Quote:
Originally Posted by saffronleaf
The Leafs are well supported (best supported hockey franchise in the world). The GTHL is the best development league in the world -- so participation in hockey is very high. It's just that intermediary leagues (like OHL and AHL) are not well supported.
Part of it might be the perception among Torontonians that Toronto is a 'major' city and people will only spend money on the 'big leagues.' Perhaps that also explains why the CFL is not supported in Toronto -- people consider it 'minor league' -- similar to AHL or OHL.
And attendance isn't the only way to determine support for the Leafs -- look at the high ticket prices, the nearly 100% season ticket renewal rate, the lengthy waitlist for prospective season ticket buyers, the massive TV ratings. There's a reason the CBC shows Leafs games in the prime time 7PM EST time slot every Saturday night while ignoring other Canadian teams. It's their crown jewel for TV ratings.
Plus, there's NBA and MLB in Toronto -- something other markets in Canada aren't familiar with / probably don't know of.
|
Pretty sure most sports fans outside the GTA are aware of the existence of the Blue Jays, Raptors, NBA and MLB.
