Yesterday, FanSided released its annual Fandom 250 list, and the Dallas Stars weren’t on the list.
While the Dallas Stars didn’t make the list, 13 other NHL teams did, as did Alexander Ovechkin on his own.
That’s great news for hockey in general, as it’s the smallest of the Big 4 sports in many ways. However, it’s a sport with passionate fans that deserve the recognition they’re getting.
It makes sense in a lot of ways that the Stars don’t crack the top 250 right now, especially considering it’s a list of more than just sports teams, but that doesn’t mean they can’t in future years.
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So what can Dallas Stars fans do to improve their standing as a fanbase?
Get Vocal
Teams like the Leafs and Blackhawks certainly have the national media on their side, but there’s nothing stopping Stars fans from making sure they’re heard on social media platforms. The more active that fans are on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram, the more it grows the fanbase.
The Stars already have plenty of social media gold going for them, and the fans can use that to spread the fanbase. Look at Tyler Seguin‘s contract extension video or the many hilarious video board things the Stars do. It’s fun stuff and it’s perfect for fans to use as a jumping off point to get the Stars into the national conversation more and more.
Get Creative
When fans do things that are different, it often sparks attention or respect from around the league and the sports world.
This could be as simple as fun signs or costumes at games, or it could extend to things outside the rink. There’s options like creating a podcast, writing a blog, performing a Stars-themed musical comprised only of Pantera songs, or anything else that shows off your creativity and passion as a fan.
Get Involved
It’s one thing to profess your love for the team by yourself, but there’s nothing like fans showing up and doing something as a group to show off the strength of a fanbase.
Sure, that extends primarily to games, where sold out crowds in matching jerseys is the ideal. However, there’s other things to do away from the rink.
Last season, the Bills snapped their 17-year streak of missing the playoffs thanks to a win by Andy Dalton and the Bengals. As a thank you to the Katy-born, TCU-educated quarterback, Bills fans donated $250,000 to Dalton’s charity. That was part of the reason they made it to the list at number 55.
Stars fans don’t need to do something as massive as that, but there’s an inspiration that can be taken from that for ways fans can get involved in both the team and the community.
Don’t get mad that the Stars aren’t represented. Instead, use it as another piece of motivation to make the Stars stand out in DFW and in the sports community as a whole.