Nationals' Stadium Issues - A Merged Thread

[Shmee]

That blood-lusting "YAHOO!" you hear in the backround was Peter "My area's too good for two franchises" Angelos heraing the news of a possible rumor about the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals franchise moving to Lost Wages.

I said it before, and I'll say it once more. No right-minded major professional sports league - MLB, the NFL, the NBA or the NHL - will ever get a major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas as long as there is legalized gambling on professional sports. Ditto Atlantic City if they pass a sports gambling bill in the New Jersey State Legislature.

Do yourself a favor, and read the December 13 issue of Sports Illustrated. Page 98, article is titled Why Not Vegas? by Ian Thompson. He explains, better than I'm able to, why the fact that gambling is legalized, and regulated in Las Vegas, means that betting would be less of a problem in Vegas than in many other places.

[RyanB06]

The fact that there's sports betting at all in Vegas, no matter how regulated it is, is the primary reason Vegas is radioactive as far as pro sports goes.

But if Nevada were to ban sports betting, the leagues would be falling over themselves to get a team in. But we know that won't happen, so until things change on one side or the other, Las Vegas is on the outside looking in.

[CC97]

The fact that there's sports betting at all in Vegas, no matter how regulated it is, is the primary reason Vegas is radioactive as far as pro sports goes.

But if Nevada were to ban sports betting, the leagues would be falling over themselves to get a team in. But we know that won't happen, so until things change on one side or the other, Las Vegas is on the outside looking in.

Why does MLB and NHL have no problem with legalised sports gambling in Ontario? You can go to any convience store in Canada and bet on sports.

[jkrdevil]

If they move to vegas, the owner would have more money than steinbrenner.

Much like the other owners in baseball. Steinbrenner himself doesn't have that much money compared to other baseball owners. The money the Yankees use to sign players comes out of revenue. The Yankees spend their revenue money to make more money. So when comparing revenue the Yankees would have more than Las Vegas. If you put ownership money combined with revenue then Yes LV would have more than the Yankees, but so would many other MLB teams.

That assumes DC moves to Vegas, which MLB desperatly wants to avoid for reasons already mentioned.

This should be a lesson, don't announce a team moving without already having everything in place.

[RyanB06]

The fact that there's sports betting at all in Vegas, no matter how regulated it is, is the primary reason Vegas is radioactive as far as pro sports goes.

But if Nevada were to ban sports betting, the leagues would be falling over themselves to get a team in. But we know that won't happen, so until things change on one side or the other, Las Vegas is on the outside looking in.

Why does MLB and NHL have no problem with legalised sports gambling in Ontario? You can go to any convience store in Canada and bet on sports.

That's run by the Ontario lottery, no? That might be the difference.

[Swiss]

Expos' move to Washington on verge of collapse

Yeap, it's from Yahoo but was written by an AP sports writer.

-----------

Since the move's announce, I always felt that as an unprolix thing...

If Washington will lose that, it never will have the chance of getting another team after all the pageantry about "baseball back to DC" with logos and caps...

[pcgd]

I said it before, and I'll say it once more. No right-minded major professional sports league - MLB, the NFL, the NBA or the NHL - will ever get a major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas as long as there is legalized gambling on professional sports. Ditto Atlantic City if they pass a sports gambling bill in the New Jersey State Legislature.

Why? The arguments of that make no sense. Its no easier to throw a game in Las Vegas than it would be for someone to call up Pedro, give him 2 million bucks to throw less strikes. In fact it would be easier to call someone up in a city OTHER than Las Vegas to throw a game. Because, in Las Vegas its legal. Meaning its governed over, strictly. There are quite a few people that keep track of the sports gambling, and only the sports gambling in the City of Las Vegas. That's how the Arizona State points shaving issue was found out and stopped so quickly.

Plus, if people are that worried, they can have a UNLV like rule. If the team is playing a home game, no bets or lines are given.

A bigger concern is that they don't have a really good temporary stadium in place until they could build a larger, air conditioned stadium like Bank One Ballpark.

[DEAD!]

The fact that there's sports betting at all in Vegas, no matter how regulated it is, is the primary reason Vegas is radioactive as far as pro sports goes.

But if Nevada were to ban sports betting, the leagues would be falling over themselves to get a team in. But we know that won't happen, so until things change on one side or the other, Las Vegas is on the outside looking in.

Why does MLB and NHL have no problem with legalised sports gambling in Ontario? You can go to any convience store in Canada and bet on sports.

That's run by the Ontario lottery, no? That might be the difference.

i.e. a government branch, yes that's the case. However, the NBA had a problem with that when they decided to expand to Toronto

[pcgd]

Just to repeat...Sports gambling is Governed by the Nevada Gaming Commision, stictly. There are 100 agents that only look at sports betting. As said in an article in Sports Illustrated: Probably 1000 times more betting takes place on NBA games outside of las vegas instead of inside las vegas. Las Vegas may be the safest place to have a team in terms of sports betting.

What would you be more concerned about? The legal regulated gambling or the illegal gambling?

[NJTank]

Vegas will happen somewhere in the next 10 years, not in the NFL but likely in MLB or the NBA.

[jkrdevil]

Just to repeat...Sports gambling is Governed by the Nevada Gaming Commision, stictly. There are 100 agents that only look at sports betting. As said in an article in Sports Illustrated: Probably 1000 times more betting takes place on NBA games outside of las vegas instead of inside las vegas. Las Vegas may be the safest place to have a team in terms of sports betting.

What would you be more concerned about? The legal regulated gambling or the illegal gambling?

Both. Sure a player wouldn't be able to walk into a casino and make a bet but he wouldn't be able to do that illegally either because a bookie wouldn't take a bet from him. If a player would want to place a bet he would have to get someone to place the bet for him either way (legally in a casino or illegally) and that is something hard to catch. The most important thing is that LV sports books are high profile and if there is a team in LV then you have bad pr. People might think things aren't on the up and up, which you can't have. Those people probably won't think that about Toronto as convinent stores aren't as high profile as LV casinos. It comes down to PR.

[dannymits]

I wanted to see uniforms today...

Seriously, the DC people will do whatever is possible to keep the team. Nothing like some quality MLB drama.

[NJTank]

I some how think in the end it will work out for DC too

[CC97]

I wanted to see uniforms today...

http://www.sportslogos.net/article.php?n_id=48

[random]

My guess is that my boy Bill Collins will step up to the plate and the new stadium will be built near Dulles Airport, thus saving the team for this area.

And as far as DC not deserving a team....here are the top 5 media markets in the USA

1. New York City/ Long Island/ Northern NJ

2. Los Angeles/ Anaheim

3. Chicago

4. Washington/ Baltimore

5. San Fransisco/ Oakland

Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 have two MLB franchises. There is no reason DC doesnt deserve a team. The city has grown exponentially since the second team left, and the first team left not because of a lack of support but because of an admittedly racist owner. Two of the 10 fastest growing counties in the united states are in the DC area Loudoun (VA) and Howard (MD). Fairfax County has over one million people, one of the largest suburban counties in America. DC is only behind new york in the number of major corporate HQs on the east coast, not to mention it is the seat of the nations larest employer, the federal governement. The DC area deserves this team more than any other by a longshot. Vegas is 2nd in my estimation, but oh well, they will get the next one down the line.

Lets hope the Loudoun County government can do what DC couldnt. Follow Through.

[LMU]

NEW YORK -- Washington's new baseball team shut down business and promotional operations indefinitely Wednesday as its move to the nation's capital teetered on the brink of collapse.

[pcgd]

Just to repeat...Sports gambling is Governed by the Nevada Gaming Commision, stictly.  There are 100 agents that only look at sports betting.  As said in an article in Sports Illustrated:  Probably 1000 times more betting takes place on NBA games outside of las vegas instead of inside las vegas.  Las Vegas may be the safest place to have a team in terms of sports betting.

What would you be more concerned about?  The legal regulated gambling or the illegal gambling?

Both. Sure a player wouldn't be able to walk into a casino and make a bet but he wouldn't be able to do that illegally either because a bookie wouldn't take a bet from him. If a player would want to place a bet he would have to get someone to place the bet for him either way (legally in a casino or illegally) and that is something hard to catch. The most important thing is that LV sports books are high profile and if there is a team in LV then you have bad pr. People might think things aren't on the up and up, which you can't have. Those people probably won't think that about Toronto as convinent stores aren't as high profile as LV casinos. It comes down to PR.

Sure they can do that for a couple grand, but what's stoping them now from doing that? Nothing. Hell, a player can get online and place a bet for or against his team and nobody would know. He could do it himself. What you couldn't do is place a large money bet on a team that would effect a pro player's wallet. That's what stopped the Arizona State points shaving. Large bets were placed and that caught the eye of the NGC.

I encourage anyone to read the article in SI on "Why not Las Vegas?" It's provides the bad with the good and I think it could turn those who don't think there should be a team in Vegas into believers.

Trust be told, I just want a reason to go to an away game for St. Louis anywhere but Chicago!

[CC97]

My guess is that my boy Bill Collins will step up to the plate and the new stadium will be built near Dulles Airport, thus saving the team for this area.

And as far as DC not deserving a team....here are the top 5 media markets in the USA

1. New York City/ Long Island/ Northern NJ

2. Los Angeles/ Anaheim

3. Chicago

4. Washington/ Baltimore

5. San Fransisco/ Oakland

Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 have two MLB franchises. There is no reason DC doesnt deserve a team. The city has grown exponentially since the second team left, and the first team left not because of a lack of support but because of an admittedly racist owner. Two of the 10 fastest growing counties in the united states are in the DC area Loudoun (VA) and Howard (MD). Fairfax County has over one million people, one of the largest suburban counties in America. DC is only behind new york in the number of major corporate HQs on the east coast, not to mention it is the seat of the nations larest employer, the federal governement. The DC area deserves this team more than any other by a longshot. Vegas is 2nd in my estimation, but oh well, they will get the next one down the line.

Lets hope the Loudoun County government can do what DC couldnt. Follow Through.

I would say a market with no team at all is more deserving than a market with a team already.

You want baseball? Go to an Orioles game.

If I can take the train 45 miles in to Toronto every home game, you can go the same 45 miles to Baltimore for a game.

[DEAD!]

If I can take the train 45 miles in to Toronto every home game, you can go the same 45 miles to Baltimore for a game.

At least you can do that because you use the Lakeshore train.

[random]

My guess is that  my boy Bill Collins will step up to the plate and the new stadium will be built near Dulles Airport, thus saving the team for this area.

And as far as DC not deserving a team....here are the top 5 media markets in the USA

1. New York City/ Long Island/ Northern NJ

2. Los Angeles/ Anaheim

3. Chicago

4. Washington/ Baltimore

5. San Fransisco/ Oakland

Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 have  two MLB franchises. There is no reason DC doesnt deserve a team. The city has grown exponentially since the second team left, and the first team left not because of a lack of support but because of an admittedly racist owner.  Two of the 10 fastest growing counties in the united states are in the DC area Loudoun (VA) and Howard (MD). Fairfax County has over one million people, one of the largest suburban counties in America. DC is only behind new york in the number of major corporate HQs on the east coast, not to mention it is the seat of the nations larest employer, the federal governement. The DC area deserves this team more than any other by a longshot. Vegas is 2nd in my estimation, but oh well, they will get the next one down the line.

Lets hope the Loudoun County government can do what DC couldnt. Follow Through.

I would say a market with no team at all is more deserving than a market with a team already.

You want baseball? Go to an Orioles game.

If I can take the train 45 miles in to Toronto every home game, you can go the same 45 miles to Baltimore for a game.

Why so bitter against Washington? Do you fault me for wanting a baseball team in my city?

There is a difference between having baseball in a "nearby" city (over 75 miles from my house, by the way) and having baseball in your own city. Don't get me wrong, I love the orioles, but that doesnt change the fact that Washington is the biggest city in America without a baseball team. Why did Baltimore need the Ravens? because the Redskins werent theirs! Hell why does New York or the Bay Area or need two teams? Southern California has three. The point is Washington has been trying and trying for more than 30 years to get a team, then when the day finally comes, its taken away. Thats just crap. Las Vegas, Portland, and Norfolk are new in this baseball team thing, Washington has been trying for 30 years, and remains the largest city with no baseball.

By your logic, the Jays should just move to Niagria Falls or some such place. Its probably the same driving time as Loudoun County to Baltimore, and who cares if the team isnt technically in Toronto as long as its easily accessible.

Forgive me for wanting to hop on the Metro and take my little brothers to a game in our town. And forgive me for wanting a waterfront stadium to help clean up a terrible part of town, like was done in Baltimore.

I'm out of this thread now. I hope Linda Crapp pulls it together, and they save our team.