If you’ve followed my work, you must know by now that I am obsessed with the idea of expansion. There is nothing I like more than the thought of the sport of lacrosse being spread to new markets for new people to see. Whether it is the NLL, MLL, or any of the new leagues starting up the idea of new teams is one of my favorite aspects of lacrosse. Therefore I was excited last year when it was first announced that Charlotte and Ohio were being considered as expansion franchises in the MLL, even before I closely followed the league.
From the beginning Charlotte has been special. The team had an advantage from the beginning as one of the few considered cities that had a strong history of outdoor lacrosse. You don’t need me to tell you the grand history of both the North Carolina and Duke programs, both of which creating a lacrosse following in the state of North Carolina. Personally I was stunned that Charlotte had not been tested by the league before this year.
However, it takes more than that to equal success. Charlotte used the power of the internet, social networking especially, to help spread the word of the team. This started even before the team was named, as the franchise allowed their fans to choose the team name and logo that they liked the most. One of the aspects that draws fans in is a feeling of closeness to the team, something that has been lost with sports in the 21st century. Having the fans feel like they can make a difference, even starting with the whole identity of the franchise, was an incredible move. Even though I was a big fan of the name Charlotte Legion, the fans went with the Hounds. Thus, the Charlotte Hounds were born.
The Hounds next began to put together their roster. They tapped into the college scene by picking up many big names with ties to North Carolina. Billy Bitter and Ryan Flanagan both had excellent careers with the Tar Heels, but the Hounds really made their biggest splash through a trade with Long Island. Bringing in Matt Danowski, a former Duke stud, gave the expansion team a star and a face. Immediately the team was relevant, which is an issue many expansion teams face in any sport.
The team continued to spread the word of the team through social media and getting out into society. This translated to people in the stands and the establishment of a strong game atmosphere. One aspect of Hounds games that’s exciting is tailgating beforehand, something that really adds to the feeling of going to games for many fans. In the franchises first season they finished fourth in the league in attendance, averaging 5,712 fans a game.
Charlotte has already established a strong fanbase very quickly, and their only going up from here. The Hounds owe much of their success to the work of Wade Leaphart, who has done an amazing amount to help grow the Hounds brand. Charlotte has been awarded next year’s All-Star Game, which should help the development of their fanbase even more.
Keep in mind that all of the Hounds success so far has come while the team’s play on the field has been mediocre. In year two, especially with the addition of Geoff Snider, the team should be a bit stronger as well. Nothing puts butts in the seats like a team that’s winning. The Hounds are full of potential right now and will likely be one of the MLL’s crowning jewels. The steps that they took to get to this point should be keenly looked over by any group interested in starting up an MLL franchise. Charlotte may have an added advantage of a real market to tap into, but nevertheless they’ve done it absolutely right and should be applauded for their efforts. Let’s just hope there isn’t a sophomore slump!
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