In Reply to: We're talking about fan support. posted by ej on November 02, 2026 at 18:01:43
It follows that you have a more uniformly engaged fanbase. If you removed the athletics slate from South Bend the town would disappear, because there is nothing else there.
Is LA centered around the Rose Bowl? The stadium is typically a 1-1.5hr drive away from UCLA's campus. Drive an hour away from UCLA in any direction and suspect that if you were to interview people there, many, if not most would state that they have never stepped foot on UCLA's campus and wouldn't no how to get there without their phone spewing directions. UCLA, USC, the Lakers, the Dodgers, Clippers, Rams, Chargers, Kings, Galaxy; none of these entities are central and fundamental to the existence of LA. They have their places, but they aren't carved in stone, and LA moves with or without them. ND is the horse that pulls the cart of South Bend. You walk up to any random person in South Bend and ask them if they are going to the game and they will immediately know exactly what you are talking about. You do the same in LA most are going to look at you quizzically. These two places could not be more unalike