Rays owner has had discussions about moving to Montreal

[Pinkfloid]

If the Rays do make the move to Montreal, could the team theoretically be named "The Expos"? That being said, should the team just try to establish itself with a fresh identity or do they look into the past like the Jets tried to do in the NHL?

[Jimcanuck]

If the Rays do make the move to Montreal, could the team theoretically be named "The Expos"? That being said, should the team just try to establish itself with a fresh identity or do they look into the past like the Jets tried to do in the NHL?

 

Should be the Royals.... but that might not be palatable to French-Canadians?

[KingKat]

If the Rays do make the move to Montreal, could the team theoretically be named "The Expos"? That being said, should the team just try to establish itself with a fresh identity or do they look into the past like the Jets tried to do in the NHL?

 

The Expos are a pretty good name. Expo 67 is still fondly regarded as Montreal's glory period and of course the name plays well in both languages. Maybe they could find a name that speaks to a younger generation but I have no idea what that could be. Finding something bilingual that fits the bill is a tall order and an English only name would be commercial suicide.

[Abomination]

Would Vancouver work as a baseball city?

 

I don't believe it would, at least not right now. There seems to be a pretty high immigrant population, most of which doesn't seem to come from places particularly interested in baseball.

[jaysfan2014]

I'd like to see how many fanbases would continue to support their teams after what happened in Montreal after the 1994 strike.

 

Everyone knows about the firesale after the strike, however, they forget that the team recovered quickly and had pretty good teams in 1996 and 1997 only to see them let the players go again. We know things deteriorated in the late '90's and early 00's, but let's keep things in perspective.

 

This is not to say that I think the city would support a team, but a case can be made that it would be no worse than at least 10 other markets.

 

If I'm not mistaken (for the umpteenth time), Cleveland contended again this year after making the play-in game in 2013 and attendance actually dropped.

 

Blame that on Cleveland's depressed economy and more interest in the NBA (because of LeBron James) and the NFL (Johnny Manziel). Plus, the fans in Cleveland have less trust in their ownership than the Jays fans have with Rogers. In addition, fans weren't impressed that the team failed to make it to the ALDS. Otherwise, it's a bit of a mystery why the Indians can't draw.. I blame it on their ownership.

[jaysfan2014]

In addition, back in the 90s, there was no revenue sharing to help the Expos. Today, they wouldn't have this issue.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Maybe, you're right, but maybe not. As someone who lives in Montreal, it was a problem for me. I never went to that side of the city except to watch games. It's one of the worst areas of the city, although it may have changed since then as I haven't gone back there in a loong time. I doubt the Big O' is a better stadium than any other, but I've never been to the Trop.

 

I easily prefer the Trop' as a facility over Olympic Stadium

[GeorgiaPeach]

But baseball has a good shot at being successful because it would be easier to build a winner in baseball than basketball in Montreal. Also if they are in the AL East they will get 27 sellouts/year with Yankees/Red Sox/Blue Jays. Montreal is actually a pretty close drive to New York and Boston so there is a natural rivalry there too. You can't say Montreal with a new stadium wouldn't be less successful than 10 franchises in the MLB right now.

 

I'd prefer MLB send Territory payments to the Mets and put a team back in Brooklyn.

[jaysfan2014]

I'd prefer MLB send Territory payments to the Mets and put a team back in Brooklyn.

 

No chance. And the Yankees would also block a move to Brooklyn as well, because it would risk damaging their franchise value.

[jaysfan2014]

I easily prefer the Trop' as a facility over Olympic Stadium

 

At least Olympic Stadium didn't have embarrassing rules regarding catwalks like the Trop does. And have you even been in the Trop? A lot of people hate that stadium.

[GeorgiaPeach]

At least Olympic Stadium didn't have embarrassing rules regarding catwalks like the Trop does. And have you even been in the Trop? A lot of people hate that stadium.

 

I've watched a game in every team's home park and some teams, two home parks. The only two stadiums I haven't been to are Marlins new park and Target Field.

 

Sure the catwalks are a nuisance at Tropicana when a play occurs. But by no means are they an aesthetic nightmare, it's pretty much ignored like the roof of any other stadium when watching a game.

[o2cui2i]

I think I could get some agreement from peeps here that Fenway smells more like piss than any s***** strip club's urinals, at closing time, than any other stadium ever made.

[TheHurl]

1) There was no revenue sharing when Montreal was in the league before. They would be getting a significant chunk of money from that alone this time.

 

.

 

Pretty sure that Montreal would be disqualified from Revenue sharing as they'd be in the top 15 markets in the majors.

[burlingtonbandit]

Pretty sure that Montreal would be disqualified from Revenue sharing as they'd be in the top 15 markets in the majors.

 

They wouldn't need it to be successful. The TV deal if you include the French and English one would probably be worth $80 Million per year. Even if they drew an average in the 25-30k range they would still be making a ton of money.

[Jimcanuck]

who is going to want to play in the knee busting big O

[TheHurl]

They wouldn't need it to be successful. The TV deal if you include the French and English one would probably be worth $80 Million per year. Even if they drew an average in the 25-30k range they would still be making a ton of money.

 

I was just pointing out a falsehood that many were discussing. As someone that went to several games in Montreal every year through the 90's; I don't actually believe that Montreal deserves a team. There are thousands of hardcore baseball fans in that city...but the French casuals just don't give a s*** at all. Nor does much of corporate Montreal (that could change with a new team rather than the old team that was there previously). The marketing that the Expos wasted throughout the 80's and 90's to bring the French in was just that, wasted money. Again maybe you can make the game the place to go in Montreal, but I still doubt it's long-term success. Do I want the Rays in Montreal...absolutely my team, playing in the city of my former team, would be amazing. Do I think they deserve a team? Not really.

 

In other news the Jays will be doing their part to make this happen as they announced another exhibition series in Montreal for March.

[KingKat]

 

In other news the Jays will be doing their part to make this happen as they announced another exhibition series in Montreal for March.

 

It will be the Reds this time. Hopefully Votto will in the lineups for the Toronto folk making the trip.

[burlingtonbandit]

I was just pointing out a falsehood that many were discussing. As someone that went to several games in Montreal every year through the 90's; I don't actually believe that Montreal deserves a team. There are thousands of hardcore baseball fans in that city...but the French casuals just don't give a s*** at all. Nor does much of corporate Montreal (that could change with a new team rather than the old team that was there previously). The marketing that the Expos wasted throughout the 80's and 90's to bring the French in was just that, wasted money. Again maybe you can make the game the place to go in Montreal, but I still doubt it's long-term success. Do I want the Rays in Montreal...absolutely my team, playing in the city of my former team, would be amazing. Do I think they deserve a team? Not really.

 

In other news the Jays will be doing their part to make this happen as they announced another exhibition series in Montreal for March.

 

I'm sure corporate Montreal would care now as the $ in professional sports is crazy right now. The city has a huge population and even if there are a lot of French people that don't care there is still a pretty big fan base. As someone who lives in Ottawa right now I could see myself making the trip down quite a bit to see some games as its a lot easier to go there for a day or 2 then Toronto. There were many reasons why the Expos failed but things are a lot different in the current landscape for it to not work.

 

The TV contract I am sure would be more than enough to ensure the team does well financially. I know the Blue Jays own the rights for Canada but would Montreal have the rights to Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes?

[Dick_Pole]

who is going to want to play in the knee busting big O

 

Well...Longoria for one because he'd be stuck there a while.

[Dick_Pole]

If the Rays do make the move to Montreal, could the team theoretically be named "The Expos"? That being said, should the team just try to establish itself with a fresh identity or do they look into the past like the Jets tried to do in the NHL?

 

Rename to the Expos. Then rename the Nationals to the Senators and have them switch leagues. Pretend Tampa Bay never happened. It's worked really well for the NFL, where you go onto Football Reference.com and you can't even tell that the Browns ever left Cleveland.

[kgm1]

The strike and Loria combined managed to destroy baseball in Montreal not that the city had supported the team. Montreal would probably give more support than Tampa does but I really don't believe Montreal is a true baseball city. Still a new stadium with the amt of revenue sharing that exists plus being in the AL east would to me be a lot more successful a franchise than Tampa.

[FireAlexAnthopoulos]

Why would they go to a location that's already failed...and failed miserably?

 

Selig and Loria wouldn't be around to sabotage the franchise this time. Also, things have changed since the Montreal business community refused to support the team - pro sports is an even bigger cash cow now.

[KingKat]

The Canadian dollar is stronger now than it was but otherwise the situation in Montreal hasn't really improved. There still won't be enough support for a downtown stadium and the much maligned one they do have is now ten years older. More importantly, the average Montrealer has had 10 years to realize that he or she doesn't really miss The Expos. Despite all this, it's still probably a better market than Saint-Pete (but not necessarily a better one than Tampa).

[Art Vandelay]

who is going to want to play in the knee busting big O

 

If they had to play in that stadium, albeit temporarily, could they do what the Rogers Centre is planning on doing by installing grass?

[Jimcanuck]

If they had to play in that stadium, albeit temporarily, could they do what the Rogers Centre is planning on doing by installing grass?

 

Maybe if they knock down the 'roof'....

[Art Vandelay]

Does that matter? It seem as if the Dome is going to be kept close while they try growing the grass. They plan on using lights, not sunshine.

[nmrch]

Montreal does have some things going for them, chief among them being the lack of numerous alternatives for the Rays if they do intend to move. Lets look at some of the potential markets

 

 

Another team in Texas, San Antonio? SA's a pretty big city but their metro population is much smaller than Greater Montreal

Another team in California? Pretty much out of the question, there's San Jose but the Giants would object and A's have been trying to move there for a while.

A team in North Carolina? no densely populated metro area, another problem being that NC is a bit like Florida, there's a lot of Northeast transplants that already have allegiances not to mention how dominant college sports are here.

New Orleans? Too small of a market

Portland? Too small of a market

Vancouver? Too small of a market

Las Vegas? Probably the most realistic outside of Brooklyn

Another team in the NY/NJ area? ,pretty realistic, another team in Brooklyn could be possible, there's some possibilities in NJ too

 

Montreal will have competition but the big thing is whether they can get an ownership group together, i can see Bell being really interested, give them a chance to finally control some content on their own.

[jaysfan2014]

Montreal does have some things going for them, chief among them being the lack of numerous alternatives for the Rays if they do intend to move. Lets look at some of the potential markets

 

 

Another team in Texas, San Antonio? SA's a pretty big city but their metro population is much smaller than Greater Montreal

Another team in California? Pretty much out of the question, there's San Jose but the Giants would object and A's have been trying to move there for a while.

A team in North Carolina? no densely populated metro area, another problem being that NC is a bit like Florida, there's a lot of Northeast transplants that already have allegiances not to mention how dominant college sports are here.

New Orleans? Too small of a market

Portland? Too small of a market

Vancouver? Too small of a market

Las Vegas? Probably the most realistic outside of Brooklyn

Another team in the NY/NJ area? ,pretty realistic, another team in Brooklyn could be possible, there's some possibilities in NJ too

 

Montreal will have competition but the big thing is whether they can get an ownership group together, i can see Bell being really interested, give them a chance to finally control some content on their own.

 

-San Antonio is out of the question due to the Astros and Rangers territorial rights, plus the fact San Antonio would need a dome (it's WAY too hot there).

-San Jose is Giants territory... and more the A's issue than the Rays.

-North Carolina is out of the question. O's and Nats have territorial exclusivity with that region with MLB and would sue if they put a team there.

-New Orleans is a MILB market, and Portland can't even support a AAA team, and doesn't have a ballpark.

-Vancouver needs a stadium.. they can't use BC Place because of the renos in recent years for the Whitecaps and Lions.

-Las Vegas is a AAA market.

-Brooklyn is Yankees and Mets territory. Forget it!

 

Basically, it's either a new stadium in Tampa or relocation to Montreal.

[Jimcanuck]

What about Mexico City?

[Jimcanuck]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Ciudad.de.Mexico.City.Distrito.Federal.DF.Paseo.Reforma.Skyline.jpg/1280px-Ciudad.de.Mexico.City.Distrito.Federal.DF.Paseo.Reforma.Skyline.jpg

 

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