Quote:
Originally Posted by David Watts
Funny how Louisiana folk will disown a team if they don't like a name change. When I first moved to Shreveport, we had the Shreveport Captains, a AA Texas League team. They had just built a new stadium and they were drawing great crowds. Years later they started to draw less and the owners decided to change their name to the Swamp Dragons. If I remember correctly they moved to Frisco Texas a year later.
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The fans in New Orleans didn't disown the Baby Cakes. They just didn't care for the name.
For 25 years they averaged 5000 to 6000 per game. The team went down when the local owners sold it to an out-of-town group.
Despite the dislike for the goofy name Baby Cakes, the team still drew 4000 a game their last season, even knowing the team would be moved soon. They were not losing money. It was the desire of the new owners to move to a new town. They never intended to stay in New Orleans. Wichita built them a new $75 million dollar stadium. The people of Wichita did not like the nickname Wind Surge, but the management kept it anyway, just like they did in New Orleans. Team support in Wichita was 3300 a game in 2022. They lowered ticket prices and concession prices in 2023 and reported attendance improved to 4600.
The New Orleans Saints are really the only game in town, although the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team has been drawing better in the last year or so.