Can something that was never legit really "peter out"? Your question implies it was more than a charade, a show, a mirage.
I hope we don't get baseball or football... I have too much rooting interest in the Mariners and Seahawks. Now hockey would be the shit!
Isn't there a 12 year old thread about us getting the Penguins potentially that you could bump to express interest in hockey?
Hey, we pretty much had them until Super Mario stepped in (not that I cared one way or another). I'd rather have a sport that doesn't completely coincide with the NBA season, and I'm pretty sure Paul Allen agrees. With Paul in town (and being owner of the Seahawks), I can't quite explain it out, but I don't see the NFL coming to Portland. That leaves baseball. Which I'm not sure would succeed long-term here. BUT........ it'd probably be better off here than some of the current cities.
I would love to get hockey. The problem is it runs parallel with basketball season almost. I think Baseball would do great in the Portland though. You give Baseball a little time here and I think the love for Baseball is right there with the Blazers.
See, I think baseball would start off in a blaze of glory, season tickets galore, stadium filled to the brim, and then, 3-4 years later, if the team is lame.... interest would go quickly and there wouldn't be enough of history or attachment to keep fans connected through the down times.
Well same could be said for the Blazers. Your always going to have fair weather fans. If the Blazers miss the playoffs say 2-3 times in a row I'm sure attendance would go down there as well.
Blazers have their legion of fans, and they stuck with them pretty well, through thick and thin. Things started getting rough, though, when you had all these disciplinary issues. People have stuck with them pretty well as long as they're not causing issues. In large part due to the history (they have been in Portland for 40+ years) and the lack of other major sports, the Blazers have a rabid following. Baseball has generally been a tougher draw in middle-sized markets (hell, even some of the bigger ones). It's quite different.
I think one tough part with baseball is the amount of games. I love baseball and would love to get a team here. But I wouldn't ever seriously consider season tickets. At most in NBA you have 4 games in a week on a home stand. But rarely. Baseball you'd have weeks in the season where you have a game every single night. It's tough.
Yeah, that's why I think people would be on-board early, and then it'd falter. But it thrives in many areas, in large part due to businesses and families sharing/selling tickets and what not. Like most things in this world, we're drawn to the shiny, new thing, but it usually loses its' flash.
Can't spend money on a baseball stadium/renovations if you have to use all your money on pedestrian bridges
