Expansion game! Expansion game!

[appleclock]

Pretend that the major leagues are each going to add a team for next season. Which cities would you choose for expansion in each league, and why? I know this isn't how it really works, but let's pretend it is because I say so and I'm bored.

National Football League:

Norfolk/Virginia Beach.

Why? The Tidewater area is the largest metro area in the USA without a pro team. Also, Virginia is the largest state (population-wise) without a pro team. And Virgina loves football.

National Basketball Association:

Louisville.

Why? Kentucky loves basketball. Plus I really wanted the Grizzlies to go there so they could name their arena The KFC Bucket.

National Hockey League:

Portland.

Why? The northwest USA needs a team, and Seattle is close to Vancouver. Everyone talks about Portland when hockey expansion is mentioned, (when hockey is mentioned at all, that is).

Major League Baseball:

Austin/Round Rock.

Why? Texas is baseball central, and Round Rock presently leads all the minors in attendance, and that was at the AA level! (They go Triple-A this spring). They would need a bigger stadium and even more fan support obviously, and Houston probably has territorial rights, but it would be fun.

What cities would you pick??

[CC97]

I'll make two choices --- what I want, and what I think would be next.

NFL:

Want: Toronto -- Now that Rogers owns the SkyDome, expect to see some NFL worthy changes, Rogers is veeeeeery interested in getting the NFL in Toronto

Think: Los Angeles -- NFL wants a team in this market, successful or not

NHL:

Want: Winnipeg -- Do I need a reason? Some of the best fans in the game

Think: Houston -- Seems like the type of city that should've had a team by now

NBA:

Want: St. Louis -- This city desperately deserves another shot at a basketball team, they almost got the Grizzlies but we all know the screw job they got there.

Think: Louisville -- Too many teams have tried to move there in the past 5 years, they're bound to be next

MLB (only expands in pairs):

Want: Montreal -- Only if they can get a new stadium.

Monterrey -- Let's make MLB the first tri-nation big league

Think: Portland and Las Vegas... but MLB will not be expanding any time soon, if ever again

[gosioux76]

I'd agree with Chris on most of those. Though I'd say Kansas City is just as much a possibility for the NHL or NBA with the arena they're building.

[NJTank]

THough I think Expansion is and should be out of the question for atleast the next 10 years Ill play along.

NFL:

Los Angeles is the 2nd largest TV market and for that reason alone they will get a team and will get a stadium and will get to host Super Bowls, and it will come soon as I thin the Saints will be going Hollywood after the 2005 season.

MLB:

Las Vegas why not? Gambling is an industry there but its not the only thing they can ban betting on baseball or the team in the city limits and it will be fine, gambling is exapnding out ward with Indian Casinos taht advertise during games, it wont be a problem many once thought it was or would have been 20-30 years ago.

NHL:

Seattle there are no NHL teams in the US-Northwest I thinks its an area where hockety would trhive and has historic roots see 1917 Stanley Cup CHampions Seattle Metropolitans.

NBA:

St. Louis it was a NBA city once before its a great sports town with 3 teams just missing the NBA to be complete.

[Phil]

Just to get the mandatory joke out of the way, yes, Atlanta deserves a professional basketball team, Milwaukee deserves a professional baseball team, Cleveland deserves a professional football team, and Pittsburgh deserves a professional hockey team.

[Alphabet Man]

For Australian pro-league:

AFL (Aussie Rules)

-- Hobart - The only Football state without a team

-- Darwin - For the sake of it

-- Gold Coast - Well, because the Gold Coast club (Southport Sharks) is the largest non-AFL club in the country

NBL (Basketball)

-- Melbourne - this city once had 4 teams, then Geelogn got sold to the league, North Melbourne and South East Melbourne Magic merged, became the Victoria Titans, then they got sold to Fiddes (owner of And1 Australia) and changed to Victoria Giants and got rid of all the good players and good coach

-- Singapore / Hong Kong - The league wants to push into Asia

-- Gold Coast - for marketing reasons

NRL (Rugby League)

-- In any particular order, i don't really care- Gold coast, Adelaide, Perth, Wellingotn (New Zealand)

A-League (Soccer)

-- wont expand for five years but the next club to come in will probably be based in Melbourne or Townsville imo

Pura Cup & ING Cup (Cricket)

-- Northern Territory and ACT to come in maybe, also i heard of a merger to have the New Zealand provinces to play in the Australian leagues

[jr79]

For Australian pro-league:

AFL (Aussie Rules)

-- Hobart - The only Football state without a team

-- Darwin - For the sake of it

-- Gold Coast - Well, because the Gold Coast club (Southport Sharks) is the largest non-AFL club in the country

NBL (Basketball)

-- Melbourne - this city once had 4 teams, then Geelogn got sold to the league, North Melbourne and South East Melbourne Magic merged, became the Victoria Titans, then they got sold to Fiddes (owner of And1 Australia) and changed to Victoria Giants and got rid of all the good players and good coach

-- Singapore / Hong Kong - The league wants to push into Asia

-- Gold Coast - for marketing reasons

The Gold Coast is a no go zone for pro-sports at the moment. Every team that has been placed there has failed because the locals are mostly relocated from Brisbane and take their loyalties with them.

IF a team was to start and had the financial backing to stick it out for 10 very lean years they might get somewhere. The NBL tried 2 or 3 times on the Gold Coast and failed. RL tried 3 times as well.

I think the only NBL expansion we'll see is perhaps Canberra trying again. (And failing eventually)

There is absolutely no need for the Pura Cup or ING Cup to change ever. They are perfect as is, and the results are evident in the performances of our national team.

Frankly the less our national leagues have to do with New Zealand the better.

[JamesCraven]

First, I don't even see Las Vegas getting any franchise for obvious reasons, namely gambling on sports teams.

Now, onto the choices.

MLB - Portland, OR and Salt Lake City. Both are going to be great cities for launching into new markets, even though MLB won't expand for a while. Of course, Portland would be an NL franchise, seeking the OK of the Seattle Mariners for invasion into their territory, and the Colorado Rockies would approve of a franchise in Salt Lake City and move to the American League to allow Portland into the NL - okay, let me get the joke out of the way - because the Rockies don't play National League baseball.

NFL - Los Angeles and Birmingham. The obvious reasons for Los Angeles - number two market, major media market. Birmingham has a decent sized facility - Legion Field - and a great football tradition.

NHL - Seattle and Houston. Two new markets...if the NHL ever gets back to playing games.

NBA - St. Louis and Louisville. Just think, the new Spirits of St. Louis and Kentucky Colonels. More old-school original ABA team names.

[Saintsfan]

Los Angeles is a given for the NFL, whether its as an expansion or relocation is anybodies guess though.

I agree with tank for Seattle for the NHL as a good spot.

MLB well they seem to be looking mnore internationally, so somewhere in Mexico or the carribean may be a possibility. Puerto Rico maybe.

NBA? hmm St Louis has a heritage in the game.

[Dilbert]

Dilbert's Picks

MLB-Portland, Oregon trying their hearts out to get a team.

Las Vegas, Nevada- Also trying to get a team, however if a Pete Rose situation occurs than put the team in Mexico.

NFL- Los Angeles, California- Largest market without an NFL team

Orlando, Florida- again, another large market without a team.

NHL- As of right now I dont care if they put a team in Moose Jaw! Just get this league going again!

NBA- Kansas City- Trying so hard to get a team

Louisville- Many teams have thought about it

[Ez Street]

NFL: Los Angeles, DUH! Los Angeles Saints?!?

MLB: Las Vegas, just because they have the money to build a nice park to attract a team.

NBA: Kansas City, call me a Homer but with AEG running the Sprint Center I think that we will get a team.

NHL: Kansas City, See NBA

MLS: San Antonio, they are currently trying to lure the Kansas City Wizards there.

CHL: Little Rock, WAKE UP CHL, it's in your backyard.

Arena Football: Kansas City, there already is potential ownership looking at it.

ABA: Every city currently on a map in North America.

[JamesCraven]

"ABA: Every city currently on a map in North America."

ROTFLMMFAO!

It just so happens that here in Philadelphia, the media is ignoring the Fusion, now known (and re-organized) as the Colonials. They ain't gonna last one year here in town as far as I'm concerned

[Saintsfan]

Is Orlando really that big a market? Particularly for the NFL which already has plenty of teams in Florida (Dolphins, Jaguars, Buccaneers) I can think of plenty of other more likely markets for the NFL, (Toronto, Las vegas maybe, Virginia, Birmingham)

I think a lot depends on how LA gets its team. If its a relocation then I wouldn't expect another expansion for a while. But if the NFL wants to LA bad enough for an expansion surely they woiuld expand two more teams rather than one. At least in the long run.

[Dilbert]

The one problem with Toronto or any other Canadian city is because of the CFL. Toronto already has the Argos, that and Im not sure that the CFL would want the NFL to invade their territory(Remember the WFL Toronto Northmen-Memphis Southmen deal involving the CFL?)

[DEAD!]

THough I think Expansion is and should be out of the question for atleast the next 10 years Ill play along.

NFL:

Los Angeles is the 2nd largest TV market and for that reason alone they will get a team and will get a stadium and will get to host Super Bowls, and it will come soon as I thin the Saints will be going Hollywood after the 2005 season.

MLB:

Las Vegas why not? Gambling is an industry there but its not the only thing they can ban betting on baseball or the team in the city limits and it will be fine, gambling is exapnding out ward with Indian Casinos taht advertise during games, it wont be a problem many once thought it was or would have been 20-30 years ago.

NHL:

Seattle there are no NHL teams in the US-Northwest I thinks its an area where hockety would trhive and has historic roots see 1917 Stanley Cup CHampions Seattle Metropolitans.

NBA:

St. Louis it was a NBA city once before its a great sports town with 3 teams just missing the NBA to be complete.

Seattle's an intersting choice because it was the first American city to hoist the cup and the T-Birds have quite a following. Problem is that Key Arena is a basketball facility. The configuration of Key Arena is like Phoenix and San Antonio. I would say Portland would get and NHL team before Seattle because the Rose Garden (great name for an arena by the way) is better suited for hockey. I don't know about Houston, I think it would a great market and there would a great rivalry with Dallas

[jrodsep]

MLB well they seem to be looking mnore internationally, so somewhere in Mexico or the carribean may be a possibility. Puerto Rico maybe.

We can't sustain a Big League Club. The Expos was a great example of that. For the first year the attendance was full for almost every game. Now for this past season the attendance diminished to the point that they were giving away some tickets. So sadly we can't afford it.

[Gary]

Arena Football: Seattle, Boston, Saint Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Miami, and back to Indianapolis and Detroit, would all look good as possible Future cities with teams

[oz615]

Seattle's an intersting choice because it was the first American city to hoist the cup and the T-Birds have quite a following. Problem is that Key Arena is a basketball facility. The configuration of Key Arena is like Phoenix and San Antonio. I would say Portland would get and NHL team before Seattle because the Rose Garden (great name for an arena by the way) is better suited for hockey. I don't know about Houston, I think it would a great market and there would a great rivalry with Dallas

i'll throw one at ya as far as the NHL is concerned, and that's Milwaukee,because of the simple fact that Wisconsin is a hockey state,so fan support there is definetly not a problem,as far as facility is concerned ,i think its NHL friendly i don't know for sure,but i think it will be a good fit IMO

[Suigi]

Teh Suigi's Idears:

NFL: Toronto is my personal choice for an NFL team (and thus become the only Canadian city with all four major pro leagues!), but they're likely gonna go with Las Vegas or Los Angeles because of the population there.

NHL: Winnipeg is the front-runner if they can get the corporate support, because the fans are DEFINITELY there. Otherwise, I'd go with Seattle.

MLB: No idea right now.

NBA: See above.

CFL: Blatantly obvious. Give me the Halifax IceBreakers!

NLL: A few ideas. The Montreal Fusiliers, Halifax Nor'Easters, New York Broadways, and/or Dallas Longhorns would be excellent expansion sites. GO ROCK!

[DEAD!]

i'll throw one at ya as far as the NHL is concerned, and that's Milwaukee,because of the simple fact that Wisconsin is a hockey state,so fan support there is definetly not a problem,as far as facility is concerned ,i think its NHL friendly i don't know for sure,but i think it will be a good fit IMO

Milwaukee would be a good choice as well. The Admirals draw well and the Bradley Center must be a great place to watch hockey, right? Not to mention possible rivalries with Minnesota, St. Louis Chicago and Detroit. It just proves that there are many good choices to put an NHL team.