Oso Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Also, in terms of the expansion cities themselves, I honestly feel the Austin/San Antonio market would flourish as a MLB market. Question is, how much would the Rangers and Astros try to claim territorial rights? Hypothetically, If you put the team in Red Rock (which is 45 minutes from Austin, 1 hour and change to San Antonio) and seems to be a moderate middle ground -- or as close as they could get, it's over 200 miles from there to Dallas and about 150 to Houston. From Austin to Dallas, it's 195 miles... To Houston, it's 165... From San Antonio, it's just under 200 miles to Houston and about 275 to Dallas. That's plenty of distance between the two areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oso Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Just now, Ferdinand Cesarano said: It's been done, sort of: The Portland Forest Dragons were in the Arena Football League. Of course, this does not preclude the name "Dragons" being used for a different sport, as evidenced by the names "Charlotte Hornets", "Colorado Rockies", and "Philadelphia Stars". I nearly forgot about the Forest Dragons. Good call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJWalker45 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Oso said: Also, in terms of the expansion cities themselves, I honestly feel the Austin/San Antonio market would flourish as a MLB market. Question is, how much would the Rangers and Astros try to claim territorial rights? Hypothetically, If you put the team in Red Rock (which is 45 minutes from Austin, 1 hour and change to San Antonio) and seems to be a moderate middle ground -- or as close as they could get, it's over 200 miles from there to Dallas and about 150 to Houston. From Austin to Dallas, it's 195 miles... To Houston, it's 165... From San Antonio, it's just under 200 miles to Houston and about 275 to Dallas. That's plenty of distance between the two areas. Unless the stadium is inside Austin or San Antonio proper, it doesn't make sense to put it anywhere else in that area. If you have to drive through Austin from San Antonio, people won't make that trip because the easiest way to get through is the toll roads. Otherwise you'll sit next to UT between 30 minutes to an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveindc Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 2 hours ago, Oso said: Also, in terms of the expansion cities themselves, I honestly feel the Austin/San Antonio market would flourish as a MLB market. Question is, how much would the Rangers and Astros try to claim territorial rights? Hypothetically, If you put the team in Red Rock (which is 45 minutes from Austin, 1 hour and change to San Antonio) and seems to be a moderate middle ground -- or as close as they could get, it's over 200 miles from there to Dallas and about 150 to Houston. From Austin to Dallas, it's 195 miles... To Houston, it's 165... From San Antonio, it's just under 200 miles to Houston and about 275 to Dallas. That's plenty of distance between the two areas. The San Antonio metro area is among the fastest growing in the country, and is already larger than several metro areas with long-time franchises including Cleveland and Pittsburgh (both metro area populations in steady decline). Heck, the close-by Austin metro area by itself is THE fastest growing, and is now larger than the Cleveland area. They aren't going to relocate the Indians and Pirates (at least not anytime soon), so why not give areas like San Antonio a chance? Metropolitan Areas Statistics Houston and Dallas trying to block SA/Austin from getting any pro sports team would be like Dallas trying to block Houston, Chicago trying to block Milwaukee, or Philly trying to block DC. Being in the same state shouldn't make a bit of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tron1013 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 If Portland gets a team, and they don't go with Lagers (despite the support for the Timbers, I would suspect that "Loggers" would turn off some of the crunchier folks in the metro area due to deforestation), and Beavers isn't picked, my solution would be... The Portland Pennyfarthings (Pens or P-Things for short). It would check all the boxes: 1) Locally appropriate? What other major US city has built a $135m bridge for bikes and other non-car traffic? 2) Hipster-friendly? See the mustachioed gentleman below. 3) Unique? I would think so, and it has the twee Portland ethos going for it. 4) Logo friendly? If you just rotate the bike it sort of looks like a "P" formed by the larger wheel and the frame. Make the spokes into baseball bats and you're 2/3rds of the way there. "Peddlers" as in bicycle peddling would be a much safer, albeit lamer, option too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveindc Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 17 minutes ago, tron1013 said: If Portland gets a team, and they don't go with Lagers (despite the support for the Timbers, I would suspect that "Loggers" would turn off some of the crunchier folks in the metro area due to deforestation), and Beavers isn't picked, my solution would be... The Portland Pennyfarthings (Pens or P-Things for short). It would check all the boxes: 1) Locally appropriate? What other major US city has built a $135m bridge for bikes and other non-car traffic? 2) Hipster-friendly? See the mustachioed gentleman below. 3) Unique? I would think so, and it has the twee Portland ethos going for it. 4) Logo friendly? If you just rotate the bike it sort of looks like a "P" formed by the larger wheel and the frame. Make the spokes into baseball bats and you're 2/3rds of the way there. "Peddlers" as in bicycle peddling would be a much safer, albeit lamer, option too. Reminded me of this. lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalshepherd141 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 On 10/20/2017 at 12:27 PM, tigerslionspistonshabs said: Isn't Northern VA essentially just part of the Washington DC metro area? The whole reason they were ever considered for expansion/relocation was because they would be home to DC's team. Once the Nationals arrived in DC itself and not the burbs, that killed any chance Northern VA had. I love Virginia Beach as a potential home for a new team. Not sure why they don't get much love. A baseball team would be the only game in town, in the 12th most populous state in the US. They are far enough from DC to carve out their own fanbase, and they could even draw from Northern NC in the long term. The drawbacks I see are that it would become the smallest TV market in the league (not by too much though), and it probably isn't realistic right now because Virginia Beach and Norfolk would almost surely fight to the death over who gets a potential Hampton Roads team. In any event I hope it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerslionspistonshabs Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Just now, generalshepherd141 said: The whole reason they were ever considered for expansion/relocation was because they would be home to DC's team. Once the Nationals arrived in DC itself and not the burbs, that killed any chance Northern VA had. I love Virginia Beach as a potential home for a new team. Not sure why they don't get much love. A baseball team would be the only game in town, in the 12th most populous state in the US. They are far enough from DC to carve out their own fanbase, and they could even draw from Northern NC in the long term. The drawbacks I see are that it would become the smallest TV market in the league (not by too much though), and it probably isn't realistic right now because Virginia Beach and Norfolk would almost surely fight to the death over who gets a potential Hampton Roads team. In any event I hope it happens. I always thought it was a viable spot for a pro team, namely NBA. Not sure they'd get behind a baseball team at 81 games a year, but it's a definite possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeFrank Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 11 minutes ago, generalshepherd141 said: The whole reason they were ever considered for expansion/relocation was because they would be home to DC's team. Once the Nationals arrived in DC itself and not the burbs, that killed any chance Northern VA had. I love Virginia Beach as a potential home for a new team. Not sure why they don't get much love. A baseball team would be the only game in town, in the 12th most populous state in the US. They are far enough from DC to carve out their own fanbase, and they could even draw from Northern NC in the long term. The drawbacks I see are that it would become the smallest TV market in the league (not by too much though), and it probably isn't realistic right now because Virginia Beach and Norfolk would almost surely fight to the death over who gets a potential Hampton Roads team. In any event I hope it happens. Gov. Terry McAullife has been very active in trying to secure the Washington Redskins' new stadium. If the 2017 Democratic nominee for governor Ralph Northam wins next month's election over Ed Gillespie, there could be a shift in the executive approach to sports in the commonwealth. Northam is from the Eastern Shore but his base of support lies mainly in the Hampton Roads area. McAullife, being based in NoVa, focused on that area's push for a Redskins stadium. Perhaps Northam's administration would shift some of that focus to a Virginian shore baseball team. concepts: washington football (2017) ... nfl (2013) ... yikes potd 10/20/12 origin story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmb8 Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Personally I like Nashville and Charlotte, those Minor League teams can move somewhere else. Nashville would remain the Sounds, and Charlotte would become the (Black) Bears, the Blue Sox (copying Boston and Chicago), the Bobcats (iffy due to NBA history), or the Blues (if Nashville didnt get a team). I really dont see the West as a very viable option aside from Vegas, Omaha, or San Antonio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tygers09 Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Does the owner of the Nationals still own the rights to the Expos name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroywen Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 On 10/25/2017 at 5:06 PM, generalshepherd141 said: The whole reason they were ever considered for expansion/relocation was because they would be home to DC's team. Once the Nationals arrived in DC itself and not the burbs, that killed any chance Northern VA had. I love Virginia Beach as a potential home for a new team. Not sure why they don't get much love. A baseball team would be the only game in town, in the 12th most populous state in the US. They are far enough from DC to carve out their own fanbase, and they could even draw from Northern NC in the long term. The drawbacks I see are that it would become the smallest TV market in the league (not by too much though), and it probably isn't realistic right now because Virginia Beach and Norfolk would almost surely fight to the death over who gets a potential Hampton Roads team. In any event I hope it happens. Hampton Roads is often overlooked in these discussions, but it has a bit of a Tampa Bay problem: the area's population is diffusely spread out among a number of mid-sized cities that are all separated by large bodies of water. None of those Hampton Roads cities alone can support a major league team, so they'd be dependent on drawing from the entire metropolitan area. I do think Norfolk would probably be the best place to locate the team, since it's the most centrally located. But even then, it's going to be tough to draw people from Newport News, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, etc., to Norfolk 81 times a year. And Norfolk has a highly transient population since it's a Navy town. Virginia Beach has a larger and more stable population, but it's probably too remote from any of the other Hampton Roads cities to draw well. Not sure how large the corporate base is in Hampton Roads either - given that so much of their economy is dependent upon the military, I'd bet that a team there would have a hard time selling luxury suites and advertising at rates comparable to other ML teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill0813 Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 I know people are buzzing about new teams and new logos, but the last thing baseball needs is expansion. Forget Portland or Virginia, there isn't enough talent to go around. IF Montreal feels it can now sustain a franchise and the payroll that goes with it, move the Rays there. Maybe move them to Connecticut so NY and Boston see their market shares cut. Let the A's follow the Raiders to Vegas. Either that or contract TB and Oakland. Those two have resisted the extortion MLB puts on cities for new stadiums. When the owners realize they can divide up the pot 28 ways instead of 30, they'll see it'll be worth more to them long-term than new stadiums in places where the taxpayers are burdened with paying for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 On 10/25/2017 at 4:41 PM, tron1013 said: If Portland gets a team, and they don't go with Lagers (despite the support for the Timbers, I would suspect that "Loggers" would turn off some of the crunchier folks in the metro area due to deforestation) I dunno, man. Something tells me that Portlanders wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with a logging-themed sports team. The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database! Now in a handy blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 On 10/25/2017 at 4:16 PM, daveindc said: The San Antonio metro area is among the fastest growing in the country, and is already larger than several metro areas with long-time franchises including Cleveland and Pittsburgh (both metro area populations in steady decline). Heck, the close-by Austin metro area by itself is THE fastest growing, and is now larger than the Cleveland area. They aren't going to relocate the Indians and Pirates (at least not anytime soon), so why not give areas like San Antonio a chance? Because “fast growing” markets have traditionally been lousy sports towns. The people moving there bring their own allegiances with them when they arrive. The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database! Now in a handy blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Just want to chime in that I think one of those beaver pictures was actually of a nutria because it had orange teeth, and while I do agree that Beavers is ill-suited to the major leagues, I would heartily welcome the Sherbrooke Castors back to the QMJHL. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveindc Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 3 hours ago, Gothamite said: Because “fast growing” markets have traditionally been lousy sports towns. The people moving there bring their own allegiances with them when they arrive. That's a factor, but only to a certain degree. I wouldn't say it will automatically make them "lousy" sports towns. Transplants don't necessarily come from areas with a pro team. They may not have a strong allegiance to a particular team, if any allegiance at all. Transplants with kids will certainly see them grow up fans of their hometown team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 10 minutes ago, daveindc said: Transplants don't necessarily come from areas with a pro team. No, they're pretty much all from Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo. It ain't Albuquerque and Louisville we're emptying out. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJWalker45 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 11 hours ago, daveindc said: That's a factor, but only to a certain degree. I wouldn't say it will automatically make them "lousy" sports towns. Transplants don't necessarily come from areas with a pro team. They may not have a strong allegiance to a particular team, if any allegiance at all. Transplants with kids will certainly see them grow up fans of their hometown team. This is why Tampa Bay's best attended games are against the New York teams and Boston. Yes they're good teams but a lot of the fan support for them is local. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveindc Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 11 hours ago, the admiral said: No, they're pretty much all from Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo. It ain't Albuquerque and Louisville we're emptying out. Not sure if you're joking, but I'll post this link again- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas Cities/towns across America lose people, while other cities gain. Not everybody is coming from cities with pro teams like the ones you mention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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