If the Washington Capitals fail to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs do they risk losing a significant portion of their fan base?

The Washington, D.C. market fan base has long been a target of ridicule from other cities. Fans of other cities up and down (but mostly, up) the east coast often chide D.C. fans as being unapologetic, less-than sophisticated homers — bandwagoners if you will — cheering for the teams of the region when they’re winning and forgetting about them when they struggle. It’s a fair criticism.

This town is transient by nature. Hardly anybody that lives here is from here. Entire neighborhoods turn over every few years. It’s no secret that many families have dual allegiances: parents fans of the teams they grew up with in other parts of the country, kids rooting for the locals because that’s where they are growing up. [Read more...]