Sunday, November 29, 2015

News. MLB Europe and NFL Europe. Cincinnati


My Bengals are leaping from the Jungle to the Pond.  And there has been a Who Dey Embassy there since the 1980s.

espn1530.com/onair/mo-egger-9170/listen-a-bengals-fan-from-london


Baseball is obviously taking a note out of the NFL expansion playbook by its plan of action to do regular season in Europe and Mexico.

usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/11/11/mlb-hopes-for-european-games-within-5-years


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Friday, November 27, 2015

Imagine some Minor League Football Affiliations and Brands. Part II, In or Outside the Big League City

NFL minor league affiliates if they played the same place as the NFL parent.  Or another town.
Note some expansion-by-place names for some.

In Town, sharing the varsity field
Perhaps a most local flavor in name while sharing the existing pro infrastructure
COWBOYS: Texas Tycoons
PATRIOTS:  Foxborough Foxes (think the British chasing)
EAGLES:  Philly Iggles
BENGALSOhio Nnats (Gnats) or Fightin' Cinci-natians.  The Dayton Bengal Tigers could still play there
BROWNS: Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famers, Ohio Rockin' Roll Calls.  Shuhboohka.  See what I did there?

BEARS: Chicagoland Express
COLTS:  Indiana Stable
STEELERS:  Eastland Ironmen
RAVENS:  Baltimore Banners
GIANTS:  NY Gnats ?

JETS:  Brooklyn Bombers
SEAHAWKS:   Star Bucks (yep, I left room for sponsoship and maybe even Nascar lookin' helmets)
PACKERS:  Green Bay Backers
RAIDERS:  West Coast Raiders 
BRONCOS:  Colorado Rapids 

49ERS: California Goldenboys
DOLPHINS: Florida Fishermen  
CHIEFS:  Kansas Todos
CARDINALS:  Phoenix Preachers
BILLS:  Ontario Lakers

VIKINGS:  Minni Soda Tike Kings (sponsored by pepsi products), or Minnesota Brigades
LIONS:  Michigan Riders
REDSKINS: Chesapeake Bay Navy
PANTHERS:  Rally Cats
CHARGERS: Beachers

SAINTS:  Southern Sounds
RAMS: Mississippi river Rams
FALCONS:  Birmingham Elephants
TEXANS    Texas Stampede
JAGUARS:  Southlakes Sailors (Jacksonville)

BUCCANEERS:  St. Petersburg Wave
TITANS:  Tennessee Dueling Banjos

Aesthetic enough?

Out or in-town minor league affiliate?
...mostly from the part one post

COWBOYS:  OKC Cattle Drive
PATRIOTS:  Road Islanders
EAGLES:  Philly Iggles, consider Scranton Beagles
BENGALS:  Dayton Tigers
BROWNS:  Canton Bulldogs

BEARS: Midway Iowans
COLTS:  Ft. Wayne Horseman
STEELERS:  West Virginia Ironmen
RAVENS:  Baltimore Banners
GIANTS: New Jersey Generals, NY Gnats ?

JETS:  Portland Jets (Oregon).  Bold huh?
SEAHAWKS:  Vancouver Hawks
PACKERS:  Milwaukee Backers or Bootleggers
RAIDERS:  West Coast Raiders (of Las Vegas)
BRONCOS:  Salt Lake City Steeds 

49ERS:  Boise Bluelegs.  Or does Bluebloods or Blueboots sound niftier?
DOLPHINS:  Tallahassee Fishermen  
CHIEFS:  Kansas Chiefs (Play in KC or Topeka)
CARDINALS:  Albuquerque Road Runners
BILLS:  Toronto Billygoats

VIKINGS:  Dakota Oilers
LIONS:  Lansing Ligers
REDSKINS:  Virginian Marylanders
PANTHERS:  Rally Durham Triangles (Raleigh)
CHARGERS:  Tijuana Bulls

SAINTS:  Southern Saints (Jackson, Mississippi)
RAMS:  Kentucky Downs (Louisville)
FALCONS:  Birmingham Elephants
TEXANS:    Texas Ranchers
JAGUARS:  Southlakes Sailors (Jacksonville)

BUCCANEERS:  Pensacola Pirates
TITANS:  Memphis Trumpeters 


 Go ahead, call me a flop.

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Imagine some Minor League Football Affiliations and Brands

     Spit-ball with me.  What day would they play?  Which place?  Should the teams be more like a regional fence post, or should they just play at the same facilities as an NFL parent club?  Or even the same day as a pre-game flexor and exhibition?  $5 more to get into the gate earlier?:

COWBOYS:  OKC Cattle Drive
PATRIOTS:  Road Islanders
EAGLES:  Philly Iggles
BENGALS:  Dayton Tigers,...or should they be the Dayton Triangles (of ol')?
BROWNS:  Canton Bulldogs....or is a better market move the Columbus Panhandles (or too much OSU already)?




BEARS: Midway Iowans
COLTS:  Ft. Wayne Horseman
STEELERS:  West Virginia Ironmen
RAVENS:    
Baltimore Banners                                                      

Take that, ye terrorist chimpanzees

GIANTS: New Jersey Generals, NY Gnats ?

JETS:  Portland Jets (Oregon).  Bold huh?
SEAHAWKS:  Vancouver Hawks
PACKERS:  Milwaukee Backers
RAIDERS:  West Coast Raiders (of Las Vegas)
BRONCOS:  Salt Lake City Steeds 

49ERS:  Boise Bluelegs.  Or does Bluebloods or Blueboots sound niftier?
DOLPHINS:  Tallahassee Fishermen  
CHIEFS:  Kansas Chiefs (Play in KC or Topeka)
CARDINALS:  Albuquerque Road Runners
BILLS:  Toronto Billygoats

VIKINGS:  Dakota Oilers
LIONS:  Lansing Ligers
REDSKINS:  Virginian Marylanders
PANTHERS:  Rally Durham Triangles (Raleigh)
CHARGERS:  Tijuana Bulls

SAINTS:  Southern Saints (Jackson, Mississippi)
RAMS:  Kentucky Downs (Louisville)
FALCONS:  Birmingham Elephants
TEXANS    El Paso Texans
JAGUARS:  Southlakes Sailors (Jacksonville)

BUCCANEERS:  Pensacola Pirates
TITANS:  Memphis Trumpeters

Logistically sound?  Some neat choice names of ambiance?

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Thursday, November 26, 2015

A Team in an East City and One West City for a 34 Team NFL. Choose your Merry Christmas.

And out of fashion with most of my blogospheric condition and campaign for a multi-town team, I'm saying pick one. Pick one city in the east and one in the west that should get a NFL team.

West:  Boise, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Austin/San Antonio, Little Rock and Vegas of the Las.  I guess I could stretch and touch onto untoucheds like Omaha and Albuquerque.  Honorable mentions.

East:  Louisville, Toronto and Birmingham

Okay, I'll go east to west.
I'd say Birmingham if not for the reality of Jacksonville.  But sorry.  And I find 3 teams in Florida as bleh, especially under the same expansion drafting with their southeastern region neighbor in Carolina.

Without embracing my Canadian brand idea of Norde Force with a multi-CFL-Stadium-sharing football, I can't vote for Toronto.  Different week, different Canadian towns for such a franchise I think could work, and Canadian television ratings and northern unity would kill it.  In a good way.  I think the NFL and CFL could co-exist and the NFL would serve as a northern unifier and perhaps enhance Canada's brand.  The NCAA tit to our NFL tat, if you will.  Maybe one day we could share a minor league system.   
See this November's post mentioning minor league football.

Proximity to Colts Country and Bengal Brand could be an argument against locating in Louisville.  But rivalry.  And that's good.

I vote for Louisville.  And before, I've blogged about the Kentucky Downs<click>

Out of the many choices of the west, I'm partial to be braver with a twice per month venue, in a sport with many suitable stadiums in place like football.  So I mull over the likes of Little Rock.  SEC college football's presence there doesn't make my choice seem so much as brave as logical.  OKC already has a big ball.  So does SLC.  They have big balls in Utah already, both are round and one is already afoot.  Texas already has enough big balls; maybe not big enough to them, like Texas sized for a measure, but I'm more apt to share and spread the love with OKC than central Texas.  Ditto for El Paso and further west to New Mexico's Santa Fe or Albuquerque, though that might be a good idea since there's no big shadow of super major college football to compete or overcome. 

I would've thought MLS and then NBA, in that order for Las Vegas as its first sports landings.  And again, a weekly buildup for football can work in a lot of places.  But Las Vegas is one of the worldly never sleepsing towns, and as cosmo as it is, their football should be true to its name.  The international football kicked more frequently with feet that is.  My vote is for that soccer futbol over the elbowfingerball American brand.  I'd love Vegas to share the West Coast Raiders.  But anyway.

So my virgin choice of Little Rock is there and Boise is up for consideration too.  Boise Blues has a ring to it?  Boise Blue Legs?  If you know your football and fields I won't have to break it down for ya'.
And oh God, how it's hard to resist this one-choice quandary as I box myself in with a title and convention.  I'd like to combine OKC and Little Rock into a two or more state regional powerbrand by having a Midland Stampede team or Mustangs brand.  Or Midland Cattlemen (take that CowBoys!).

But I'm sorry, heart over mind:  Oklahoma City wins.  Population of all of Arkansas is 3 mill.  Little Rock Band has a nice ring to it though right?  Oklahoma Oilers is alliteration.  OKC Cattlemen does too.  But here's my expansion of brand compromise.  It ain't the Boston Patriots, baby.  The team is in Oklahoma City but I still want it with the Midland name.  That's more than a 7 million people name.  Express, Pack, whatever.

Midland.            Oklahoma City.

Don't be a dry old jive turkey.  Be unconventional.  If we can't do two-town teams, especially in the multiple games per week sports, look to brands like New England, Golden State and Carolina; not the unFlorida Marlins or unCalifornia Angels of Anaheim.

Louisville.  OKC.  Kentucky.  Midland.

As you can see, either way, I'm more for an expansive expansion.  Regional Sports Network this.  Think apparel with that.  Cha-ching.
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Minor League Football. The Better Idea?

This idea could aid the sport in an effort to stop patronizing universities and producing Johnny Footballs.  A development league.  A maturation process.  There's nothing wrong with a blue collar option as part of a broader hardworking American attitude adjustment.

I gleaned some ESPN background noise and heard Trent Dilfer talk about improving the NFL's product.  He would do it through development.
He said that he's writing an article about it for ESPN magazine.

In the past Arena Football as well as CFL have been considered a farm for the NFL, more so in the past, but the leagues are different games on the ground essentially.  Many leagues have come and gone.

My question to football hungry folks and geography sports nerds alike is this: what cities should get a minor league NFL team?  In its infancy as a development (minor) league, do you think many of the programs would share the grounds of the big league programs?  And what days would they play?

I find it particularly of poor taste having college or pro games on Friday nights.  If you don't know why I feel that way, you must be a really late football bloomer.

Also, in the adult world of business, I'm not the biggest fan of essentially extending Monday Night Football into something like a Thursday.  Daddy's gotta get up in the morning.  Are you with me on this?  Sorry  I went a little off tract.  But anyway, what day to play for the minors?

And what are some good affiliate towns for the likes of Cowboy nation (with a camp already in Cali) and the Bengals?  Would a minor league squad in Louisville or Dayton be good for a Tigers team?
Sounds like fodder for another post to me.  Name a city and give a name that team.

Whata'yah'tink?

espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/hotread140604/nfl-minor-league-address-injuries-player-development

 


On a side note:  I think there is a sore need for most companies to stop having sorry excuses of navigating much-to-be-desired information for these big organizations websites.  Consulting niche?

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

To many, Seattle and Portland without Big Hockey First is Crazy Stupid

seattletimes.com/sports/other-sports/is-nhl-expansion-decision-in-quebec-city-las-vegas-delayed-because-of-seattle-city-councils-sodo-arena-vote/

Get in line, desert hockey.  We've seen that mirage already.  At least it's a watered down, if not melted allusion, compared  to the beautiful sounds and northern bays for the cold import of ice hockey into more of America.

In the spirit of my regional expansion teams (tag teams) idea, I'd like to see a franchise killing two birds with one stone.  I'd love to see a joint team, a tag team for the towns of Seattle and Portland.  It would be a Northwest brand.  West Coast Ghosts sounds fantastic.  Or Grey Coast Ghosts.  'Jacks (Lumberjacks), Fleet, Armada,...so many options.  Let Glendale and Las Vegas share camps for the West Coast Coyotes or call it Death Valley and name it the Phantoms or Horsemen.  Riders.  Brigade.  Banshees.  Wolf Pack  My goodness, that made me hard.

Does what I said sound like an efficient if not at least an exponential expansion?
Texas.  Hooah.  A Phantom Soldier on a real base.  See my posts about NHL in Austin.
I've mentioned some of the above in blog posts before.

Sound off.  What do you think?




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Saturday, November 21, 2015

Respectable Texas Brand Identities and talk of an Austin NHL Identity

Respectably and thoughtful geographic brands are out there.  Here are some:

New England Patriots
Golden State Warriors
Carolina Hurricanes
Texas Rangers

What I'd like to see again:  the Florida Marlins
Arizona Cardinals and Coyotes were respectable moves
I'd like to see a Carolina'esque franchise for hockey based in the Dakotas. 
But likely, as expected, franchises will go where the money is, and in times with saturation,where the market is untapped.  It's a safer wager.  I'm thinking with the size of Austin, Houston, and Texas in general, coupled with NHL's expansion trend, it'll be the Lone Star State before the colder plains.

Look at the state of Texas.  You have greater Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.

You have Stars, Spurs, Rangers, Astros, Mavericks, Rockets, Cowboys, Texans
They stick true to identity of their claim.
Respectable brands.  Embraced apparel and fashion for most every hat wearing Texan.

marymcintoshart.fineartstudioonline.com
I see more hockey coming into the fold.  If you thought Houston, you were close.  Austin it should be.

What would be the brand name?  I vote Texas.  Dallas has a high minor league hockey AHL affiliate in greater Austin, called the Texas Stars.  Perhaps if Austin lands the big time claim, Houston could scoop that up.

But back to the Austin brand name hopes:  I like the Cattlemen, Cattle Drive (The Drive), Texas Herd.  What else?


Soccer?  I've mentioned in the blog before "Texas Excited and Texas Divided"

Will Texas stick consistently with their locational identity for the next team?  What're some good names?


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Friday, November 20, 2015

How Could Athletics Baseball Attendance Be Improved?

And ratings be broadened?


sexyteamfans.com
Those are your figures.  You may say their numbers of butts in seats would be better with a new ballpark.  I'm sure they would but that's not the feeling for the electorate on the east side of San Fran.   I think the overall attendance would be improved if half the time, or a quarter of the time, would be spent in Las Vegas under the West Coast moniker.

It's talked about throughout my blog, perhaps my favorite franchise expansion-slash-morph and territory expansion.  The West Coast Athletics.  Even if the team stayed in Oakland or went to Sacramento or San Jose, having the brand deemed California or West Coast would bring in more apparel money.  Think Portland. 

And I have also talked about some combo-nations for places teaming up with Tampa.

Think about how playing in multiple places would make the heart grow fonder in other hometowns and how that might improve attendance.


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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Sorry St. Louis. What are you Going to Raid? A Pontoon down in Saints Country? #NFL St. Louis and L.A.

This article purports the chance of the Raiders going to St. Louis when the Rams and Chargers come to call Los Angeles home.

The identity of St. Louis is music and docile birds; not river marauders. 


I'm with the author on this much:  the merry-go-round of moving teams would piss me off if I were, let's say, an Oakland or San Diego fan.  I'd tell the NFL to piss off if I was scorned.  

What say you?

Pissing off like a golden arch. 


St. Louis blog post:  click here

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Thursday, November 12, 2015

Expansion of the NHL and NFL to Europe. *And NFL to LA. *Chicago D-League. NEWS

NHL to Europe?

I'd like to see an all-Europe team representing Europa.  Call them the Europa Armada.  That sound good?
Not saying that they should be a team comprised of all Europeans and Swedes.  The typical mercenary roster fits the bill, as the NHL is not to be the olympics.
theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/travel-economic-issues-surface-at-nhl-nfl-european-expansion-panel/article27184108/
And in the spirit of my one-team for multiple places, let the squad skate around Helsinki, London, Moscow and Prague.  Or some such.



Will the Chargers and/or Rams move to the LA area? 
Some say that a vote for 2016 NFL for the city of angels would have to come by late Winter in order to happen:

idahostatesman.com/news/business/national-business/article44259939.html



Chicago is getting a D-League team for its suburbs.
si.com/nba/2015/11/11/chicago-bulls-d-league-team-hoffman-estates-sears-centre 


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Saturday, November 7, 2015

Omaha! Omaha! Broncos Country



QB Manning calls this audible.  It's eastward.  How much thought did he put into the name?  Nebraska, sandwiched in between Vikings and Broncos turf and wafting the wind of the Chiefs.

One day, far far away, when the number of Division I college football programs 'exponentiates, places like OKC, Little Rock, Omaha, Topeka and El Paso will have NFL franchises, heavens above permitting.

Look at the map.  I'm sure a person of sound mind living in Omaha knows there are those ahead in the line for franchises, name your sport.  Las Vegas and Louisville are bound to bring their states into the major leagues of something.  Austin will beckon something in the heart of Texas.  They deserve hockey more than Houston.  Brand it Texas and they'll definitely draw Houston fandom anyway.  I believe Omaha will call on the NHL for its first.  Boise will do something eventually.  Hopefully the likes of Omaha or the Dakotas will land something cool like hockey before Cleveland and Milwaukee saturate further.  Those untapped markets deserve it more so than even my love, Cincinnati.  My mind and my heart over my heart.


What do you see in the map?  In my blog, I see a way for SLC, Boise, Austin and Omaha to get in on part of the action.  It becomes more feasible when you talk about all but the footballs, because the footballs are a weekly venue.  In a way, the weekly draw for the smaller market is more suitable for the draw.  But more games, spread out, spreads the love, and likely fills more seats because of less opportunities, essentially being less days to pass up for a fan to attend a hockey, basketball or baseball game.  The money made by regional sports networks and their territories clouds the issues even further.  But essentially I'm talking about regional teams combining for power.

If an expansion team came into the NHL for the heart of America, imagine Austin and Omaha tag teaming for the Midland Cattledrive or Cattlemen.  Imagine a brand.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Small Market Baseball Wins the World Series Championship!!!

Congrats Kansas City.
....formerly home of the NBA's Kansas City-Omaha (& St. Louis) Kings



Look at this list of market sizes:



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Sunday, November 1, 2015

Nutsiest Big League Towns?

Or just say "weird".  Or just unconventional, unusual, or business unusual.

Green Bay
Jacksonville
San Jose has the Earthquakes and Sharks.  Perhaps.  For my Ohio peoples, it would be as if Cincinnati had all the sports and was kind of so saturated that they'd put a few of the teams in Dayton.  San Jose is magnatized to the Bay.
Columbus.  Like San Jose, they have the hockey and soccer.
Mountain Music?
Utah  I don't find a team for SLC as odd as their desire to not be unique, yet odd.  SLC represents a weekly venue also.
Orlando?  NBA Magic and some future soccer lore. 
Chivas was weird.

Are all of those weird?  But I like 'em.  Did I miss any?

What's the next thing?  Is it the above mentioned or something new.  Business-wise is apparently a gamble for the leagues and their love of Vegas.  Louisville won't be weird ushering Kentucky into the big leagues with either one of the footballs or the NBA.  I wish hockey would usher in Omaha/Lincoln or the Dakotas.  Or Austin.  The "Texas Ranchers" would draw crowds from Houston but they should be housed a majority of the time in Austin.  One of my favorite ideas is a MLS team for Appalachia.  The Bootleggers could play in Charlotte and Nashville.  Yeah, the Appalachian Bootleggers.

What're your ideas?


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NFL uniforms mashed up with NBA counterpart

Check it out.
thelab.bleacherreport.com/nfl-x-nba-jersey-mashups/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national


Teams in Pittsburgh city all share the same color scheme.  Cincinnati's minor league hockey squad embraces the town's mainstay (on at least an occasion).  Does this spark any ideas for you?





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