They have some nice jerseys too.


- rmdevil313

Best.

Logo.

Ever.

It takes time to develop a love for the game, and often times a long playoff run. We are starting to see quite a few players from the LA area. I know the Dallas owner built a number of rinks to help spread the game, and I believe one of the upcoming top prospect played his youth hockey in texas.

Pheonix is a lost cause at this point.
- rmdevil313

Dallas was successful early on. Tampa won a cup quickly. Anaheim won as well Colorado won right away. There's a trend in each area being successful.

Phoenix, until recently, hasn't done poop. Winning brings in fans, especially in an untapped market, where the Devils trouble comes in. Phoenix during the playoffs were selling out with a pretty good atmosphere. If the team had that success in the first two-three years, we might hear about some Phoenix-raised hockey players.

The potential was there, it was just the team lacked the on-ice product to tap into the potential and make it a successful hockey franchise.

Best.

Logo.

Ever.
- Atomic Wedgie

Easily.

Dallas was successful early on. Tampa won a cup quickly. Anaheim won as well Colorado won right away. There's a trend in each area being successful.

Phoenix, until recently, hasn't done poop. Winning brings in fans, especially in an untapped market, where the Devils trouble comes in. Phoenix during the playoffs were selling out with a pretty good atmosphere. If the team had that success in the first two-three years, we might hear about some Phoenix-raised hockey players.

The potential was there, it was just the team lacked the on-ice product to tap into the potential and make it a successful hockey franchise.
- _Zippy_

There;s a lot that goes into building a fanbase in these markets and its far from a quick process. Some fans think that if they aren't selling out games within the first 5 years they should pack up and move.

Dallas was successful early on. Tampa won a cup quickly. Anaheim won as well Colorado won right away. There's a trend in each area being successful.

Phoenix, until recently, hasn't done poop. Winning brings in fans, especially in an untapped market, where the Devils trouble comes in. Phoenix during the playoffs were selling out with a pretty good atmosphere. If the team had that success in the first two-three years, we might hear about some Phoenix-raised hockey players.

The potential was there, it was just the team lacked the on-ice product to tap into the potential and make it a successful hockey franchise.
- _Zippy_

And it must be said:

Dallas currently has great financial difficulties. Tampa was in trouble. Anaheim still has non-existent tv ratings. And Colorado is also having financial difficulties.

As for Phoenix, I'm not so sure it ever had great potential. I've never been there, but it just doesn't strike me as a place that will develop a hockey culture.

I actually thought Columbus was a good, "outside the box" kinda place as the only pro game in town.

Looks like I may have been wrong on that one.

There;s a lot that goes into building a fanbase in these markets and its far from a quick process. Some fans think that if they aren't selling out games within the first 5 years they should pack up and move.
- rmdevil313

Yeah, but Gretzky was right: the Devils are a Mickey Mouse franchise.

And it must be said:

Dallas currently has great financial difficulties. Tampa was in trouble. Anaheim still has non-existent tv ratings. And Colorado is also having financial difficulties.

As for Phoenix, I'm not so sure it ever had great potential. I've never been there, but it just doesn't strike me as a place that will develop a hockey culture.

I actually thought Columbus was a good, "outside the box" kinda place as the only pro game in town.

Looks like I may have been wrong on that one.
- Atomic Wedgie

Columbus hasn't done poop either. The problems those teams are running to is they aren't too successful right now. Pittsburgh was in the same boat. 10 years ago, they were in the same situation as some of these southern teams. It's all about winning. Winning will get teams revenue and not winning will lose teams revenue, simple as that.

Yeah, but Gretzky was right: the Devils are a Mickey Mouse franchise.
- Atomic Wedgie

Devils are in arguably the most competitive market in pro sports, and worst of all, they are and were the new(est) guys. Competing with two proven franchise, one which is an original six franchise, then come to New Jersey while the other up-and-coming franchise is on a four-peat Stanley Cup streak and the Devils are bottomfeeders. Any people who would've became Devils fans became Islanders fans.

Reading comprehension is a failure for 90 percent of hockeybuzz. Except for a few idiots, I'm sure you know who they are and they know who they are, most of the Devils fans never said he wouldn't leave New Jersey. We just said that there was a very good chance he stayed in New Jersey, when other people were quick to say he was a Canuck, Leaf, Penguin, etc. Not only that, people used bogus reasons, which Devils fans knew were wrong, to speculate that Parise wanted out of New Jersey. All we did was disprove those reasons, like the "if he wanted to stay he would've signed already" but Devils fans knew Lou doesn't sign during the season and Parise was open to negotiate as well.

Never did any of the reasonable Devils fans say he was 100 percent staying in New Jersey. Even then, it was down to Minnesota and NJ plus it took Suter going to Minnesota to finally persuade him to go to Minnesota, along with numerous family ties to the area as well.
- _Zippy_

Devils are in arguably the most competitive market in pro sports, and worst of all, they are and were the new(est) guys. Competing with two proven franchise, one which is an original six franchise, then come to New Jersey while the other up-and-coming franchise is on a four-peat Stanley Cup streak and the Devils are bottomfeeders. Any people who would've became Devils fans became Islanders fans.
- _Zippy_

I'm old school. As far as I'm concerned, if you aren't cheering for the team that is geographically closest to you, you are nothing but a bandwagon jumper.

- PuckinNutz

Guess the reading comprehension problem spills over, it's pretty straightforward.

I'm old school. As far as I'm concerned, if you aren't cheering for the team that is geographically closest to you, you are nothing but a bandwagon jumper.
- Atomic Wedgie

I know. A lot of people are New York this and New York that, or they like a team because their parents/uncles whatever like it. A lot of people will alsolike the Giants/Jets, Knicks, Yankees/Mets, and then just like the Rangers because they are another New York team.

I feel the same way. A friend of mine who started watching hockey this postseason said to me in the middle of the semi-finals that he wanted to pick a team before anything happened so he wasn't called a bandwagon fan and whatnot. The other friend said to him, exactly what you said there, we are in/from Jersey.

There's nothing wrong with the arena just where it is.
If the arena where in the Medowlands it would be perfect.
As they say in real estate.
Location. Location. Location
- JohnPaulNJ95

The location in Newark is much better than the Meadowlands.

The Maple Leafs make money every year ergo are the model for a successful franchise.

QED

The location in Newark is much better than the Meadowlands.
- rmdevil313

Going to the Meadowlands blows. The traffic is terrible. Plus, the izod center is apparently part of that failed Xanadu bullpoop. Having your arena next to an empty shopping complex is probably a place where fans want to go. I don't think people notice that NJ Transit and Path Trains are a 5 minute walk from the arena. Or that there are highways that go into Newark. Newark sucks but it's not like a quarantine zone and you have to find your way through desolate wasteland in which evil gangs of black people are going to rob you. Christ.

Going to the Meadowlands blows. The traffic is terrible. Plus, the izod center is apparently part of that failed Xanadu bullpoop. Having your arena next to an empty shopping complex is probably a place where fans want to go. I don't think people notice that NJ Transit and Path Trains are a 5 minute walk from the arena. Or that there are highways that go into Newark. Newark sucks but it's not like a quarantine zone and you have to find your way through desolate wasteland in which evil gangs of black people are going to rob you. Christ.
- Pomegrant

It wasn't chosen for its immediate conditions. It did bring much more accessibility, but going into the construction, the intentions were to help make the area around the arena better. Each time I go back to the Pru center (which isn't very often), the area looks a little bit nicer. So as long as that continues, you have a livelier area than East Rutherford, a more centralized location, and access to public transportation. I don't know what else you would want out of a location.

Going to the Meadowlands blows. The traffic is terrible. Plus, the izod center is apparently part of that failed Xanadu bullpoop. Having your arena next to an empty shopping complex is probably a place where fans want to go. I don't think people notice that NJ Transit and Path Trains are a 5 minute walk from the arena. Or that there are highways that go into Newark. Newark sucks but it's not like a quarantine zone and you have to find your way through desolate wasteland in which evil gangs of black people are going to rob you. Christ.
- Pomegrant

Seriously.

My dad has parked on Broad Street, as there used to be no ticket or time limits and it was free, for the last year and a half and has had no problems whatsoever. The highways going into Newark are like 2 minutes from the arena, and it's only a four or five block walk to Prudential Center with a crowd of fans most of the time walking alongside you. If you truly wanted to, you can walk through the Gateway Center that lessens your trip on the streets.

Guess the reading comprehension problem spills over, it's pretty straightforward.
- _Zippy_

Most Devils fans were 100% sure Parise wasnt going anywhere....

There were very few who believed he was gone.

I think your comment was the complete opposite of what really happend.

Doesnt matter though because those so called "trolls" were right....He didnt end up staying.

It wasn't chosen for its immediate conditions. It did bring much more accessibility, but going into the construction, the intentions were to help make the area around the arena better. Each time I go back to the Pru center (which isn't very often), the area looks a little bit nicer. So as long as that continues, you have a livelier area than East Rutherford, a more centralized location, and access to public transportation. I don't know what else you would want out of a location.
- rmdevil313

Exactly, it's just when people think of Newark, they imagine like this gang-filled city, or whatever the case may be. Most people's portrayal of Newark is massively negative. The only negative I can find is if people like to tailgate.

Most Devils fans were 100% sure Parise wasnt going anywhere....

There were very few who believed he was gone.

I think your comment was the complete opposite of what really happend.

Doesnt matter though because those so called "trolls" were right....He didnt end up staying.
- PuckinNutz

We just said that he wasn't as good as gone. Another reading comprehension failure. We, well I will rephrase that, most, never said he was for sure going to stay or for sure going to leave, we just reiterated that he was still seriously considering New Jersey.

And no, my comment is exactly what happened. I read about it throughout the entire two seasons and practically every comment he made. Lou probably could've locked him up when he had exclusive rights, but then partnering with Suter and going to his home state, where his dad played, was too good to be true.

There were very few who believed he was gone.
- PuckinNutz

Yes, most of us believe that he is still with the team.

We just said that he wasn't as good as gone. Another reading comprehension failure. We, well I will rephrase that, most, never said he was for sure going to stay or for sure going to leave, we just reiterated that he was still seriously considering New Jersey.

And no, my comment is exactly what happened. I read about it throughout the entire two seasons and practically every comment he made. Lou probably could've locked him up when he had exclusive rights, but then partnering with Suter and going to his home state, where his dad played, was too good to be true.
- _Zippy_

His dad played for the Leafs.

His dad played for the Leafs.
- Atomic Wedgie

He's talking about the Islanders.

He's talking about the Islanders.
- Pomegrant

That's stupid.

This is a Devils thread - he should be talking about the Leafs.

Most Devils fans were 100% sure Parise wasnt going anywhere....

There were very few who believed he was gone.

I think your comment was the complete opposite of what really happend.

Doesnt matter though because those so called "trolls" were right....He didnt end up staying.
- PuckinNutz

MNGumpy's alt?