OT: All-Purpose Expos Return Topic (Part II)

[Runner77]

Bullcrap. What happened to TV money leveling the playing field.

This is Brochit territory. All of a sudden, Bronfman is admitting he doesn't have the ability to compete with the Yankees.

In that case, go home and let this whole thing go. Why are you bending the knee to this Sternberg guy? A half-assed franchise is your idea of bringing back baseball to Montreal? Why don't you move to Tampa and help Sternberg keep the Rays over there? You might as well, cause the avenue you're entertaining makes zero sense.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

It's just posturing. I cannot fathom that Bronfman and co. really believe this is a good idea because if that is the case, I don't want Bronfman as owner of the Expos 2.0.

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

Tampa fans are not taking this lightly

 

[Phil Parent]

The sister city thing will never happen. Bronfman knows it. Sternberg knows it.

This is all posturing. Bronfman towed the line he was expected to tow. Putting more pressure on Tampa.

If Tampa flinches, the Rays get a stadium, Montreal gets an expansion team. No matter how much Bronfman says he hasn't heard of expansion, Manfred has been talking about it for years. The bovine excrement meter was reading FULL during that press conference by the way. Total theatre.

If Tampa sticks to their guns, Montreal gets the Rays, eventually. Sternberg might just say "I got a lease in the Trop until 2027. Want to tear down the Trop to make way for this brand new, legacy-creating development, Mr. Mayor? Awesome, cut down the penalties for breaking the lease, or f*** you and your cranes."

MLB putting Montreal out there as the destination city is BIG. You could tell Bronfman was happy despite knowing full well what he was spewing was horse shit.

We're there. This is happening IMO. 82 home games, too, not 41.

 

[RealityBytes]

This sister sharing a team seems to be just fantasy and misses a few points. MLB has already rejected the big O as a suitable stadium, so Montreal would have to come up with a new suitable stadium for the team. Why would anybody put the money in to build a new stadium and then only get half use from it? If no new stadium, would a split be allowed? Use Jarry Park again? Even if MLB allowed this new split team to use the big O, it's just not in the right place and its poor location would hinder fans from the West Island on going there. A split team would just be temporary until MLB found a better answer and a better location.

As well, aside from the cost of a new stadium, the cost of a new franchise, plus the cost of the players salary, plus the cost for the farm and support systems for the team, who is going to put up that money for a team that would have the compete level of the Minnesota Twins at its best. The Blue Jays in rebuild mode cost $66M now but were closer to $160M in compete mode and they have roughly four times the fan base size in the golden horseshoe than Montreal has. How Will Montreal be able to compete with top teams with over a $200M payroll? The revenue stream just isn't there, or rather here.

 

[bsl]

Nationals are going to where Expos throwbacks on July 6th. Nice.

That’s interesting. MLB perhaps behind this? Why would nats do this on their own. No one in Washington gives a shit about the expos.

 

[LeHab]

Bullcrap. What happened to TV money leveling the playing field.

This is Brochit territory. All of a sudden, Bronfman is admitting he doesn't have the ability to compete with the Yankees.

Did he ever claimed otherwise? TV revenues sharing allows poor teams to survive but not thrive. I recall an interview a few months back where Bronfman was asked if her would like to be in AL as a natural rival to Toronto, NY & Boston. His response was essentially "we would like to win/be competitive everyone once in a while". Without explicitly saying no, didn't seemed very excited to be in AL.

Montreal should be a good third tier market but current system is certainly far from promoting parity like NHL does. We will see if MLBPA will push for changes to make it more fair as players complain teams are tanking (not wasting $$$ on old UFAs) since many know they can't be competitive any way.

 

[LeHab]

That’s interesting. MLB perhaps behind this? Why would nats do this on their own. No one in Washington gives a **** about the expos.

this was rumored for a while, just a coincidence to be announced right now. Royals will wear their vintage uniforms as well. Turn-back the clock for both franchises who joined together in 1969.

 

[Runner77]

Did he ever claimed otherwise? TV revenues sharing allows poor teams to survive but not thrive. I recall an interview a few months back where Bronfman was asked if her would like to be in AL as a natural rival to Toronto, NY & Boston. His response was essentially "we would like to win/be competitive everyone once in a while". Without explicitly saying no, didn't seemed very excited to be in AL.

Montreal should be a good third tier market but current system is certainly far from promoting parity like NHL does. We will see if MLBPA will push for changes to make it more fair as players complain teams are tanking (not wasting $$$ on old UFAs) since many know they can't be competitive any way.

He never said they wouldn't be able to compete with the teams in the AL East. Today's comment says otherwise.

 

[NORiculous]

I think it’s a good idea. Half a team seams perfect for the Montréal market imo. We will see. When a team leaves(like the expos), there better be a heck if a reason to bring it back To me, this seems sensible.

 

[Harry22]

He never said they wouldn't be able to compete with the teams in the AL East. Today's comment says otherwise.

I could tell you that the press conference he had yesterday was co-written by MLB. This is all a ploy to put immense pressure on Tampa who has not moved towards a stadium in two decades. Bronfman knows he is getting a team some day either by buying the Rays or by getting an expansion team and he knows the only way to do it is to do exactly what MLB tells him to do.

 

[Runner77]

I could tell you that the press conference he had yesterday was co-written by MLB. This is all a ploy to put immense pressure on Tampa who has not moved towards a stadium in two decades. Bronfman knows he is getting a team some day either by buying the Rays or by getting an expansion team and he knows the only way to do it is to do exactly what MLB tells him to do.

I think your take is perfectly tenable. MLB is in on it a lot more than some of us might suspect.

The split thing announcement is only going to alienate Tampa fans further, which only brings the Rays closer to Montreal.

 

[Harry22]

I think your take is perfectly tenable. MLB is in on it a lot more than some of us might suspect.

The split thing announcement is only going to alienate Tampa fans further, which only brings the Rays closer to Montreal.

At the end of the day, no way is Bronfman building a stadium for half a team and no way the fans in either city would go for it. Didn’t you notice how Bronfman kept pumping Sternberg and MLB’s tires yesterday? This is a last ditch effort by Sternberg to get a stadium in Tampa and he is using MLB and Montreal to get there. If it works? Good for him and the league. MLB can finally move forward with expansion. If it doesn’t? There is probably an arrangement where Bronfman buys controlling interest from Sternberg and moves the team in Montreal with Sternberg retaining a small interest. Remember that both Bronfman and Sternberg know each other well and are both prominent Jewish businessmen in the New York community.

 

[Le Tricolore]

Tampa fans are not taking this lightly

This is kind of funny, but I do feel for the guy. I feel for all of the fans in Tampa Bay. We've been in their position before, and it sucks.

 

[HabsDood]

This is kind of funny, but I do feel for the guy. I feel for all of the fans in Tampa Bay. We've been in their position before, and it sucks.

He's prolly part of the plot..

 

[Runner77]

He's prolly part of the plot..

Paid actor hamming it up for the camera.

 

[BrassCompels]

I always wanted the Expos to return, but honestly, now I hope they don’t. The potential owner is already displaying his incompetence. There’s never been any concrete plan, and now the best we can hope for is a split-team? Is Montreal that petty that they’ll just take whatever they can get? Also, he said we’ll have an open-air stadium, and then literally said “when it comes to preparing the (construction) footings for something different, we’ll have to see. We had Jarry Park and that worked out pretty well. We can put on an extra pair of pants and some thick socks”. We live in a cold climate, and April and May can still get cold, as well as September. We need a stadium with a retractable roof. Either do things right, or don’t do them at all. Don’t bring them back until you got money to build a proper stadium for this climate, and a team that will play here full season.

Todd: Stephen Bronfman embraces plan to bring baseball back to Montreal

 

[HabsDood]

Paid actor hamming it up for the camera.

Yeah, obvious.. They're moving this here. We'll take care of it, but the stadium must come, build it and they will come.. Feel like watching field of dreams actually.

 

[BeastMode420]

Tampa fans are not taking this lightly

One guy alone lmao

 

[LeHab]

Remember $5 tickets? Down to $2 tickets for Rays vs Orioles.

Rays offering $2 tickets for games against Orioles

 

[LeHab]

 

[Habaneros]

Remember $5 tickets? Down to $2 tickets for Rays vs Orioles.

Rays offering $2 tickets for games against Orioles

you know you're close to rock bottom when...lol

 

[bsl]

I always wanted the Expos to return, but honestly, now I hope they don’t. The potential owner is already displaying his incompetence. There’s never been any concrete plan, and now the best we can hope for is a split-team? Is Montreal that petty that they’ll just take whatever they can get? Also, he said we’ll have an open-air stadium, and then literally said “when it comes to preparing the (construction) footings for something different, we’ll have to see. We had Jarry Park and that worked out pretty well. We can put on an extra pair of pants and some thick socks”. We live in a cold climate, and April and May can still get cold, as well as September. We need a stadium with a retractable roof. Either do things right, or don’t do them at all. Don’t bring them back until you got money to build a proper stadium for this climate, and a team that will play here full season.

Todd: Stephen Bronfman embraces plan to bring baseball back to Montreal

Retractable roof is a no go. It doubles the cost of the stadium. And the only weather issues Montreal has are April and October. If you position an open stadium in the sun, the sun will do half the job. And before you object, I'm an architect with 30 years experience. A retractable roof is just dumb.

 

[bsl]

Too blue. Should be more pale.

 

[Redux91]

Remember $5 tickets? Down to $2 tickets for Rays vs Orioles.

Rays offering $2 tickets for games against Orioles

Wow, i vividly remember paying 5 dollars for my tickets the final season... this is even worse...