You probably only clicked on this link if you’re a Phoenix sports fan. in this case, it was an angry click. So let me start by saying: I love the city of Phoenix. I have friends who live there. It’s a gem of a town. And I have no ill will toward Phoenix or any of their professional sports teams. I like the Cardinals (currently the best new uniforms in the NFL, IMO), I think the Suns are dope, I have no disdain for the Diamondbacks (except for the fact that they once employed Randy Johnson), and I, like everyone else in Phoenix, never think negatively about Coyotes, mainly because we never think about Coyotes.
So just know that this blog doesn’t come from a stupid place. I legitimately have to ask…
Do Phoenix sports fans exist?
Listen, people ask. To me, Phoenix sports fans are a lot like Los Angeles sports fans, the only difference being that I understand why Los Angeles sports fans don’t always show up to sporting events. Have you ever been to Southern California?! There is so much to do. The beach, the mountains, the celebrity wax museum Madame Tussauds on Hollywood Blvd. But when Phoenix fans don’t show up to games, what do they do? To play golf? Hike the desert hills? Not that Phoenix is a boring city, because it’s far from it. But there is no beach. There are no ski mountains. And the temperature is usually warmer than Sam Hartman’s (or people who live in Phoenix…hubba, hubba). If I were a Phoenix resident, sports would be my life. It allows you to invest in something other than real estate while settling into an air-conditioned building. But for some reason, Phoenix fans continue to disappoint (except for maybe Suns fans – cheers to the Suns in four!)
And by that I mean…what is it, D-Backs fans?
The Diamondbacks haven’t been to the NLCS since Britney Spears shaved her head, and yet you can get into this year’s NLCS for less than a month of Netflix. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE, SILICONE DESERT. You have an exciting young MLB team that completely dismantled the 100-win Dodgers. Tickets to watch NLCS baseball in the Valley of the Sun should not be cheaper than tickets to Killers of the Flowery Moon. But it’s not just the Diamondbacks. When you add to that the fact that every two weeks we get a headline about how the Coyotes are looking for a new arena, it feels like their days in the desert are numbered. During their entire season last year, they attracted 188,000 fans to 41 home games. That’s less than one Indianapolis 500 for an entire season. They average 4,600 fans per game. This is lower than most high school diplomas. Look, I understand that ice sports and the climates where Komodo dragons live don’t really mix, but still. And the Cardinals…well, they haven’t allowed much to cheer since 2015. So I’ll give it a pass there. But look, Phoenix, you have a team in the NLCS, maybe that creates more demand where the ticket to get in costs more than the beer at the game.
UPDATE (after the start of NLCS Game 3): If I’m going to hit them for the price of admission, I have to give them props when they show up. The crowd for Game 3 looks solid, especially for a one-day weekday game. Well done, Phoenix. I’m going to eat my words for this game. That said, if the D-Backs lose this game, be sure to show up for Game 4.
