Sports Nationhood Mapping

[dewline]

A few months back, I saw this entry on cartographica, devoted to baseball fandom.

Would anyone be interested in seeing and/or assembling something along similar lines for pro hockey fandoms?

Comments

[opaqueplanet.livejournal.com]

Well, Saskatchewan would be tough, because everyone's pretty much "whoever's doing better this year" between the Oilers and the Flames.

The maritime provinces (or at least PEI) seem to have die-hard fans of both the Leafs and the Canadiens among the population, with the odd Senators fan, and even a guy in an Oilers jacket (whaaa?)

I don't think polling would show such distinct favourites outside home-provinces or home-cities as American baseball teams have, if only because the teams are spread thinner. If you're in Kelowna, BC, you're not considered a heretic for being a Flames fan, because Calgary is really just as close as Vancouver. If the Sens are doing well and the Leafs are crap, a hockey fan in the Greater Toronto Area might not feel such loyalty to the Leafs that they couldn't root for the Sens this year. It's still Ontario after all, and if you're in Hamilton, it's not like Toronto is YOUR city...

More complications

[dewline.livejournal.com]

I can see where Hamilton's been building an antipathy to both the Leafs and the Sabres due to their obstructionism re: any potential realization of an NHL team based out of Copps Coliseum.

In Ottawa, we've still got legacy fandoms tied to the Leafs and Habs as well as the Sens Nation.