Canada's Professional Franchise Chances

[rebelx]

I honestly think that Canada's chances of getting another pro team anytime soon are pretty slim. MLB and the NBA aren't going to try anything after the Expos' and Grizzlies' recent departures, and the NFL probably won't either (I have a feeling that they do have some sort of agreement with the CFL, even if tacit). They may get a couple more hockey teams someday (in the two cities that had teams and lost 'em), but mainly because the current alignment in the NHL works so well, I just can't see it happening in the near future.

[leedsunited]

MLB-Doubt it.  There's too many American cities that want baseball that have a better chance of getting it than anywhere in Canada.  Outside of Vancouver, where would they even look?  Besides, Vancouver is probably Mariners territory (MLB has the most arcane territory laws ever).

NFL-No.  Never.  The NFL has agreed not to put the CFL out of business by putting a team there.  Not gonna happen.

NBA-No.  People don't want to play in Canada, mostly for ignorant reasons.  Vancouver unfortunately failed, and Toronto's doing okay, probably better than they should be.  But I don't think you'll see a team relocate to Canada ever.

NHL-Build an arena in a good sized city (Winnipeg might be too small) then we'll see.

So to answer your question, no.

MLB- Baseball will retrun to Montreal as early as 2009 or 2010, depending on what Selig does.

Dude, I would LOOOVE to see that happen, but let's get real.

Montreal, by and large, doesn't care that the Expos are gone.

[Original6]

The Grizzlies were supported, and even stern has to admit that moving the team to memphis was a mistake. They were ONLY there for 5 years, they drew good crowds for the first two and after novelty wore off it went down a bit. The team still drew decent for a team that belonged in the NBDL to be honest. That team broke all time craptacular records. Now, the team wins 50+ games and isn't even close to selling out. in 04 they had 15,188 average... are you kidding me? In 98-99 the Vancouver Grizzlies had more attendance than that. Last season they drew 16,862 and that is a joke considering how good that team was. The Raptors drew better and they were off to a 1 and 16 start or something. Till this day, the Grizzlies franchise had its best attendance average in the City of Vancouver. Memphis cannot even sell out playoff games.

Now, you probably ask why did they leave then? Same reason why the Sonics will move to OKC. The original ownership was way over their heads paying the Franchise fee (which by the way was so much more at that time than any other expansion franchise payed) and then he had to pitch in a lot of dough to build the GM place for the Grizzlies. He couldn't afford it so, he had to sell it and it was sold to Michael Heisley who had original said all the right things about keeping the team in Vancouver, but then moved it to memphis where he has other business entities. Skewing attendance, not aquiring free agents or players to make the team better, neglecting the fans... all to legitimize the move.

Well it's four years later, and the Grizzlies are still in memphis, but michael heisley is selling the franchise and will be no where to be found by basketball fans. Vancouver still has GM place with only one tennant, and as we speak is hosting the Steve Nash Charity All Star classic.

I understand that many basketball fans in the US never really cared for the grizzlies or followed their departure and probably thought that no one cares about the team in Vancouver, but that was not the case at all.

Either way, it's in the past now and you cannot change the past, but in response to the whole grizzlies fiasco it could have worked, and probably would have been thriving with the current team they have right now. In terms of the NBA probably not wanting to come back to vancouver, who knows, but Stu Jackson was on Radio in vancouver (you know stu the guy that said it was hopeless in Vancouver when they had to justify the move) said that it can work in the city now.

As for the Expos, that franchise was doomed in all corners except for fan support. I'll keep this one simple.

1) Olympic Stadium was not even in the city and had the worst sightlines/roofs because it wasn't even built for baseball, but rather the olympics.

2) Corporate quebec was no where around.

3) The strike really killed their momentum and spiraled ownership

4) Jeffrey Loria... this man just loves killing baseball teams ask current marlins fans.

5) When MLB took over they simply let the team rot, no TV contract, Radio contract was a joke. They already determined they were going to move the team it seems years before they actually did. Further proof of this was in 2003 when the expos were right in the wild card hunt, but the MLB decided they didn't want to fork over 500,000 to bring up players from the minor league. It was in the MLB's "conflict of interest" (Basically that meant we don't want this team to make the playoffs because we want to relocate it).

Honestly, if both leagues even cared a shred about the two teams, especially the expos who had a new stadium being offered to them by the government and labatt breweries which was turned down by MLB, those teams would still be in their respective markets.

Instead, they not only slapped a bunch of loyal fans in the face, but they also blackened the sports images on those two cities. Sad really...

[Brendan]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

[Eye]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

And why's that. Care to explain?? Do they have a good stadium or something? Care to explain your statement because I wouldn't say for sure that if MLB came to Canada that it would definitely be in Vancouver.

[Brendan]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

And why's that. Care to explain?? Do they have a good stadium or something? Care to explain your statement because I wouldn't say for sure that if MLB came to Canada that it would definitely be in Vancouver.

Baseball is huge in Vancouver almost all the kids here play hockey and baseball. The Vancouver Canadians are supported well and so is the UBC Thundersbirds baseball program. If you look at the amount of baseball players in the MLB that come from BC you can tell that Baseball is bigger in BC than in Montreal and if the MLB were to put a team in Canada they would be smart to put it in Vancouver. It wont happen though.

[B-Rich]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

And why's that. Care to explain?? Do they have a good stadium or something? Care to explain your statement because I wouldn't say for sure that if MLB came to Canada that it would definitely be in Vancouver.

Baseball is huge in Vancouver almost all the kids here play hockey and baseball. The Vancouver Canadians are supported well

Lest we forget, these Vancouver Canadians are not the old AAA PCL team, which along with every other Canadian PCL team relocated to US cities in the last decade or so. They are the single ?A? Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.

Their own website describes their level of support:

Attendance for the Canadians has grown steadily for the five years that the team has been in Vancouver. In 2000, attendance was just over 109,000 and in 2004 it had grown to over 140,000 for the season.

Meanwhile, many US minor league teams regularly draw over 500,000 per season, and several (such as Sacramento, the location of Vancouver's former franchise) draw over 700,000 per season.

Long story short, I don't see MLB coming to Vancouver any time soon.

[Gothamite]

Montreal, by and large, doesn't care that the Expos are gone.

And that's the real reason why we won't see another team there for a very, very long time.

[Brendan]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

And why's that. Care to explain?? Do they have a good stadium or something? Care to explain your statement because I wouldn't say for sure that if MLB came to Canada that it would definitely be in Vancouver.

Baseball is huge in Vancouver almost all the kids here play hockey and baseball. The Vancouver Canadians are supported well

Lest we forget, these Vancouver Canadians are not the old AAA PCL team, which along with every other Canadian PCL team relocated to US cities in the last decade or so. They are the single ?A? Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.

Their own website describes their level of support:

Attendance for the Canadians has grown steadily for the five years that the team has been in Vancouver. In 2000, attendance was just over 109,000 and in 2004 it had grown to over 140,000 for the season.

Meanwhile, many US minor league teams regularly draw over 500,000 per season, and several (such as Sacramento, the location of Vancouver's former franchise) draw over 700,000 per season.

Long story short, I don't see MLB coming to Vancouver any time soon.

I dont think Vancouver will get a MLB eather what I was saying was the that if Canada were to get another MLB team Vancouver would be the place they would go. Im pretty sure the Candians are the A's double AA afiliate to.

[Original6]

Montreal, by and large, doesn't care that the Expos are gone.

And that's the real reason why we won't see another team there for a very, very long time.

Not true, Maybe he doesn't care. But there is A LOT of people that do. Like me. There is no one in montreal that would prefer friggen CFL football to the Expos. Garunteed, but that stadium they played in was friggen horrible. One guy on the internet doesn't tell you everything you need to know (that works both ways). When I think about baseball I think of all the greats that played in Montreal. The Sell out crowds for playoff games and those big matches that came up on the weekends. I think about this city giving Jackie Robinson the chance to play pro baseball (with the Royals) and embracing him while america threated to kill him because he was Black. Im rambling now, so I'll end this post.

[Gregmond]

I just spent a year in Vancouver, and I cannot see it being granted a Major League baseball team anytime soon. The Canadians are a fairly low standard, and when I attended GAME 5 of the CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, there were only about 600 people there ... granted, it was on a Monday afternoon.

I wish the Grizz had still been in town, as I am a huge hoops fan, but I guess the one Sonics game I managed to get to will have to suffice. If they move away from Seattle though, Vancouver ballers will have to make to with TV coverage until a team comes back to the region in the future.

Vancouver is all about NHL ... in season it is the only thing in the press ... come to think of it, it isn't much different out of season. GO CANUCKS. I wish I could be back there right now .

Cheers,

Greg

[pollux]

There is no one in montreal that would prefer friggen CFL football to the Expos.

Uhm... yeah, me.

[Swiss]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

Hey... is Toronto (Canada) still in the MLB?

[nwtrailtrekker]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

and they wont because as of now vancouver only has a small time single A team. not to mention its already mariners/jays country, the grizzlies failed, and theres not enough of a fan base.

[marlinfan]

And that's the real reason why we won't see another team there for a very, very long time.

Not true, Maybe he doesn't care. But there is A LOT of people that do. Like me. There is no one in montreal that would prefer friggen CFL football to the Expos. Garunteed, but that stadium they played in was friggen horrible. One guy on the internet doesn't tell you everything you need to know (that works both ways). When I think about baseball I think of all the greats that played in Montreal. The Sell out crowds for playoff games and those big matches that came up on the weekends. I think about this city giving Jackie Robinson the chance to play pro baseball (with the Royals) and embracing him while america threated to kill him because he was Black. Im rambling now, so I'll end this post.

The Royals were a Dodgers farm team, so he would have neer played in Montreal if the Dodgers hadn't signed him.

[Fred T. Jane]

Hey... is Toronto (Canada) still in the MLB?

I'm not sure, though some would disagree with me...

[IceCap]

Not true, Maybe he doesn't care. But there is A LOT of people that do. Like me. There is no one in montreal that would prefer friggen CFL football to the Expos. Garunteed, but that stadium they played in was friggen horrible. One guy on the internet doesn't tell you everything you need to know (that works both ways). When I think about baseball I think of all the greats that played in Montreal. The Sell out crowds for playoff games and those big matches that came up on the weekends. I think about this city giving Jackie Robinson the chance to play pro baseball (with the Royals) and embracing him while america threated to kill him because he was Black. Im rambling now, so I'll end this post.

The Royals were a Dodgers farm team, so he would have neer played in Montreal if the Dodgers hadn't signed him.

What does that have to do with anything?

[leedsunited]

Montreal, by and large, doesn't care that the Expos are gone.

And that's the real reason why we won't see another team there for a very, very long time.

Not true, Maybe he doesn't care. But there is A LOT of people that do. Like me. There is no one in montreal that would prefer friggen CFL football to the Expos. Garunteed, but that stadium they played in was friggen horrible. One guy on the internet doesn't tell you everything you need to know (that works both ways). When I think about baseball I think of all the greats that played in Montreal. The Sell out crowds for playoff games and those big matches that came up on the weekends. I think about this city giving Jackie Robinson the chance to play pro baseball (with the Royals) and embracing him while america threated to kill him because he was Black. Im rambling now, so I'll end this post.

Frankly, you may have been one of the few to actually feel that way.

I was there for many of the games at the Big O for the last few seasons and it was sad. Even sadder when the most vocal fans of the game seemed to be Bostonians (or other Americans) on holiday, making a trip to the Stade.

In all honesty, though, I don't blame Montrealers for giving up on the 'Spos. The ownership just sabotaged the whole relationship for years.

[Original6]

If the MLB ever comes back to Canada it will be to Vancouver.

and they wont because as of now vancouver only has a small time single A team. not to mention its already mariners/jays country, the grizzlies failed, and theres not enough of a fan base.

Don't give me that about the grizzlies failed there. What about memphis? A playoff team that can't even sell out the damn arena. That franchises best attendance average still eminates from the vancouver grizzlies days. PATHETIC!

They didn't fail in Vancouver because of the support, they failed because the owner wasn't local and wanted to move them because of his other business entities. Same crap is going on right now with the Sonics, they are owned by someone from OKC who will probably move them to OKC eventually. Will you say the NBA failed in seattle too once they move? Even after 40 years of being in that market? I doubt it.

It truly is a joke at the level of support the grizzlies get in memphis.

Do some of you even remember the grizzlies?

[CC97]

Do some of you even remember the grizzlies?

Heads up near the beginning of the video, they flash the original "Vancouver Mounties" logo