Friday, January 30, 2015

When the Rams Leave St. Louis, Consider This

Could you have football really really soon after football leaves you again after a quarter century?  And now again?!  Well, if you get a new stadium .... blah womp wah, blah.... .

Or keep your stadium (, maybe renovate just a touch) and share the team, playing them part time in St. Louis.  And obviously part-time somewhere else.  (4 games here, 4 there, 5 here/6 there?).
Waiting for a polo ball to roll over the Cardinals and Rams

I really wouldn't necessarily want to do this and take away something to root for in New Orleans, but let's give it a thought:  Take the New Orleans Saints and rename them the "Southland Saints".

Is it the Gateway to the West, or is this river city of Missouri a Gateway to the South?  A case can be made.  Historically.  Ditto for the Jaguars sharing time, though in the real world they're locked into a contract.

St. Louis Saints hats can be worn.  Time between the Superdome and the Edward Jones dome.  A southland brand could draw in an exhibition and apparel sales from the likes of Louisville and Birmingham.  Little Rock can't get excitement from time to time.

After that ingrate Saints fan took the ball from my Bengals lady, I personally don't care if the bailed out city of New Orleans loses four games and goes to another franchise town of my disfavor.  Who Dat Who Dey got crossed.  And Go Reds!

But for something nice to say to the city of Nolans', Utah should trade the Pelicans name with you.  New Orleans Jazz should be it.  A share with St. Louis in the NBA would sound more appropriate in that regard also.  Southland Jazz playing in New Orleans, Nashville and St. Louis.  So many logistical options for innovative and brave souls.

mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/01/15/mls-commissioner-don-garber-gives-update-potential-expansion-cities-includin

Hosing the cities with a golden arch


See way more articles and chatter about expansion, co-location, relocation AND OTHER ALTERNATIVES for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 
More bigtime in more places!

Sorry, St. Louis, it's true.  I'm a Cincinnatian.  And I can be a hater drinking the hateraid.  Just sayin'

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

2014 ProSportsExpansion Blog Review for the Year

 
I COULD USE SOME HELP COMPILING SOURCES ON STADIUM/RINK/ARENA OPERATING COSTS.
The resources of a university would be nice.

Table of Contents for articles is on the right, as is the Index (word key)
2014 has seen talk of Oakland ball teams moving to the likes of Portland and San Antonio.  Some think Montreal should be a landing spot for Tampa's current ball club.  And last but not least, the NHL has let us know that it is going to expand from 30 to 34 teams.

So, the feasibility of my Triple T (3T, Travel-Tag-Team model) is questionable/debatable in terms of business feasibility and an arguably tangible/intangible ownership in the hearts of any fan base willing to embrace a part time team or regional spirit.

I haven't really done research so much as I have searched and landed on helpful bearings like wikipedia and news articles.  And there are some good sources http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/p/informative-links.html )

Nearing the end of last Winter I kicked off a blog in order to form an information spot of consolidated browsing for finding out the best chances for whatever spot to be the place for the newest ballclubs.  I see some indications that more than a grassroots effort has been mounted in the likes of Portland and Nashville to land teams.  I would expect to see more, but I know the franchises are business driven and it's all about timing among other factors of investment and market saturation.  Who knows what New Orleans or Charlotte will look like economically in a decade from now and which investors will be around and willing and able to invest.  

Either way, I couldn't find a good consolidation (MAP) of future feasible franchise locations on the world wide web and so I blab on this creation of a blog.  There's not one site out there that I can see to preach the good words to me, so I blab to myself like some crazed disciple that's lost from reality.


Sex sells.  It's one measure.
Since it's not in the current leagues business climates and the economy in general, I spend a lot of time in Imagination Land.  It's good to be prepared should the time come though, right?  And with an imaginary gun to my head I came up with a way for more folks in more places to "realistically" have their own team, if only in name, that hits close(r) to home.  I do so, even with the existing (number of) franchises in each league.

If you can gather other people in your area who have a lust for the likes of an NFL, NBA or MLS squad, and especially a drivable representation in hockey or MLB, I think it best that you get started.  Talk to people smarter than you and I and get that snowball rolling for the next time a franchise goes looking for more appreciative digs like your hometown.

Greener pastures for some means the beach.  Pensacola.

Surprisingly, there's not a lot of material out there, or at least as much as there should be.  It takes time.  There are many micro to macro things that have to fall into place and the wait is like wine.  Like an expensive wine.  My blog is more about throwing Boone's Farm in a blender.  Tastes really good in my mind while I wait for my 2008 bottle of fancy pants to ferment.


There's a guy with a Facebook page trying to draw the Clippers here or there.  He might be throwing rocks into the moat but at least he sees the wisdom in David and Goliath.  Another for MLB in Charlotte.  Another for the NBA in Louisville.  A Nashville guy that created a web page with rationale abound.  Newspaper articles revisit the fantasy here and again and bored fantasy football people websites speak their piece from sportsnation to the insert-your-town Times or Business Courier.  But really, I'm surprised there isn't more going on out there in cyberspace.  Is it that daunting of an effort?!  A booster for the future.

Well yes.   Reality sucks.  A mountain sometimes seems insurmountable.  But you know how the saying goes:  "If everyone could do it then ..... ".  Is it not sweet to be the underdog with the story of a lifetime?

 Expand the team in name and/or places.

"Expansion" in name by branding is one way.  It can also be achieved by simply expanding in name.  The Rangers play in one place but it is still for all of Texas they take the field.  I argue that if a sports team were placed in Las Vegas and/or Portland, naming it "West Coast" would make for exponential apparel sales, probably for many places in between.  Expanding by multiplying their home bases (camps) is definitely a way to achieve it, and the issue of cost could be pondered.  Apparel for the "Tennessee" Titans sells more than it would for a team were it to be named the "Nashville Oilers".  A helluva' lot more people from Memphis would be able to attend a Titans game in Memphis, and maybe even a lot more folks from Nashville would give the Titans game a go if the games were only on a monthly basis for their own home court drive.

There are many examples singled out in about 270 posts.

What name would you want to scheme up for what place?  
Know a great or innovative spot in your city for a stadium?
Is the business of it (3T) a viably achievable model?

For the fuller yearly sum-up and feasible wishes for some things to happen soon, 
click here and scroll down to the highlight.

I would love your comments and votes.

bleacherreport.com/articles/1567575-potential-supersonics-owners-release-artist-renderings-of-amazing-new-arena  
Looks like you're getting the NHL again, but the NBA commish said you're not an NBA town... .  What do you think?





See way more articles and chatter about expansion, co-location and relocation for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/

Monday, January 26, 2015

Austin, Texas. MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL or MLS Next ????? Answer: #NHLExpansion

The answer:  MLS and NHL.  And likely the NHL first.

Austin is showing up in the spotlight a little late with regard to the big 3 sports.  You're surrounded by territorial bastards with a limited piece of the pie.  You are triangulated in the middle of the NBA near San Antonio and smothered by MLB's presence around Dallas and Houston.  Texans and Texas Rangers make you feel okay?  I hope so.

No doubt there is magnetism for Houston lacking the NHL.  Houston vacated their pro hockey.  The NHL wouldn't ignore that fact.  Just like Las Vegas lulls the leagues as virgin turf, Austin could beckon for south Texas and heart of America balance.

Is Austin for a pick a shocker?
Latino San Antonio gives you competition for soccer.  Maybe too much competition for Austin.  You're just too close.  I would love for the compromise to be in the form of a stadium in San Marcos under the name Texas Divided.  Slick, huh?

Aside from that compromise, I think you're the best bet for the next NHL team in Texas and the heart of the country in general.

More and more football in Texas isn't a shocker.  Even the international brand.  I bet hockey is more of a cosmopolitan fit in Austin than Phoenix or Miami.

A shocker wild card pick for the NHL would be Austin.  Hook 'em horny.


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/   :


State named teams. A Wider Geographic Home for the Big Leagues
NBA MidAmerican Express Travel Team (for Louisville, El Paso & Austin...and maybe St. Louis?) 
MLS, Will the Major Leagues land in Austin for the first time, or will San Antonio get that Soccer team before their capital city???
Mid-American Cities that should Get More Pro Teams. And Austin.

San Antonio: Visiting the Possibility of more Pro Sports
San Marcos, Texas Should Be the Second Site For Texas Teams
Defunct American CFL Teams


Saturday, January 24, 2015

New West Americans. #NHLExpansion. Do You Recall the New York Americans? Travel-Tag-Team Idea

The name New York Americans is a throw-back in hockey:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Americans
America expanded west.  Instead of the old New York Americans, couldn't we range out a new brand for a NHL franchise called the New West Americans?  Arenas in places that would fall short of NHL attendance standards could charge more and play fewer games.   But it would mean more NHL in more of America.  not that I think that's needed, but it's a thought.  And an expansion team in the league could be a travel tag team  The American heart could grow fonder.  I think it's a win for the growth of the NHL.

A travel tag team, declaring it's home games at camp stations and embracing outlanders as a brand could be done on the Canadian side, also:    click  Canadian Band - NHL Travel Tag Team for Outlander Canada 
   Expansion is about to happen
Instead of like a Seattle/Vegas expansion to balance out a T2/Quebec City set of teams in league alignment, I have a few ideas:   Do a northwest market team combining camps of Seattle and Portland as one "Northwest" named brand.  Also, do a travel-tag-team for multiple big cities in the rest of America.  Put the T2 thought into the awaiting Hamilton arena calling them something "Ontario" and do something to the same tune as the U.S. travel-tag-team from Nova Scotia to BC for the provincial outlands.

I think a more efficient expansion could be done for any of the big leagues by considering those left out to tag along to one extent or another.  Pulling out of a market and seeing which ones are stronger could be indicated by how much support this travel teams receives at which home camp.  The trickiness is in the branding I'm sure.  Example:  If there was ever a Great Lakes brand splitting ice camp time in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and if either market has dismal turnout, the next season that city would be dumped from the schedule.  Toe tapping markets.

1929
With the Americans name I was strictly trying to make a nostalgic tie.  If the name is too nationalistic we could dull it a bit with the name Eagles or (even better) the Turkeys, paying homage to early entertaining thoughts of America while giving Canada something to think of as maybe being a potential slight.  Turkeys could be a point of pride for those who know Benjamin Franklin.

What would you call an all-other-of-America outlander team?  The Rebels?  Outlanders?
The Rebel Riders?  Sliders.  Overlords.  American Band.  Trackers.  Skiers.  The Unions?

Some cities that I thought that could be lumped into this travel tag team brand:
Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Atlanta, New Orleans and/or Houston, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha, SLC, Portland and Seattle.   That was going by the tracks on the map below.  Boise, I see you.  I have thought of a Great Lakes brand with main docking to occur in Cleveland and Milwaukee.  Let those AHL cities take part.

With the tracks, a thing could be made of it.  The bandwagon trainriders fan groupies.  Amtrackers.  Sponsorship for logistics is in there somewhere.  Corny, but thoughtful, I know.  Logistics would be interesting, a great gun-to-your-head exercise indeed.

The 'Trackers?
The Express?  Midwest Express?
I imagine my idea could be tried at the AHL or ECHL level but I'm thinking since hockey is fourth fiddle here, it might not generate enough buzz around the amber waves of grain unless it's the NHL.

Crazy?  Yeah, well, Miami and Phoenix frozen ponds.  Success in Nashville and North Carolina.  Worth a shot on goal?
What say you?

See way more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Canadian Band - NHL Travel Tag Team for Outlander Canada

Will we (the league or fans) settle with Quebec City and Toronto2 in the vast lands of the provinces as the next expansion?  It's not new turf for the NHL.  Couldn't T2 be called something else like "Ontario" for a better broader market blitz?

Please make comments as to what you think would be a good name for a travel team that is essentially a tag team for towns in Canada that don't already have a franchise to call their own.

What would you say?:  What would you call an all-other-Canada team?
Canadian Band?   The Misfits?  The Rebels?  Outter Banks Mounted Patrol     The Bear Ducks     Mighty Pucks     Outdoorsman     Overlords?     The Moose Flock      the Gooses     the Meeses     the Hockeysexuals .... the Fightin' Anglo-Frenchies....not important to me right now.  The puck has to have a chance to land before deciding an encompassing name.
wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_outdoor_ice_hockey_games

What I'm interested in is the list of cities it could call camp.
A rink in every town, right?  In Canada.
Let's talk population and then let's talk which cities have rinks that could at least seat more than some parents and a few uncles.

Old Montreal Canadiens practice outdoors
Population in order of non-NHL cities:

The 9th largest area is Hamilton  -  in Greater Toronto
Kitchener                                                                                        All in Ontario
London
St. Catherines - Niagara

I might be funnin' for just a little bit and say that Ohio is so wonderful all of these places in Canada just want to be close.  But then I would have to give Cleveland a compliment.  But Who Dey and Go Reds.
Every place Canadian up there is close to Toronto.

wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_census_metropolitan_areas_and_agglomerations_in_Canada

Then the list goes on from hugging more of Ontario, stretching provinces coast to coast from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.  The areas of Halifax and Victoria having north of 300,000 people.  Would 3% of them attend a game.  Is there a facility big enough in those stretches?

If we had two Canadian expansions one could be east and the other west, with an adequate facility to be the anchors for a little more viewership in Vancouver and Hamilton.

wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indoor_arenas_in_Canada

What are we going to define as "big enough"?  Does it have to be upwards of 13,000 seats for the typical NHL match?  Certainly, if a match were less frequent the desire and ticket price could be higher, certainly in Canada and the likes of Halifax and Saskatoon.


I would love some ice veined Canuck to tell me a thing or two about my spouting.


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

#NHLRelocate #NHLExpansion

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Florida Panthers can be ridiculous. Co-Locate the Team. Rebrand. Southlakes Fisherman. #NHLExpansion


PredatorpanthercatCanes of Miami Suburbia
There was a hockey tumbleweed that slid across the streets and chili temperatures in Atlanta.  The Thrashers franchise went back (re-located/re-branded) to a more befitting appreciation in Canada Winnipeg.  Carolina won a cup and the Nashville crowd is supportive.  Business is business.  And the gamble of hockey in the south can apparently work.  This business of pro sports in resort and transplant retiree Florida sure is something.  Hockey in the Cup hoisting town of Tampa is good but the baseball isn't.  Miami must saturate itself in the sports market in the form of another of many attendance problems in pro Florida sports.  And for Atlanta and big time hockey, the sports saturation might've been the case as well as customs and timing.  And this saturation could've resulted from melting ice.  I want to do something with the Florida Panthers.

I want them to go.  They should at least go to Atlanta every once in awhile.  A Georgia metropolis, arguably the capital of the American South, and a Florida location could make for interesting geographic branding to encompass its locations under one name.  Bringing ice to the south is somewhat counter-intuitive as it is.  A team home camped in Atlanta and Miami would be called what?  What umbrella surname?  Southeast?  You can't say "south" without Nashville or Charlotte, can you?

Can we call a team that plays home (camp) games in at least two towns the Southlake Panthers?

Houston would be a nice skate from time to time.  It'd have to be more of an event in that town to get a consistent turn-out, or at least one to count on people showing up to.  Southlake of Houston camp playing the Stars of Dallas.  Perhaps New Orleans pre-season or something.

Could we call them Southlake Fisherman (or something unique)?

Fisherman?  Could we call them the Southlake Fisherman?  When hell freezes over?  Can ice be frozen in the south?  Sure.  Ice rinks are synthetic.  Naming them whatever is cool, let's do it.  I don't much care about the south, being honest.  But there are Panthers in Carolina also, albeit football.  Jaguars, cats and bears, oh my.  There is pride in a name like Buckeyes or Tar Heels as opposed to some mythical Tigers and Lions and Kings of everywherelands.  What makes one stand out?  Unique.

I think a lot of non-hockey fishers would buy the apparel, especially with a southern brand touted in some options of wear.  Fisherman.  Motherpuckers.  A lot of ways to go with it, and what better place for a collegy name than an area proud to be represented by its college sports teams like the 'Tide, War Eagles and Volunteers?

Why not try my argument for a team for a few places?  The franchise's ice is already spread thin.  Widen it to a southern brand in place(s) and name.
The NHL could even include Las Vegas.  A broader and more literal inclusion of the "South" is Las Vegas.

Florida Panthers cheerleaders - the Ice Girls



Distraction:  ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/florida-panthers-nhl-sparse-crowd-ottawa-seantors


I have argued the same type of thing for other regions of the country like a Great Lakes brand and some sort of West Coast, Northwest or Western brand with Portland/Seattle/Las Vegas and that melt of Arizona.  West Coast Coyotes would've been a better and more expansive brand.  Great Lakes, North Coast, North Shore, Northlands and so many ways to bring in a travel-like tag team for the lakes and likes of Cleveland, Milwaukee, Syracuse, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and the Dakotas.  Atlanta and Miami:  At least think about sharing ice time.  NHL, consider sharing your brand with more of us unappreciative Americans.  At least in a way that makes us more appreciative.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  And Miami and Atlanta aren't small American or Canadian towns.   A little here and a little there will have some more of us screaming like little girls at a Beatles concert in no time.  More of us will have a team. 


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

#NHLRelocate #NHLExpansion
Click:
NHL - If each franchise had to camp in two cities... .
West Coast Whales NHL Team in Seattle, Portland and Las Vegas
Some NHL Expansion Talk
"West Coast" named Franchises get an MLB, NFL and NHL Team. Bigtime Win for Portland and Vegas.
Expansion Team Chatter for Hockeytown NHL. Vegas finally going pro.
At Least Two New American NHL Teams in Addition to the Two New Canadian Ones. 
Shuffling the Franchises for MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA (......Okay, no Campy Talk, so ONE SPOT)

"Northern Lights" NHL Team a New Expansion Team for Seattle and Portland. Try that on for Size.
NHL Team in Austin and Las Vegas called the West Coast Cattle Drive 
MLS Expansion. A team called "Upstate". More Upstate New York NHL also?
Yankees Hockey: The Great Lakes/North Coast Hockey Team. A New NHL Franchise and Concept
Dakota NHL Team                                      ....AND MORE
                         Just search (Ctrl F) "NHL" in the index:
prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/p/key.html

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Tag Team in your Town. A travel team. The West Coast Athletics and Raiders of Portland and Las Vegas Example

Let us say that the United States became a more cohesive place of less market initiative (or initiative by masses of people in general) in the form of a communist nation.  And as the Roman cathedrals would still play an integral role in our daily lives, sports carried forth.  And a grand dictator or king decided that each of the 50 territorial districts were to be granted a team (it would no longer be referred to as a franchise).

The king, upon consulting his experts, found out that the quality of play would suffer greatly, thus the competitiveness, and likely the viewership would soon follow.  The king then concedes that magically having 50 professional teams per league in the Big Four sports probably isn't the best idea.

"What about the sector capitals of Anchorage and Honolulu?!", the dictator exclaims.

"I have an idea", says the jest to his majesty.  "We will make one of the existing teams play there.  For football, baseball, basketball, soccer and hockey we will make it so!"

"How?", says the King of Sharing the Love. 

"Oakland's Stadium is dismal.  We'll either rehab or construct another one.  It's a good time to play at college stadiums in the mean time.  All we have to do is rename the team the "West Coast Athletics".  We can do the same thing to the Raiders", says the consultant.  "And for Portland and Oregon, sir, we shall include them and Las Vegas, Nevada.  We will build colosseums everywhere!"

"Sounds good" says his highness.  "What will be the format to include all of these regions under an umbrella team be called?"

"Tag Teams, sir", more appropriately, "travel tag teams".

He continued.  "Your magesty, I have thought of others in name, like a "North Coast" hockey team, plenty of East Coast and Southland teams".

"Very well then".

"We can lump questionable cities that wouldn't fill the stands night in and night out.  There are plenty out there.  I'll show you this, my king.  mlbreports.com/2011/07/01/mlb-expansion/.  There is plenty of want without sustainability at present.  And when there's a need to accommodate more talent, cities can break away on their own when they can handle it".

"Gravy", said the king.  "Let them eat gravy.  Portland, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Nashville, Austin, Louisville and the outlands!"


See way way more non-sarcastic talk of expansion, co-location and relocation for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

If Ever a Major Sports Team in Rhode Island and Again for Connecticut

Both states are sandwiched between Boston and NYC. And overlooked for expansions of pro sports leagues is a bi-product of this reality around power markets.

Providence "on its own" touts well over a million people in "its" area.  It is pretty much not 50 miles away from Boston.  So, there are people easily commuting from Rhode Island to work in Boston.

It falls under the realm of New England.  Football:  check.   Baseball?  Red Sox of Boston.  At the baseline of Celtics Hoops.

What about the New York Islanders?  Rhode Islanders?  It would pretty much amount to spreading out the teams that are already in the same area.  Could the Islanders play in Rhode Island instead?  Closer to the Bruins?  An exhibition there as the "Road Islanders" would be nifty.

What about Connecticut?

Connecticut
Hartford's old team started out as the New England Whalers before a league merger to the NHL.
Over 920 thousand people are around the area.  Why would I mention Hartford if it's not the largest city in the state.  Well, they had the Hartford Whalers play in the NHL about two decades ago.  It's the largest inland city in the state.  And Connecticut is a small state, with only Rhode Island being smaller and butted up against it.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Whalers


Baseball for any of these markets?  No room.  New England Revolution cover the other football.

Hockey is the only justification I can see.
New York City is hellbent on two teams per sport.  But something tells me that it's not beyond the realm of possibility for a New York hockey squad to skate scoot up the coast.  That's the only shot I see.  A five hole finger towards Boston.  Good for rivalry.

Last game ever for Hartford, 1997, usatoday


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Small examples of Combining for Power

In Cincinnati, rivals in high school sports merge.  Now there will be one instead of two.  It's becoming a new consolidated high school.

Yes, these high schools aren't 4 road miles apart and, as an example in the pro world, merging the Mets with the Yankees would do much of nothing, but it helps me think about a combination making for a stronger brand.  But a Glen Este and Amelia merger makes for a better team.  Talent has to be local.   Much of West Clermont kids south of Milford, west of Batavia and northwest of New Richmond, will combine into a better sports program.  West Clermont's two high schools are now one.  In Cincinnati's Hamilton County, over twenty years ago Greenhills and Forest Park High Schools combined to become Winton Woods HS.  Stronger numbers bode well.

What will the mascot of West Clermont HS be as a merger of Barons and Trojans?  We'll see.  And with regards to name and place there are choices.  To note the magnetism and acknowledgement of suburbia Cincinnati here are a few names:  Eastern Hills HS, Eastgate HS.  To keep its autonomous flare and re-acknowledge or reassert its place in another Ohio county it's likely to keep the name West Clermont (HS, Local School District).  Another less likely, but accurate one I have thought of is "Appalachia West HS" given its location in westernmost Appalachia in Ohio.

But anyway, back to the mercenary sports representation:
If Tampa dropped their baseball team and the Marlins would play there part-time and take their old Florida name back, the Marlins would be a stronger brand.

If the Grizzlies business were to suffer in Memphis, expand some play for the Tennessee Grizzlies in Nashville. Call the Angels "California" again, especially if the Athletics leave Oakland.  Be innovative and play some ball out of the Los Angeles area and share some love with the viable Sacramento.  The West Coast Raiders playing in Oakland AND Portland and/or Las Vegas.  Stuff like that.  A bigger better brand.

Married.  These principals.  Microcosm.  cincinnati.com/story/news/local/union-township/2014/08/20/husband-wife-principals-enjoy-rivalry/14349793/
Branding issues: cincinnati.com/story/news/local/union-township/2015/02/02/column-west-clermont-high-schools-mascot-colors/22753981/

Raiders or Titans or Wolves.  Oh my:  cincinnati.com/story/news/local/union-township/2015/04/29/raiders-titans-wolves-west-clermont/26571645/
See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

MLB Urban Youth Academies. Emissaries and Embassies of Baseball and Teams



MLB Urban Youth Academies
Puerto Rico, Houston, New Orleans, Cincinnati and Compton/L.A..

In the works:
Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia and D.C..

Houston has an academy.  Technically, aesthetically or whatever, New Orleans falls within the Astros domain, though no Astros stuff is plastered dominance around there from what I know.
In the L.A. area, the Angels and Dodgers post up.

What if every team committed to an academy in the area proper within reach to the stadiums and then another in the region?  There's Urban.  What about Rural?

How would the Reds and Indians do it if Columbus is in between?  Would the minor league team be tasked?  The Columbus Clippers Community Center?  Worth a thought.

mlb.com/news/article/107103890/urban-youth-academies-show-growth-progess


League of Nations


<----Cactus League
Grapefruit League
I have seen other maps indicating New Orleans falling under Astros Turf.  One being for the Regional Sports Networks.  This one is from a small facebook poll.





Some local thoughts for me are this:
The Cincinnati Reds could consider one in a rural area and another in the inner-city.  Just like with the sponsorship by a big business in Cincinnati, perhaps a Dayton company and one in West Virginia would help praise an academic-tutoring and extra-curricular place for kids to come.  You might get some more friends in Reds Country and take some away from Pittsburgh ; ) if you extend to the likes of West Virginia.  Would the Reds compete embassies in Nashville with the Braves?
The Reds do have a Caravan during the hot stove season to spread their word:  cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/fan_forum/caravan.jsp

Are San Fran and Oakland tasked with figuring their urban academy?  What about your (insert team) Nation?  Any thoughts on a rural and urban outpost location to promote the game and serve as an outlet for the community?

nola.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/03/new_orleans_youth_academy.html

http://lubbockonline.com/sports-high-school-baseball/2014-04-10/playing-hardball-few-girls-make-name-themselves-plains#.VIKdQGct0Sl

 http://myersparktrinity.blogspot.com/2010/12/girls-can-play-baseball-too.html

WMLB and my Lady Redlegs v. the San Diego Madres

See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

New Orleans: Visiting the Possibility of more Pro Sports

Nothing I'm about to say to sports-minded and geography-minded individuals is going to be brilliant, especially if you are a native and lover of New Orleans.  But here she goes:

Football and Basketball is big time American enough.  New Orleans has a national stage every year.  Additionally, football is represented in college and arena.

But the cream of le crop of American Apple Pie and Big Time cities is the ol' passtime of baseball.
Currently, the Triple-A team for the Marlins is the New Orleans Zephyrs.  Before 1978, the Pelicans (now the name of the NBA team) played baseball in the minors. Major League Baseball has an Urban Youth Academy in town and that's great.  There are seven across the country right now, and other than New Orleans the only other outside of a MLB town is in Puerto Rico.
mlb.com/community/uya.jsp

Over a million people call the area home.  Right now, that figure doesn't come close to cutting it for MLB's business model.  There are a lot of considerations for other cities before a thought of New Orleans. 
bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2011/08/methodology-for-sports-capacity-study.html

Rounding out the Big 4, you would need hockey.  For seeing hockey:  maybe not in my lifetime for the NHL.  Dey just don't care.  I think it's a safe guess, though crazier things have happened, like teams sludging through Florida and Arizona.

Big Five?
New Orleans.  A port at the heart of America.

 Next?
Get 'dat football team.  Land Major League Soccer.  Regionally, I would put my money on Austin or San Antonio next, but I bet it's in your future before anything else.


wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_New_Orleans wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_New_Orleans


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Major League Baseball in Tennessee. How to beat out Charlotte for an Expansion Bid. New Brave King of the South.

    A Tale of Two Stadiums.  Two Cities.  Who has the Business Bravery to do it?

Nashville and Memphis.  Rhythm and Blues Country, sound off!

Charlotte is bigger than Memphis or Nashville.  But not combined.  

You know in your gut that Charlotte might win the day for an expansion bid.  What do you think of building two 35,000 seat Major League ballparks in your state versus one that would be typically built in Charlotte (a city that already has a newly built downtown one for Minors).   Build parks in Memphis and Nashville.

Share the love.  Spread the love.

But what if the Charlotte and the Carolinas counter offered MLB with building two stadiums for fear of losing the bid?  From Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville are a 240 mile hike.  It's pretty much an equidistant draw.  380 miles from ATL is Memphis, which is 280 miles from Cardinals cathedral.  

You have two large cities spread apart in your state.  In all of the Carolinas, stretching south Charlotte and a non-enormous population in South Carolina doesn't make for a great Carolina draw.  Both stadiums if built would be better in North Carolina, unless you had weekend games now and again in South Carolina.

Surrounding states with MLB?  Georgia.  That's it.  Technically Missouri.
9 minor league MLB affiliate teams are in the state of Tennessee.
The same amount are in North Carolina.  In South Carolina,  there are 3, if you're thinking another Carolina brand.  160 miles separate Charlotte and Raleigh in state.  3.2 million between the two.  0.65 million people are in between around Winston-Salem.  Were a stadium to be placed south for a more Carolina brand, loosely speaking there are a million people between Columbia and Charleston 100 miles apart.

There are 1.3 million folks around Memphis and 1.5 in center state capital.  That's less of a concentration than North Carolina.  Two Triple-A teams in NC.  But there's more AA in Tennessee.

The Volunteer state has two Triple-A baseball affiliates, too.  Double A on the east side in three teams:  Smokies and Lookouts and Jackson Generals.  The love is spread out.  Can a Tennessee brand unite better than the brand in Atlanta?  Of course.  Two stadiums in Tennessee beats two in the Carolinas.  You know it.

Well over half a million people round off the east side of Tennessee in places like Chattanooga.  Baseball in Knoxville above.

SO WHO COULD WIN OUT A BID?!
160 and 200 miles separate the two metro distance comparisons (Charlotte-Raleigh v. Memphis-Nashville).
One on one, coming down to Nashville and Charlotte and the whole population concentration, Charlotte would win out.

In my unconventional model of two MLB Ball Parks for one franchise, with consideration to feasibility, if you think distance of the parks and separation from other ball clubs as advantageous, Tennessee baseball could win out.

The Braves may still have the hearts of Alabama.  But baseball hubbed in Tennesse could be a Little Rock draw.

New Nashville
As far as any bid in the east for MLB Expansion, big brand baseball absence from Indianapolis's 1.7 million people are less than that in Charlotte, and less complicated of a decision since Indy is Reds, Cubs and Cardinals country claim.  In any such regard, ditto for Louisville.  Hampton Roads?  A:  See Carolinas.

What would you name them?  In naming, you could break the tone of the old game.  Fightin' Irish..... Fightin' Appalachians.  Smokies is nice.

Bordering Cardinals Country in Memphis

Share the love.  Spread the love.  Could you spread the love further?  Are you thinking New Orleans or anyone else?

I have talked before of a Southern brand of sharing baseball in Nashville and Charlotte, as well as others.
Click below links (from Index):
Time for more MLB in the South
Southtown Soundhounds MLS Franchise 
Dream up the next Northern MLS Franchise. And a Southern one.
Gulf Run Rays. Major League Baseball in Monterrey, New Orleans and Tampa
MLB in Columbia, Carolina in general, and Charlotte
MLB to 2100 AD. A Little Brainstorming for Beyond.
Atlanta having two baseball teams ??? Existing infrastructure strengthens the argument for a team called "Southern".
Nashville: Visiting the Possibility of more Pro Sports
Tennessee Pioneers MLB Team Might Play where NFL's Titans Should. Sharing the State. MLB Memphis and Nashville.
Major League Baseball in Nashville and New Orleans


Major League Soccer in Nashville, Charlotte and beyond.
Minor League Soccer. A Travel Team Representing Two Towns or more.
MLB Memphis and Nashville.
Defunct American CFL Teams
Some Failed Expansion Bids of the Past

tennessean.com________nashville-next-major-league-city/25987035/
tennessean.com/story/opinion/2014/06/07/nashville-ripe-major-league-baseball/10115717/
bleacherreport.com/articles/2041269-the-best-names-for-a-nashville-major-league-baseball-team

Is this talk even feasible in the first place?  Running two stadiums with less-than-fulltime usage?  To make it so, would you build smaller, more charming and expensive tickets?  Gun to your head, how would you make it work?  Could you make more efficient use of a multi-use facility?  Would a stadium in Memphis and/or Nashville also house Major League Soccer?  So many questions.  So much room for innovation and land use.

What say you?


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 


NBA Exponentially Located -Expansion -Relocation (Co-Location) - Bigger Brand

This is where some teams should consider an additional playing base:

Golden State Warriors in San Diego

New York Knicks  -  Buffalo, Syracuse or Albany?

Tennessee Grizzlies rebrand with play in Nashville, also

Phoenix Suns: consider also playing in Las Vegas
     During such a homestand (camp), refer to them as the Phoenix Suns of Vegas
     Consider an "of Albuquerque" or "of El Paso" camp-brand.
In an expansion, my first nod would be Las Vegas in the west, and I would call them the "Rounders".
Consider rebranding the Jazz.  Give New Orleans the name, for the love of God!  Have a share-team for Las Vegas and Salt Lake City?  West Side Whatchamacallits.  Great Basin Bandits?  Maybe not.

Utah


Clippers rebrand- the West Coast Clippers playing in Seattle, too.  And yes, be in Vegas, too !!!

Indiana Pacers in Louisville for like 3 homestands (camps) in the regular season?
Louisville is the first team in the east to get an expansion team in my book.
But for now, an Indiana Pacers Riverflush brand or "the River Card".

Consider having the Washington Wizards playing a quarter of their games in Seattle for now.  It's word play.

Some home-stints for the Denver Nuggets:  "of Albuquerque or Santa Fe".  New Mexico?  Boise?

For a little bit more of a stretch I scheme ball for my hometown of Cincinnati.
I'm thinking Pacers, Bucks, Cavs or Celtics.
Cavs of Ohio.  Pace Cars of Cinci weekend.  Great Lakes Bucks.  Celtics of Cincinnati.  On the jersey could be sported "Celtic America" or Celtic Nation/Celtic Country.  Expand the brand.
For a homestand camp series of two or three.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Mr. Milwaukee and Boston.

Some homestands as the 76ers of Pennsylvania.  Place "Pennsylvania" on the jerseys for a Steel City stint.

What can you come up with?

See what I just did there?  More NBA cities with no expansion in the number of teams.
I touched on about 10 extra cities for the NBA.  That's a 30% increase as a whole.

NBA Nation. The NBA Doubling Down. #NBAExpansion


See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 



NBA Nation. The NBA Doubling Down. #NBAExpansion

Exponential NBA
For snips and giggles, here is how I give non-NBA towns, two home (camp) stands:

Celtics Country:  Cincinnati
Grizzlies Country:  Nashville
Pacer Nation:  Birmingham
Cavaliers Country:  
Bulls Country:  Monterrey, Mexico
Lakers Land:  Williston, ND  **
Clippers Country:  Seattle
Warriors Nation:  Providence
Suns Country:  Sioux Falls, SD
Magic Territory:  Louisville
Knicks Land:  Albany
Blazing Forward:  Boise
Jazz Lands:  St. Louis
Thunder & Lightning Land:  Little Rock
Wizards Nation: Hartford, CT                                            
Nets Turf:  Atlantic City
Hawk Guys:  Huntsville
Bucks Shot:  Birmingham
Hornets Nest:  Jacksonville
Raptors Landing:  Vancouver
Heat Stroke:  Tampa
Spurs:  El Paso
Pelicans:  Mobile, Alabama
Mavericks:  Albuquerque
Rockets Ship:  Dayton, Ohio   **
Kings Land:  Kansas City        **
76ers Forward Area:  Pittsburgh
Timberwolves Pact:  Omaha
Pistons Place:  Georgetown, KY **
Nuggets Press:  Witchita

Imagine, a stint in Cincinnati for the Celtics with the jersey sporting "Celtics Country".

Which city would you like to add to which country? 

NBA Europe Week. International NBA Sister Cities
NBA Sister Cities Abroad.
NBA - If each franchise had to camp in two cities... .

NBA Exponentially Located -Expansion -Relocation (Co-Location) - Bigger Brand                                       -CLICK-



See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

Monday, January 12, 2015

National Women's Soccer League. What about a Major League Soccer Collaborative?

The short of it, as wikipedia puts it, is that the American women are very good, much proportionately better than our men are in competition internationally.  The women only get the feasible business fanfare during the international stuff like the Olympics.  Other soccer strong countries have sidelined their ladies too long and America's emphasis on women's play has helped us be more dominant.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_soccer_in_the_United_States
"The success of the women's national team has not translated into success for women's professional soccer in the United States".

I would argue that we tag them along with MLS.  A cohort, a sidekick team, alongside the guys would be neat.  Let the little girls look up to the gals.  Give us all more to root for.  Keep them concession stands going.
Some MLS Franchises like Seattle, Vancouver and Houston have given this some thought.

There is a league now:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Women%27s_Soccer_League
Current teams:
Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Houston
Portland, Seattle, New Jersey, Maryland, and Western New York



Is your town represented?  Are your ladies or daughters represented?
prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/12/nwsl-houston-dash/

Portland's Alex Morgan
If I couldn't have the WMLB, I would like a WMLS team of Cincinnati Redlegs

WMLB and my Lady Redlegs v. the San Diego Madres

WMLB, WNBA, WNHL, WMLS, ... and wha whuuut, WNFL?!

WNBA. So why not the WMLS?

MLS most feasible chance at travel team/home-camp shared team model. A Few Examples.

WNFL. You thought correct, the Women's National Football League

UFL and Arena Football filling a void? And the LFL Expanding to Broader Markets Faster. World Markets.

 

See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 

NHL Exponentially Located -Expansion -Relocation (Co-Location) - Just a thought

Sports leagues in the U.S. could do a better job like the National Canadian Hockey League.  NHL does Hockey night in Canada and broadcast the grassroots of the sport in their showcase.

It is a grassroots highlighting of the national sport and the emphasis of the Sunday night time slot.  It puts a family friendly atmosphere into the mix.
Hockey Day in Canada: wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_on_Sportsnet#Hometown_Hockey
wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockey_Night_in_Canada#Hockey_Day_in_Canada

Hometown Hockey Games

Broadcast locations               

I wish Major League Baseball or even MLS would inject more of this Summertime Americana into American living rooms.

In my blog I've talked about big league teams having sister cities where they could play some regular season games.  For baseball, many minor league teams have MLB affiliates, some even sharing the ballclub's name like the Mississippi Braves being a reminder that it falls under the southern territory's regional capital, Atlanta.

But mostly, instead of big league teams playing exhibitions or one home stand in another city, I think it would be neat to try "travel tag teams".  An example would be if half of a team's home games were played in two places.  Say the California Angels played in Anaheim and the other half of their home (camp) games in Sacramento.  Texas Rangers playing in San Antonio, also - like that.  Or if the hockey Rangers played in Albany as well as NYC.  The name is already there.  The Dallas Stars have a minor league affiliate in Austin called the Texas Stars.  I think it would be better for the Texas Stars as the proper name for the big league team.  Houston or San Antonio aren't going to be in the NHL, in placement or name, anytime soon.  Splitting some home games in the big leagues between the state's capital and largest city would definitely draw more Texans into the crowd.  A trip to Dallas is far for many Texans.

Could it be done in hockey?

Blue Jackets Country could extend to the rinks of Cleveland and Cincinnati with a few games.  A faceoff at the fence in a Toledo ballpark or football stadium would be a nice game against a Red Wing base.  "Blue Jackets" blazed across the jersey as a home game in another Ohio city.  Though, as a Cincinnatian, I wouldn't mind them being renamed to the Ohio Blue Jackets, I wouldn't want the Reds or Bengals to be called "Ohio", but I wouldn't mind the B'Jacks playing a camp game touted as the home team in Cincinnati wearing Blue Jackets on the uniform.

Do you think that the Coyotes could rebrand to Wolves?  Play in Vegas, Portland and Seattle.  Call them "West Coast".  Hockey in Arizona?  Yep, like hockey in Florida.  Debatable as lackluster.

Panthers could play additionally in Atlanta.  Or should it be Nashville's predators extending some range to the "Capital of the South".  "Capital South" could be sported on the jerseys and part-time in town could work for Atlanta.

The Panthers could get the heck out of Miami for the likes of Cleveland and Milwaukee for a Great Lakes brand, under which Indy and Cinci could receive part-time consideration.  That's for the best.  By that I mean, hockey in the north.

In Canada, building two rinks per NHL team, fairly far apart, could work well.  The community would get it's use out of it.  Red Deer might not reach the figures desired for a business full-time, but there is much Canadian confidence in it as a part-time flux of people pouring into the seats.  Canadian towns could be counted on more than American southern cities.

The Atlanta Thrashers only lasted a shy over a dozen years in the NHL.  They relocated as the second coming of the Winnipeg Jets.

More click-reads:
Yankees Hockey: The Great Lakes/North Coast Hockey Team. A New NHL Franchise and Concept
Milwaukee, St. Louis, KC, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore with more Pro Sports
NHL Regional Coverage. For Now. West__ South __ Great Lakes 
prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/2014/03/new-teams-for-big-four-tomorrow

See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/ 



Sunday, January 11, 2015

What Cities Could Celtics Country Romance? The Boston Celtics

For point of reference, get your bearings here:
wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._cities_with_large_Irish-American_populations

HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS OF IRISH AMERICANS

The major league cities without the NBA are in this order of Irish ancenstry percentage:
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Kansas City
Baltimore (Wizards Country encroachment, a provocative pick)
Cincinnati
St. Louis

Omaha is down on the list, also.  They used to play part-time in the NBA (the Kings).

Let's look at this from the standpoint of expansion "ain't gonna happen".  It's where we're at.  That doesn't mean that the NBA can't expand the brand.  Were I an NBA or Celtics marketer, I would at least do a home(camp) stand in Kansas City in the heart of America one year.  Then next year, Cincinnati.  Boston's team would wear "Celtics Country" jerseys to those games.  A green C styled like the Cinci's Reds for a stint playing the Cavs in the nnati.

A little absence makes the heart grow fonder.  An event can generate buzz.  Apparel sales on the increase.

See where I'm going with this?
Any other franchise camping that you could think of?

wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Celts
Television territories can get creative.  The likes of Time Warner sucks.  I don't care if they have to do work.

See more expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com/