Orlando, the sports town
Orlando has changed dramatically since the Magic arrived in 1989. The city reaches a major milestone Sunday with the arrival of Orlando City.
This has been a big year for Orlando. This upcoming year will continue to see a major transformation in the city. It has already seen a transformation.
In the last 12 months, the city has seen the Dr. Phillips Performance Arts Center get completed and open. It has seen Orlando City Soccer make the jump to MLS. The Citrus Bowl get renovated. The opening of SunRail.
Orlando has changed dramatically as a city.
This has suddenly becoming a metropolis. Or at least a city resembling one.
Orlando is still among the smaller markets in the NBA. The Tampa/Orlando metropolitan area ranks as the 20th largest media market by some measures. It has kept much of its small-town feel, and the Magic are still largely a one-team town — and even that team is not completely pervasive.
Live Feed
Inter Heron
Orlando remains something of a transplant city, but it is slowly gaining its own identity. Those that are new to the area can feel it.
“It reminds me a lot of Iowa to be honest,” Devyn Marble said at Media Day at the beginning of the year. “Back in school we didn’t have any professional teams. Being in Orlando, you’re the only professional team. It’s very similar in the environment and the culture here as far as sports goes. That’s how I like it. You’ve got people that are willing to support you, even when you are struggling. They’re still there for you. Those are the kind of fan bases that I like to be a part of and have been thankful to be a part of so far.”
The Magic are still ranked 21st in the league in total attendance, averaging 16,735 fans per game in 31 games — filled to about 88.8 percent of capacity. Orlando has done decently with attendance even with the team struggling and the team mired in the midst of an uncertain rebuild.
Yet interest in the team still remains high. Fans care enough, at least, and they want this team to be good again.
If there is any doubt about the excitement or passion in this city for these new opportunities, look no farther than the SunRail.
The new commuter train service saw ridership double and even triple during the holiday season, according to Mike Lafferty of the Orlando Sentinel. Extended service for Magic games, The Book of Mormon and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Russell Athletic Bowl and Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl in December.
Sunday provides a second day where all of Central Florida will descend upon Downtown with the Magic playing the Celtics, Orlando City Soccer opening its inaugural MLS season at the Citrus Bowl in front of 62,000 fans and the Orlando Ballet playing the Performing Arts Center.
Downtown became the destination city leaders envisioned it would be. With night routes extended, people are actually taking the train for bar crawls along Park Avenue in Winter Park and Downtown Orlando.
The excitement is starting to build too for the arrival of Orlando City’s inaugural MLS season.
Not to rain too much on Marble’s parade, but Orlando is not Iowa City. I have been to Iowa City and it is largely a college town with the University of Iowa and Hawkeyes athletics dominating the sports scene.
Orlando is proving itself now to be much more dynamic, adding in the mix of a growing, maturing city. This is a city ready to come into its own.
The new players on the Magic sensed that when they came in.
Sure, Orlando is a great city to raise a family. The weather is nice. Everyone loves not paying state income tax. Who doesn’t? There is something more though about the people that appears to be changing.
“I think just from being here a short while, the fans are really passionate about this team,” Willie Green said at media day. “The organization doe s a good job being present in the community. Now it’s up to us as representatives of this organization and this community to put forth the effort every night.”
Orlando’s character as an entertainment destination has changed dramatically too. Orlando is no longer a one-horse town. Heck, it has a full farm at this point of things to do in the city.
Will fans’ attention be split? Can Orlando host two major sports franchises and a growing downtown?
The city has grown a lot since 1989, when the Magic debuted. It has hosted two NBA Finals and two All-Star games since then. It has even hosted a World Cup.
Interest in the Magic has come and gone. There is a solid base of fans to continue growing from. The passion for sports is obviously there as Orlando City has proven with its growth.
When the Lions and the Magic are playing well at the same time, this city will be buzzing like never before. It will be an exciting day.
For now, Orlando continues the growth that Pat Williams envisioned when he targeted Orlando as the city for his daring expansion problem. Not even he could probably imagine the Magic and Orlando would become what they are becoming.
Sunday is not a new dawn for the city. It is a realization of a vision started many, many years ago.