TBGKon

OK, so the 6 new team names for the new Osceola County (Kissimmee) team are out, and boy are they awful. - Firstly, a moniker of "Florida" for a league with all teams in Florida is stupid. If a regional name was necessary, Central Florida makes more sense or even Osceola County or Kissimmee. Talk about pandering to the visitors. - Secondly, the names....ugh Florida Dragonflies: Known for their resilience and fighting spirit, a name among the likes of these prehistoric Florida insects falls in line with other wacky names in Minor League Baseball. Florida Fire Frogs: Going head-to-head with a fire frog is not for the faint of heart. The fire from these frogs is as hot as a Central Florida summer and will leave their opponents feelin’ the burn. Florida Mud Kickers: In a nod to Osceola’s strong heritage, the Florida Mud Kickers will help preserve two great American traditions – baseball and rodeo. Saddle up, and let’s play ball! Florida Rodeo Clowns: The Rodeo Clowns commemorate the world famous Silver Spurs Rodeo. So grab your hat and boots and join the team for an experience more fun than a barrel of Rodeo Clowns. Florida Sorcerers: The Florida Sorcerers speak to the region’s strong entertainment industry. Fans can expect an enchanted ballpark where the mystical forces of good and evil come to life. Florida Toucans: The Florida Toucans celebrate the area’s tropical climate that the world “flocks” to (more than 66 million visitors a year in fact!). Imagine steel drum bands, tropical shirts, and an umbrella in your favorite ballpark drink If it were my, out of the six I'd lean towards Toucans but it'll probably end up stupid like Rodeo Clowns.

UCF and USF also hold 2 large media markets not in the Big XII footprint...Tampa is #11 and Orlando is #19 (per link below). Houston is larger, but is already in the Texas footprint. http://www.newsgeneration.com/broadcast-resources/top-100-radio-markets/ I say if the conference expands to 12 they're out (probably Cincy and either Houston or BYU), but if they go 14 they're in with UCF as a tandem.

Houston is also getting a lot of traction (surprisingly), so what you have on paper could swap BYU and Houston. I was skeptical about having Texas and Oklahoma in the same division, but the Big Ten does it with Michigan and Ohio State. If they were separate divisions, you'd have to have protected rivalries. With that I'd go with a 9 game conference schedule (6 in division, 3 out of division with no protected crossover rivalries).

So when expansion is official, assuming Cincinnati and the Florida tandem are included, how would division go? Safe to say the Texas 4 remain together...would they add the Oklahoma schools and a 7th team or would Longhorns and Sooners be in separate divisions? I would also keep together the Floridas and WVU and Cincy.

The Brevard County Manatees announced they are relocating to Kissimmee and Osceola County Stadium for 2017. New names are expected to be announced as early as tomorrow.

If this happens, the Avs would be all over it, which opens up San Antonio for Vegas. It could work.

Could Colorado Springs be a possibility? I know the arena where Colorado College plays is there, but don't know for sure.

With what I am hearing, Utah likes the ECHL.

Damn, those Sonics unis were sick.

Night Owls and Po'Boys would be my choices

That's really too bad, the market seems to have great potential.

So with Vegas being added, that means the ECHL needs to add 6 teams to have an affiliate for every NHL club to have an affiliate, since they don't allow dual affiliations anymore. Raiding the SPHL could work, as there are some nice markets available including Pensacola, Peoria, Huntsville. Portland Maine could be an ECHL option as they lost the AHL but could be suitable for ECHL. Not sure where else could be a possibility.

I hope the plan with the Barracuda was only temporary in San Jose as they may be waiting for the new arenas in Sacramento (this fall) or San Fran (2018 I think) to open, or the Warriors Oakland arena to open up to availability.

I say if I am Mr. Vinik (Lightning owner), as long as the penalty is monetary, pay the bill. This is a stupid rule that apparently was just remembered. The Lightning have had watch party events throughout the playoffs this year and last years postseason as well.

Nope, pretty sure this will be the identity from their site:

Vancouver's the only remaining western team with an AHL club in the east. Utica may be the next team on the block, but where to? California's a bit saturated, and I don't think a third team in the Texas cluster would be smart. Maybe Portland could work, as I think they have history in the juniors.

Call one Midwest and call one Central...problem solved.

Personally, if the Big12 goes to Florida, its a tandem of UCF and USF. One or the other isn't enough to sway, but together they bring some media leverage (Tampa is #11 and Orlando is #19). I really think the Big 12 is looking at adding 4, so the Florida pair is 2 and a combo of Cincy and Memphis would bridge the WVU gap. Also ideally, a tandem in Florida provides a road trip to Florida every other year for recruiting purposes.

I'm really hoping for Crescents. I know it doesn't fit the recent fun and catchy to be marketable (like Yard Goats, Fireflies, etc) but it does have history in NOLA.

New Orleans has been tossed around too. Not too long ago they were a target of the Astros. They wanted to move the Zephyrs to the Houston metro area. While Vegas has gotten to the point where they are always the last AAA affiliate left at the dance in agreements, and I wish they would bounce, I have a gut feeling it's New Orleans who is the team to leave. If they want, I could see NOLA possibly as a Texas League team down the road if they choose to reemerge

Red, white, and a dark purple would have been a nice compromose though...

Here's a better pic of the new banners. I like the uniform design but different logos for the different eras. Heres a look at the old ones...

This should happen once more teams go out west.

Where is Tampa Bay?

Thrashers sale happened end May/early June 2011 and announced immediate relocation. There's kept the Jets in the southeast division for that immediate season and possibly the next if I recall. I wouldn't think a movie east would happen now, but a move west would be possible as divisions could remain the same.