Big Crowd For Stanley Cup Rally

[hockeymom95 0]

No on says the Ducks didn't deserve it due to the low amount of fans there. I actually feel kinda bad. When a team wins a championship, and for the first time ever, the whole state should be celebrating!

No need to feel bad for us; we won the Stanley Cup. If you want to feel bad for someone, read your local newspaper. There's plenty of sadness there with young men and women dying in wars, senseless murders, homelessness and poverty, etc.

Sports is an opportunity to celebrate and be joyous but when you let it consume your entire life it becomes an obsession. To think that the entire State of California would stand still to celebrate any one thing, much less a sporting event, is absurd. We are so diversified out here that we can't agree on anything and if you think that sports is going to be the unifying force, then that's just very simple thinking.

Hockey in Anaheim and So Cal is here to stay whether the fans in Detroit or Red Wings fans like it or not. And it is becoming a very desirable destination for players to want to play and live. Players play here and are traded elsewhere but keep their homes and live here during the summer and they're not native Californians, but Canadians. They have the freedom to live anywhere they want during the summer and after their playing careers, but they choose here. If they had been treated so badly by the fans and felt so slighted by the people out here, I doubt they would have stayed.

Truth is, they like us out here. And maybe it's because we don't treat them like an obsession, but like people.

[FUUFNF 1]

I was under the impression there were 20K. People left earlier due to traffic and got there late due to traffic. We're not going to turn out one million people, but 15K isn't a small crowd. Just because the entire state of California didn't show up doesn't mean we don't deserve it.

And there wouldn't have been any more people if the Kings had won it. The people who own the Kings just don't give a damn, ask their fans.

Where the party was, it's not the largest area in the world. I'm not making an excuse for it only being 15K, but we couldn't fit the '1 million' that showed up to your parade.

the times, the oc register, and the ducks own website all reported 15k. the local tv news outlets all reported around 10k. i'm guessing the actual number to be closer to 13k. that's almost unexcusable when you can sell out amost 30 consecutive games at over 17k people a pop, and can't even match that for a free, outdoor nhl championship celebration (the first ever in california history for that matter).

the angels world series parade(s) in '02 drew well over 100k (and a good number of those people actually paid to get into disneyland to see that half of the parade) so it's not like the anaheim infrastructure couldn't handle it.

if the kings were to ever win the cup, there would definitely be a parade and the would definitely get over 15k even if anschutz and roski didn't organize anything at all.

don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that just because there wasn't a big turnout at the ponda that the ducks don't deserve being champions. but, let's set the record straight... anaheim is not the new hockeytown. not even close.

Just curious how many people showed up for the 2002 Anaheim Angels World Series Championship celebration? I'm sure with all the established teams in LA (Lakers, Dodgers, and Kings), it was a tough sell to get people to cheer for the Ducks, Clippers, and Angels

well over 100k.

[Duckette 0]

Since the population of California is roughly 3 time that of Michigan makes it a little sadder

I believe Tampa had a parade with about 50,000 (not sure) and they have a couple teams.

Tampa has one team and the other team is about 4 hours south of it. IDK how many people they had turn out, but hockey is HUGE here in Tampa. They call it 'Hockey Bay' for a reason. The only other teams they have to compete with are the Rays and the Bucs, who both suck (the Bucs as of last season anyway) It's not too hard for them to bring in fans. They have rinks around near where the Bolts play so the fans are able to play without long travel. In Anaheim you have one rink. Then another rink in Riverside and another in Escondido. There aren't many around in Anaheim.

Every city around Tampa has their own rink within driving distance (less than 20 minutes)

And FUUFNF, I never even agreed with Anaheim being a hockey town. Detroit is and always will be Hockeytown. Anaheim won't be unless we win about 20 more Stanley Cups.

But for people to claim that no one lives and dies with this team, I'd like to see your proof, because I sure as hell do. I got in a fight at my hockey practice with one of the guys because he was giving me crap about the Ducks. You can't deliver absolutes. I know hockey, I know the Ducks. The only reason why I wasn't there was because I couldn't afford a plane ticket to get out Anaheim.

I think the Kings should go to Winnepeg. Their fans are starting to bail out on them. All my friends that were once Kings fans their entire lives are about sick of it and are becoming Ducks or Sharks fans.

[Kp-Wings 3]

I think the Kings should go to Winnepeg. Their fans are starting to bail out on them. All my friends that were once Kings fans their entire lives are about sick of it and are becoming Ducks or Sharks fans.

Winnipeg, for the 100 millionth time, cannot support an NHL team. There isn't enough corperate support, and the MTS Centre is too small of an arena anyways.

The only reason the Kings are losing fans is because of the many years of mis-managment they've been through. They haven't made the playoffs since 2002, and just when they were about to do it last year, they collapsed down the stretch and missed again. Combine with the fact that the Sharks and Ducks have been more successful as of late, and people will begin to jump on these teams bandwagons (most notably the Ducks, since I don't know a whole lot of Kings fans becoming Sharks fans). If the Kings ever become good again, they'll go back. The purists will anyways.

[FUUFNF 1]

And FUUFNF, I never even agreed with Anaheim being a hockey town. Detroit is and always will be Hockeytown. Anaheim won't be unless we win about 20 more Stanley Cups.

But for people to claim that no one lives and dies with this team, I'd like to see your proof, because I sure as hell do. I got in a fight at my hockey practice with one of the guys because he was giving me crap about the Ducks. You can't deliver absolutes. I know hockey, I know the Ducks. The only reason why I wasn't there was because I couldn't afford a plane ticket to get out Anaheim.

that comment was actually meant to address some of the local sports beat writers who have been proclaiming anahiem as the new hockeytown. i didn't mean to infer that you ever said that or agreed to that line of thinking. sorry if i wasn't clear.

i'm sure that the ducks have their share of die-hard fans, and i have no doubt that you're one of them. but if i were to guess i would bet that the kings have a much bigger socal fanbase. as bad as they've been for more than a decade, they still get pretty good attendance. imagine if they had the same success the ducks have been enjoying these last few years. in my opinion, the ducks have a lot more "casual" fans and i think that shows in the low turnout at the ponda on saturday.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

No need to feel bad for us; we won the Stanley Cup. If you want to feel bad for someone, read your local newspaper. There's plenty of sadness there with young men and women dying in wars, senseless murders, homelessness and poverty, etc.

Sports is an opportunity to celebrate and be joyous but when you let it consume your entire life it becomes an obsession. To think that the entire State of California would stand still to celebrate any one thing, much less a sporting event, is absurd. We are so diversified out here that we can't agree on anything and if you think that sports is going to be the unifying force, then that's just very simple thinking.

Hockey in Anaheim and So Cal is here to stay whether the fans in Detroit or Red Wings fans like it or not. And it is becoming a very desirable destination for players to want to play and live. Players play here and are traded elsewhere but keep their homes and live here during the summer and they're not native Californians, but Canadians. They have the freedom to live anywhere they want during the summer and after their playing careers, but they choose here. If they had been treated so badly by the fans and felt so slighted by the people out here, I doubt they would have stayed.

Truth is, they like us out here. And maybe it's because we don't treat them like an obsession, but like people.

Very nicely put.

The Ducks have to compete with the Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and Sharks for attention. And that is just professionally. Consider that USC and UCLA are almost always solid in all sports, along with Cal (Berkley) getting good at football again, it's hard to keep up with everything down there. Don't forget Stanford, San Jose St, San Diego St, and Fresno St.

There's just too much stuff going on down there, for better and for worse.

I wouldn't get too worried about the Ducks not being the main squeeze. The most important thing is that you like them, there are other Duck fans out there, while it's hard for them to get the attention they might deserve now, they are going to be there for a while, and that is what counts.

It's the same way here with me. I hosted a crawfish boil for friends/family the day of the Wings-Ducks game 2, and people were slowly filing out around the start of the game, and people were surprised to see hockey on. Game 3 of the SCF wasn't even showing here at all, NBC was showing a nationwide fundraiser (New Orleans was the only market where it was completely blacked out).

So I can definitely relate I think. But I could really care less. I like hockey, I'm going to watch it whether people down here think it's stupid or not popular. The ratings might have been in the dump for the finals, and yes, the game is far from perfect, but it's still a damned good game to watch and I'm going to keep watching it for a long while.

Edited June 10, 2007 by SouthernWingsFan

[Duckette 0]

that comment was actually meant to address some of the local sports beat writers who have been proclaiming anahiem as the new hockeytown. i didn't mean to infer that you ever said that or agreed to that line of thinking. sorry if i wasn't clear.

i'm sure that the ducks have their share of die-hard fans, and i have no doubt that you're one of them. but if i were to guess i would bet that the kings have a much bigger socal fanbase. as bad as they've been for more than a decade, they still get pretty good attendance. imagine if they had the same success the ducks have been enjoying these last few years. in my opinion, the ducks have a lot more "casual" fans and i think that shows in the low turnout at the ponda on saturday.

And I agree with that in a way. The Kings have the history so they've had longer to gain fans. But, if they continue to play as horribly as they have been, they'll continue to lose fans. And yes, a lot of my friends decided to go with the Sharks over the Kings due to the lack of playoff representation and Cup-Winning.

Give the Ducks some time. It's hard to build anything up in only 13 years in SoCal

Edited June 10, 2007 by Duckette

[FUUFNF 1]

The Ducks have to compete with the Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and Sharks for attention. And that is just professionally. Consider that USC and UCLA are almost always solid in all sports, along with Cal (Berkley) getting good at football again, it's hard to keep up with everything down there. Don't forget Stanford, San Jose St, San Diego St, and Fresno St.

if the ducks are worried about the spartans, aztecs, and bulldogs stealing their thunder, they have some serious problems.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

if the ducks are worried about the spartans, aztecs, and bulldogs stealing their thunder, they have some serious problems.

I know, I'm just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.

But seriously though, think of the Clippers of recent years before they finally started to get better. I don't follow the NBA in depth all that much but I can bet they were having trouble getting attention when they weren't good, especially during the Shaq/Kobe/Phil Jackson Laker days.

[edicius 3,269]

the times, the oc register, and the ducks own website all reported 15k. the local tv news outlets all reported around 10k. i'm guessing the actual number to be closer to 13k. that's almost unexcusable when you can sell out amost 30 consecutive games at over 17k people a pop, and can't even match that for a free, outdoor nhl championship celebration (the first ever in california history for that matter).

You know what's really embarassing? Back in '03 when the Devils had their last "parking lot party", they actually had more people show up than the Ducks did for theirs. The Devils' count was approximately 20,000.

At the Meadowlands, a location that is notoriously out of the way.

For the Devils, a team that has little support during the regular season OR playoffs.

In a metropolitan area with multiple NHL teams to choose from.

THAT'S embarrassing for Anaheim.

[FireCaptain 563]

Yeah, California doesn't obsess over anything.. OJ, Scott Peterson, Stupid Hilton broad, daily car chase on the freeways, etc..

I've been to Cali and as the saying goes - Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there.

Truth is, they like us out here. And maybe it's because we don't treat them like an obsession, but like people.

Edited June 11, 2007 by FireCaptain

[kylee 727]

all this talk makes me think about the times i went to the Wings championship parades during the back to back.

how we left our house at 7 in the morning, which i thought was very early, until my family talked to a family from Marquette

it was so worth it.

love to see another Wings parade in detroit next year!

Edited June 11, 2007 by kylee

[Barrie 900]

well over 100k.

Still small, but I understand Anaheim is a 'burb of LA, and if the Dodgers won it would be more than 10 times that.

I really can't complain that they only had 15,000 for the Cup in Anaheim. It's their first taste of victory. The Wings have been around for 80 years and are rich in history, so it's really not a fair comparison. You can't expect 1 Million to show up if only 100,000 showed up for the World Series. Every team has to start somewhere.

Tampa and Carolina are better fan wise for winning the Cup, maybe Anaheim will too.

all this talk makes me think about the times i went to the Wings championship parades during the back to back.

how we left our house at 7 in the morning, which i thought was very early, until my family talked to a family from Marquette

it was so worth it.

love to see another Wings parade in detroit next year!

Maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling if we win it all in the next few years we won't draw 1,000,000 to the parade. I'm thinking maybe 600,000-800,000 which still huge, but I would think the numbers would be down a bit without Yzerman, Shanny, DMac, Fedorov, etc.. The 1995-2002 team had an amazing connection with the fans, probably something we won't see for a very looooong time.

[Guest Crymson]

The local report here said 20,000. Regardless, that's a freking joke. This is not a hockey town. Never has been, never will be. People do not live and die with the Ducks here. It's not water cooler talk the next day, it doesn't even take the lead three stories on the news the night of the final win.

People here find out they have a successful team, and they get excited "GO SPORT" "BEAT THOSE OTHER GUYS". This woman I know here told my wife "How bout my Ducks?" (knowing we're Red Wing fans)My wife says "Yeah, they're pretty good this year, and doing well in the playoffs", the woman replies "The playoffs have already started?". No kidding

I don't care how bad you say traffic is on a Saturday afternoon in the OC, a million + people in downtown Detroit stiffles the whole city. Less roads, less infrastructure. People parked miles away and walked.

In a land of 12-13 million people, you can scrape together 20,000? I stand behind VladyIBELIEVE16 when she says that no one cares here.

...and let's not bring San Jose and LA into this. There's two baseball successful teams in the area as well, and that doesn't deter from their fanbase at all.

In short, I saw the news report, I shook my head ,and put on the Wings / Avs March 97 bloodbath game on DVD and remembered what hockey should be.

Good post.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

If they had been treated so badly by the fans and felt so slighted by the people out here, I doubt they would have stayed.

Truth is, they like us out here. And maybe it's because we don't treat them like an obsession, but like people.

I don't recall saying that fans treated the team badly and what not.. you just brought up a whole new topic. I said everyone should be celebrating, it wasn't a knock on the Ducks or their fans.

BTW, Wings fans do treat the players like 'people' not an obsession. Just because Detroit fans are completely by their team through it all, and love and support like no other doesn't mean they are obsessed, or that they take it overboard when it comes to the team. Detroit fans are some of the best, most passionate bunch anyone will ever come across. Be it in Baseball, Football, Hockey, or Basketball. That's why it's considered one of the best, if not best sports city in the US. So while you may think of it as an 'obsession' towards players, the players, and fans here think of it as perfectly normal.

[Roberto Who? 0]

I don't recall saying that fans treated the team badly and what not.. you just brought up a whole new topic. I said everyone should be celebrating, it wasn't a knock on the Ducks or their fans.

BTW, Wings fans do treat the players like 'people' not an obsession. Just because Detroit fans are completely by their team through it all, and love and support like no other doesn't mean they are obsessed, or that they take it overboard when it comes to the team. Detroit fans are some of the best, most passionate bunch anyone will ever come across. Be it in Baseball, Football, Hockey, or Basketball. That's why it's considered one of the best, if not best sports city in the US. So while you may think of it as an 'obsession' towards players, the players, and fans here think of it as perfectly normal.

i think she was mostly refering to canadian teams.....not detroit

[NKYWingsFan 4]

It is a shame that only 10k-20k showed up for the celebration. A larger crowd, I'm sure, would have been welcomed by the players and organization alike. Either way, congrats to the Ducks (It took me a while to develop the intestinal fortitude to type that).

I guess the main point is that Anaheim is not the new Hockeytown no matter what a writer for a local SoCal fish wrapper says. IMHO, the only cities Detroit would need to worry about in that regard would be Montreal, Toronto, or Chicago if the teams in those cities ever returned to previous form. Cripes, if Detroit played Toronto or Montreal in the SCF I think at least one state and one province would just shut down.

"Sorry lady, you can't cross the border today. Michigan's closed. Game Five against the Habs, ya know."

[hockeymom95 0]

Yeah, California doesn't obsess over anything.. OJ, Scott Peterson, Stupid Hilton broad, daily car chase on the freeways, etc..

I've been to Cali and as the saying goes - Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there.

The media obsesses over those people, not us.

And thanks for helping out with our over-population issue. Wish more people felt like you.

[JayUp88 1]

"Sorry lady, you can't cross the border today. Michigan's closed. Game Five against the Habs, ya know."

Its so true. If we ever got an original 6 teams in the finals it would be crazy.

[OsGOD 3]

Aye, as I have said, now it is our turn t' laugh at their fans... they do not e'en show up t' see their champions. Me bet the crowd was e'en more disgruntled when they found out that the helicopter held a sil'er treasure instead o' paris hilton... the real guest o' honor they gathard for. Ye'll ne'er get me buried booty!

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

To me the "smalll" turnout is kind of sad simply because winning the Stanley Cup is such an awesome, difficult and somewhat rare thing to do and a lot of people in California don't seem to realize that or care. On the other hand Toronto fans -even though I really dislike Toronto fans- they LOVE their team- have been waiting since like 1967 for another Cup win. I picture the turn out in Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit.. then read about the one in Anaheim.

Hopefully the successful season will convert some fans out there, but it is a shame that the Cup didn't go somewhere that more people would appreciate it.

That being said I completely respect you diehard Ducks fans that do support them- especially the ones that have for longer than this season. I grew up in Arizona and had to defend being a hockey fan on a daily basis. Enjoy the victory, next season should be a good one.

[ZAMBONI 0]

Since the population of California is roughly 3 time that of Michigan makes it a little sadder

I believe Tampa had a parade with about 50,000 (not sure) and they have a couple teams.

You believe,maybe,not sure. LOL Why is this significant anyway. How many people showed in Detroit on Saturday to wish the wings good luck on their championship? LOL OOPS! It was what i expected the true duck fans fanbase. I don't know what a fanbase has to do with someone being worthy of a championship. The season seat holders are 15,000 deep so that is exactly what i expected to show and it held true.

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

You believe,maybe,not sure. LOL Why is this significant anyway. How many people showed in Detroit on Saturday to wish the wings good luck on their championship? LOL OOPS! It was what i expected the true duck fans fanbase. I don't know what a fanbase has to do with someone being worthy of a championship. The season seat holders are 15,000 deep so that is exactly what i expected to show and it held true.

IMO it's not whether or not the fans deserve the championship. Becuase those of you Duck fans out there that live and die by the Duck certainly deserve to see your boys win the Cup. BUT, if there are only 15,000 or so of you in Anaheim willing to go show that support on a Saturday, that shows me that the CITY doesn't really deserve a Cup... Sure the Ducks have to fight for "market share" or whatever with the Sharks and Kings. That argument to me just reinforces the oversaturation of hockey teams in CA.

[wingnut22 81]

You believe,maybe,not sure. LOL Why is this significant anyway. How many people showed in Detroit on Saturday to wish the wings good luck on their championship? LOL OOPS! It was what i expected the true duck fans fanbase. I don't know what a fanbase has to do with someone being worthy of a championship. The season seat holders are 15,000 deep so that is exactly what i expected to show and it held true.

I haven't seen one person on this thread bring up the point that the Ducks didnt deserve to win, so I don't know where you are going with that.

Edited June 11, 2007 by wingnut22

[OsGOD 3]

You believe,maybe,not sure. LOL Why is this significant anyway. How many people showed in Detroit on Saturday to wish the wings good luck on their championship? LOL OOPS! It was what i expected the true duck fans fanbase. I don't know what a fanbase has to do with someone being worthy of a championship. The season seat holders are 15,000 deep so that is exactly what i expected to show and it held true.

We had a million strong fer our first cup in 54 years... On a weekday nah less.

Ahoy, so t' me that is a sad turn out for city who just won their first hockey championship.

Detroit made their parades durin' the week as it seemed t' an attempt t' tame the crowds a bit more. howe'er that verily didn't hold true as millions stormed the city.