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

[1909]

I would prefer to watch bowling than MLB .... And I hate bowling !

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I gotta agree I love playing the sport but it's rough on TV , I'd watch the highlights and go to a game or 2-3 + watch playoffs but there's like 150 regular season games and star pitchers don't even start often because of load management/analytics it's nonsense .

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I still watch quite a lot of baseball during the season, although I'm the first one to admit the game itself has gotten less enjoyable in the last 10 to 15 years. I'll often have it as ''background noise'' while I'm doing something else in the house though, it's a bit like comfort food for me I guess. It still brings me back to the days of my youth listening to the radio with my dad and playing pick-up with my buddies from my neighborhood and all that. It has a lot of raw sentimental value for me, more than even hockey or football do.

 

[JianYang]

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

I don't think you have to worry about the Canadiens anytime soon.

The time that the Habs were not keeping up with the spending was a brief moment in history. I think there were extraordinary factors involved. The foreign exchange rate was down in the dumps. The team on the ice was not competitive enough so naturally, you are going to sell off for prospects which brings payroll down further.

I also wonder about the Molson center. The building was 100% privately funded, and they were paying an astronomical amount in municipal taxes for it. If I remember correctly, it was over 11 million dollars a year. Did they overextend themselves when building this new rink at the time?

Gillette did bring that municipal tax factor down somewhat. Anyways, I think the economic landscape today is different than what we saw in those late 90s.

 

[yianik]

I don't think you have to worry about the Canadiens anytime soon.

The time that the Habs were not keeping up with the spending was a brief moment in history. I think there were extraordinary factors involved. The foreign exchange rate was down in the dumps. The team on the ice was not competitive enough so naturally, you are going to sell off for prospects which brings payroll down further.

I also wonder about the Molson center. The building was 100% privately funded, and they were paying an astronomical amount in municipal taxes for it. If I remember correctly, it was over 11 million dollars a year. Did they overextend themselves when building this new rink at the time?

Gillette did bring that municipal tax factor down somewhat. Anyways, I think the economic landscape today is different than what we saw in those late 90s.

Everything you say is correct. And yes, the taxes they were paying was always a thing and it was something crazy like the Habs were paying more in taxes than X number of teams in the USA combined etc. But no, there was never any tax relief as the city always rejected the Habs efforts to reduce the bill.

Yep, it was a perfect storm back then and it was a legit time to worry. Got so bad that Bettmen had to step in and say Habs were not going anywhere. Today it's a different world and we are a have, not a have not.

 

[HuGort]

I don't think you have to worry about the Canadiens anytime soon.

The time that the Habs were not keeping up with the spending was a brief moment in history. I think there were extraordinary factors involved. The foreign exchange rate was down in the dumps. The team on the ice was not competitive enough so naturally, you are going to sell off for prospects which brings payroll down further.

I also wonder about the Molson center. The building was 100% privately funded, and they were paying an astronomical amount in municipal taxes for it. If I remember correctly, it was over 11 million dollars a year. Did they overextend themselves when building this new rink at the time?

Gillette did bring that municipal tax factor down somewhat. Anyways, I think the economic landscape today is different than what we saw in those late 90s.

So much political upheaval in province back then around '95. Many major companies left Quebec. Really hurt financially.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Caught this on X. The feels. THE FEELS.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I don't think you have to worry about the Canadiens anytime soon.

The time that the Habs were not keeping up with the spending was a brief moment in history. I think there were extraordinary factors involved. The foreign exchange rate was down in the dumps. The team on the ice was not competitive enough so naturally, you are going to sell off for prospects which brings payroll down further.

I also wonder about the Molson center. The building was 100% privately funded, and they were paying an astronomical amount in municipal taxes for it. If I remember correctly, it was over 11 million dollars a year. Did they overextend themselves when building this new rink at the time?

Gillette did bring that municipal tax factor down somewhat. Anyways, I think the economic landscape today is different than what we saw in those late 90s.

What also changed was their media presence after 2000. Boivin did a great job giving the Habs a lot more media exposure.

 

[Scriptor]

Caught this on X. The feels. THE FEELS.

Damn! Memories.

 

[Tyson]

1994 killed MLB for me.

 

[Runner77]

Caught this on X. The feels. THE FEELS.

I still have Orlando Cabrera’s wrist bands, from his very early days as an Expo. Seeing him in the clip reminded me of that.

I was told that he was living in an upper unit and that they had fallen into the first floor owner’s yard. The guy scooped them up and handed them to someone who ended up gifting them to me. So the alleged story goes.

I have big towels that I had bought at the Big O Expos boutique with the inscriptions “Spring Training - Jupiter, Florida” and oversized “expos” blue writing that I have been using regularly for the past 20 years and they’ve only slightly faded. Reminds me of them all the time as does the incredible number of people I see wearing Expos caps all over the city.

 

[Tyson]

Standing in line waiting for Rusty Staub's autograph was kinda cool as a 10 year old.

 

[Runner77]

Standing in line waiting for Rusty Staub's autograph was kinda cool as a 10 year old.

Bet you were a card-carrying member of BMO’s Young Expos Club or something like that.

 

[Rapala]

1994 killed MLB for me.

For so many of us. I seriously don't think I've watched more than nine innings total ever since. Certainly not a double header's worth.

 

[Rapala]

Standing in line waiting for Rusty Staub's autograph was kinda cool as a 10 year old.

Bet you were a card-carrying member of BMO’s Young Expos Club or something like that.

Anyone who played minor league baseball received their membership card. I just don't remember it being sponsored by BMO. If I recall correctly Rusty Staub was the face of that promotion.

 

[Tyson]

Bet you were a card-carrying member of BMO’s Young Expos Club or something like that.

I saw every NL team play at Parc Jarry! Man I was a huge Expos fan!

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

1994 killed MLB for me.

For so many of us. I seriously don't think I've watched more than nine innings total ever since. Certainly not a double header's worth.

I would easily go to 4-5 games a year at the Big O (sometimes more) up until 1994. The next 10 years after that until they moved, I believe I went a total of 2 times.

 

[Chili]

Bet you were a card-carrying member of BMO’s Young Expos Club or something like that.

I was in the bleachers when Richie (Dick) Allen hit his moon shot to centre field. Believe it has been called the longest homerun in Jarry Parc`s history. Remember all of us craning our necks to see where it would land.

Terry Mosher was on with Ken Conners this morning. He has a new book coming out in April called Aislin`s Montreal Expos Scrapbook`. Foreward by Bill Lee, his cartoons, memories. He talked to former players, and 92 year old Charles Bronfman shared memories with him. Will be released during Exposfest. Sounds interesting.

 

[Runner77]

 

[1909]

It makes sense that Brady wore an Expos shirt while in a baseball event. Very nice move from him.

 

[Runner77]

Jeremy Filosa digging up some nuggets about how MLB is looking to begin an expansion process to 32 teams, 12-18 months from now, given how the Oakland and Tampa Bay matters appear to be settled.

And yes, it smacks of yet another familiar refrain that supposedly has Montreal as a top candidate despite a $2 Billion franchise fee being projected and the need for a new ballpark.

 

[Scriptor]

Where will this new ballpark go up?

 

[George Lebay]

Jeremy Filosa digging up some nuggets about how MLB is looking to begin an expansion process to 32 teams, 12-18 months from now, given how the Oakland and Tampa Bay matters appear to be settled.

And yes, it smacks of yet another familiar refrain that supposedly has Montreal as a top candidate despite a $2 Billion franchise fee being projected and the need for a new ballpark.

Those f***ers are still using Montreal as a leverage. We do not deserve this. f*** them..

also me :

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Wake me up from cryosleep when we actually get a team again.

 

[salbutera]

Jeremy Filosa digging up some nuggets about how MLB is looking to begin an expansion process to 32 teams, 12-18 months from now, given how the Oakland and Tampa Bay matters appear to be settled.

And yes, it smacks of yet another familiar refrain that supposedly has Montreal as a top candidate despite a $2 Billion franchise fee being projected and the need for a new ballpark.

Mtl is to MLB, what Quebec is to NHL…. the convenient carrot stick to dangle & use for relocation threats