Next Move Or Expansion

[Gothamite]

Bummer. I want a team in Los Angeles, but not the Vikings, nor the Bills. An NFL without the Jones Dome or Jacksonville suits me about equally.

I agree...while Im fine w/o an LA team, if there has to be one I'd hate for it to be a historic franchise like the Vikes or the Bills. I'd rather it be the Jags (no disrespect to JVille).

I'd agree. The problem in Minnesota isn't fan support so much as it is ownership wanting a new stadium. Why screw over a pretty decent fanbase (though I hate the purple bastards) when there are franchises which don't draw?

[gueman]

Well with the current economic climate, I think the taxpayer funded building boom is over. I am going to say JAX to LA only if it becomes a privately funded stadium. While I would like to see a world class arena in Baltimore. I think the city has more pressing sports needs, mainly to rebuild Pimlico. Now if they could somehow make a multi use gaming, horse racing, and arena on the order of Dover Downs. Then it could work, but not the way the city and state are being run now.

I could see the NBA creating or absorbing 5 Euro teams into the mix now that there are NBA/NHL caliber facilities there.

[LMU]

The Roski stadium I believe is going to be privately financed, and they'll break ground as soon as a team commits.

[gueman]

The Roski stadium I believe is going to be privately financed, and they'll break ground as soon as a team commits.

That seems like a Catch 22. Would the team then play in the Rose Bowl or Coliseum for 2 to 3 years first?

[Still MIGHTY]

The Roski stadium I believe is going to be privately financed, and they'll break ground as soon as a team commits.

That seems like a Catch 22. Would the team then play in the Rose Bowl or Coliseum for 2 to 3 years first?

I think that's what the plan was, last time I checked.

Either that or have the team play out two years in it's current city as a lame duck, which wouldn't happen. So yeah, a quick layover at the Rose Bowl or Coliseum.

[NEW.ERA]

The Portland Beavers might be on the move. The makeover of PGE Park might not be baseball friendly.

Yeah it won't be. Tucson, Calgary, and Edmonton are the 3 places I can think of off the top of my head they could go to...

If only.

The Cannons jumped ship due to lack of fan support and the owner not thinking the Cannons were a viable asset in the City, We have a baseball team it's Golden League but it's still nice to see some sort of Baseball in this city.

The problem though with Baseball in Calgary is mostly the weather and we're a Hockey and Football town first, the Vipers maybe bring out 1100 fans if that, to a 6000 seat stadium although it is a Shi*hole.

But I can always say to outsiders that Alex Rodriguez did live and play some baseball in Calgary.

[Camden Crazy]

Two I'm hoping for:

Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg

Sacramento Kings to Seattle

[BigMac12]

Two I'm hoping for:

Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg

Sacramento Kings to Seattle

I hope the first never happens.

[IceCap]

Two I'm hoping for:

Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg

Sacramento Kings to Seattle

I hope the first never happens.

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny.

[BigMac12]

Two I'm hoping for:

Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg

Sacramento Kings to Seattle

I hope the first never happens.

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny.

You do know the destiny the emperor speaks about never happened?

[IceCap]

Two I'm hoping for:

Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg

Sacramento Kings to Seattle

I hope the first never happens.

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny.

You do know the destiny the emperor speaks about never happened?

On a serious note, get back to me when the Coyotes get a buyer committed to the greater Phoenix area that 1) actually has the cash to buy the team or 2) won't demand the city bankrupt itself to keep the team.

[BaltimoreFan]

While I would like to see a world class arena in Baltimore. I think the city has more pressing sports needs, mainly to rebuild Pimlico. Now if they could somehow make a multi use gaming, horse racing, and arena on the order of Dover Downs. Then it could work, but not the way the city and state are being run now.

I could see the NBA creating or absorbing 5 Euro teams into the mix now that there are NBA/NHL caliber facilities there.

It sounded like there was some pretty serious talk about a new Baltimore arena, just a few years ago. Then even talk of a soccer stadium just last year. So, I thought they were pretty high on the list. You could argue that an arena is a pressing need, since the 1st Mariner Arena was obsolete when they built it (or so I heard). A new arena could bring some big events to the city. But I do agree Pimlico is the biggest need, It would horrible if the Preakness ever left Baltimore. I only brought up Baltimore because there was some talk recently. I personally would love to at least see minor league hockey return to the city.

I could see the NBA running some Euro teams or making their own Euro league, but I don't think they will be able to absorb them into the league. I'm sure worldwide leagues will one day happen, but I don't think it can realistically happen anytime soon. There would have to be huge advances in travel for it to work.

[LMU]

The Roski stadium I believe is going to be privately financed, and they'll break ground as soon as a team commits.

That seems like a Catch 22. Would the team then play in the Rose Bowl or Coliseum for 2 to 3 years first?

See, there's two different issues at work here. On the one hand, for the last fifteen years, LA has been used almost as a bluff market. If a team wanted a new stadium, they just had to pull the LA card, and boom, stadium built. So, for a team to move here, Roski would obviously want a firm agreement so that the stadium isn't half built by the time the home city caves.

On the other hand, the problem with LA has been that so many different stadium proposals have come and gone that you need to have the deal signed so that a rival stadium plan doesn't try to snatch that team away. Of hand, we've had proposals at Hollywood Park, a renovated Rose Bowl, a renovated Coliseum, next to Staples Center, the Dodger Stadium parking lot, the Angel Stadium parking lot, Carson, Irwindale, and Roski's proposal in Industry. So, Roski would definitely be wise to wait it out and start building when he's got the exclusivity instead of one of these other dime a dozen plans.

[Brian in Boston]

The Portland Beavers might be on the move. The makeover of PGE Park might not be baseball friendly.

Yeah it won't be. Tucson, Calgary, and Edmonton are the 3 places I can think of off the top of my head they could go to...

San Diego Padres' co-owner Jeff Moorad heads up a 12-person group that is currently negotiating to purchase the Portland Beavers from Merritt Paulson. If successful, Moorad's preference would be to relocate the Beavers - Triple-A affiliate of the Padres - to a city in Northern San Diego County. Carlsbad, Escondido and San Marcos have been mentioned as the most likely North County communities to land the team. Moorad has even engaged in discussions with Del Mar-based developer Gary Jacobs - a member of the Padres board of directors and owner of the Friars' Single-A California League affiliate - about having the Beavers share The Diamond ballpark with the Lake Elsinore Storm in 2011 while a new facility is built in North County.

"We're on the record and excited about operating a Triple-A franchise in Padres' territory," Moorad has said. "And we want to break ground, start turning shovels of dirt within four to six months."

Barring a relocation to North County San Diego, other possible California locations for the team that have reportedly been discussed include sites in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Additionally, rumor has it that Major League Baseball might look favorably on the synergies created by building a new ballpark in Compton on the site of MLB's Urban Youth Academy.

Meanwhile, outside of California, there are apparently ownership groups interested in acquiring the Beavers and relocating the franchise to either Tuscon, Arizona or El Paso, Texas.

[IceCap]

As for the NFL in LA Jacksonville has to be the frontrunner. The other team? Either San Diego or St. Louis, I would say.

[Still MIGHTY]

Most likely ones I can think of:

MLB - Oakland A's to anywhere else in NorCal

NHL - Phoenix Coyoyes to Winnipeg, Florida Panthers to Please God, anywhere but Florida.

NFL - Jacksonville, St. Louis, San Diego to Los Angeles

NBA - Sacramento Kings to Las Vegas

[TampaBayEverybodyLovesRays]

If the Beavers leave Portland, could that mean MLB to Oregon is imminent?

[Brian in Boston]

If the Beavers leave Portland, could that mean MLB to Oregon is imminent?

No. The Beavers are leaving Greater Portland because with PGE Park being renovated to a soccer-friendly configuration - and no local community willing to step-up and fund construction of a new Triple A-calibre baseball stadium in the area - there is no place for the team to call home. There's little - if any - likelihood that one of the region's municipalities would be more amenable to funding construction of a larger, more expensive Major League Baseball-calibre facility after already balking at paying for a Triple-A ballpark.

[Brian in Boston]

With regard to NFL-calibre stadium plans in Greater Los Angeles, Tim Leiweke and Casey Wasserman are investigating the possibility of building a stadium behind Staples Center, on a site now occupied by the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

[IceCap]

NFL - Jacksonville, St. Louis, San Diego to Los Angeles

The interesting thing is what will happen to the odd team out? Jacksonville can't draw, and both San Diego and St. Louis need new facilities. The NFL only wants two teams in LA, and once that's accomplished the odd team out will no longer be able use a move to LA as leverage in stadium negotiations.