HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #41  
Old Posted Mar 13, 2017, 8:37 PM
blueandgoldguy blueandgoldguy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,752
Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire View Post
It seems to me that talk about MLB in Montreal is really more about nostalgia than about an actual love for baseball among Montrealers.

Don't get me wrong, if there was actual, genuine interest I think Montreal would have a team tomorrow. But a simple yearning for the past, basking in memories of eating peanuts under a clear blue sky at the Big O while cheering for Andre Dawson or whoever probably isn't going to convince anyone to pony up well over a billion dollars for a franchise and a new stadium.
I agree, much of discussion of the return of the Expos is based on nostalgia although I think the team would find a comfortably large niche within the sporting landscape of Montreal and Quebec. With a likely substantial tv contract with RDS/TSN to compete against the Jays and Sportsnet for summer sports content the team would have a secure future unlike the previous incarnation that was barely on the air in their final decade of existence.

Any potential ownership group can't rely on all or the majority of the funding originating from the municipal and provincial government for a new stadium imo for this to happen. They would need to provide at least half the funds for a new $500 million stadium. Let's say, $150 million from the ownership group and another $100 million through stadium rights (10 - 15 year naming rights deal with whatever corporation at $7.5 - 10 million per year). Maybe a loan from the province or city for another $100 million paid off through a ticket tax. Let's say $2 a ticket.

$2 * 27,000 per game * 81 games * 25 years = approx. $100 million

Who knows? Maybe negotiations are under way as we speak, but I don't think Tampa will be moving anytime soon especially with the lease they have.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #42  
Old Posted Mar 13, 2017, 8:39 PM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,765
Quote:
Originally Posted by logan5 View Post
Did Portland build a new stadium?. The Vancouver crowds in Seattle, it coyld be argued, shows the best case for which city would support MLB.


Portland would need to build a new stadium still,as would Vancouver, Montreal technically could play at the Big O tomorrow while building a new stadium.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #43  
Old Posted Mar 13, 2017, 8:41 PM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is offline
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,664
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy View Post
I agree, much of discussion of the return of the Expos is based on nostalgia although I think the team would find a comfortably large niche within the sporting landscape of Montreal and Quebec. With a likely substantial tv contract with RDS/TSN to compete against the Jays and Sportsnet for summer sports content the team would have a secure future unlike the previous incarnation that was barely on the air in their final decade of existence.

Any potential ownership group can't rely on all or the majority of the funding originating from the municipal and provincial government for a new stadium imo for this to happen. They would need to provide at least half the funds for a new $500 million stadium. Let's say, $150 million from the ownership group and another $100 million through stadium rights (10 - 15 year naming rights deal with whatever corporation at $7.5 - 10 million per year). Maybe a loan from the province or city for another $100 million paid off through a ticket tax. Let's say $2 a ticket.

$2 * 27,000 per game * 81 games * 25 years = approx. $100 million

Who knows? Maybe negotiations are under way as we speak, but I don't think Tampa will be moving anytime soon especially with the lease they have.
I don't see an average of 27k people coming out over an 81-game home season for baseball in Montreal. Maybe in the first couple of years, but after that?
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #44  
Old Posted Mar 13, 2017, 8:45 PM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is offline
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,664
The best years *ever* (79-83) for the Expos averaged 26-28k a game. That's when the Big O was fairly new and was an attraction by itself. And these were the Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, etc. years.

Even in the strike-shortened season of 1994 when they had an awesome team that led the majors, they only averaged 22-23k.

http://exposnation.com/assistance-pa...s-de-montreal/
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #45  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 12:55 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
Quote:
Originally Posted by TorontoDrew View Post
This statement is just absurd. Yes the Jays voted in line with the rest of the league to relocate the Expos but it was a failing team back then and it was a business based decision. To say the Jays spent their first 25 years trying to drive out the Expos could not be further from the truth.
The demise of the Expos is on the shoulders of Montrealers and the Expos organisation/ ownership. Full stop. However, I stand by my previous statement - the Jays played an active role in the demise of the Expos.

The Jays entered MLB on the backs of the Expos' on and off-field success. Prior to 1977, Toronto was nowhere on MLB's radar but the Expos/ Bronfman actively helped them land a team - they thought it would be good for baseball in Canada to have two teams. Well, little did Charles know the Jays would eat them alive.

The Jays MO was to dominate the media market in Canada which they accomplished to the point where an Expos game was essentially impossible to find on TV and even radio at the end. They left Montreal after the 2004 season but, in reality, it was much earlier than that.

As already mentioned, the Jays voted to contract the Expos. Yes, at that point there was nothing they could have done to help Montreal and, yes, abstaining or voting against that motion would have been a very complicated political move. But the fact of the matter is, they voted for contraction which, of course, opened up tremendous marketing opportunities for the Jays.

I'm not naive. I understand the nature of business. That it's cut-throat at times, that there are no friends in business and all those other cliches. But what irks me is that the Jays never looked to work with the Expos. They never saw the common good of keeping baseball alive in Montreal. All they seemed to see was the advantage of Montreal disappearing from the Canadian baseball map. And that's a shame for a team that exists only because baseball was a success in Montreal in the first place.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #46  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 1:25 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack View Post
The best years *ever* (79-83) for the Expos averaged 26-28k a game. That's when the Big O was fairly new and was an attraction by itself. And these were the Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, etc. years.

Even in the strike-shortened season of 1994 when they had an awesome team that led the majors, they only averaged 22-23k.

http://exposnation.com/assistance-pa...s-de-montreal/
Yes, but attendance has to be looked at in context. In 1983, for example, the Expos drew around 2.3 million - their highest total ever. A nice number, sure, but not exactly impressive. However, that figure ranked them 3rd in the NL that year. In that same year, the Cubs saw only 1.5 million pass through the turnstiles. The Mets a mere 1.1 million. Different time, I suppose.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #47  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 1:36 AM
OutOfTowner OutOfTowner is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: MTL
Posts: 468
I don't think there's enough interest in baseball in MTL and I certainly don't want to see public money poured into a stadium.

Personally, I'd go to a couple of games but there are too many other things going on to warrant more than that. It would be a Monday night in April sort of deal.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #48  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 4:36 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
^Don't know what the expansion fees would be (hundreds of millions) but that plus a new (retractable roof) stadium would likely go well beyond $1B, maybe even $1.5B. That sort of financial decision, you'd think, could only be made if public money were involved.

Owning an MLB franchise is a very lucrative business these days but it's hard to imagine someone paying out of pocket for all that. Now, if Bell Media were involved, that might be a different story but MLB is generally against corporate involvement with their franchises.

Regardless of whether people think it might work or not, Montreal remains the most viable option for an expansion franchise. Just don't think it's on the front-burner right now.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #49  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 5:23 AM
BretttheRiderFan's Avatar
BretttheRiderFan BretttheRiderFan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,667
Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes View Post
Gary Carter!!!
Tim Raines!!!
Vladimir Guerroro!!!
Steve Rogers!!!
Dennis Martinez!!!
Jeff Reardon!!!
Tim Wallach!!!

If the Montreal Expos aren't part of Canadiana I don't know what is. I remember my teacher bringing a TV into the classroom in Grade 6 so we could watch the playoff games. That would probably be totally off-limits these days, but it is one of those childhood memories I have.

That said, MLB coming back to Montreal looks nice from a design and aesthetics standpoint, but it just seems totally foolhardy from a financial viability standpoint.
My mom's school did the same when the Expos were in the playoffs. She would have actually been around the same age. She also remembers the whole school gathered around a small black and white television in the gym during the Summit Series
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #50  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 12:57 PM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is offline
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,664
The day of the Expos final playoff game in 1981 against the Dodgers, when Rick Monday hit his home run off Steve Rogers, my school also had TVs so we could watch it. This wasn't in Quebec BTW. A lot of people in my class cried when the Expos lost.
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #51  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2017, 10:44 PM
MTLskyline's Avatar
MTLskyline MTLskyline is offline
The good old days are now
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Montreal
Posts: 4,256
According to Warren Cromartie, the investors interested in bringing a team back to Montreal have the necessary funds (estimated at $1.3 Billion approx for a team and stadium).

https://919sport.ca/on-parle-de-spor...-on-a-largent#

Feasibility study on the return of baseball to Montreal (they are predicting between 27,000 and 31,000 fans per game): http://www.montrealbaseballproject.c...lity_Study.pdf
__________________
Montreal Skyline Photo Group
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #52  
Old Posted Mar 15, 2017, 12:36 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
^Thanks for posting those links.

Interesting bit here on the stadium from the feasibility study - I would vote for a retractable roof.


One of the main challenges Cromartie et al have is keeping Expos' talk top of mind. It may be years before MLB makes a decision one way or another. In the meantime, this group needs to keep Montrealers, Canadian baseball fans and MLB thinking about what a good market Montreal is for baseball. So far so good but it's going to be a marathon.

Last edited by Dr Awesomesauce; Mar 15, 2017 at 12:53 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #53  
Old Posted Mar 15, 2017, 12:58 AM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,765
Well the Jays of the past may have had a large part in the Expos demise. Maybe that's why they are doing what they can to help bring them back. It would be great to see a regular season series held in Montreal against a team like the Red Sox though Rogers would never allow that.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #54  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2017, 8:32 PM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,765
I had no idea tickets were so expensive to watch a sprng training game in Montreal

https://www.billets.ca/blue-jays-mon...fhwaAr4q8P8HAQ
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #55  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2017, 10:52 PM
franktko's Avatar
franktko franktko is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Montréal
Posts: 1,297
Now you know why they come back year after year

Reply With Quote
     
     
  #56  
Old Posted Mar 23, 2017, 6:47 PM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,765
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #57  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2017, 9:50 PM
Horus's Avatar
Horus Horus is offline
I ask because I Gatineau
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Aylmer (by way of GTA)
Posts: 1,161
Canadian Press has picked up on the Montreal MLB story

Via TSN
Quote:
Montreal investors meet MLB conditions
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — A group of Montreal investors has met the conditions laid out by Major League Baseball to get a team back in the city, a source has told The Canadian Press.

"I can tell you we are no longer looking for investors and that we believe we have all the ingredients to be able to welcome a team, be it an expansion one or one that already exists," the person said on condition of anonymity.

The source said the investors have a solid financial set-up, support from two levels of government, various potential locations for a stadium as well as at least five different designs for the venue.

"We are not going to say we favour one site or another," the source said. "But it's crucial for the (eventual) site to be well served by public transit."

As for what the stadium would look like, the person said there is a lot of flexibility.

"We can choose the version we want," the source added. "There are five. They are preliminary plans and we could easily rework them once the project has been launched."

The investors are just waiting for a call from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to get the ball rolling.

"For me, the most important element in all this is the team," the person said." All the other areas are sufficiently advanced."

Montreal businessmen Stephen Bronfman and Mitch Garber publicly revealed their commitment last year to the project, while Bronfman and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre co-signed a 2015 letter that was sent to the 30 MLB teams as well as to Manfred.

The letter spoke of Montreal's interest in rejoining the major leagues for the first time since 2004, when the Expos left to become the Washington Nationals.

Manfred said last year he would like two teams added to MLB in order to make scheduling easier.

But he also said that scenario had to wait until another collective bargaining agreement was signed with the players' union and the issue of stadiums in Oakland and Tampa was settled.

While the new bargaining agreement was inked last December, the situation with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics is far from clear.

Stuart Sternberg, the majority owner of the Rays, said last week he had to forgo his two preferred sites for a new stadium because they were not available.

The search for a new location won't be complete until the end of the year.

In Oakland, the NFL's Raiders have announced they will eventually say goodbye to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, where the Athletics also play.

The A's have committed to staying in Oakland providing they get a new stadium.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #58  
Old Posted Mar 30, 2017, 12:14 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
This is a tricky one because Montreal's preparedness - which is great to see - plays right into MLB's hands of using them as leverage against Oakland and Tampa ownership. Every professional sports league needs a Montreal, after all.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #59  
Old Posted Mar 30, 2017, 10:00 PM
JHikka's Avatar
JHikka JHikka is offline
ハルウララ
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Toronto
Posts: 12,853
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce View Post
This is a tricky one because Montreal's preparedness - which is great to see - plays right into MLB's hands of using them as leverage against Oakland and Tampa ownership. Every professional sports league needs a Montreal, after all.
The A's seem to be doubling down on Oakland now that the Raiders are moving. With the Warriors doing their thing they'll essentially have a larger share of that market opening up in the near future with an NFL team directly in their market. Stadium is an issue but they've seemingly been doing alright without a good one for a while now.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #60  
Old Posted Mar 30, 2017, 10:48 PM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,765
Unlike a few of the other expansion prospects Montreal geographically in the MLB sits in the best location. Americans adore Montreal and any team playing them at home along the Atlantic are going to see fans travel to watch them play there. Cities like Portland won't be able to draw from the condensed MLB fan base like Montreal can.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 6:53 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.