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WNBA expands to Chicago


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The Chicago Bull Dy.... Naw, that's too easy. :D

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That won't happen, though, because the Celtics' ownership is on record as having no interest in the WNBA.

$35 for a good seat is probably cheap for the WNBA. The Connecticut Sun, for example, charge $100 for courtside seats and $50 for the first few rows of the lower bowl of Mohegan Sun Arena. Everywhere else in the lower bowl is $30 except on the baselines, where it's $20. (Info from the Sun Web site.)

Chicago was one of the few good draws in the ABL, as previously noted. Why not in the WNBA? If there's a quality product on the court, the people will come see it.

 

Sodboy13 said:
As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin."

meet the new page, not the same as the old page.

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That won't happen, though, because the Celtics' ownership is on record as having no interest in the WNBA.

Ah... but an independent ownership group could set up shop somewhere in the city, including the Fleet Center (after all, Jeremy Jacobs wouldn't be adverse to making a few bucks off of a summer tenant).

Honestly, I don't see it happening either. However, the league does seem to be embracing independent ownership more and more. Plus, Banshees would be a pretty cool name to tie-in the WNBA franchise's identity to that of the Celtics.

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That won't happen, though, because the Celtics' ownership is on record as having no interest in the WNBA.

Ah... but an independent ownership group could set up shop somewhere in the city, including the Fleet Center (after all, Jeremy Jacobs wouldn't be adverse to making a few bucks off of a summer tenant).

Honestly, I don't see it happening either. However, the league does seem to be embracing independent ownership more and more. Plus, Banshees would be a pretty cool name to tie-in the WNBA franchise's identity to that of the Celtics.

But if for any reason the Fleet is out of play (Jacobs wants too much for rent, too much of a cut on concessions and parking, etc.), where would this conjectural Boston team play? Do they really want to play at BU? Northeastern? BC? IMO, none of those three options are palatable alternatives in the event Jacobs won't play ball (no pun intended), though BU would be the least undesirable of the three (at least they've got a new arena there).

This is sort of why I'm happy Chicago is going the college gym route instead of going full-bore for the United Center: the UC is too big for a startup WNBA team. I'd even go so far as to say it wouldn't be a good arena for an established team - the average WNBA crowd wouldn't even half-fill the joint.

Just out of curiosity, was there any effort to secure the Rosemont Horizon (I think it's Allstate Arena now, don't quote me on that) as the venue? The place holds about 10,000, no?

 

Sodboy13 said:
As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin."

meet the new page, not the same as the old page.

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We don't want a WNBA team. But now we got one. Let it fail. I'll just enjoy my Arena Football, thank you very much. :)

Well, if there enough people like you with that attitude, the team just might. <_<

 

Sodboy13 said:
As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin."

meet the new page, not the same as the old page.

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What about the Chicago Cows?

(it goes w/ the Bulls like many of the WNBA teams do...)

what a logo that would be

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Do they really want to play at BU? Northeastern? BC? IMO, none of those three options are palatable alternatives in the event Jacobs won't play ball (no pun intended), though BU would be the least undesirable of the three (at least they've got a new arena there).

This is sort of why I'm happy Chicago is going the college gym route instead of going full-bore for the United Center...

So, let me see if I get this straight: You're "happy" that the WNBA's new Chicago franchise is "going the college gym route" at the UIC Pavilion, a 22-year-old facility that seats between 7,500 and 8,000 for basketball. However, the brand new Agganis Arena (2005/7,200 basketball capacity), as well as either Conte Forum (1988/8,600 basketball capacity) or Matthews Arena (1995 renovation/6,200 basketball capacity), all located on Greater Boston campuses, in your opinion wouldn't be "palatable alternatives" if the Fleet Center wasn't available to a Boston-based WNBA franchise. You do realize that such a stand makes absolutely no sense, right?

Why the double-standard? Why do you consider a college facility a perfectly suitable home for a WNBA team in Chicago, while a campus arena in Boston is, in your estimation, somehow sub-par?

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I think I may have stepped in it here. I think I should have written "most desirable" instead of "least undesirable". Same meaning, different connotation. I should've known better.

Of course I'd rather see the team in Agganis if the Fleet weren't available for some reason. From what I've seen of the place on TV, it looks pretty nice.

 

Sodboy13 said:
As you watch more basketball, you will learn to appreciate the difference between "defense" and "couldn't find the rim with a pair of bloodhounds and a Garmin."

meet the new page, not the same as the old page.

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"Most desirable"... "least undesirable". The difference between the two is semantics.

I'm more baffled by your contention that none of the Boston-based campus facilities would - in your opinion - be "palatable alternatives" to the Fleet Center, yet you're "happy" that the WNBA's Chicago franchise is "going the college gym route". Why, in your opinion, would playing in a college facility in Boston be less than "palatable", while playing in a college facility in Chicago is something that seems to strike you as a good thing?

Bottom line? IMHO, unless the WNBA team in a given market is owned by an NBA team in the same city that either (1) owns its facility or (2) has a "sweetheart" relationship with the arena in which the NBA team plays, it would seem to me that a WNBA franchise might well be better served playing in a nice on-campus facility. Generally speaking, such facilities are smaller. Therefore, it should be easier to create a demand for the WNBA product amongst the members of a smaller target market. Attending the event would be a more up-close and intimate experience. There would always be the opportunity to move to a larger, more "pro-oriented" facility in the future, should demand for the product call for it.

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If Agganis is good enough for Duran Duran and Sting, it's good enough for the WNBA.

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Just out of curiosity, was there any effort to secure the Rosemont Horizon (I think it's Allstate Arena now, don't quote me on that) as the venue? The place holds about 10,000, no?

I thought it was around 18,000.

The arena does have a Pro Sports History, with the Rush there now and the Skyliners of the ABA2000 there in 00-01(avg. of 2,147/game)

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I live in the Chicago area and am a frequent visitor of UIC Flames men's bball games at the Pavillion. Although it's not the UC by any standard, it is a good fit for a new team that will probably not see too much fan support for their first couple of seasons.

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