Basketball in Canada

[isaidso]

The Raptors have had stinkers in the playoffs before and come back. It's puzzling how they can be so night and day but they will attempt to go up 3-2 against the Bucks @ 7pm EST.

As this is a basketball in Canada thread I'll post a discussion about the NBA in Montreal. It's from 2015 but what was true then is still true today. NBA in Montreal and back in Vancouver is a realistic goal over the next 10 years. Canadian cities are further along in securing NBA vs MLB franchises due the existence of suitable arenas and the economics of pairing NHL and NBA together.

I think we'll see 3 Canadian NBA teams before we see 3 Canadian MLB teams.

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[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I think we'll see 3 Canadian NBA teams before we see 3 Canadian MLB teams.

I agree with this.

Here are my predictions for possible expansion sites in the major leagues within Canada:

NHL - Quebec City (a 2nd GTA team might be possible, but in a 32 team NHL, I don't think the American owners would want any more than eight Canadian teams).
NBA - Montreal, Vancouver
MLB - Montreal
NFL - not a rats ass chance in hell
CFL - Halifax, possibly Quebec City
MLS - unlikely

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I agree with this.

Here are my predictions for possible expansion sites in the major leagues within Canada:

NHL - Quebec City (a 2nd GTA team might be possible, but in a 32 team NHL, I don't think the American owners would want any more than eight Canadian teams).
NBA - Montreal, Vancouver
MLB - Montreal
NFL - not a rats ass chance in hell
CFL - Halifax, possibly Quebec City
MLS - unlikely

Good list. Mine is identical to yours although I think a Hamilton NHL team is realistic if the refurbishment of Copps Coliseum gets done. They'd be a ton of corporate backing. Canada at 9 NHL teams is satisfactory; anything less isn't good enough imo. I don't think CFL in Quebec City will happen for a while though. Universite Laval will block it and attention is almost completely focused on getting back in the NHL.

I'd eventually like to see MLB in Vancouver then Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa join the big 3 Canadian cities in all having NBA, MLB, and MLS. The thought of it sounds absurd today but it might not be 30 years from now. They are wealthy fast growing cities and a lot can happen in 30 years. All 3 have a good shot at being markets equal to US markets like Charlotte, Denver, or Milwaukee.

So my 'dream' scenario by 2047 is 27 Canadian based teams spread over NHL (9), NBA (6), MLB (6), and MLS (6). Then 12 CFL teams (add Halifax, Quebec City, and Kelowna) for a total of 39 franchises across Canada.

[MonctonRad]

The trouble with MLB in Canada is the damned cold weather in the shoulder seasons. Teams on the prairies risk blizzards during the World Series.

Ottawa would be too close to Montreal for an MLB team (presuming Montreal gets back in, which I think is inevitable).

If there were to be a third MLB squad in Canada, it would have to be in Vancouver - a sizable city, a good market and decent weather.......

[Acajack]

It's funny that the NBA commissioner says "Montreal... yes!", the MLB commissioner says "Montreal... yes!" and the NHL commissioner says "Quebec City... mwaaaaaybe!"

Whereas we all know which city has the most guaranteed, demonstrated support.

[GernB]

Montreal will likely (IMO) get MLB back in the next couple of years, the ownership hopefuls there say they have their financing in place and include a Bronfman, and Tampa Bay can't get its stadium situation straightened out, while Montreal would play in the Big O until a new ballpark is built. Apparently a site south of downtown in Griffintown has been identified, it's near a station on the new commuter rail link, and Montreal will want a similar gift from the provincial government as QC got in the Videotron Centre, and TSN/Bell would love 162 TV games. NBA could well happen in the next couple of years as the owners of the Habs have already made inquiries about relocation....I suspect Orlando would be the team to move.

While Vancouver might be on the radar for an NBA relocation, and it would fill ~40 dates a year for the Aquilinis, I think it would be more likely as an expansion team. Sorry, but no MLB for Vancouver. I don't believe there's any appetite for a $500m+ outlay for a stadium. Although Molson Breweries and Jim Pattison formed a partnership in the 1980s with the intent of securing a franchise and almost snagged the Mariners, they were snubbed by MLB and I know of no potential ownership groups now.

CFL? unlikely anywhere, there's no clamour for it in Quebec, and Halifax can't get a stadium built.

NHL? Quebec is a matter of when, not if...Bettman has fires to put out in Phoenix, Carolina, Florida and Brooklyn...one of them will end up in QC...sorry Hamilton, I'd love to see it and have no doubt it would be a success, but the Leafs and the Sabres will never let it happen.

MLS? Not that I care, but its unlikely as well, what with the ridiculous expansion fees and poor TV ratings in Canada. That said, if Edmonton gets the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a 10 - 20,000 seat stadium is slated for Northlands, maybe Katz has a few dozen million to blow...

[isaidso]

^^ Good run down. If MLS ever does expand in Canada (it's indicated that it doesn't want to) Edmonton would likely be where a franchise lands. Edmonton has a long history of supporting soccer. It's biggest attribute in the eyes of MLS might be that it's in the West.

Regarding MLB in Vancouver, wasn't BC Place built so that it could accommodate baseball? The wider Canadian football field makes it more conducive to baseball than US football stadia. Has there ever been baseball played at BC Place?

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The trouble with MLB in Canada is the damned cold weather in the shoulder seasons. Teams on the prairies risk blizzards during the World Series.

Bring on global warming.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Ottawa would be too close to Montreal for an MLB team (presuming Montreal gets back in, which I think is inevitable).

If there were to be a third MLB squad in Canada, it would have to be in Vancouver - a sizable city, a good market and decent weather.......

Baltimore and Washington, Oakland and San Francisco, Baltimore and Washington all seem to do fine being close to one another. I agree that Montreal and Vancouver would come first though. The other cities are more on the lines of dreaming at this point.

[GernB]

^Yes BC Place was built at least partially in anticipation of an MLB franchise, and hosted some Seattle exhibition games before the rebuild. Lots of pics out there if you google BC Place baseball. IIRC it would have seated about 55,000 in the baseball configuration.
Again, IIRC, the potential ownership group made overtures to the White Sox, A's and Seattle, and only a last-minute infusion of cash from Japanese investors kept the Mariners in Seattle. If it had happened, I would have taken the occasional trip to the coast for a weekend set of games. Seems to me there was a BC Senator involved in the plan as well, though I don't recall his name...I believe they came very close. After being passed over in favour of other cities, we never heard much about it again. I suppose Pattison and/or Molsons lost interest. A damn shame it didn't happen.

[Acajack]

BC Place was most definitely built to some degree as a possible football-baseball stadium.

It was closely based on the Metrodome in Minneapolis which was home to both the Twins and Vikings for a fairly long time.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by GernB

MLS? Not that I care, but its unlikely as well, what with the ridiculous expansion fees and poor TV ratings in Canada. That said, if Edmonton gets the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a 10 - 20,000 seat stadium is slated for Northlands, maybe Katz has a few dozen million to blow...

Edmonton FC do well to crack 3K/game and there's about 12 American cities ahead of them in line. Ottawa's far more likely for potential MLS and even then they're highly unlikely.

Soccer's future in Canada lies in the eventual CPL, not MLS. MLS is content with three Canadian franchises.

[rousseau]

Well that was too close for comfort. How is it that this team goes from looking like masterful world beaters to looking like chumps in the space of one quarter, giving up a 25-point lead and looking like they might blow it?

There were some great individual plays tonight. A couple of really nice layups and dunks by DeRozan, including that thundering slam with less than a minute left. But Lowry's back is hurt, and it shows. There is simply no way they can beat Cleveland if Lowry isn't playing well.

[isaidso]

According to Forbes magazine the Toronto Raptors are now the 13th most valuable NBA franchise, up from $980 million and 14th spot last year. They are valued at $1.125 Billion US, an increase of 15%. The New York Knicks remain the leagues most valuable at $3.3 billion US.


https://www.forbes.com/nba-valuations/list/#tab:overall

[Acajack]

Was kind of wondering what was going on with the Raptors so I looked them up. Turns out they won their series! And are now playing Cleveland in the second round.

[TorontoDrew]

Unless something happens to King James the Raptors season will most likely come to an end in this series.

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[GernB]

Ye gods they looked awful last night. Unbelievable how many wide open shots were missed. JV invisible again as usual, and Carroll and Patterson standing around flat footed. No presence on the offensive glass. I didn't expect them to win, and don't expect them to win the series....but it would have been nice if they'd shown up ready.

Have to make changes up front for next year...Ibaka is the only forward who's impressed this year, and even he's been inconsistent. Powell has had his moments but I'm unsure whether he'll continue to improve, besides being undersized...Any mobile, aggressive bigs out there?

[TorontoDrew]

I'm sure it was nerves last night. I don't expect them to win this series but I do expect the next games to be much closer.

[MonctonRad]

The Raptors are in the playoffs???

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I'm sure it was nerves last night. I don't expect them to win this series but I do expect the next games to be much closer.

They had a stinker against the Cavs last year and took that series to 6 games. It would be an upset for the Raptors to advance but they're capable.

[rousseau]

Do they have an inspirational game in them? Probably one. Maybe two, if they're lucky.

I had to turn it off in the third quarter. Couldn't watch anymore. Toronto is spooked. Cleveland's totally in their heads. I love DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, but they're playing like utter fucking shit. Like scared baby deer surrounded by wolves. Yet another post-season crackup, yet another nail in the coffin of how their careers are going to be viewed in posterity.

It don't mean much if you get a nice scoring average during the regular season but you can't do what you're supposed to do in the playoffs.

Cleveland's got style, rhythm, gumption, and everything goin' on. Oh, and one of the greatest players of all-time. Which helps.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^I'd say one. Cleveland in Five. Although the way the Raptors handled the Bucks is anyone really surprised?