Does Phoenix have an identity problem? (Tucson, Glendale: neighborhood, subdivision, live)

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

They turned on a massive projection display on the side of the stadium last night. It shows landscape scenes from around Arizona - not Phoenix venues. Arizona is the draw.

I just don't get this, the Super Bowl is in PHOENIX

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

I just don't get this, the Super Bowl is in PHOENIX

LOL, no it's not.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by locolife

Yep, so Boston must have no pride since their team is called New England Patriots.

The Patriots are the only Boston based team which is named for a state or region. The rest of their pro teams have the city ID ... as do the majority of the teams in most other major cities. All of Phoenix's teams except the Suns have the Arizona ID. I don't know what further proof you need to wake up & realize that Phoenix has an identity issue. Our sports teams are only one example of this.

Originally Posted by locolife

By fake beach, you mean the town lake located in the Salt River bed?

I'm guessing he means Big Surf, which was famous for being an "ocean in the desert" since the 1960s, and it closed down permanently a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

They turned on a massive projection display on the side of the stadium last night. It shows landscape scenes from around Arizona - not Phoenix venues. Arizona is the draw.

Most of the visitors here for the Super Bowl are not going to drive hundreds of miles out of the way to see Monument Valley, or even the Grand Canyon. Perhaps Arizona landscapes are promoted because the attractions in & around Phoenix aren't exciting enough for visitors ... or at least, that's what the NFL, the media, and the planning committee might believe.

Originally Posted by NearFantastica

Cities that have more transplants than native born residents have identity problems, this is not exclusive to Phoenix. You can make the argument that the entire western united states has an identity problem since it's newer, with no actual ethnic/cultural roots like the South or Northeast has

Not necessarily true. Vegas certainly has more transplants than natives, and everything there is Vegas this & Vegas that. People from all around the world know about Las Vegas! The main reason Phoenix has a lack of identity is it was allowed to happen. We even promoted our location as being "only a few hours from Vegas, L.A., or San Diego". People here seem to be fine with being overshadowed by these other cities for some stupid reason.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

The Patriots are the only Boston based team which is named for a state or region. The rest of their pro teams have the city ID ... as do the majority of the teams in most other major cities. All of Phoenix's teams except the Suns have the Arizona ID. I don't know what further proof you need to wake up & realize that Phoenix has an identity issue. Our sports teams are only one example of this.

Minneapolis must be really bad off then, not a single one of their teams uses the city name. Sheesh, I can't imagine how terrible of a place it must be due to the naming of their teams. Has the thought occurred to you that the pro-teams here want to appeal to the other 2.5 or so million people that live in AZ but not in Phoenix metro? C'mon it's marketing 101.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

New England represents the northeastern states, and Boston is obviously part of that region.

Arizona represents the state and Phoenix is in the state

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by locolife

Minneapolis must be really bad off then, not a single one of their teams uses the city name. Sheesh, I can't imagine how terrible of a place it must be due to the naming of their teams. Has the thought occurred to you that the pro-teams here want to appeal to the other 2.5 or so million people that live in AZ but not in Phoenix metro? C'mon it's marketing 101.

Atlanta & Chicago must have horrible marketing strategies because they're the only major metros in their states, and all their teams have the city names. Yes, Arizona is so lucky to have most of the teams represent the entire state, including the remaining few in the rural areas who couldn't give a crap about pro sports. Poor Illinois, Georgia, Washington, Michigan, and Nevada aren't so fortunate. Their pro teams are named for the large cities where they're actually based. Those poor hicks in the remote parts of those states are so deprived to not have sports teams appeal to them too. Pathetic, I tell ya, just pathetic!
()

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by NearFantastica

Cities that have more transplants than native born residents have identity problems, this is not exclusive to Phoenix. You can make the argument that the entire western united states has an identity problem since it's newer, with no actual ethnic/cultural roots like the South or Northeast has

I do think that's a good point.

I'm a transplant, and there's a lot I like about the Valley Of The Sun. But if you asked me for some kind of "identity"...I can't really think of anything like I can for most major cities.

[wamer27]

The NFL did a terrible job advertising this Super Bowl. I didn’t even know where it was until a week or two ago when I googled it. My team had a 3rd seed in playoffs too. I knew last year all season it was in LA and my team didn’t even make the playoffs. As an outsider who’s been to the city a few times in my youth, I can’t even picture the city or anything about it. Scottsdale is the first thing I think of in reality. I know more about Flagstaff than Phoenix and I’ve only been there once passing through, probably because I prefer forests and taller snow capped mountains to the desert.

I’m just mentioning these things as an outsider who half my state moves there for winters.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by locolife

Minneapolis must be really bad off then, not a single one of their teams uses the city name. Sheesh, I can't imagine how terrible of a place it must be due to the naming of their teams. Has the thought occurred to you that the pro-teams here want to appeal to the other 2.5 or so million people that live in AZ but not in Phoenix metro? C'mon it's marketing 101.

Yes, and marketing is at the heart of the Super Bowl focus on Arizona's landscapes. One of the reasons for hosting a Super Bowl is to drive tourism going forward. "Arizona" has an international cachet and appeal. Western movies, so popular in early and mid 20th century have cemented a vision of this state with desert vistas, cowboys and Indians, gunfights, and cattle, Tombstone, and nice winters. Phoenix is simply too banal, too new, to be a draw like that. Tucson gets away with it a bit with the "Old Pueblo" and does, in fact, have a long history and association with the Arizona cachet, though little remains of territorial days there. Phoenix can't pull that off. Even Yuma is better known around the world for the Yuma Territorial jail that figures in many films. The best we have here is Scottsdale's phony Old Town district.

While some carping is going on in this thread, I think most of us have a bit of pride as we see the images of the state that are being promoted. If nothing else, anyone who is watching will now know that the Grand Canyon is in Arizona and not Colorado.

[Hschlick84]

Forget it, I'm gonna call it the Glendale Cardinals until Phoenix gets their identity measured up to its potential.