Stadium/Arena Saga Omnibus

[Red Comet]

The stadium thing isn’t even the most shocking bit. To me, I don’t know why you’d buy a half million dollar helicopter and then try to cheat the taxman. I know politicians think they’re invincible but that’s just so egregious it was begging for an investigation. Hell, this whole saga has been an intro class to public-private collusion. 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Red Comet

[tp49]

If you're going to cheat the taxman it's a good idea to cheat the IRS over the California FTB.  FTB always finds out first and they're always ruthless.

[officeglenn]

Corruption in local government?

 

[LMU]

 

[GDAWG]

I wonder if this means that the Angels will look elsewhere in the Greater Los Angeles area for a stadium?

[FiddySicks]

On 5/16/2022 at 6:24 PM, LMU said:

 

 

Fun fact: Rob Bonta is my former boss. 

[GDAWG]

 

[Partycrasher]

yeah, I don't think contraction is happening in baseball. the only (non-MLS) situation in North America where I can see that happening is the Coyotes finally collapsing and an expansion team in (Quebec/Portland/Hamilton/>houston) taking their place.

 

as for Oakland, this might be a weird take, but I just don't think it can justify being a major-league market anymore. the NYC and LA metro areas (ranked 1 and 2) can handle two teams in a sport, three if you count the Devils (which I don't). Chicago (ranked 3rd) only does it in one sport. the Bay Area fell to 13th place in 2021, behind - of all things - the Inland Empire. population's less than half of Chicagoland's. I don't really think it's going to work out much longer.

 

y'know, speaking of, I wonder if the IE could sustain a major-league franchise...

[FiddySicks]

3 hours ago, JerseyJimmy said:

y'know, speaking of, I wonder if the IE could sustain a major-league franchise...

 

Sigh. No. 

[Partycrasher]

3 minutes ago, FiddySicks said:

Sigh. No. 

 

oh, believe me, I know they wouldn't. it's a fun thought experiment, though, especially as an alternative to a league having two LA teams.

[LMU]

 

[DEAD!]

Quote

Sidhu’s attorney, Paul Meyer, said in a statement that the mayor denied wrongdoing and decided to resign “to continue to act in the best interests of Anaheim and allow this great City to move forward without distraction.” https://t.co/TBw3bWrez7

[LMU]

Cue the lawsuits.

 

 

[MilSox]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:33 AM, GDAWG said:

I wonder if this means that the Angels will look elsewhere in the Greater Los Angeles area for a stadium?

I did like the idea of them playing in Long Beach. 

[Brian in Boston]

 The team's future in Southern California under Moreno's stewardship seems doomed.

The guy alienated Angels fans in Anaheim and Orange County with his asinine "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" branding move. He's made little progress, if any, in helping the team achieve significant relevance amongst sports fans in Greater Los Angeles. The deal for land surrounding Angel Stadium that Moreno so desperately needed in order to engage in the sort of mixed-use real estate development that's become all the rage amongst pro sports owners has now been voided amidst allegations of corruption and vociferous public criticism.     

Best case scenario for Arte? That he could convince Phil Anschutz to buy a piece of the Angels, then talk the Los Angeles Kings and LA Galaxy owner (he also holds a minority stake in the Lakers) into joining him in building a ballpark on the site of the current West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, once the planned home for the Farmers Field football stadium project. Such a move would put the team in a location that sits next door to L.A. Live (also Anschutz-owned), has access to existing parking facilities, and is anywhere from a 5-minute to 15-minute walk from light-rail public transit stations serving 2 to 4 lines (Pico and 7th Street / Metro stops, respectively). That's the type of deal that could at least make the team more popular with potential L.A.-based fans. I know plenty of baseball enthusiasts on the Westside - Santa Monica, Brentwood, the Palisades, Venice, Marina del Rey, etc. - who would gladly hop on a Metro E Line train to a downtown Los Angeles Angel Stadium if it meant escaping their current experience as Dodgers season ticket-holders fighting rush-hour freeway traffic to get to Chavez Ravine and sitting in an auto-snarled Dodger Stadium parking lot for God knows how long after games. Of course, it would also likely create a permanent schism between the Angels and a majority of their Orange County-based fans.  

Now, the reality of any of this happening is slim. Anschutz has three times the wealth of Moreno and likely isn't interested in partnering with a guy who has managed his way into the predicament Arte now finds himself in. Phil doesn't need that sort of headache.    

Frankly, there's a better chance of Arte being forced to relocate  to another market. Hey, what about Tennessee? He could rename them the Nashville Honky-Tonk Angels!      

[FiddySicks]

Any plan that has the Angels actually leaving greater Orange County isn’t a good one imo. Especially if they move into Los Angeles proper. That’s a great way to set them up as the actual baseball Clippers. It’s like the Chargers moving from San Diego to LA. Yeah I guess it’s technically “more” fans, but, not really with any ounce of enthusiasm. That’s Dodgers territory, has always been, and it isn’t changing because the Angels move up there. 

[McCall]

3 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

 The team's future in Southern California under Moreno's stewardship seems doomed.

The guy alienated Angels fans in Anaheim and Orange County with his asinine "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" branding move. He's made little progress, if any, in helping the team achieve significant relevance amongst sports fans in Greater Los Angeles. The deal for land surrounding Angel Stadium that Moreno so desperately needed in order to engage in the sort of mixed-use real estate development that's become all the rage amongst pro sports owners has now been voided amidst allegations of corruption and vociferous public criticism.     

Best case scenario for Arte? That he could convince Phil Anschutz to buy a piece of the Angels, then talk the Los Angeles Kings and LA Galaxy owner (he also holds a minority stake in the Lakers) into joining him in building a ballpark on the site of the current West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, once the planned home for the Farmers Field football stadium project. Such a move would put the team in a location that sits next door to L.A. Live (also Anschutz-owned), has access to existing parking facilities, and is anywhere from a 5-minute to 15-minute walk from light-rail public transit stations serving 2 to 4 lines (Pico and 7th Street / Metro stops, respectively). That's the type of deal that could at least make the team more popular with potential L.A.-based fans. I know plenty of baseball enthusiasts on the Westside - Santa Monica, Brentwood, the Palisades, Venice, Marina del Rey, etc. - who would gladly hop on a Metro E Line train to a downtown Los Angeles Angel Stadium if it meant escaping their current experience as Dodgers season ticket-holders fighting rush-hour freeway traffic to get to Chavez Ravine and sitting in an auto-snarled Dodger Stadium parking lot for God knows how long after games. Of course, it would also likely create a permanent schism between the Angels and a majority of their Orange County-based fans.  

Now, the reality of any of this happening is slim. Anschutz has three times the wealth of Moreno and likely isn't interested in partnering with a guy who has managed his way into the predicament Arte now finds himself in. Phil doesn't need that sort of headache.    

Frankly, there's a better chance of Arte being forced to relocate  to another market. Hey, what about Tennessee? He could rename them the Nashville Honky-Tonk Angels!      

According to Google Maps, that's only 3 miles from Dodger Stadium. I'm gonna go out on a very short limb here and say that might not get approved.

[LMU]

2 hours ago, FiddySicks said:

Any plan that has the Angels actually leaving greater Orange County isn’t a good one imo. Especially if they move into Los Angeles proper. That’s a great way to set them up as the actual baseball Clippers. It’s like the Chargers moving from San Diego to LA. Yeah I guess it’s technically “more” fans, but, not really with any ounce of enthusiasm. That’s Dodgers territory, has always been, and it isn’t changing because the Angels move up there. 

I could see Long Beach working.  LB has always had an OC-adjacent vibe to it and is close enough to easily draw in fans from Seal Beach/Huntington Beach on a regular basis.

[FiddySicks]

I always forget that Long Beach is in LA county. It definitely has more of an OC vibe to it. Either way, it would still be a better move than further north. 

[Brian in Boston]

6 hours ago, McCall said:

According to Google Maps, that's only 3 miles from Dodger Stadium. I'm gonna go out on a very short limb here and say that might not get approved.

Major League Baseball's territorial rules state that the Angels and Dodgers share the same territory - Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties - equally. While either franchise can veto the move of a minor league team - including one another's affiliates - into said territory, they cannot limit the movement of the territory's other MLB club within the three counties.