Montreal Expos, what's next? UPDATE 3/25 - Stephen Bronfman says “I think we’re close.”

[blueandgoldguy]

Pretty amazing. Rays have another great season and they only draw flies. Crowds are actually getting worse rather then better. Hard to imagine anyone wanting to fund a $600 million stadium if the potential ROI is going to be so low. Still, the lease has several years left, so they may have quite a bit of time to figure out financing although the years will creep up on them in a hurry.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

I love how people just continuously ignore how f***ing awful of a location Tropicana Field is. It'd be like putting a new stadium for the Expos in Beaconsfield.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I love how people just continuously ignore how ****ing awful of a location Tropicana Field is. It'd be like putting a new stadium for the Expos in Beaconsfield.

Despite the location remaining in the same spot for 20 years it has somehow become worse? How else do you explain the crowds declining year after year despite fielding a very good team, right?

Beaconsfield is 25 km from downtown Montreal. Tropicana Field is right next door to downtown St. Petersburg. That sure doesn't seem like a comparable situation.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Despite the location remaining in the same spot for 20 years it has somehow become worse? How else do you explain the crowds declining year after year despite fielding a very good team, right?

Beaconsfield is 25 km from downtown Montreal. Tropicana Field is right next door to downtown St. Petersburg. That sure doesn't seem like a comparable situation.

First, the crowds have been pretty steady year over year. Second, the spot is complete shit. It's at the end of a peninsula, 15 miles from Tampa, not near Clearwater, Brandon, Sarasota, Bradenton or Palm Harbor, out of the way for most. Shitty stadium on top of it all.

It's actually kind of hard to describe how bad that location is. It's like if the Padres built Petco in Imperial Beach instead of San Diego or the Mariners built in Federal Way or Kent.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

First, the crowds have been pretty steady year over year. Second, the spot is complete ****. It's at the end of a peninsula, 15 miles from Tampa, not near Clearwater, Brandon, Sarasota, Bradenton or Palm Harbor, out of the way for most. ****ty stadium on top of it all.

It's actually kind of hard to describe how bad that location is. It's like if the Padres built Petco in Imperial Beach instead of San Diego or the Mariners built in Federal Way or Kent.

It’s abundantly clear current ownership can’t or wont privately fund new stadium at better location and state and city and county won’t give them money neither. Either MLB find local ownership group who can or they can’t stay in Tampa Bay.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

It’s abundantly clear current ownership can’t or wont privately fund new stadium at better location and state and city and county won’t give them money neither. Either MLB find local ownership group who can or they can’t stay in Tampa Bay.

That's pretty much it. It also doesn't help that the team is now drawing worse with a playoff contender then it did a few years ago.

2008 - 2010 - averaged around 22 - 23,000
2011 - 2013 - averaged 18 - 19,000
2018 - present - averaged 13 - 14,000

Tampa Bay Rays Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors | Baseball-Reference.com

In all these seasons the Rays have been a contender and yet their average attendance has declined by nearly 10,000. The location of the stadium has remained the same the entire time. It appears fan apathy has reached an all-time high even with a very successful organization. This is a sign of a market failing and there is no remedy as the no current or future owner will fund the entirety of a new stadium - the only way one gets built as the city and state will not participate after the Marlins debacle. The ROI will not be there for 100% privately funded facility either - not with the fickle fan base of Florida. The likely solution will be relocation in a few years.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

That's pretty much it. It also doesn't help that the team is now drawing worse with a playoff contender then it did a few years ago.

2008 - 2010 - averaged around 22 - 23,000
2011 - 2013 - averaged 18 - 19,000
2018 - present - averaged 13 - 14,000

Tampa Bay Rays Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors | Baseball-Reference.com

In all these seasons the Rays have been a contender and yet their average attendance has declined by nearly 10,000. The location of the stadium has remained the same the entire time. It appears fan apathy has reached an all-time high even with a very successful organization. This is a sign of a market failing and there is no remedy as the no current or future owner will fund the entirety of a new stadium - the only way one gets built as the city and state will not participate after the Marlins debacle. The ROI will not be there for 100% privately funded facility either - not with the fickle fan base of Florida. The likely solution will be relocation in a few years.

MLB should use the rays for the next ownership swap Something like the Wilpons sell the Mets to Sherman/Jeter, MLB takes over the rays and Stuart Sternberg takes over Miami.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

MLB should use the rays for the next ownership swap Something like the Wilpons sell the Mets to Sherman/Jeter MLB takes over the rays and Stuart Sternberg takes over Miami.

What makes you think Sherman group can build a privately funded ballpark? Or will?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

What makes you think Sherman group can build a privately funded ballpark? Or will?

I said they should have Sherman take over the mets and have mlb take over the rays i forgot to put commas for some reason.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I said they should have Sherman take over the mets and have mlb take over the rays i forgot to put commas for some reason.

What will MLB do with Rays? Move them to Montreal?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

What will MLB do with Rays? Move them to Montreal?

Its makes the most sense the prospects of the expo's 2.0 would be much better if they had tampa's slot in the AL East with NYY Boston and Toronto Playing multiple games a year in qubec.

 

[robert terwilliger]

i do like the idea of jetes running the mets even further into the ground. i imagine his first order of business to be getting rid of the big apple homerun statue and planting some trees in its place.

 

[Fenway]

 

[BigMac1212]

So, if the Expos return, would the Habs give up their mascot?

 

[BLONG7]

So, if the Expos return, would the Habs give up their mascot?

Sure, why not...they can also let Marc Bergevin go to the Expos also, and get a real GM. Win win scenario for the Expos and Habs!!

 

[HisIceness]

I'm fine with the Expos returning under the condition that it means one expansion spot that doesn't go to Charlotte, and hopefully someone else gets the 2nd and the Rays figure out how to make it work in Tampa.

 

[BMOK33]

I'm fine with the Expos returning under the condition that it means one expansion spot that doesn't go to Charlotte, and hopefully someone else gets the 2nd and the Rays figure out how to make it work in Tampa.

I think MLB doesn’t realize how much of a fight Atlanta is going to put up against a possible Charlotte or Nashville expansion. The days of TBS national telecasts from the 70s on really resulted in them having a big fan base in parts of VA TN WV NC SC

 

[Marcobruin]

It’s abundantly clear current ownership can’t or wont privately fund new stadium at better location and state and city and county won’t give them money neither. Either MLB find local ownership group who can or they can’t stay in Tampa Bay.

Florida isn't a MLB state as they felt it would be

 

[Marcobruin]

I love how people just continuously ignore how ****ing awful of a location Tropicana Field is. It'd be like putting a new stadium for the Expos in Beaconsfield.

If they put a new stadium in bcfld I'd bet it would be full for the first few years

 

[Marcobruin]

Mitch Garber who is/was a huge expos fan is working with Bronfman .

 

[Marcobruin]

I think MLB doesn’t realize how much of a fight Atlanta is going to put up against a possible Charlotte or Nashville expansion. The days of TBS national telecasts from the 70s on really resulted in them having a big fan base in parts of VA TN WV NC SC

Similar fight Baltimore was to put up before Wash was awarded a MLB franchise?
Wouldn't be too concerned with that

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Florida isn't a MLB state as they felt it would be

they have to stay in miami though for at least the foreseeable future they would be hit with many lawsuits if they pull out.

 

[Marcobruin]

they have to stay in miami though for at least the foreseeable future they would be hit with many lawsuits if they pull out.

MLB got hit with lawsuits from the Bronfmans when they pulled out of MTL.
Tampa ppl are nuts if they put a penny for funding the stadium ...

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

A's new stadium a step closer to reality.

New A’s stadium at Oakland’s Howard Terminal clears Senate, moves closer to reality

 

[EpochLink]

A's new stadium a step closer to reality.

New A’s stadium at Oakland’s Howard Terminal clears Senate, moves closer to reality

A's stay in Oakland as they should.