Sykotyk

I thought about the Islanders, as well. But figure the principal city of their market counts. Funny that the NBA has so many teams with their city name where other sports have a tendency to use the state. Charlotte, Miami (Marlins started as Florida until TB started basically), Denver, Phoenix, etc. Utah they're the only Big 4 in the city (Their minor league teams go by Salt Lake, Utah, (real) Salt Lake, so par for the course). Even old time Minneapolis Lakers instead of Minnesota. Only one that bucks convention is Pacers cohorts the Indianapolis Colts use the city name rather than state name. Yet, NBA has one of the weirdest ones: Golden State. Which always feels like a college name to me.

Las Vegas Locomotives in the UFL won two titles in 2009 and 2010. Las Vegas Dustdevils won a CISL indoor soccer title in 1994.

Was thinking how this year the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers both don't use their city's name for their location. One uses a nickname and another uses the state. And thought, well, how often does that happen. And when did it happen last. Well, easy to forget that Tampa Bay is not the city name, because it happened just last year. With Colorado and Tampa Bay. But here's the history 2023 - Vegas v. Florida 2022 - Colorado v. Tampa Bay 2001 - Colorado v. New Jersey 1996 - Colorado v. Florida What is interesting, is that this is the first time not to include Colorado. And Carolina, Minnesota, and Arizona have yet to be part of a two-team non-city finals. Carolina has made it to the finals, just only faced Detroit and Edmonton.

Because otherwise Chesapeake by itself conjures up a connection to one of the other cities in the Norfolk area of Virginia.

Correct. Sequoia are located in the Sierra Nevada north of Death Valley up toward Yosemite, Tahoe, etc. Redwoods are coastal mostly north of San Francisco to Oregon. Most would associate Redwoods with northern California. Sequoia are technically redwoods but most refer to them only as Sequoia. And they're more central or Eastern st best.

There's just something really wrong about this combination. The rest are all servicable.

Well, I was wrong. Denver got down by too much but made a valiant comeback to make a 3 point game at the buzzer.

I think the Heat's best shot at a win is game 3. If it's game 4, I don't see them pulling it off down 3-0.

Always argued that in a cap, there should be an adjustment made for state and federal taxes between teams. Plus you pay tax where the game is played as they're considered traveling performers. So only home games are affected but it's definitely an issue.

Yep. Just found it after asking. I was thinking it was Vegas. But couldn't remember who they played off the top of my head.. 2018 Washington v. Vegas 2007 Anaheim v. Ottawa 1999 Dallas v. Buffalo 1996 Colorado v. Florida 1991 Pittsburgh v. Minnesota 1934 Chicago v. Detroit Pre NHL/Post Challenge Cup Era 1916 Montreal Canadiens v. Portland Rosebuds 1915 Vancouver Millionaires v. Ottawa Senators

When's the last time we've had a guaranteed first time winner before the Finals started?

Felt like Vegas realized they needed to actually put them away and not just sleepwalk through a game they were expecting to win.

Guess this raises the question... which hurts worse. Getting woodshedded an entire series like the Lakers were to the Nuggets in four... or to be 0-3 and come back for a game 7 and get stomped on your home court and it never really being close?

No. But when you close your eyes, you can still see them imprinted on your eyelids.

Arena yes. Allegiant Stadium is on the other side of I-15 from the strip.

Yeah the batters' eye in center field would be due North. Only a lefty would have the sun opposite of them, but only until it sets far enough below the stadium, which will probably be around first pitch. And most of the time the roof will be closed. And when it's not, will probably be early April or late September, when the sun will lower on the horizon anyways.

Precisely. Once they start figuring out how many suites/club seats/levels, etc, they'll start having to decide how/where everything will fit. I'm guessing they'll squeeze that foul territory down a bit. But would be neat to keep the curved wall instead of a bunch of angled walls. Funny thing about that mock-up is... how much do you think the A's would demand from MGM for advertising to face it that direction?

Can't believe I forgot about the Sabres. So, knock that one out. I know where Newark is, but as I said, in name they claim that area. For markets, yes, they share it with the NYC teams. But just transportation issues alone, northern NJ cities might as well be their own market. Giants and Jets just play there because they have nowhere else in NYC capable. And very different getting fans to travel for 8 games a year than 41 or 81. Same way Green Bay survives with a huge number of Milwaukee-based fans. And when you consider tolls and traffic, the LI and NJ based teams might as well be in separate markets. (29 miles from Devils to Islanders home arenas while Ravens to Commanders home stadiums are 32.8 miles). But many here would consider DC and Baltimore separate markets.

Dallas just helped out Florida.

There's no value for expansion fees IF there's a team on the market for relocation. As for where Milwaukee could go: Nashville, Las Vegas (haha), Charlotte/Raleigh, San Antonio, Salt Lake City... not really many other options at this point. Portland will never happen now after they went all in with soccer. Every other major market has a team and probably won't let another squeeze in. Other big markets (Memphis, Birmingham, OKC, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sacramento, Norfolk area, Columbus, Buffalo, Indianapolis, etc) probably don't have the excess fan dollar to support an MLB team for 81 home games a year. They're saturated with what they do have already. MLB is a huge commitment financially. 20k-30k at today's prices for 81 games? There's a reason MLB is the one league without the 'fringe cities'. NBA has teams like Orlando, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis. NHL has American markets such as Raleigh, Columbus, Northern NJ (by identity, if not by playing location) and San Jose. NFL has Jacksonville, Buffalo, and you can kind of say Green Bay even though that's Milwaukee in absentia. Meanwhile, MLB's only market to themselves among Big 4 teams is San Diego. And that's only because the NFL left. MLB is so bad, that they have, currently, four markets with two teams (soon to be 3) because they need a ton of people with a ton of money to remain solvent. And of those options I listed, i don't think any of them can really afford to support MLB today. MLB is hanging on to the aging/dying fanbase they have with the pockets to support them. The boomer class is their bread and butter. Younger sports fans were priced out of MLB years ago, and many young sports fans missed World Series games in their youth due to the late starts on the East coast to the point that MLB is an afterthought for fan support. It's why MLB is struggling to try to adjust the game to what they think will attract young fans (i.e., 18-35) range. *(are the Sabres really a professional team?)*

Most fans have been years since a sniff of the Stanley Cup Finals, and to see an upstart new teams just practically walk right to the precipice, not going to have a lot of neutral fan support. This time, also, Florida isn't the 'newer' team. Plus, their finals with Colorado as noted above, they were the loveable good guys. Colorado was the villain having just moved from Quebec in their first season going for the title.

It's only 3-1. But going down 28-13, 9 minutes into Game 5... gotta imagine Miami is sweating already. Not a great start. They'd head back to Miami with Boston on fire with two straight, the pressure Miami would be under in Game 6 would be worse than Game 7 of the Finals. There's no way they'd win Game 7 in Boston. They'd have to win Game 6.

Las Vegas Flash v. Florida Hammerheads vs.

Though now it looks like the epic face palm it is.

I think had they moved up the Elks name but kept the EE helmet the transition to using the antler helmets part time would've been accepted and lauded. Instead there was push back by the anti change crowd regardless what the change was.