kimball

2 hours ago, BBTV said:

They're not going to move a team to Seattle and forego a $1B expansion fee.  There's also almost no way someone is going to pay to buy a team and then pay a huge relocation fee that would make up for the loss of the expansion money.

 

The story says that they're re-upping their lease in the Smoothie King arena till 2030, so it's moot anyway since Seattle will have a team by then (or I'll eat my hat) and LV likely will too.  I think the owners would choose sacrificing the Pelicans in exchange for raking in $2B in expansion fees.  If/when the Pelicans are sold and/or move, it will be to some "unsexy" place with an arena but without the cache of Seattle and LV.  Like Kansas City and their Sprint Center.  Something like that.

Just to push that back a bit, they'd still get a $1 billion expansion fee in Louisville, Vegas or wherever. But, that'd be in addition to a sizable relocation fee if a team moved to Seattle.

Granted, since we're going to be getting a Sonics 2.0 team either way, an expansion team would provide a cleaner history if they were to take Seattle's historical records from OKC.

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

 

They would have to be sold, because it's owned by Gayle Benson, who owns the more beloved Saints.  If there has to be a relocation, it probably won't be to Seattle or Las Vegas because the NBA may want to save those for expansion.  

It should be Seattle over anyone else. But, I don't know if it changes the NBA's plan to expand if they were shipped off to Seattle. The addition of two more teams to get to 32 seems like a given.

18 hours ago, dont care said:

How many owners groups need to go through the team before you think maybe the market is the problem. Sure they’ve never been good, but even in seasons they made the playoffs they were never profitable. The market has never supported them, and now they have had enough and are actively trying to push them out of town.

Good points, but what about Atlanta? 

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

 

CP3 is not staying in Washington.  He'll go somewhere to win something he desperately wants: an NBA Championship.  So it's probably going to be a Western Conference team, based out of The Bay Area of California or the other Los Angeles team.  

1 hour ago, Lights Out said:

 

I'm surprised those cheapskates were willing to spring for an actual billboard. I would have expected one of those spraypainted vinyl banners you see on bridges over the highway.

It's a Blipboard, they didn't pay much for it. 

13 hours ago, FiddySicks said:

Just out of curiosity, do you or have you lived in the Phoenix area? If so I can in the very least understand the hope. The only word I can use to describe the Phoenix sports market is tepid. It’s a city of like five million people and basically all of their pro sports games feel like going to the library. I’ll give you that the Cardinals and Suns draw well when they’re good, but that’s usually sporadic. D Backs games feel like an actual funeral. I don’t know if it’s the heat or what, but I’d never been anywhere with more limp support for their pro teams. You’re right that leadership is the biggest problem for the Coyotes, but it’s far from the only reason. It’s an overrated market IMO. 

Nope, born and raised in SLC. I'm basing my opinion or thought off the video that posted in the thread. I do feel like strong leadership can counter some of the other issues, but with that said I don't know if they'd get a second shot if the Coyotes leave.

1 hour ago, VampyrRabbit said:

It's not just a new franchise that needs a clean slate, it's also whoever gets a relocated Coyotes. On moving, the team needs a rebrand as not only is the Coyotes idenity tied to Arizona (at least the orginal Kachina is), the Coyotes name is tainted beyond repair. When the team moves and wherever it ends up, the Desert Dog needs to be given the Old Yeller treatment and a new identity created.

New name, new uniforms, new identity.  After how good the identities for the Golden Knights and the Kraken turned out, I'm sure the NHL can nail it for a third time.

Exactly. They need to be the Houston Aeros, Utah Yeti, Kansas City Comets, etc., etc., etc. The Arizona Coyotes identity needs to die.

45 minutes ago, IceCap said:

Oh Jesus... 

 

 

THIRTY 

YEARS

 NO 

PROFITS 

I don't know if I would put them on the top of the expansion list if the Coyotes leave, but I think it could work with great leadership and the right situation for a home arena. That video really paints the lack of leadership as the root of the problem.

I won't lie, based off that video I wonder if the Coyotes were sold and moved out of town (to wherever) and Phoenix given an expansion team (no Browns deal, new name and everything) I wonder if hockey could work in Arizona? It seems like it could. But, they'd need a clean slate.

18 hours ago, H20 said:

 

They have an interim solution being the Delta Center which will suffice in the short term. Ryan Smith will either expand/remodel the DC - or build a brand new building to house both the NBA/NHL. Within the next 5-6 years SLC will have the NHL and MLB to go along with the NBA and the Jazz. Smith also needs the NHL to create his own sports network featuring the Jazz and the Yeti.

They won't touch the Delta Center for a longterm remodel. There are plans for a possible arena at the Power District where they're eyeing to put a MLB ballpark. 

23 hours ago, B-Rich said:

WTF do flamingos-- the tropical shore birds-- have to do with dry, desert Las Vegas?

 

Las Vegas has had an iconic casino named The Flamingo since the inception of large scale casino gambling. That name is attributed to  its mobster owner, Bugsy Siegel, in honor of the flamingos near his Hialeah, FL racetrack (not the urban myth that it came from a nickname for his long-legged girlfriend, Virginia Hill).

 

The name "Flamingos" would thus be a corporate connection, which is a big no- no in major league sports today.  It would be on par as naming the team the "Las Vegas Caesars" or "Las Vegas Sands". 

 

True. Good points. I think more than anything I was just pointing out a desire for a Vegas name, especially one that isn't a cowboy or desert name. But, aside from the gambling connection, etc. Flamingos are much an iconic imagery of Vegas. 

3 hours ago, JuicedSportsNow said:

 

I genuinely like the logo and I think its clever...

 

That said, is the official 35th Anniversary logo of the Orlando Magic actually 'sponsored?'  Like the official logo is actually sponsored? Because if so, that's further proof of unending ad-creep.

 

Anyways, cool logo. Will they be rocking the classic jerseys this coming year?

It's the modern NBA **EVERYTHING** is sponsored.

2 hours ago, Ark said:

Interesting, looking back there aren’t that many teams with bad uniforms that lifted the Cup I wonder if there is an association between bad uniforms and being a bad franchise

No, I don't see a correlation ... not. at. all.

16 hours ago, habsfan1 said:

 

The Raiders were originally from Oakland. It still feels like Oakland's team, even if they had brief stint in LA.

 

The Athletics came from Philly. The name by chance fit Oakland to a degree because it worked for a classic team from the 60s. I thought Vegas would be more creative, seeing how the Golden Knights set the bar, in terms of team branding.

I don't see the A's changing based off team history as stated above. But, if this was an expansion team we were talking about ... the Las Vegas Flamingos would be a name I could support. The visual identity could be uniquely Vegas.

With that said, Vegas should put a spin on the A's identity, either with a flamingo mascot or different color scheme. Something just a little different.

2 hours ago, H20 said:

They are likely moving to SLC - and the wheels to put all of this in motion may actually happen with an announcement before July 1.

 

They won't be the Golden Eagles, The Eagles, The Stingers, The Gulls, or anything like that.

 

Ryan Smith - who will own the franchise - loves what the Kraken have done in Seattle, the moniker, the merchandising, logo, etc.

 

Think along the lines of the "UTAH YETI"

 

WASATCH SQUATCH or nothing ...

2 hours ago, FinsUp1214 said:

I’ve said this before, but I just never thought powder blue and gold looked right on the Nuggets at all. I thought it was far too light and “sunny” for them. If they played in San Diego? Perfect. But for Denver? It just didn’t work for me.

 

This is not to say what they’re wearing now works either, but I don’t think I’d have been any more excited if they’d won in powder blue last night.

I'll have to dig up the source, but I'm pretty sure the reason why they went with powder blue and gold was because Kiki Vandeweghe (the GM or something at the time) went to UCLA.

12 hours ago, JerseyJimmy said:

I honestly think it's more likely that the Spurs move up to Austin down the line than an expansion team getting put there.

Considering the Spurs are playing home games in Mexico City and Austin, I'm here with you on this. However, I could see the NHL moving into Austin though to anchor a new arena. 

6 hours ago, Burmy said:

The Salt Lake Golden Eagles was the BEST identity Utah hockey ever had...unfortunately, Vegas would probably veto any team using that color adjective.

I agree, but I think Salt Lake Eagles or Utah Eagles work.

4 hours ago, projectjohn said:

The Pistons posted this on their social media yesterday. I'm presuming it might be a hint at their City Edition for next season being Motown themed.

 

Seems a bit early for an unveiling what with the Finals still in progress and the fact the Pistons have never unveiled a City Edition until the league-wide drop by Nike which usually takes place in early November.

Yeah, that MOTOWN font seems like what we'll see on the front of the jersey and considering this is the Pistons, the base of the jersey will be gray.

50 minutes ago, tigerslionspistonshabs said:

If a move to Utah happens, do they keep the Coyotes identity? Utah is  still desert-y/sort of southwest. I hope so, I love it. 

I'm indifferent. But, the Kachina logo wouldn't really work. Personally, I would love the Gulls or Eagles.

14 hours ago, who do you think said:

 

There's a big drop off in viability after Seattle and Las Vegas that doesn't involve a) encroaching on another team's 150-mile territory, and/or b) adding another city to the map whose ceiling is yet another Utah/OKC/Milwaukee... cold, small, and um "pale" regions that can't attract top talent unless they draft it, and that talent almost always bolts for somewhere warmer and bigger as soon as possible regardless of how good the team is. We already have too many franchises like that.

 

Maybe Tampa is on the league's radar; they did temporarily dump the Raptors in Amalie Arena of all places in 2021. Despite the territory belonging to the Magic, they have no following here that I know of.

 

Also I would argue that Seattle and Las Vegas being by far the most obvious spots for a new team is a reason that the NBA wouldn't/shouldn't expand to 32, because if those are the only two places in North America that you can be confident will work, what leverage do you have on the expansion fees? That's not just free money falling from the sky; you're cutting one slice per new team out of all future central revenue pies (and they're big pies). The NHL takes the quick cash and runs without any regard for the long-term consequences for the league because they're dumb and poor and obsessed with their "footprint", but the NBA doesn't need to be like that.

I'm kind of there with you as well. I feel like Seattle can be the NBA's proverbial "Location Threat" for teams that need leverage for public money, while I can see Las Vegas eventually getting a team, but not until the Commissioner's Cup is established and running for a couple years.

There's no rush.

However, as far as possible locations outside of Seattle and Vegas ...

• Tampa (seems ideal, but seems too close to Orlando)
• Louisville (untapped market, but is it too close to Indiana?)
• Pittsburgh (mentioned in the past and has a good arena, but is it too small?)
• Kansas City/St. Louis (meh)
• Anaheim (it always seems like they're mentioned as a possibility? The popularity of both the Lakers and Clippers makes this seem like a no)
• San Jose (same situation as Anaheim, just with the Warriors)
• San Diego (I believe they have ground work done for a new arena, but too close to the Lakers/Clippers?)
• Mexico City (The NBA's current infatuation, but there's too many cultural and economic issues that could make it a Grizzlies 2.0)
• Vancouver (The city's situation is much better than it was 25 years ago, but there seems to be better markets)

Possible sexy markets ...

• Albuquerque (could be a sleeper OKC location)
• Montreal (I've read of interest in the past, might work?)
• Chicago 2.0 (Arena in the suburbs? I remember talk back in 2001 when the Grizzlies were shopping for a home. Could work.)
• Des Moines (A less sexier Louisville? Basketball crazy state COULD possibly support a team)
• Rochester (I always thought Rochester could support at least one major league team, second shot?)

Just my two minute spitball opinion. 

On 6/3/2023 at 6:52 PM, spartacat_12 said:

The yellow is such an odd choice. I feel like a simple swap to silver would be much better.

54 minutes ago, JerseyJimmy said:

I think the thing that bothers me the most about the Heat is the narrative that they're heckin wholesome underdogs. the Heat are historically one of the most successful franchises in the entire league, and if you're accounting for how long they've been a franchise, they're 100% in the top three. forgive my 2000 WCW analogies, but they're firmly part of the Millionaire's Club - and just like the Millionaire's Club, they've bafflingly become the good guys in this scenario. as sick as I am of Unocal's bitching, he has a point. a prestige franchise sleepwalking through the regular season only to rubberband in the playoffs is one of the most irritating things in sports.

This is how I kind of feel as well.

There's been so much focus on the Heat being a #8 seed, but there are two things that don't make them a typical #8 seed.

1) They finished 7th in the East, a game out of 6th place. They ended up the 8th seed because of their loss to Atlanta in the play-in game. 

2) They were the #1 seed last year in the East. And, over the past five years -- 2019 (10), 2020 (5), 2021 (6), 2022 (1), 2023 (8*). Nothing elite regular season-wise, but they play well in the playoffs because "Heat Culture." 

I wish the media would stop fawning over them being a 8th seed. They're a really good team coached by an amazingly smart coach. 

I'm guessing a 40 game suspension. But, who knows? It depends on what the investigation uncovered. 

On 6/3/2023 at 12:17 PM, mcj882000 said:

I guess one important question is, has there been any indication that the Jazz are looking to build a new arena? Because I figure no new building will happen without their input, and though I hate repeating myself it really cannot be overstated how suboptimal the soon-to-be-again Delta Center is for NHL hockey.
Four words: "Barclays Center, but worse": 

Like, if we're gonna move the Coyotes here full-time? Just put them back in downtown Phoenix at Talking Stick/Footprint/whatever it's called now instead, because that'd still be better than this; at least the Suns' arena has hockey-ready seating in a endzone!

There are plans for an arena where they're planning on building a baseball stadium west of Downtown SLC. Depending on when a team moves in (ie-Coyotes or expansion) I assume they'd play a year or two at the Delta Center, something that's doable short term. 

11 hours ago, who do you think said:

 

No. It was horrible to watch.

How so?

Blue vs. Red is one of the best color vs. color matchups.