well i was taking a test for an online sports marketing class and i find in the book a study conducted in 2003 about fans loyalty to their teams, and sitting there at number 2 right behind the yankees and in front of the giants, red sox, and phillies were our very own houston astros....... btw the last few were expos(at the time), orioles, rays, marlins judging by how quickly astros fans give up on their team i never would have guessed we'd be that high
Actually this isnt that abnormal. Since I moved up here to the NE I have been catching Astros games in Philly, NY, and Washington.....and I usually see a lot of Stros fans in Stros gear.
when i went to boston to see the 'stros there were TONS of Astros fans there. i was shocked. the people around me (all red sox fans) kept talking about how many astros jerseys and hats were in the stands and how abnormal that was for them. there was a rain delay before the game so a bunch of us were standing along the railing on the third base line...talked to a bunch of families who had decided to follow the 'stros to NY and Boston that summer. this franchise has grown in leaps and bounds from what it was when i was a kid. much more of a baseball city. i credit MMP with a bunch of that...and the fact they've been so competitive for so long.
I wouldn't say that isn't normal or surprising in the least bit. Griping about your team is just part of the game that is baseball. There is no rule that says you can't voice an angry opinion about your team. Just because people vent dosen't mean they have jumped ship. It just means their angry and they are venting.
Not surpising the Marlins are there but damn...that city doesn't deserve the championships the team has won; they should move someplace that will actually appreciate them. Of course, when your owner has a firesale after every championship it's probably hard to stay loyal.
