OT: Would The NBA Work In Montreal ?

[rahad]

I'd like it. Also I would like CTV or City to air it. Basketball franchises are way more expensive than NHL ones though I believe. Maybe start with the WNBA?

God no..... The WNBA is a joke. Don't bring them to Montreal.

 

[beowulf]

Better chance to work than baseball

Not so sure about that. Baseball has a bigger history here and most of the baseball season does not run against the Habs which a basketball season would. What would help basketball is that there has been a surge of talent of late. Chris Boucher and Khem Birch were part of Toronto’s starting lineup, while Luguentz Dort was Oklahoma City’s starting shooting guard.

 

[NORiculous]

The real question is would the NBA work in MTL while there is a hockey, football, soccer and maybe baseball team.

IMO if/when baseball comes back to MTL, we will see if soccer and/or football can still stay.

That is the real question that no one who wants a baseball or basketball team in MTL is asking.

 

[RealityBytes]

No, Canadiens own the sports market here

That's because aside from the Canadiens, there is no other big sport here. There is the MSL and CFL but they would be considered minor. MSL does well enough here though.

However, MLB won't come back without a new (public paid) stadium downtown and NBA has bigger markets to expand into, so I don't see any change happening here.

 

[Le Tricolore]

I have zero interest in the NBA right now, but I'd try to get into it if we had a team. I'd definitely go to at least a game or two.

I'm one of the people on team baseball though (not that the two sports really compete for airtime or fandom or anything, but if I had to pick one..)

 

[expy]

Maybe, but it also needs to not be handcuffed by language politics.

 

[Tutu to]

Not interested.

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

Not a chance. Most french speakers are not interested in the sport. Montreal keeps becoming multicultural and the language debate will always pop up.

 

[WickedPegJets]

The real question is would the NBA work in MTL while there is a hockey, football, soccer and maybe baseball team.

IMO if/when baseball comes back to MTL, we will see if soccer and/or football can still stay.

That is the real question that no one who wants a baseball or basketball team in MTL is asking.

Can you imagine the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and the Expos being in the same division?!

 

[Kimota]

I'm not sure if there's a big interest but if it would come, it would be lucrative for the owner of the Bell Center. If I was Molson, I would think about it. Can you imagine what 40 more dates in the place filled with people bying food and beers.

But I think the prime target should be the NFL. It should even be before MLB. I would put all my chips into the NFL. The Greatest sport league in the World, the level of enthusiasm it would generate in not only the Province but the whole country would nuts. After he deals with the returns of the Nords, if I was Legault, I would go all in trying to bring the NFL to Montreal.

 

[themilosh]

Quite frankly I'm not sure how basketball is as high profile as it is. Basically a 5 player team - games are tediously repetitive, with the last 2 min being of any entertainment value.
It just seems like a true College sport..

 

[JSR 56]

Quite frankly I'm not sure how basketball is as high profile as it is. Basically a 5 player team - games are tediously repetitive, with the last 2 min being of any entertainment value.
It just seems like a true College sport..

Every sport can be dismissed like this.

 

[RC51]

I have a good idea for quebec city, let the girls start up a true girls league and let QC have its own quebec girls only team with the quebec colors and call them the nordikes HAHAHAH

 

[NotProkofievian]

I'm not sure if there's a big interest but if it would come, it would be lucrative for the owner of the Bell Center. If I was Molson, I would think about it. Can you imagine what 40 more dates in the place filled with people bying food and beers.

But I think the prime target should be the NFL. It should even be before MLB. I would put all my chips into the NFL. The Greatest sport league in the World, the level of enthusiasm it would generate in not only the Province but the whole country would nuts. After he deals with the returns of the Nords, if I was Legault, I would go all in trying to bring the NFL to Montreal.

If I were Legault I would fund an Équipe Nationale d'Entrainment et Développement du Québec to bring Québec's hockey competitiveness back up to snuff. It's a unique part of Canada in that they might have the zeal to do such a thing. In the West at least it would be a total non-starter.

 

[not quite yoda]

No Nba in Montreal.

/thread

 

[themilosh]

Every sport can be dismissed like this.

not really.. Baseball, Football, Hockey, Soccer all have massive teams. Basketball is 3 big names, 2 lesser names, and a couple of depth players on the bench.

 

[OG6ix]

 

[Mrb1p]

If theyre successful sure.

I caught a Als game yesterday, asbolutelt dreadful.

 

[OG6ix]

If theyre successful sure.

I caught a Als game yesterday, asbolutelt dreadful.

You can't compare the CFL to the NBA... just the thought of it is madness.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

i dont think it would because the team would have a really hard time attracting talent and if our team aint winning i dont see it growing in popularity

we would need our own version of Vince Carter to help grow basket ball in montreal

 

[Redux91]

Absolutely all for it, it wouldn't of worked 20 years ago but it would work now especially with the talent and star power the NBA has now

What freaks me out is we have the PERFECT venue already for it, like you wanna argue and debate for a Baseball team it begins and ends with a new stadium
But we actually HAVE a perfect spot already to accommodate a team

Also the NFL would absolutely work here and toronto 100%, people think it wouldnt but it's only because it would kill the CFL essentially (just make it the minor league for the NFL already)
If people think Toronto and Montreal cant fill up a 40-50k stadium a mere 8 times a year on SUNDAYS then you're sorely underestimating the 2 cities in this day and age

I get filling up 40k for baseball is tough on mondays Tuesdays wednesdays etc, but on a weekend for football? Please

 

[Habs 4 Life]

As every team in Montreal besides the Habs, team needs to be very successful or people will not show up!

It's like the Jays 2 games they would play here all the time during spring training, 80+ games wouldn't work

I was in Miami 2 weeks ago and caught the Braves and Marlins, man the stadium was dead. If it wasn't for all the Braves fans in attendance, the place would have had 4000 people max!

 

[Habs10Habs]

I hate saying this. But a basketball team in Montreal imo, would be the NBA's version of the Winnipeg Jets.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

As every team in Montreal besides the Habs, team needs to be very successful or people will not show up!

The NBA is the most popular global sports league outside of the major soccer leagues. Even if the Mtl team was bad - all of the the raps games, celtics games, any time LeBron or Curry etc came to town would sell out. Even guys like Crosby/Ovechkin etc have such a small fanbase compared to the like of the NBA stars, so many kids would want to go watch Luka, Zion, or Ja Morant play etc.

I really don't think the city would have hard time getting people in the stands

 

[sandviper]

I go to quite a few Raptors games a year here at Scotiabank Arena, and will be heading down to Detroit for a Pistons/Raps game in February.

Been to Argo games, Blue Jays and have gone to several Leafs/Habs games here (last time in 2016), in Montreal (once when they played at the Forum) and the last year the Wings were at Joe Louis.

Won't deny the crowd is dead here in Toronto for Leafs games, but the Raptors are a different level. If anyone has gone to an NBA game before, I'm confident they'd agree that the fan experience at a basketball game is pretty hard to beat.

I can't speak for the viability of basketball long-term in Montreal, but the experience and fun factor should be pretty awesome. I know obviously the Habs are king, but I'd be willing to bet it'd be more "fun" going to a Montreal NBA game than a hockey game.

I get it, basketball isn't for everyone, but it's non-stop action and the atmosphere is basically a 2 to 3 hour dance party. I've brought my kids to other sports, including the Habs games and hands down, they love basketball, It isn't even close.

For me, on TV, I'll always choose hockey first as I grew up a fan, but when it comes to watching it live, basketball is definitely more entertaining.

Plus, it'd give the Montreal talking heads another sport to talk about.