication of what the fan bases of each team are really like. Looking at it that way (which does have it’s flaws because of seating capacity issues, but I think all views of rapid fan bases have their flaws and are more a matter of opinion than anything else) in a way evens the playing field between the largest cities in the country to the smallest. Hell just compare the roughly 18.9 million (#1 in the US and near tops on the globe) people living in New York metro area, Yankee Stadiums capacity and average attendance to the roughly 1.75 million (22nd in the US) people living in the Pittsburgh metro area, PNC park and their average attendance. I think looking at it that way will give a better idea of the fan bases of smaller market teams, rather than just putting the large market teams in the top 10, I mean the Dodgers are in the top 10, and nobody in LA ever shows up on time for a game or makes it through a whole 9-innings…

]]> By: halladaysbiceps http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178351 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:42:22 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178351 dnc6,

That’s simply not true. Philly was averaging over 35,000 since CBP opened. Prior to the new stadium, they were averaging over 28,000.

]]> By: Ari Collins http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178350 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:39:31 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178350 And TB’s stadium is in a terrible location, too. Far away from the population center.

]]> By: Ari Collins http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178349 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:35:13 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178349 Couldn’t agree more. If the Blue Jays are ever really in contention (and I think that’s certainly possible), that will be a truer test of attendance than having a .500 record.

]]> By: dnc6 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178348 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:33:29 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178348 Those two have the reputation, but until the Phillies made the playoffs in 2007 they have had quite a few years where no one showed up.

]]> By: koufaxmitzvah http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178344 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:47:16 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178344 Speaking of shooting credibility, it really says a lot when the crux of your argument against the notion of the LA fan being passionate is the very lame, quite outdated, and totally overblown notion that LA fans “show up in the 3rd and leave by the 7th.”

]]> By: spudchukar http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178337 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:26:54 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178337 Including Seattle in the Raspberry column is a bit much. This is a city that drew 4 mil fans. As soon as they are competitive the fan base will return.

]]> By: Lukehart80 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178335 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:23:35 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178335 These kind of lists are always moronic. Just because this one was printed in the LA Times doesn’t make it any different.

]]> By: emoser http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/14/the-la-times-ranks-baseballs-best-and-worst-fanbases/comment-page-1/#comment-178333 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:23:04 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=78846#comment-178333 “8. Dodgers (36,949) The fans are loyal and passionate. That they’ve stayed home this season only underscores their feelings for the franchise.”

Dodgers ranked 8th best? There goes any credibility this article may have had. I have no personal animus against the Dodgers, but it’s well known that many of their fans just don’t care. Show up late and leave early… and that’s for the playoffs games.

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