OT: MLB Thread

[Rolex]

In other words, he told you want you wanted to hear so all is good. If you recall correctly, back when the Siths purchased the team, there were a number of businessmen who "were interested" and joined with him but none would pony up the $$. Sure someone might want a stake in the team but are they willing to pony up to buy the team AND build a stadium? I find it hard to believe the Canadiens would stand back and allow the Exrays to get a publicly funded stadium without saying, hey we paid ours AND pay a ton of tax, what is wrong with this picture?

If someone or a group is willing to pay 1.3 billion to buy and build, more power to them, but I will believe it when I see it.

To paraphrase old Red Fisher, "show me the money and the stadium"

Problem is Molson Family did not need to pay the whole arena by themselves. Had they gone to government, they would have gotten some money. But the late senator Molson decided it would be part of his legacy....and then they realized it was bad investment when they gave it away for pennies to Gillett.

 

[XPOFAN]

I believe the con job Darth and Skippy pulled on the Miami stadium does not help Tampa with getting public funds for a stadium. Having said that, there does seem to be no limits to what public administrations in the US will commit to when it comes to sports teams.

 

[TheCountofMonteCristo]

Giants are on TSN2. Up 5-1 with Bumgarner on mound.

 

[TheCountofMonteCristo]

Giants win 5-4

 

[WeHaveMoreCupsThanYou]

A tale of two cities. Jim Balsillie wanted a team for Hamilton (or Kitchener) so he flashed some cash and made a lot of noise and even tried to buy the Coyotes purely so that he could move them. And what ended up happening? The NHL slapped him like a biatch. Not only did he not get a team but he also ruined any chance for himself of getting one down the road. The league wants nothing to do with him now because he didn't conduct himself properly.

Now think about how Winnipeg got the Thrashers to move there and become the new Jets. Did they make noise? Did they hold unauthorized season ticket drives? Did they issue ultimatums to the NHL? Nope. In fact They went about their business so quietly that nobody even suspected that the team was going to Winnipeg until hours before the official announcement. It seemed to come out of nowhere and happened so fast yet we all know that deals like this are complicated and take a considerable amount of time to get done. But somehow they managed to keep things quiet until the deal was done.

That is how I suspect it will happen with the Expos. One day you'll just turn on the TV or go online and they'll be announcing the news that Montreal is back in the bigs. And judging by what Keri said on the radio the stuff that we in the general public are seeing is only the tip of a sizable iceberg.

 

[XPOFAN]

AL OLIVER ‏
To have played in MONTREAL just 2 years. The response was overwhelming .I felt special.Thanks Canada. Last weekend.

 

[XPOFAN]

Michael Beschloss
Houston’s Astrodome (here under construction) opened 50 years ago today:

 

[ColinM]

So does the $200 million or so in needed maintenance on the Big O help the prospect of the expos return? I'm of 2 minds. On one hand the Expos will probably need a temporary home if Montreal hopes to vulturize the Tampa Bay Rays. On the other hand public funding for an outdoor stadium might be more feasible if you can point to some of it as a sunk cost on the Big O.

 

[Sal_Butera]

So does the $200 million or so in needed maintenance on the Big O help the prospect of the expos return? I'm of 2 minds. On one hand the Expos will probably need a temporary home if Montreal hopes to vulturize the Tampa Bay Rays. On the other hand public funding for an outdoor stadium might be more feasible if you can point to some of it as a sunk cost on the Big O.

My take on estimated cost:

- $400M-$500M to buy TBay Rays
- $300M-$400M to "coerse" TBay local governments to tear up lease agreement which runs into late 2020's
- $550M-$1B+ to build a baseball park or retractable roof'd park/stadium
- $50M-$200M to upgrade the Big Owe until new facility is ready to go
- $50M-$75M first year roster salary (over & above transfer $ collected from luxury tax) to field a competitive team
Total = approx $1.3B - $1.9B+ (in $, USD)


Great to dream but.....

 

[DonKay]

Is a baseball team really only 400-500 mil?

 

[TheCountofMonteCristo]

No, but if you add in what they have to pay Tampa city, that would be the normal cost.

A more likely scenario would be the Tampa owner keeping the team and moving it. No way is some entity in Montreal going to pony up 2 billion

 

[BKerr]

Is a baseball team really only 400-500 mil?

No chance. Closer to 800-1b

 

[XPOFAN]

Rob Lurie
Downtown sports store says Expos merchandise is hottest seller, even outselling Habs products

 

[ColinM]

Rob Lurie
Downtown sports store says Expos merchandise is hottest seller, even outselling Habs products

I wonder how the nordiques merchandise stacks up against either the habs or expos.

 

[Krustchev]

Rob Lurie
Downtown sports store says Expos merchandise is hottest seller, even outselling Habs products

I see plenty of Expos hats here in Philly too . . . yet there's still no team in Montreal. Hmm.

 

[Habs53]

Michael Beschloss
Houston’s Astrodome (here under construction) opened 50 years ago today:

I was watching a house moving show on one of those reality channels last night. Maybe we can lift that and move it to Expo land. 3 miles an hour at a time

 

[XPOFAN]

I was watching a house moving show on one of those reality channels last night. Maybe we can lift that and move it to Expo land. 3 miles an hour at a time

I'm sure the Senators can do it. :sarcasm

 

[TheCountofMonteCristo]

Giants won three of four, but now have lost four of five.

Ah the joys of a 162 game season.

 

[wiseguy1]

I see plenty of Expos hats here in Philly too . . . yet there's still no team in Montreal. Hmm.

Expo hats are gangsta.

 

[lecoqsportif]

I don't think buying out the Tampa lease arrangement is palatable in 2015. Maybe in 5 or 6 years.