We did have around 3 million that year...but the bump for winning a World Series is gone by Year 5. The Cubs also had fun/entertaining teams at that time, coming off the 2003 disappointment. It's not like those teams felt like the last three years on the Northside.

 

In the case of the White Sox, 2007 and 2009 really killed all the forward momentum.

 

This whole situation is well-documented...Harry Caray, Sportsvision, erosion of the neighborhood in 70's and 80's, the almost opposite trendiness of the Northside simultaneously, the stadium, the lack of activities and nightlife in the area. There are a million reasons.

 

As far as activities in the neighborhood, to me that has never mattered. I went to ball games to see baseball and hopefully a Sox win. Look at the Dodgers and Angels, both parks are surrounded by parking lots and nothing else. Nothing around Yankee Stadium that is trendy, same with Citi Field. The Phillies have played in south Philly for years, nothing around there, same with Atlanta. The Indians are downtown and after years of great crowds, their attendance is worst than ours. I guess every city is different but if a fan is a true follower of his team it doesn't matter what's around the park unless there are all kinds of criminals hanging around to mug you.

The Sox are never relocating because a split Chicago will always be greater than whatever s*** markets are available to move to. I'm sorry, but the whole notion is beyond ridiculous. Maybe they move to the suburbs when the Cell's lease expires, but they aren't abandoning the Chicago market for a Portland or Charlotte. There is no way such a move makes financial sense and MLB would never allow let it to happen anyways.

The Sox are never relocating because a split Chicago will always be greater than whatever s*** markets are available to move to. I'm sorry, but the whole notion is beyond ridiculous. Maybe they move to the suburbs when the Cell's lease expires, but they aren't abandoning the Chicago market for a Portland or Charlotte. There is no way such a move makes financial sense and MLB would never allow let it to happen anyways.

 

I hope you are right but a lot of things can change in 15 years. As far as MLB would never allow it, it's still hard to believe that the Dodgers left Brooklyn. At the time it was sacreligious that it could happen but it did. Nothing surprises me anymore in pro sports, LA the second largest market in the country still has not replaced the NFL teams it has lost.