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Bfine · 11-30-2023, 02:40 PM

As I sit here pondering ideas for my next recreate and looking at the sim league landscape, one question keeps coming back to me: Why the fuck is there not a sim league team in Ohio?

I’m not even just looking at the SHL, I’m talking SHL, ISFL, PBE, and VHL (I’m going to give the SSL a pass here since they do one team per country and I totally understand picking LA as the USA rep there). To me it’s crazy that so many states and so many Canadian provinces can get a sim league team but Ohio never gets chosen in an expansion or a relocation. Sim leagues have put teams in Yellowknife, Yukon, Great Falls, Death Valley, and THE FUCKING MOON, but we can’t get a team anywhere in Ohio? I understand realism is not always top of mind in sim leagues when it comes to selecting locations, but with so many teams being based in realistic locations, its wild no one has seen the three big cities in Ohio and thought of putting their team there.

And let’s talk about those three big cities. Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are all home to professional sports teams in real life. In fact, when looking at the big four sports leagues, Ohio is 6th in regards to number of professional sports teams, trailing only New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Ohio is also 2nd in FBS college programs, behind only Texas. That’s not even counting the two MLS teams as well, one being an original founder of the league and the other being one of the fastest rising new teams in the league.

So we’ve established that Ohio has a strong culture in the sports world, but what about the sim world? Well, and I haven’t been able to fact check this, but I think outside of Ontario and Quebec Ohio is one of the largest sources of sim league participants, SHL especially. It feels like you can’t wander into a locker room in the SHL without finding someone either from or currently living in Ohio. Not only does our esteemed commissioner live in Ohio, but we have the sleeveless wonder running Carolina and the rest of the HTT crew, Toronto’s co-GM, everyone’s favorite angsty version of Lebron James, and who knows how many more across the sim league universe. Now I could see someone making the joke of “Sim leagues are supposed to be an escape why would I want to play for a team in Ohio lol” And to that I say: Because it’s an honor.

Ohio is one of the proudest states in the nation, producing more United States Presidents than any other state. Ohio is also the birthplace of Neil Armstrong and the Wright Brothers, giving the state a massive tie-in to the history of flight, both on Earth and in space. Just think of the sim league name possibilities off of those facts alone! Not only that but Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! You could use any music pun and throw it in Ohio! And if you want classical music, the Cleveland Orchestra is one of the Big Five orchestras in the US and one of the best in the world! Going back to sports, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is one of the more underrated race tracks in the US, and Eldora Speedway hosts dirt races for the NASCAR truck series. Look at all of that inspiration and tell me you couldn’t put a team in Ohio!

Ohio is an esteemed state both in and out of the world of sports, and its high time someone finally puts a sim team in Ohio. I don’t care which league eventually does it, but Ohio deserves representation amongst the sim league community. For those that have taken the time to read my plight: I thank you, and I hope your home has the representation in the sim league community that Ohio may one day hope to have.

spidey · 11-30-2023, 02:52 PM

I hope you get to see it happen. Some great points here.

steveoiscool · 11-30-2023, 02:53 PM

Counterpoint: sim universes should be better than the real world, so that's a big reason to pretend Ohio doesn't exist

***Seany148*** · 11-30-2023, 02:53 PM

W H E R E

Wasty · 11-30-2023, 02:57 PM

It still blows my mind Kelowna (not a shot at the team but the city) still has a SMJHL team.

#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers

/ TORONTO NORTH STARS Stars

***HabsFanFromOntario*** · 11-30-2023, 02:57 PM

WHO

***HabsFanFromOntario*** · 11-30-2023, 03:09 PM

11-30-2023, 02:57 PMWasty Wrote: It still blows my mind Kelowna (not a shot at the team but the city) still has a SMJHL team.

The original teams were largely based in the North West to fit the North Western Junior Hockey League motif, the real confusion is how the hell Detroit ended up in that mix.

*CptSquall* · 11-30-2023, 03:26 PM

Gridds always jokes about trying to get us to move to Ohio.

***Seany148*** · 11-30-2023, 03:45 PM

but yeah the moon is so stupid ESPECIALLY for baseball. *Oh look, the ball is going up........
[36 hours later] Finally it's coming down! "bounces" NOOOOOOO*

WildfireMicro · 11-30-2023, 04:20 PM

I would be for a Cincinnati or Cleveland team

spidey · 11-30-2023, 04:42 PM

11-30-2023, 02:57 PMWasty Wrote: It still blows my mind Kelowna (not a shot at the team but the city) still has a SMJHL team.

At this point you shouldn't move them. One of the two original SMJHL teams left.

***Wally*** · 11-30-2023, 05:32 PM

@mcgriddleluver Nows the time!

***Wally*** · 11-30-2023, 05:34 PM

But they did lose to Michigan.

Wasty · 11-30-2023, 06:06 PM

11-30-2023, 03:09 PMHabsFanFromOntario Wrote: The original teams were largely based in the North West to fit the North Western Junior Hockey League motif, the real confusion is how the hell Detroit ended up in that mix.

Oh I remember the NWJHL Detroit and Montreal was always a confusing one when there was Prince George, Vancouver, Kelowna, Lethbridge (a couple times) and Seattle. Also didn’t Anaheim have a team at the start as well?

#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers

/ TORONTO NORTH STARS Stars

***sve7en*** · 11-30-2023, 06:21 PM

Carolina is an Ohio team

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