Jim Question (FOFC patch) Relocation

[bdem]

Thanks Jim for a great patch.

I just had one question. When moving a franchise to a different city why does it take 5 years to get there and why does it take another 5-10 to start seeing attendance go up.

I would think if a city had high ratings for wanting a team the attendance should be high right off the bat.

Thoughts?

[scooper]

That's a good question. One that I've always had in the back of my mind but never really thought to ask.

[Ksyrup]

The first part of that question seems easy to answer - I assume it is the time in which your new city goes about building a stadium and preparing for your move. As for why it takes at least 5 years, probably to make the game more difficult. If you could move teams within a year of deciding to move, there would likely be too much movement. Plus, if I recall, it makes the game a little harder, in terms of making money in the old city, when they know you're leaving and you've still got to play there.

As for the 2nd part of your question, I'd like to know the answer as well. Relocated teams (aside from the Tennessee Oilers) should almost all have high attendance initially, with a potentially steep drop-off when reality sets in - although there should be situations in which a city remains loyal despite bad performances.

[bdem]

Your right about it taking 5 years I can see that happening. The reason for moving in the first place.

But I agree attendance should be high at first then adjust for performance in the next couple years

Jim?

[Solecismic]

It's not always so cut and dried in the NFL. It can take the fans a little while to get used to their new team, but it's almost always to the team's advantage to successfully move in the long run.

If you're having problems getting those attendance gains in year one after the move, it's possible that the economy of the new city makes the idea ticket price much lower. Ticket prices are very sensitive to economic conditions. And all the economic conditions listed matter.