Bud Selig: Montreal 'excellent' choice for return

[HammerDown]

I was on assignment in Nashville in 1999, there was a trade show at the Opryland Hotel.

I went downtown (near where the hockey stadium was) went into a bar. They had a huge TV screen, but there was no baseball, hockey or basketball or football on, its was bull riding.

The white girls there weren't as friendly.

That was 15 yrs ago. Pro sports and tons of banking/insurance money pouring in here has done a whole lot for this town.

 

[GNG]

I was on assignment in Nashville in 1999, there was a trade show at the Opryland Hotel.

I went downtown (near where the hockey stadium was) went into a bar. They had a huge TV screen, but there was no baseball, hockey or basketball or football on, its was bull riding.

The white girls there weren't as friendly.

Those southern girls have attitude.

 

[GNG]

"Great" and "country music" are oxymorons.

You must prefer Asian music....

 

[broncosmitty]

MLB is a bit more profitable than people think, even the smallest markets often make a good sized profit. Contraction isn't going to happen for a long, long time.

It'll never happen. Minny got threatened because they played in a crappy indoor football stadium.

Attendance isn't hurting. TV revenue definitely isn't regressing. With the influx on more Korean, Japaneese, Cuban(and other islanders) and Central and South Americans, the talent pool is bigger and better than ever.

But I could see franchises like Tampa being strong armed to build a new stadium or lose their team to a city with a stadium, or that would build one.

And Id have to think Hammers homer pick of Nashville is right up there at the top.

 

[Dolemite censored]

Those southern girls have attitude.

They said I was not black enough...

 

[GNG]

They said I was not black enough...

Most Asians aren't.

 

[Dolemite censored]

You must prefer Asian music....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpOc9n7dlI

Actually, I like jazz, reggae, techno and bhangra music:

Bhangra:

 

[jctoo]

[MEDIA=twitter]542417750858014721[/MEDIA]

Repeat: Move the Rays to Nashville where real baseball fans will support the hell out of them!

When did Patrick Duffy buy a baseball team?

 

[GNG]

Actually, I like jazz, reggae, techno and bhangra music:

Bhangra:

You like these guys?

 

[HammerDown]

They said I was not black enough...

You should have gone to North Nashville around TSU or Bordeaux. Lots 'o sistas out there.

 

[Dolemite censored]

You like these guys?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdDegaHfuXQ

No.

 

[Dolemite censored]

You should have gone to North Nashville around TSU or Bordeaux. Lots 'o sistas out there.

I've done enough "sistahs". I like diversity now.

 

[GNG]

I've done enough "sistahs". I like diversity now.

So you've become bi-sexual.

 

[tducey]

As a Canadian baseball fan it's good to hear this. Also the Rays move to Montreal they got a ready rivalry with the Blue Jays in the AL East.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Yeah, no football or hockey fans either. Pro sports suffer horribly in Nashville and baseball isn't the overwhelming favorite sport. You're right. Obviously you know a lot about sports here.

This could be a detriment. Football does well, hockey is passable although by no means are the Preds one of the lushest teams in the league revenue-wise, but throwing in a third pro team might be over-saturating the marketplace.

Today, Montreal and Portland are more viable as homes for MLB teams than Nashville.

 

[calsnowskier]

This could be a detriment. Football does well, hockey is passable although by no means are the Preds one of the lushest teams in the league revenue-wise, but throwing in a third pro team might be over-saturating the marketplace.

Today, Montreal and Portland are more viable as homes for MLB teams than Nashville.

I am by no means a Nashville expert, but I do have family in the area, and they say that Vandy gets a lot of the baseball love that otherwise goes to the Braves.

If there is a team there, I think it would do alright. I am not sure about the long-term success in a sport without a cap since the market is "so small", but the orgs that get discussed in moving (Rays, A's...) would not be moving into a WORSE situation than what they are in right now.

 

[HammerDown]

Today, Montreal and Portland are more viable as homes for MLB teams than Nashville.

I'm all ears!

 

[HammerDown]

I am by no means a Nashville expert, but I do have family in the area, and they say that Vandy gets a lot of the baseball love that otherwise goes to the Braves.

If there is a team there, I think it would do alright. I am not sure about the long-term success in a sport without a cap since the market is "so small", but the orgs that get discussed in moving (Rays, A's...) would not be moving into a WORSE situation than what they are in right now.

The Nashville Sounds (AAA-Brewers) are moving into a state-of-the-art new stadium down by the river next season. I'm really looking forward to going (if I haven't escaped back to California before then).

The A's at least have passionate fans. The Rays are the Rockies of the AL; pure bandwagon fans.

There are a lot of disillusioned, alienated Titans fans right now and if baseball were to move here next season, I think it'd impact the Titans the most.

 

[calsnowskier]

The Nashville Sounds (AAA-Brewers) are moving into a state-of-the-art new stadium down by the river next season. I'm really looking forward to going (if I haven't escaped back to California before then).

The A's at least have passionate fans. The Rays are the Rockies of the AL; pure bandwagon fans.

There are a lot of disillusioned, alienated Titans fans right now and if baseball were to move here next season, I think it'd impact the Titans the most.

I think MOST fans are bandwagon, at least to a certain extent. And I think ultimately that is healthy. If the org does not put a good product on the field, the fans SHOULD protest in some manner. At the same time, if an org constantly puts a good product on the field, it is easier for the casual fan to be mistaken for a die-hard fan. They are never tested.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I'm all ears!

Portland is a bigger media market than Nashville (22nd to 29th), and Montreal is a larger city + metro than the two of those markets combined. Like I said, Nashville has 2 major sports franchises (although I'm doubtless that a Nashville MLB team would perform better by every metric than the Preds do) while Portland is the largest media market with only a single major sports team.

Everybody has driven any point there is to drive about Montreal home already, so I'll focus on Portland. This article is dated (pre-Expos demise), but the points it makes about Portland as a viable market are still very relevant: Though not perfect, Portland a viable city for baseball - MLB - ESPN

Some facts from that piece:

-Portland is the largest metropolitan area -- No. 22 in the U.S., and with more people than Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City -- without a major-league baseball team.

-Portland is the largest metropolitan area with just one major professional sports team (the Trail Blazers).

-Portland's per capita income ranks higher than 12 existing MLB markets.

-Portland is the seventh-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country.

-In 2001, the TV ratings for the Mariners in Portland were higher than the TV ratings in 19 cities that have their own teams.

-In 2002, Portland's TV ratings for the World Series ranked seventh in the country. The ratings in Portland for Game 7 doubled the ratings in the Washington, D.C. market.

It's been 11 years, but I doubt many of those facts have changed (except maybe for the Mariners stat, because the M's have been hot garbage for the entire intervening time).

Obviously, like the writer states, these facts don't guarantee anything but they sure do paint a picture of a place that might be a more successful destination for a MLB franchise than others. Of course, given the current divisional geography I think the A's might be more suited for Portland, but who knows WTF is going on with them.