Winning the hearts of fans

"There is something strange when a state or city wins a national crown in the professional ranks. It seems everyone becomes a fan."

That observation was written by Dan Pattison and published in this newspaper in May 1971, just after the Utah Stars won the championship of the American Basketball Association. It could just as well be written today as the Wasatch Front basks in the glow of another rare professional sports national championship.

If anything is safe to say about Real Salt Lake's dramatic and stunning win over the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS Cup game in Seattle on Sunday, it is that the Major League Soccer franchise has gained a whole lot more fans than it had before.

Like the Stars of long ago, RSL has had to fight for recognition as a legitimate big-time franchise. The Stars were in the ABA, which always played in the shadows of the NBA. RSL plays soccer, a sport that rules supreme in almost every country except the United States. At least in Utah, the sport now has a foothold not only on the sentiments of the population, but on the history of sports in the state. That's no small feat, especially considering how things looked near the end of the regular season.

You can carry comparisons between RSL and the Stars too far. RSL plays in a brand-new stadium built specifically for it. And the Stars finished with a 57-27 record during their championship season. RSL won only 11 of 30 games during the regular season (it tied seven times). The team became the very definition of what it means to peak at the right time.

But the progression of how fans took to the two teams does offer comparisons. The Stars averaged only 6,246 fans during the regular season. Interest definitely picked up as the team progressed to the finals. RSL plays in a different, sports-saturated age. However, attendance was less than spectacular near the end — only 16,247 showed up for an October match against New York. The team barely qualified for the playoffs.

And yet we doubt many Utahns who watched the inspiring win Sunday night do not consider themselves fans today.

Professional championships belong to the entire city and region the winning team represents. When Robbie Russell's foot put the winning goal into the net, it gave all Utahns a reason to feel pride. The fact that a team from little Utah could outshine the glitter of Hollywood, with its international star David Beckham, is all the more reason to celebrate.

And the fact that RSL now has done something no other group of pro athletes in Utah has done in 38 years ought to give the team a special place in the state's hearts.