I've always seen the Braves as the south's team, about on the same level that MS is in the Saints market. And The Cowboys are Americas team, but there don't seem to be more than about 3 of us on this entire board. Isn't St. Louis pretty much the official team of the midwest?
Can someone explain to me why St. Louis is so popular around here?
- Thread starter Hump4Hoops
- Start date
I've always seen the Braves as the south's team, about on the same level that MS is in the Saints market. And The Cowboys are Americas team, but there don't seem to be more than about 3 of us on this entire board. Isn't St. Louis pretty much the official team of the midwest?
at least for the older generation. The Cardinals were the south's team before the Braves moved to Atlanta. The Cards were the only team you could catch on the radio for years. Also, St. Louis is just as close to Tupelo (where I'm from) as Atlanta. And they're just a better franchise.
Not sure about other people on here but one reason is Memphis is a huge Cardinals hotbed due to the Redbirds and its proximity to St. Louis
I was born in 1982, that makes me 29 at this point. I had no cable growing up, just three channels from an antenna. The Cardinals were on the radio constantly so they were easy to follow. Also, the Braves were in the crappy Murphy years and the local newspaper followed the Cardinals more than anybody. As someone else said, Tupelo area was as close to St. Louis as Atlanta as well. Having players like Ozzie cutting flips on Opening Day didn't hurt either.
team for the whole western south for decades. They were the closest team and everyone in the south could get them on the radio. A lot middle age/older people here probably had a dad who was a St. Louis fan if they weren't themselves. I'm 47 andmine is. He went to some games at old Sportsman's Park.
I'm from Vicksburg, and yeah, the Bravo's are the team there, but the North of the state has leaned Cardinals for a long time.
http://cache.gawkerassets.../countriesofbaseball.jpg
http://cache.gawkerassets.../countriesofbaseball.jpg
What time frame is that map is from? It looks accurate to me. I was raised in Northeast Mississippi, and the Cards dominated the fan base when i was young. The Braves did steal a portion of the Cards fans when everyone got cable and could watch them every night. As someone mentioned, most middle-age to older folks in North Mississippi still love the Cards and support the Redbirds in Memphis.
Maybe TBS, was one of the 20 stations I got, and they played Braves games all the time. Until recently, I've never watched a baseball game not involving MSU or the Braves.
I can get to St. Louis from Jackson in about the same time as I can to Atlanta. Actually, I can get there about an hour sooner. Of course, St. Louis is a LOT easier to drive in than Atlanta.
Heck, I can go watch the Astros or Rangers and it would also take me about the same amount of time as well.
The Saints are only about three hours from Jackson. That's a lot different than two teams being about eight hours from town.
It seems to me, that we are kind of no man's land as far as baseball is concerned. I know people that pull for the Giants, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Rangers, Astros, Braves, and etc. I don't ask my friends in Jackson that are Giants fans why they pull for them since San Francisco is about 40 hours away from Jackson or whatever it is.
Heck, I can go watch the Astros or Rangers and it would also take me about the same amount of time as well.
The Saints are only about three hours from Jackson. That's a lot different than two teams being about eight hours from town.
It seems to me, that we are kind of no man's land as far as baseball is concerned. I know people that pull for the Giants, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Rangers, Astros, Braves, and etc. I don't ask my friends in Jackson that are Giants fans why they pull for them since San Francisco is about 40 hours away from Jackson or whatever it is.
but The Cards are the only MLB team Ifeelallegianceto most due to proximity to Memphis and they used to be the only team you could catch on the radio here(Granddad). I 17ing hate the Braves.<div>
</div><div>AM1490 still broadcast STL games.</div>
</div><div>AM1490 still broadcast STL games.</div>
As most everyone has stated, North MS is a big supporter of the Cardinals. I grew up watching, and rooting for the Whitey Herzog Cardinal teams. Ozzie Smith was my favorite player, and still one of my favorite all times. My very first MLB game to attend was in 1982, St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates. At the time it was the longest played game in MLB history. I grew up on baseball, playing it and watching it. Football was secondary until high school.
I too didn't have cable growing up, didn't have it until I went off to college in 91. South of Olive Branch the only option was satellite and was until the last 10-15 years. By satelliteI mean thegiant dishcemented in your yard until Direct TV first appeared.I listened to the Cards on the radio, and watched them on the Saturday afternoon game of the week every chance I got.
As I stated in another thread, I knew 2 Braves growing up. Then in 1991 I started seeing more. Their fan base has grown every year since then with their success. I hated the Braves growing up. I rooted against the Braves in the playoffs in the 90's, and still can't stand their team today.
I too didn't have cable growing up, didn't have it until I went off to college in 91. South of Olive Branch the only option was satellite and was until the last 10-15 years. By satelliteI mean thegiant dishcemented in your yard until Direct TV first appeared.I listened to the Cards on the radio, and watched them on the Saturday afternoon game of the week every chance I got.
As I stated in another thread, I knew 2 Braves growing up. Then in 1991 I started seeing more. Their fan base has grown every year since then with their success. I hated the Braves growing up. I rooted against the Braves in the playoffs in the 90's, and still can't stand their team today.
for a guy who played in the Cardinals minor league system. Don't think he ever made it to the majors, but he took the entire team to St Louis to watch a game and meet a few players. Her dad has been a huge fan ever since.
As to the numbers of Cardinal fans in the area, I grew up in the sixties in Northeast MS. WELO-AM in Tupelo gave us all the Cardinal broadcasts (along with 50,000 watt KMOX at night if you were out of the Tupelo area). WMC television (Memphis) telecast Sunday games. There were also several area players with Cardinal connections in the fifties and sixties like Don Blasingame of Corinth, Alex Grammas of MSU, and then later Tim McCarver and Phil Gagliano of Memphis. The Cardinal Caravan also annually recruited fans during the winter months by making appearances in the South. There were no other "southern" teams until the Braves moved. You would also find a number of Yankee fans back then owing to the fact that CBS owned the team for a while and telecast games on Saturday and Sunday with Mississippi resident Dizzy Dean doing the play by play.
to Atlanta, everyone sat around and listened to their radios.....St. Louis was the only team you could pick up in the deep South.........Plus Dizzy Dean, a native Mississippian was a player and later an announcer for the Cards....."The Wabash Cannonball" for those who know what I'm talking about........It's kind of a generational thing.....My grandfather was Cards fan, thus my father was a Cards fan and now me........I can well remember lying in bed at night during the summers when I was a kid and listening to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon.....
I grew up listening to the Cards on the radio locally and developed a passion for the team. Who else in the region to root? Rangers, Astros, Braves (snicker), Cinncinn-atuh Reds?
Buck and Mike Shannon's calls of the Cardinals in the 70's is one of the reasons I became a Card fan.
Buck and Mike Shannon's calls of the Cardinals in the 70's is one of the reasons I became a Card fan.
moved from Brooklyn to LA I believe. You'd be extremely surprised how many people my age (29)who has a granddad or father that was a huge Cardinals fans. They can all tell you about how they listened to the Cardinals on KMOX radio back in the day.
And it doesn't hurt they their organization is extremely well run and they do very little to alienate their fan base with stupid front office decisions.
And it doesn't hurt they their organization is extremely well run and they do very little to alienate their fan base with stupid front office decisions.
During the 1964 title run which had very similar characteristics to2011 the broadcast team at KMOX was Harry Carey, Jack Buck, and Joe Garigiolo. The Cards were so far behind the Phillies in "64 that Gussie Busch fired G.M. Bing Devine early inAugust (in part for giving up Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock)and fired manager Johnny Keane effective at seasons' end. Keane declined reinstatement after winning the Series andtook the Yankees' job (whom he had beaten in the WS).
at FT Leonard Wood, MO. Then after I started pulling for them found out that my grandfather was a huge fan, and that made me like them more.
Leave Jackson at 6 AM, get to Memphis around 9-9:30 and miss their traffic, and then get to St. Louis around 2 PM after eating lunch at Lambert's in Sikeston. And I usually go about 80 the whole way. I also live in Gluckstadt, so all I have to do it hop on I-55 North and I don't have to drive through Jackson.