— Ted Westervelt (@soccerreform) March 12, 2016
Sports is more than just a business, and fans are more than just customers. The word "market" when used to describe a city or other geographic region implies one thing and one thing only: that fans are nothing but customers.
There's much more to being a fan than just saying "Shut up and take my money." There is an emotional attachment to the team and a sense that it is an integral part of your community, regardless of where you live in the world.
The "market" mentality that's way overused in American sports media reflects an idea that certain sports team owners have of their fans: nothing but customers. It's this attitude that allowed the NFL to unjustly rip a team out of St. Louis to appease an owner who doesn't care about his fans or winning trophies (see a certain North London football club he also owns) or anything for that matter (see said NFL team's last 12 seasons, especially the last 5).
This podcast actively bans the use of the word "market" when referring to cities for this very reason - and, as the most recent episode of the podcast clearly demonstrates, you will be quickly corrected if you do use that word.
As fans, let's do a better job of treating sports as more than just a business.
