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roastpuff · 02-27-2025, 01:21 PM

For an expansion team to be successful they need to have a fan base that is engaged and is not already beholden to another team. Other sports teams even of a different sport in the area should be considered as well as they might have preference over a newly established expansion SHL team in terms of patronage from the local population. Building hype up in the community is also a strategy that should be considered to drum up support for the new team, and community engagement events or giving back to the community are a couple of very popular tried and true methods to do so. If there is another SHL team in the division in close proximity creating a rivalry either artificially through social media beefs or through organic methods within the actual games is another great way to draw eyes on your team as the opposing team fanbase will become engaged if there is a perceived competition.

ephenssta · 02-27-2025, 02:23 PM

Written 2:

I would not say an expansion team lacking a strong connection between the city and team name is a dealbreaker, but I do think it can enhance the branding. Some teams share no clear connection and get away with it just fine. On the other hand, I think it is a great way to get some extra fan buy-in for a new team by intimately linking the branding of the team to a trait of the city or region the team will be located in. San Francisco 49ers come to mind as a team from another league that could be an effective example, or the Texas Rangers in baseball. As much as I hate to admit it as a Rangers fan, the Asstros also do that quite well, and I think have had some of the best city connect jerseys ever with the whole space city connection to NASA. Still not sure how a fuckin train fits in, though...

CementHands · 02-27-2025, 02:29 PM

Nathaniel's favorite place to visit was back when he was in the SMJHL and visiting Newfoundland. That's his home town and his friends and family would always attend the games, and he used it as a great excuse to get his team mates screeched in and just eat a ton of processed food. His family was always happy to make the roughly 1 hour drive, and Nathaniel was making enough at this point to help out and cover some nice hotel rooms for the entire group. Rest days after a game were the absolute best because then they would descend upon St. John's downtown and party until the sun came up.
In the SHL, Nathaniel's favorite place to visit is New Orleans. He absolutely loves the night life and the food is to die for. Bonus points that if you do actually die there are plenty of voodoo and shaman who may be able to help un dead you.

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GabeyD · 02-27-2025, 04:09 PM

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***Eggcracker*** · 02-27-2025, 04:25 PM

PT pass

Muerto · 02-27-2025, 05:00 PM

Written Option 1:

There are a few teams that are in the opposite conference which we only play them a couple times a year. So that means only one visit per year to the cities out East. A couple cities that I really like are Montreal and New York. Montreal has some great dining options and is visually a really nice city with a mix of older and modern architecture. It isn't always awesome in the winter, they can have some crazy snowstorms but I always like when we get an extra day to roam around there. New York I think can maybe go without saying, it's such a vibrant city with so much to do. I will usually make sure to catch a Broadway show or a concert if we get the chance to stay a few days but even if it's a quick trip, it is fun to walk around and see the iconic locations of Manhattan. One city I wish was in the SHL is Las Vegas, because I would have so much fun there but maybe it's for the best so I don't gamble all my money away.

***ThisSeemsFishy*** · 02-27-2025, 06:39 PM

Option 2:

I think expansion branding needs to make sense first and foremost. If you’re putting a team in Columbus Ohio, you can’t name them something like the Orcas for example. A good branding also should have colours for the team that make sense for the area. I personally love when sports teams use colours from the city or state flag (Nevada) or colours that represent the area well (green, white, and blue to represent the PNW for Vancouver fit perfectly).

I also like when teams opt for colours that aren’t used much across the league. More unique colour schemes make the league look more interesting. To add onto that, alternate colour schemes are a plus as well. Especially when they reference the location and its history. Looking at you, New Orleans Specters Mardi Gras jerseys.

As far as the name goes, it should be something that inspires confidence with players, and fans alike. No one wants to say they cheer for the Gummy Bears. Or maybe they do. Who am I to yuck someone’s yum?

Evok · 02-27-2025, 07:01 PM

pt pass

Matteo · 02-27-2025, 07:22 PM

Option 2:

I think that it makes for more interesting team names when they represent their city on some level. To me, as a fan, it makes me feel like the team I'm cheering for is invested in growing roots in my community, instead of just being this entity that can be lifted up and placed anywhere else. The next most important thing to me is a team's logo. It's a symbol that fans rally behind, strikes fear into the opponent's hearts, and kids can look at and find it cool. The Atlanta Falcons logo is the reason I always played as them in Madden growing up, and the reason I still have a soft spot for the team now as an adult. The name itself should also be cool but this is something that can be looked past if the logo is sufficiently cool. The last most important thing that overrides everything is whether a team is good, because winning makes even the least stylish teams look like gods, see the Pittsburgh Penguins as an example. Also worth mentioning that for the reasons above, I would not cheer for any of Ottawa's sports teams if I was born in a different city. I understand that we're not exactly spoiled for cool sports branding ideas as a city but the Senators? Charge? 67's? Redblacks? We can do better.

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***WannabeFinn*** · 02-27-2025, 08:08 PM

PT Pass

***RAmenAmen*** · 02-27-2025, 09:00 PM

Option 2:

The best brandings in real world and sim sports are strong, simple, and a celebration of local culture and history. Big markets with a long history are exciting and storied places, and can bring with them their history in a way few others can. Embracing local history has given us some of the most iconic names in sports, from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Boston Celtics, and sim league teams like the San Francisco Pride, Maine Timber and the Quebec City Citadelles have turned local culture, movements and even buildings into unique brands that stand out against the never-ending list of generic mascots that plague sports teams across the world. I'd like to see the latest batch of SHL teams follow suit and celebrate their cities of choice with brands that could only exist in the locations they've chosen. A team should be more than a set of colors and the players on the roster, and establishing an identity starts with the logo on the front of the sweater.

*leviadan* · 02-27-2025, 09:44 PM

i think as far as shl cities to visit goes its hard to beat new orleans. there's a heck of a lot going on there, tons of touristy stuff so you can do something different every time you visit in a season and still have cool things left over. it's definitely a joy to go down there, but as far as the lesser visited cities i'd have to shout out hamilton and montreal. montreal is just a gorgeous city all year round, unfortunately as a team we largely pass through in the winter but it's hard to find a nicer place to stroll through in the summer. amazing restaurants and so many unique neighbourhoods. by a similar token hamilton has some gorgeous waterfront and trails that surround it. again it's not so amazing in the winter but a team outing to a big waterfall or an escarpment trail in the fall is a special day. always a pleasure to do!

hhh81 · 02-27-2025, 09:53 PM

prompt 1

Believe it or not, M’Baku Olubori’s favorite road trip the last few years was Los Angeles. This was mostly because his boyfriend, Lias, played for the Panthers, and it was one of the few times they saw each other. There’s also plenty to do, and it tends to have nicer weather than Maryland. Because they only get to play there once a season, it’s a special stop during the season. Beyond that, Baku always enjoys a layover in Seattle, if for no other reason then to go pester his old conditioning coach, Cassius Darrow, and see what fresh hell he’s waging on the new group of young athletes who paid to come to his conditioning camp. Baku thinks back fondly on his first few “summers of death” when Darrow took a group of young athletes into the woods and put them through grueling conditioning and off-ice workouts. Baku credits those summers, courtesy of Darrow’s former agent (and now former BAP GM) Johnny Hamilton. Plus, there’s always good fresh fish in Seattle, which you cannot say for several other road stops Baltimore frequents.

Winnipeg was never his favorite—anyone who’s been to Winnipeg knows why.

Muford · 02-27-2025, 11:24 PM

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anuragb · 02-27-2025, 11:28 PM

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