Hold on a sec, I thought we were talking about the San Jose Earthquakes being one big fat lie, and now we're getting into a two-man pissing contest over the definition of the Sun Belt? Oh Mr. Warmth...
Well, given the lovely history you quoted, those parallels definitely do have a history and significant connotation. The "sun belt" region resides in what is known as "The South" or the southern half of the country. "The South" does, or does not have significance with said parallels ? Wait, so now things can't exist within something else or separate from a bigger overbearing entity ? I mean, Dallas is quite obviously a Texas city. However, when compared to most Texas cities it certainly doesn't fit the the overbearing mold. Texas also has a true subtropical climate which doesn't exactly fit the climate characteristics to a "T" but Texas is most certainly a Sun Belt state. LOL that's pretty much exactly it.
Are you "ughing" because the stadium is next to SJ airport? As has been said a hundred times before, the airport will have no impact on the game experience, other than having the opportunity to see jets coming in for landing. The noise from aircraft is barely noticeable as it is, and likely won't be heard at all during a game.
Most people in major cities can at least name their NHL team whether they watch it or not. The same cannot be said for most MLS teams. NHL is pretty mainstream. When an NHL team wins a title, they have a parade. When an MLS team wins a title, they have a pep-rally inside the stadium for about 2000 people. We're not quite there yet, and I do believe that the NHL fits the definition. To me, mainstream means that you're a consistently relevant component of the social zeitgeist.
The Rapids held their rally downtown in Skyline Park, just off of Denver's 16th St. pedestrian mall. (That said, the 2000 number is probably fairly accurate)
Even the Galaxy only drew around that number when they were celebrating David Beckham's last championship in the US. And David Beckham is mainstream, just not for playing soccer. At least that's how it is with most American fans. A rally downtown at least gives the semi-impression of a bigger event than one in the home stadium, but it's likely much harder and more expensive to organize and especially so in a city like LA. So kudos on that. I'd like to see some of the visuals from that event. MLS would do better to make an attempt at having championship rallies in the middle of the city rather than confined to the stadiums. Even if it's only a few thousand and not enough to have a full fledged parade, it gives casual onlookers some of the same visuals as a parade in one of the Big 4 sports.
The NHL worked very hard over the last 20 years to get where they are today. Before they spread across the country (US), they were a regional and niche sport. They expanded 40 years ago, and it wasn't until Gretzky moved to LA did NHL start gaining popularity outside the North. Look at all the teams which moved around for years, after the expansion in the late 60's. Once the NHL spread South and West, it spent the last 15-20 years building itself up to be a major and national US sport. And, all this from a league which is almost 100 years old. Soccer has a huge head start over hockey, if you just put it into perspective. I mean, if you look at how long the NHL has been around- will be 100 in 2017- especially with just 6 teams, it's first major expansion doubled the league from 6-12 teams, about 42 years ago. It's got a long history, but, unless you are Canadian, it's mostly been in the shadows for the vast areas of the country. We got this, we just need to keep spending money on MLS, and wait.
It was more than just a Canadian sport. That's selling it waaay too short. The NHL wasn't in the south or much of the West Coast, but it was relevant throughout the Midwest and in the important media markets of NY, Boston, and Chicago. It may not have been big in Dallas when I came here before the expansion, but most people could name the teams in the cities that had them. MLS isn't quite where NHL was 20 years ago. Part of that is simple because the NHL has been around forever. Longevity means alot to sports fans. However I do think that MLS would be wise to follow the NHL's growth patterns. Gain regional strongholds and expand from there. The west coast seems like MLS's strongest area of support. From LA, SJ, Sea, Port, Van. You could even throw in RSL in Utah being a western team. The biggest difference is MLS' relative lack of strength in NY, Boston, and Chicago. Especially the first two.
Milan Mandaric in 1974 discovered and owned the original San Jose Earthquakes franchise and he ignored the leagues head honcho's suggestion of placing a soccer team in San Francisco and chose Spartan Stadium as home making the Quakes the first every professional sports franchise the city's history. Former NASL Quake player and MLS GM Johnny Moore even stated in an interview if it weren't for the Quakes success in the 70's and 80's, the SJ Sharks would most likely have never even thought about placing a hockey team in San Jose. Therefore, in conclusion, if it weren't for the Quakes, the Sharks will probably have never existed. At least not in San Jose.