auxlepli 17 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Had to travel down to Atlanta this weekend. Traveling back yesterday I tried to find as much hockey coverage I could on the radio. Much to my surprise ... Nashville >>>> Atlanta. Maybe it helped that Predators played last night, maybe not. Maybe it's all the hostility in the Sharks-Preds games. All I know is I listened to the Thrashers flagship station from Atlanta to Chattanooga from 3:30 to about 5:00, and most of the talk was the upcoming NFL draft, with the exception of aboot five minutes of Thrashers chat. I picked up 104.5 the Zone in Nashville aboot an hour later and 30 miles out. All hockey talk! Callers and hosts were breaking down the Wilson-Trotz and Cheechoo-Tootoo fueds. Good stuff. More importantly it was ALL hockey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
servo 15 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 That doesn't really surprise me. There are alot of hockey fans in Nasville and they kinda get it. Atlanta will never get hockey. THe only thing that saves it is the collosal amount of people that live down there. The laws of dilution can support a club. There are a ton of transplants down in Atlanta to support the Thrashers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadder 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 There are a ton of transplants down in Atlanta to support the Thrashers. Well, your close. Your right in that there are a ton of transplants here in Atlanta. But most of them follow the Thrashers and only go to a game when their old team like the Wings come to town. We were out on Sunday morning running some errands and saw about 5 people wearing Red Wings jerseys in the store and sever car flags while we were out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akustyk 84 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Atlanta could not support the Flames when the franchise was there. that still did not stop Buttman from putting a new NHL team there, breaking the good old rule of not repeating with cities that failed to support hockey truth being said, they are playoff bound team only for the second season in their history (they barely missed it last year). if Trashers repeat this next year the recognition should follow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legionnaire11 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Well, Atlanta has never done anything notable other than having the first pick in the draft, they made the playoffs this year and are going to end up losing in the first round as a division winner. Not good! Here in Nashville hockey has really picked up this year. If you had driven through 3 years ago, there wouldn't be any hockey talk in nashville. The Kariya signing is what really started turning things around here, that day was nothing but hockey talk all day, it was awesome. Then bringing in Arnott added another jolt, all the talk earlier this season about Leipold wanting to sell 40% to local ownership was big, trading for Forsberg and now a third trip to the playoffs. I really think whenever the Preds actually win a series or two, this town will be all over it. Winning a cup would be the ultimate. Give Atlanta time, they've got a good team now, let the city experience the playoffs a few times and things will be good there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kp-Wings 3 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Well, Atlanta has never done anything notable other than having the first pick in the draft IMO that pick is also no longer with Atlanta (Patrick Stefan). He is also not nearly as good as many thought either, as he is having a hard time cracking the Dallas Stars fourth line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chelios57 31 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Legionnaire11 - I totally agree with you. I believe Atlanta will be a great place for hockey, just give them the right amount of winning in the right amount of time. Atlanta is in about the same place that Nashville was in the '04 playoffs, give it time (although it's doing quite fine if you ask me). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzermaniac192005 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Legionnaire11 - I totally agree with you. I believe Atlanta will be a great place for hockey, just give them the right amount of winning in the right amount of time. Atlanta is in about the same place that Nashville was in the '04 playoffs, give it time (although it's doing quite fine if you ask me). True that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sibiriak 84 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Atlanta could not support the Flames when the franchise was there. that still did not stop Buttman from putting a new NHL team there, breaking the good old rule of not repeating with cities that failed to support hockey ... Yeah, Denver, Minneapolis/St.Paul, Ottawa all had and lost NHL teams before their current franchises. What flops the Avs, Wild, and Sens turned out to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auxlepli 17 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Good points Legionnaire11. I'll also add that Atlanta has a compliment of major league teams, at least in name, and so does Detroit. I mention Detroit b/c listening to WDFN and WXYT today ... Nashville > Detroit > Atlanta ... when it comes to hockey talk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kp-Wings 3 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Good points Legionnaire11. I'll also add that Atlanta has a compliment of major league teams, at least in name, and so does Detroit. I mention Detroit b/c listening to WDFN and WXYT today ... Nashville > Detroit > Atlanta ... when it comes to hockey talk. The problem with the stations here is that they care more about the Lions than the Wings, or any other team in Detroit for that matter. Now, if the Lions were a good team I could understand. But the Lions are perhaps the worst franchise in all of professional sports, and yet they still get more media attention than the actual good teams in the Wings, Tigers, and Pistons. It's really that way everywhere in the US when it comes to hockey. It's like this with sports in the US: Football > Every other sport. No matter where you live, Football will be the most talked about sport in that city, even if the other teams are good, and the Football team is s***ty. Hence, the situation here in Detroit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-TownWing 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 As a general rule, I'm more tolerant towards the newer markets than most people. I think Nasville's headed in the right direction, and Atlanta will be in the next five years. Remember that in 1930, Detroit wasn't Hockeytown, and Montreal and Toronto were probably laughing at the Cougars and saying the NHL would never make it in a southern city. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AtlantaHotWings 987 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Living in Atlanta I believe it will be awhile before it really catches on. I have noticed more and more little kids wearing Thrasher jerseys than Braves which is HUGE down here. I personally was born a Wings fan and will die a Wings fan. I have been to Philips a couple times other than Wings games to see Washington, Ptitsburgh etc.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akustyk 84 Report post Posted April 17, 2007 Yeah, Denver, Minneapolis/St.Paul, Ottawa all had and lost NHL teams before their current franchises. What flops the Avs, Wild, and Sens turned out to be. ooops... caught me on that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
