OT: All-Purpose Expos Return Speculation Topic -- Part Deux

[dinodebino]

You think they didn't do their researches to field the market in the province before going full force to bring a team here?

Claude Brochu had a great market study too. When time will come to put asses in seats on a cold Tuesday evening in April, you’ll see the same old. A core of 6k fans. And that’s it.

 

[dinodebino]

Of course that's the current narrative. Tampa needs to partially support this team until they relocate full time. There is no reason that a city with 4.5 million people that had an MLB team for 40 years, can't support a franchise.

If Milwaukee, Minnesota, Baltimore and Kansas City can support teams, why couldn't Montreal?

General interest.

 

[dinodebino]

What revenue from TV - local Mtl? The Expos were 40th out of a 30-team league for radio + TV revenue from 1990 - 2004, there were a couple of AAA teams in the US who had higher revenue from radio & TV than the Expos did.

I realize Bell / TSN desire content after having lost NHL but they’re not opening up the coffers to Expos without the all important Southern Ontario market access which Blow Jays have exclusive rights on West of Belleville - no small part thanks to Bronfman giving it away back in 1976 in exchange for territorial rights to Quebec + Atlantic Canada

I’m also not sure Mtl is a viable baseball market anymore. Immigration into Mtl over last 25-years has primarily come from la francophonie (Northern Africa, Haiti, sections of Middle East) none of which have an association with the game of baseball.

I grew up playing little league in NDG - we had a 12-team league, Cote de Neiges at Van Horne Park had a 24-team league, Cote St Luc & Hampstead had their own leagues - all the diamonds have been converted to soccer pitches

Exactly. Under the last ownership group HAD TO PAY to be on TV and radio.
People need to realize that the baseball project is used by Bronfman (Claridge) for the development of a major real estate project.
Yet prople are getting duped by smokes and mirrors.

 

[dinodebino]

Montreal is a happenings agglomeration. Not a sports one. It’s Habs Nation. And there’s crumbs for the Tier-2 sports teams like CF and Als.

Montreal was NEVER a sports city. Expos attracted 2 million + twice I believe. In the early 80’s…Most of you weren’t even born!

Follow the money amd you’ll see why Bronfman (Claridge) and others from the real estate world want this deal. They know that the new Griffintown is billions in development. The next big thing in this city. That’s it, that’s all.

 

[salbutera]

Montreal is a happenings agglomeration. Not a sports one. It’s Habs Nation. And there’s crumbs for the Tier-2 sports teams like CF and Als.

Montreal was NEVER a sports city. Expos attracted 2 million + twice I believe. In the early 80’s…Most of you weren’t even born!

Follow the money amd you’ll see why Bronfman (Claridge) and others from the real estate world want this deal. They know that the new Griffintown is billions in development. The next big thing in this city. That’s it, that’s all.

4-times (1979, 1980, 1982 and 1983)

They would’ve topped 2M in 1981 were it not for the strike, iirc they finished above 1.5M despite missing 40% of the season

Fun fact: between 79-83 it was the Habs who were concerned about empty seats at Le Forum. That’s why Senator Molson gave Grundman the boot & brought in Corey

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Stevie Bronfman stated last year “Mtl market is NOT capable of supporting a baseball team for an entire 81-game home schedule, and time sharing with TBay is the only scenario for having MLB in Mtl on a permanent basis”

I find it hard to believe. Do you have proof of this?

 

[Kimota]

Montreal is a happenings agglomeration. Not a sports one. It’s Habs Nation. And there’s crumbs for the Tier-2 sports teams like CF and Als.

Montreal was NEVER a sports city. Expos attracted 2 million + twice I believe. In the early 80’s…Most of you weren’t even born!

Follow the money amd you’ll see why Bronfman (Claridge) and others from the real estate world want this deal. They know that the new Griffintown is billions in development. The next big thing in this city. That’s it, that’s all.

Who cares. As long as they come back.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Can't wait for them to be contending all season just to see them play the playoffs in TB...

 

[Spectaculard]

Playing in the al east could bring in more fans to the games against the jays, sox and yanks. Much better than the braves and marlins.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Claude Brochu had a great market study too. When time will come to put asses in seats on a cold Tuesday evening in April, you’ll see the same old. A core of 6k fans. And that’s it.

I think that would definitely change with an open stadium downtown.

I used to go to 4-5 games per season. With an open air downtown stadium, I'll probably got at least a dozen times, maybe 20 times.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Can't wait for them to be contending all season just to see them play the playoffs in TB...

They said playoffs would alternate cities each season they participate. One year TB, the other Mtl.

 

[LeHab]

Montreal is a happenings agglomeration. Not a sports one. It’s Habs Nation. And there’s crumbs for the Tier-2 sports teams like CF and Als.

Montreal was NEVER a sports city. Expos attracted 2 million + twice I believe. In the early 80’s…Most of you weren’t even born!

Follow the money amd you’ll see why Bronfman (Claridge) and others from the real estate world want this deal. They know that the new Griffintown is billions in development. The next big thing in this city. That’s it, that’s all.

This man gets it. Expos are only a small part of a potential multibillion RE project spearheaded by Claridge & Devimco. A major team will allow the group to seek nice perks such as a REM station right to the site. With housing shortage and economic recovery money flowing timing is great.

Since Expos folded no one bothered getting a AAA or even AA team here. Should be a good indication of how much of a baseball town Montreal is. This said with current revenue sharing and a well located proper ballpark an MLB team should survive but will likely never thrive.

 

[salbutera]

I find it hard to believe. Do you have proof of this?

I’ll dig for it when I have a moment, Stevie makes cameos on Mitch Melnick’s show on TSN690 whenever there’s a significant leak / announcement.

He was on I think in Feb 2020, after the MLB board of owners met and blessed the concept.

He was on again sometime late in the summer / early fall, and when asked about funding for a stadium said “Mtl is not like the US, there aren’t a bunch of billionaires you can hit up for investing” during that same discussion he said Mtl’s an event city and June - Sept baseball in Mtl could work based on research done by their consultants taking into account US tourism and kids on summer vacation, whereas Apr into mid-June would be a tough sell, which is why he felt an out of the box time share concept would work best for Mtl and the 35-40 or so home dates in April to mid-June would lead to significant lo$$e$

 

[salbutera]

Can't wait for them to be contending all season just to see them play the playoffs in TB...

Per the latest announcement playoffs would alternate yearly between TBay and Mtl

 

[salbutera]

Opinion | The Tampa Bay Rays have teased Montreal baseball fans before. But this time feels different

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Per the latest announcement playoffs would alternate yearly between TBay and Mtl

They said playoffs would alternate cities each season they participate. One year TB, the other Mtl.

Cool. So the year they are set to play the playoffs in TB, I won't have to waste my time cheering for them during the season.

 

[OG6ix]

This still hits me in the heart years later. Expos were my NL team as a kid.

 

[salbutera]

Michael Farber’s article following the game was one of the greatest sports journalistic pieces ever written

 

[Vachon23]

I do think that the NBA would be more popular in MTL then the MLB and we already have an arena for them to play. This being said I don't think it will happen for the NBA and I don't know a lot about baseball but I do think the Rays are a good team. They were in the World Series last year and they have a great young player I think

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I do think that the NBA would be more popular in MTL then the MLB and we already have an arena for them to play. This being said I don't think it will happen for the NBA and I don't know a lot about baseball but I do think the Rays are a good team. They were in the World Series last year and they have a great young player I think

I'd love the NBA in Montreal. I know Vancouver was a failed experiment, but who knows how well it would do here. Montreal has a huge black population and basketball is still being played everywhere in the GMA. It's a star driven league with small rosters compared to other leagues, meaning that drafting the next MJ or Lebron can set a franchise for decades.

 

[EXPOS123]

Michael Farber’s article following the game was one of the greatest sports journalistic pieces ever written

I was at that game - greatest sports moment i was ever part of. I still remember everyone clapping so hard so that even though he couldn't hear it, he could at the very least feel it.

 

[BLONG7]

I was at that game - greatest sports moment i was ever part of. I still remember everyone clapping so hard so that even though he couldn't hear it, he could at the very least feel it.

I watched this game....................nothing short of one of the most incredible sports moments in our lives......what an amzing thing for that kid, to not hear, but feel the noise......it went all the way to Nova Scotia....man it was something...

 

[Vachon23]

I'd love the NBA in Montreal. I know Vancouver was a failed experiment, but who knows how well it would do here. Montreal has a huge black population and basketball is still being played everywhere in the GMA. It's a star driven league with small rosters compared to other leagues, meaning that drafting the next MJ or Lebron can set a franchise for decades.

Exactly, I think the young generation prefer Basket then Baseball and where starting to see more and more Quebec player drafted in the NBA. I'm sure they would be bigger buzz in Montreal with the Lakers in town then with the Dodgers

 

[BLONG7]

Exactly, I think the young generation prefer Basket then Baseball and where starting to see more and more Quebec player drafted in the NBA. I'm sure they would be bigger buzz in Montreal with the Lakers in town then with the Dodgers

Sadly this is true........
MLB games, also simply take too long to play these days.....kids are not interested in 4 hr baseball games......even good close games.

 

[Michelangelo]

Exactly, I think the young generation prefer Basket then Baseball and where starting to see more and more Quebec player drafted in the NBA. I'm sure they would be bigger buzz in Montreal with the Lakers in town then with the Dodgers

Let's go get a basketball team too! The young generation will be majority of people in a few years