Virgin territory for pro sports

Hampton Roads would also be a logistical traffic nightmare. No matter where you put the stadium, you've got almost half the population going to the game through two tunnels.

 

I never thought I'd live to see the day when WILLIFUCKINGMANTIC was considered part of metro Hartford.

This just in: It's not. In fact, every town that borders Hartford is bigger than Willimantic, population 16,506.

West Hartford: 64,255
East Hartford: 49,575
Newington: 29,306
Wethersfield: 26,271
Bloomfield: 19,587 (also the # of points Bloomfield HS football scores in a usual year)
South Windsor: 24,412
Windsor: 28,778

And don't forget Manchester, Vernon, etc etc.

And Willimantic is far scuzzier and rattier than the worst part of Hartford. If you're going to consider Willimantic as part of metro Hartford for purposes of acquring a major four sports team, then said team better offer promotions aimed at meth addicts.

 

I can't see this happening, Jake. Rumors had run rampant that the Carolinas might get the Expos. Or perhaps someone else would take a shot.

But when D.C. gets a third shot before the Carolinas gets one, that's pretty much it.

I think the Triad (Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point) will be no man's land for major professional sports. The fact that it didn't support the Whalercanes when Peter Karmanos' poor planning thrust them there until the ESA was built isn't their faults, but I can't anyone else taking a shot. If the Bobcats fail, that's probably it for the NBA there ... never mind that John Swofford will be doing a little dance in an undisclosed location in Greensboro.

 

Well, don't give up hope just yet. The Natexpos are drawing abysmally in D.C., they're having major squabbles with the stadium authority over paying/not paying their rent.

I give 50-50 odds the franchise will be on the run again within 10 years. All it will take is another $500-$800 million stadium built completely by taxpayer money and presented to the franchise as an unconditional gift.

 

I don't give a crap about MLB, Starman. I couldn't care less. And I'm pretty sure that most in the Triad will continue to make the short trips to the Triangle and Charlotte to get their pro sports fix.

The one thing I do care about - and completely agree with you - is for the cities to stop bowing to franchise owners. Pony up for your own facility, please. Or risk the same laughter the Bay Area heard when Eddie DeBartolo tried to count votes from the deceased to get out of Candlestick Park.

 

If any of these places gets a franchise, the leagues may have to warm them up before sticking one in. Could be pretty tight with funding and such.

 

To clarify, I wouldn't bet on seeing a team in the Triad in the next few years, but in my lifetime, maybe.

 

Las Vegas is a given, and will continue to get the Pete Rose treatment for the foreseeable future.

As far as American cities, I have a feeling that the future will be hybrid or shared teams, similar to the Montreal/San Juan, PR Expos of 2003 and 2004... I could see something like a London/Portland NFL/NBA franchise, Mexico City/Albequerque MLB franchise, San Juan, PR/Durham MLB franchise (maybe work out a way to keep the "Bulls" name). It would require some sort of split schedule with rest breaks and longer series, possibly even having two "away" teams play a series in an international city between their series with the "home" team.

As for a couple of cities mentioned earlier that I'm slightly familiar with, Austin, TX and Greensboro (or Raleigh/Durham), NC would have to get a spring sport to be viable. Austin's problem is that they already have Houston and Dallas housing NBA/MLB/NFL teams, along with San Antonio in the NBA. They have a minor league team that is well supported (Round Rock), and would have a fighting chance with a baseball team, but anything in the fall would have to compete against Longhorn football, which is a losing battle.

The North Carolina sports scene would be similar. Anything that tries to compete with ACC basketball in the fall/winter (press coverage or attendance) would be a losing proposition. I could see them successfully getting an MLS team, but nothing in NBA/NFL/MLB/NHL. A quick look at the geographic spread of MLS shows that the closest team to NC is DC United (and the former Florida teams that have been gone for quite a while). With the high levels of education of the area business community and research triangle, I could see decent support for soccer in that area. Also, the season ends before the winter college basketball season kicks into high gear. All of that is probably a non-issue, because I think Atlanta is angling for the next MLS expansion team, which will probably kick NC way down in the list again.

 

Sports Greensboro likes: ACC basketball
Sports Greensboro avoids like the plague: Everything else

 

They do well for the Grasshoppers, their Sally League team (something like 6,500 per game, which is better than Durham and Charlotte rate for their AAA teams).

If NC were getting a MLS team, I'd put money on Raleigh/Cary. Though doesn't Winston-Salem have a nice footy pitch?

 

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Willimantic is about the last place I'd think of.

 

To be fair, Charlotte's AAA team is in Fort Mill, SC. I believe those numbers will come up when the team moves into the city.

As for the MLS, I'd say that it would probably best be served to move to Raleigh/Cary. Charlotte-area residents don't care to understand communist kickball.

As to the original point of the thread: I doubt the triad will see a major professional sports team anytime soon, if ever. Charlotte has the banks, Raleigh has the RTP, and Greensboro has the topless car wash.