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

[yianik]

Just a hunch? Or, are you in the know?
Man.............I miss the Expos. MLB has never been the same for me without a team in Montreal. I had friends that would listen to the games with me on the radio.... before TSN started to televise games.
Late 70's were great Expos teams, and it continued into the 80's

I loved the Expos. And yeah, I had this small transistor radio I kept under my bed to listen to the games when I was a kid if it was too late to watch.

So many fun years. Rick Monday broke our hearts, who knew that was the pinnacle? Then free agency, and the money. All of a sudden the days of the same great players at the same positions were gone. Expos drafted and developed great, but couldn't afford to keep their players. Expos became a feeder team for the league. I lost interest.

Don't see MLB ever coming back to Montreal.

Edit: I actually got worried about the Habs. At its worst Molson Inc capped the team with a $40M budget and we couldn't compete with about 8 or so teams like the Leafs, Blues, Rags, Flyers etc for the free agents. And Corey and Houle.

Thank frig Gillett the American of all people and came in to save us ftom those idiots at Molson Inc, the dollar rallying was huge, and Bob Gainey while making colossal errors ,did bring respect back again

 

[salbutera]

Joey Saputo is starting to talk about building a new place for the MLS team, there might be an opportunity for a larger project with a baseball stadium built in the same location out there. I've always felt the MLSE model should be the way to go for Montreal, I.E. one conglomerate for all the pro sport teams/arenas/big events. There has to be a way for all of the big players in town to work something together. It's an absolute cash cow for MLSE. You put Bell, Molson Coors, Saputo, FTQ together in a joint sport venture and you could have something real solid, provided the city is willing to do business.

Todays Mtl demographic is completely incapable / unwilling to support 81-home games @ 35K+ avg attendance.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Todays Mtl demographic is completely incapable / unwilling to support 81-home games @ 35K+ avg attendance.

Demographics tend to fluctuate and change, you want to plan for the mid to long term ultimately, not so much for the next few years. The larger metro area is the pool anyway, the REM is going to be up and running at some point in the next 20 years, hopefully

 

[salbutera]

The problem with the big O is not only the location. We have 3 months of summer a year. In april, may and beginning of june poeple are watching hockey. Nobody wants to lock himself up on a hot summer day during july or august. No retractabloe roof make the stadium very uninviting in the summer. Not only that but the interior is ugly as f. I went there twice to watch the expos and i'm gonna say if you were not a super big baseball fan the stadium made it hard to watch the game. You can't build a viable fan base with super dedicated fans only you must be able to attrack casual people looking for a fun night.

All excuses, Big O too far, the team doesn’t win (do the Habs?) etc.

Not sure how many times I heard strangers or was told “baseball is boring”, “it’s too slow”… that’s the basic fact, was never part of the greater landscapes culture.

Growing up in NDG, I played little league (and there were a slew of little leagues adjacent in Côte St Luc, Hampstead, Cote des Neiges, Snowdon), but I know that wasn’t the case everywhere in Mtl

Watched it incessantly (never missed Vin Scully & Joe Garagiola on NBC Sat afternoon) and waited with abated breath for USA Today to publish their Baseball Weekly on Friday’s for prospect & stat reviews, and also remember it was the same bunch of us who did fantasy league baseball but we always had difficulty recruiting to grow it, but I now know I was part of the rare exception not the rule….

Demographics tend to fluctuate and change, you want to plan for the mid to long term ultimately, not so much for the next few years. The larger metro area is the pool anyway, the REM is going to be up and running at some point in the next 20 years, hopefully

Demographic as in Mtl population base shifted with Anglo exodus of late 70s/early 80s to francophonie immigration population predominantly from North Africa, Haiti and Middle East - none of whom have a historical affinity for baseball

 

[salbutera]

From one of the foremost MLB insiders…

► Now that the A’s may be moving to Las Vegas and the Rays are hopeful of finding a permanent home in the Tampa Bay area by the end of the year, baseball could soon be ready for serious expansion talks.

The top two choices are clear: Nashville and Montreal.

 

[RC51]

I dont want any new expos in montreal. All because I remember well all the LIES.
when times were hard the expos became a farm team for the BIG US TEAMS. every year the BIG teams would simply BUY all our best players. When the expose complained about no salary cap MLB promised year over year to bring in a FULL and EQUAL salary cap in order to have ALL OF BASEBALL on the same playing field. THATS 19 YEARS AGO. still no cap so IT WAS ALL LIES. MLB f--cked montreal BIG and now what they want to do it ALL OVER AGAIN.
Sell the fans that dont remember a new DREAM and all that for billoins more down the tubes. When someone f-s you don't forget. NEVER.

 

[1909]

Baseball is going down as a major Sport in NA. Who's gonna go to those games in MTL ? Baby boomers ?

 

[JianYang]

Baseball is going down as a major Sport in NA. Who's gonna go to those games in MTL ? Baby boomers ?

I think mlb recognizes that they have the oldest demographic in sports. The rule changes to speed the game up are partly an attempt to help attract younger audiences IMO.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Baseball is going down as a major Sport in NA. Who's gonna go to those games in MTL ? Baby boomers ?

There would be an adaptation period obviously, the same as there would be for pretty much any sport outside of hockey in this market (NBA, soccer, you name it). The average fan would need to be educated about the players and the game, building a core fanbase would take time. I don't think it would be that hard though, certainly not the way it was in the 60's when the Expos joined the league. People do have a general concept of what the game is and provided the product is decent enough, season tickets would pick up. Being a middle/bottom spending team would be a bigger issue IMO, that certainly took it's tool back in the 90's, people got really fed up with the fire sales . That's where competent ownership and good PR comes into play, which sadly the 90's/2000 expos never had.

 

[donghabs98]

Joey Saputo is starting to talk about building a new place for the MLS team, there might be an opportunity for a larger project with a baseball stadium built in the same location out there. I've always felt the MLSE model should be the way to go for Montreal, I.E. one conglomerate for all the pro sport teams/arenas/big events. There has to be a way for all of the big players in town to work something together. It's an absolute cash cow for MLSE. You put Bell, Molson Coors, Saputo, FTQ together in a joint sport venture and you could have something real solid, provided the city is willing to do business.

I doubt Joey would want to be part of a big group (or if Molson would even want him in it considering how Joey runs CF Montreal). I do agree that there should be an MLSE type of group if Montreal truly wants to compete for other pro sports teams.

 

[donghabs98]

I think mlb recognizes that they have the oldest demographic in sports. The rule changes to speed the game up are partly an attempt to help attract younger audiences IMO.

You're seeing teams react to this need too with all the different non-baseball experiences you can do at games. I think its smart since the core fanbase of baseball is aging. You need a way to scope in casual fans in. The relative slower pace of baseball puts it at a disadvantage compared to other sports. With NBA and NHL you generally know when the fame will end and there is nonstop action during play. Baseball games are start and stop and can go on.

The strength of baseball though is its in the summer and people like the idea of spending a night out enjoying the warm weather with fans. The slower pace lends well to people socializing since you wkll be less likely to miss a big play. Tickets are also quite cheap due to the high supply so thats a plus especially for younger people looking for a cheap thing to do.

 

[George Lebay]

Coming up : Soccer has replaced baseball

 

[JianYang]

You're seeing teams react to this need too with all the different non-baseball experiences you can do at games. I think its smart since the core fanbase of baseball is aging. You need a way to scope in casual fans in. The relative slower pace of baseball puts it at a disadvantage compared to other sports. With NBA and NHL you generally know when the fame will end and there is nonstop action during play. Baseball games are start and stop and can go on.

The strength of baseball though is its in the summer and people like the idea of spending a night out enjoying the warm weather with fans. The slower pace lends well to people socializing since you wkll be less likely to miss a big play. Tickets are also quite cheap due to the high supply so thats a plus especially for younger people looking for a cheap thing to do.

I've soured on baseball alot over the years, but the one thing I did like about it was that it was a nice 3 hour escape.

Everything these days is so "go go go", that it's nice to enjoy something with a more relaxed pace.

Anyways, I felt the same when the nhl instituted the "hurry up" face off around 20-25 years ago, but I don't think twice about it now.

 

[Runner77]

Coming up : Soccer has replaced baseball

Countered with: The Joey Cheaputo anger management reality show. How long before he storms into his team’s dressing room and tears everyone to shreds? That’s gotta be better than watching baseball, no?

 

[donghabs98]

I've soured on baseball alot over the years, but the one thing I did like about it was that it was a nice 3 hour escape.

Everything these days is so "go go go", that it's nice to enjoy something with a more relaxed pace.

Anyways, I felt the same when the nhl instituted the "hurry up" face off around 20-25 years ago, but I don't think twice about it now.

On a micro level I'm always uneased at little changes to speed up the game because you fear it will just rush things but typically you dont feel the impact of little changes on a macro level. Games are shorter this season so far but honestly I dont feel change too much on a macro level.

 

[Cournoyer12]

I remember getting the original Expos yearbook in Cooperstown when I was a young lad. There was a picture of Bill Stoneman with his wife before a game. Let me tells ya, she was a Stone Cold FOX!!!!

 

[Runner77]

I remember getting the original Expos yearbook in Cooperstown when I was a young lad. There was a picture of Bill Stoneman with his wife before a game. Let me tells ya, she was a Stone Cold FOX!!!!

Always follow the money.

In the early days of the Expos, when Mack Jones was all the rage, he had an epic day at the plate. Upon returning to his hotel room, over 100 Quebec ladies had left messages for him.

 

[1909]

The Montreal Marroons have as much chances to come back than the Expos or the Nordiques.....

 

[HuGort]

Major League Baseball will never come back to Montreal: economics prof

"It's a lot of money to pay for nostalgia," says Moshe Lander. And taxpayers aren't in the mood to pay.

montrealgazette.com

 

[Runner77]

Too bad, so sad. At least there were some good years.

 

[BLONG7]

Too bad, so sad. At least there were some good years.

Heartbreaking bud............

 

[InglewoodJack]

Economics prof at… Concordia?

Baby, we’re getting the expos back

 

[HuGort]

Economics prof at… Concordia?

Baby, we’re getting the expos back

Baseball is dwindling sport. It's boring, world is moving faster than 40 years ago

 

[salbutera]

https://x.com/hnimtl/status/1692707096377041119?s=46&t=a3HPp5YfHU2XDo78oSJMFA

 

[Habaneros]

https://x.com/hnimtl/status/1692707096377041119?s=46&t=a3HPp5YfHU2XDo78oSJMFA

MLB makes strides in attracting younger fans, ticket buyers in growing the game | TSN

MLB says the efforts are working: Ticket-buyers are younger, more teens are watching the game (yes, on old-fashioned TV), social media accounts such as Jomboy Media generate big-traffic numbers with kids looking for snappy highlight breakdowns, and an education on the game’s greats comes on a...

www.tsn.ca