Ossa wrote:Bathgate wrote:There is one aspect of this discussion that has not been brought up: Race.
Black athletes more or less dominate football, so naturally many blacks are intensely interested in pro football and the Steelers. So are many whites too, of course. But, when it comes to hockey, it is largely ignored by blacks, who make up something like 9% of the regional population.
How would the popularity between the two teams stack up among whites only? It would be closer obviously.
Do the Pens need to do a better job of marketing their brand to blacks, such as by acquiring a black player who can actually play (i.e., not an enforcer like Georges Laraque who wouldn’t enforce anyway)?
I think the bigger issue is income, not necessarily race.
As for introducing more black players to the team, the Thrashers tried it and they moved to Winnipeg.
These posts makes me uncomfortable.