You would have thought the promoting, selling and nurturing of hockey in Arizona -- ah, yes, that long, rich heritage -- would climb to No. 1 on the list of challenges faced by an ambitious sports executive.
After all, Shawn Hunter could hardly tap into a vast network of youth hockey for fan support when he joined the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, who had moved from Winnipeg to Arizona in 1996. Hunter, now Chivas USA's president and chief executive, said the other day he thought there may have been "one sheet of ice" in the Phoenix area when he showed up to be the Coyotes' president (leaving in 2002 for AEG Sports) and now estimates there are "about 20 rinks" in the area.
Having said that, building the Chivas USA brand in Major League Soccer may be a much trickier proposition for Hunter. That may sound fairly ridiculous, considering the makeup of the Southern California population.
But with an informed fan base comes expectation, not mere acceptance of just any 11 players on the soccer field. That's where the missteps, still reverberating, were made in the infancy of Chivas USA, according to Hunter, who joined the organization in September.
"Some of the mistakes they made on the field, frustrated what should be the fan base," Hunter said. "They alienated a lot of the Hispanic fans and because they didn't market at all to non-Hispanics, it left a big hole in the middle.
"That's what we're here to do: be relevant with the Hispanic community and also be welcoming to the general market."
He expanded upon the errors.
"The mistake was made four years ago, assuming that we had a built-in fan base, that it was going to be there," Hunter said. "We've got to go hand-to-hand, building these relationships, not only with the Hispanic community but with the non-Hispanic community, making sure they feel welcome and part of the family."
That's a multi-pronged assignment. To that end, Chivas USA held its first community practice the day after the 5-2 loss to the Galaxy in April, holding it at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Los Angeles. The featured Chivas players signing autographs were the first team. (The second session will be at Bell Gardens Sports Center on Sunday at 9 a.m.)
Given that Chivas USA's announced attendance after three home games this season averages 12,805, fifth from the bottom in the MLS, if the fans aren't coming to Home Depot Center to see Chivas USA, well, the team will try to come to the people.
