The Dallas Stars have been one of the top professional sports teams in Texas over the past decade, reaching the Western Conference Finals four times in six seasons and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020. However, according to ESPN NBA reporter Tim MacMahon, the Stars are still not on the minds of most sports fans in the state.
During an appearance on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, MacMahon discussed the state of sports fandom in Texas, sharing his opinion that Texas hockey fans are simply people who “don’t know anything about real sports.”
“Here’s the thing, I’ll just tell you real honestly. Texas folks who are hockey fans, it’s because they don’t know anything about real sports,” said MacMahon, which drew a laugh from Brian Windhorst. “They don’t know crap about football. They don’t know crap about basketball. They don’t know crap about baseball. Hockey is like this new-fangled hipster thing down here in Texas.”
Windhorst, in particular, took issue with MacMahon’s “new-fangled hipster” comment, reminding him that the Stars have been in Dallas for over three decades.
“They have been there 25 or 30 years,” said Windhorst.
“Okay, that’s fairly new-fangled to me,” replied MacMahon. “I was a teenager when they started bringing these stupid hockey fans in here.”
“That was a long time ago, buddy,” added Windhorst.
“Okay, well, I have not grown up since then,” added MacMahon.
Apparently hockey isn’t a “real sport” according to @espn_macmahon and only for Texas hipsters
Love this being the perspective shared by one of the networks trying to grow the @NHL pic.twitter.com/EYVvSRFm6D
— Todd Fuhrman (@ToddFuhrman) June 2, 2025
MacMahon covered the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, and Texas Rangers during his time at The Dallas Morning News before joining ESPN in 2009, so that experience may have influenced his opinion. Still, there were quite a few angry Stars fans, and hockey fans in general, who didn’t appreciate MacMahon’s comments.
Tim MacMahon working for a NHL rights holder… shitting on the product they pay for
About as bad as his false reports about Nico Harrison death threats
pic.twitter.com/sqjKBeGb3G
— Jordan Tomiyama (@Jttomiyama) June 2, 2025
Imagine that Tim MacMahon with another egregiously out of touch Texas sports take. How did this guy hold a job covering our teams??? https://t.co/VB67mbsYb2
— Cody Martin (@cody_mart10) June 2, 2025
The NHL and ESPN signed a 7 year contract in hopes to expand the sport, and in return, we get @espn analysts insulting fans and saying hockey isn’t a real sport. Just such a horrible look. https://t.co/II6hZPbFOq
— Reid (@reid_s19) June 3, 2025
Lmfao… @espn_macmahon sounds like a clown…
I mean… the NBA didn’t exist in Oklahoma until the Dallas Stars had been in Dallas for 15 years.
Are OKC fans also hipsters who don’t know anything about real sports?
You’re embarrassing yourself. https://t.co/tBHtedoDsL
— Brandon (@BrandonArbeloa) June 2, 2025
As some fans noted, it’s not the best look to have an ESPN personality bashing hockey, considering the network is set to be a broadcast partner with the NHL through the 2027-28 season. But then again, Tim MacMahon has never been someoneoverly concerned about popularity…