I don't feel dirty at all, maybe a little sad, because I had a lot of memories with my dad who started taking me to Ranger games when I was 7, but now I can do the same thing with my son and daughter so much more conveniently and regularly that the team will be in Brooklyn, PLUS, my dad may come in with me on the season seats.
I honestly believe sports teams need to work more to keep their fans, because I was a die hard, and if the move was able to grab me, imagine how many casual fans it would take. When I gave up my seats at the Garden it was gut wrenching. I wanted to downgrade to a partial season, but they were phasing those plans out, and only offered restricted view seats for partial season ticket holders, and the prices kept going up. I was really upset. My firends had it worse, they were season ticket holders for 15 years (half season) until they moved them there. They stayed one season and then didn't renew. So much for customer/fan loyalty on the club's part.
I'm not switching because of a player, I'm switching because tickets won't cost me nearly as much, won't have to pay to park ($30 per game for MSG) or take the train for an hour on GOOD days. Parking isn't an issue at BC, 10 minute train ride gets me right there and 4 blocks from my apt. But most importantly its a HOME TOWN TEAM. These guys will be involved in my community, not the UES, or Gren Village. Its a chance for my kids to have a home team. My dad and uncle (the two men who were always in my life) had always talked about how special it was to have the Dodgers here...now my kids get to have that, and I'm along for the ride with 'em. I was stoked about the Nets, but I'm not really a big basketball fan, but I was still SUPER excited. Now with the Isles, I have a team in a sport I'm truly passionate about, right in my own backyard, the place I was born and love. FYI, my wife and I named our first child (whether it was a boy or girl wouldn't've mattered) after it. This place is that important to me.
I've gotten a lot of shit from my Ranger fan friends, but looking at it, they're either not from Brooklyn, or do not have kids, so they don't really get my motivation. Those who do have kids know that giving them their own team (a hometown team) to support trumps everything. Can not wait for 2015. We'll be getting to a few games at the NC the next few years so they can get to know the team and we can get to know the organization, but I'm not looking fwd to the 45 minute car trips...