Rumors on ECAC expansion

[Petunia \'95]

So does anyone have any rumors/predictions on the ECAC changes?

[KeithK]

I predict that the ECAC will not announce a decision by the supposed July 1 deadline.

[Petunia \'95]

HAAAAAA
I agree.
::bang::

[Greg]

There was a thread on USCHO to the effect of, "don't expect a decision before mid-July."

I'd rather they taken their time and get it right.

[Petunia \'95]

Which will come first?
ECAC announcement or
MLB announcement of relocation of the Expos?
(I went to an Expos game a few weeks ago.  Orlando Cabrera was signing autographs in the pavillion lobby area).

[KeithK]

Oh, the ECAC announcement.  Definitely.  I don't think they'll ever make up their minds about Les Expos.

[cornelldavy]

I'd put money on the Expos announcement coming first, and hopefully, they'll send them to Vegas, where they belong.

[KeithK]

Why do you say they "belong" in Vegas?  LV is growing very rapidly, but I'm not sure it's clear that the city will support a major franchise.  But aside from fan and financial support is the gambling issue.  Considering the game's stance on gambling (which I feel is completely appropriate) the Lords of Baseball will think long and hard before putting a major league team there.

I should take a look and try to figrue out how long the 51's (AAA affiliate of the Dodgers) have been in Vegas and whether there was any controversy about establishing a team there.

I saw a bit about this on ESPN the other night.  They mentioned that the guy who owns the Sacramento Kings also owns the Palms hotel.  The league insisted that he remove the NBA from the hotel's sports book.  I'm sure MLB would at least try to do something similar regarding its games, though they would have less leverage.

I still think DC is the obvious choice, if there's a suitable owner/stadium/financing situation.  Yes, they've lost the Senators twice, but I suspect that had as much to do with the fact that the teams sucked than with the ability of the area to support a franchise (or another franchise).  The proximity of the Orioles probably didn't help but I suspect a National League team could coexist more readily with the O's than the old AL Senators.

Yes, it's baseball season.

[jy3]

maybe if the hotels buy all the expos tix as comps for gamblers they can sell out every game and vegas can support a franchise?  :-O

[RichH]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

I saw a bit about this on ESPN the other night.  They mentioned that the guy who owns the Sacramento Kings also owns the Palms hotel.  The league insisted that he remove the NBA from the hotel's sports book.  I'm sure MLB would at least try to do something similar regarding its games, though they would have less leverage.
[/q]
I was in Vegas a couple months ago, and there was an active debate in the newspapers about the possibility of the Expos coming there.  It was pretty much a given that if it were to happen, there would be no more MLB betting.  Nobody really seemed to care much about that, since that's not where the real money is in the sports books.

This line of thinking made me wonder what happened when UNLV was a factor in the NCAA basketball tourney.  Apparently, there was a ban on any betting on Nevada teams until 2001.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/Sep-30-Mon-2002/sports/19741826.html

[KeithK]

[q]I was in Vegas a couple months ago, and there was an active debate in the newspapers about the possibility of the Expos coming there. It was pretty much a given that if it were to happen, there would be no more MLB betting. Nobody really seemed to care much about that, since that's not where the real money is in the sports books.[/q]If they did stop betting on MLB, especially if it was actually a law and not just an informal understanding, then I think it would be much more likely to happen.  Still wouldn't be either my first choice or my first bet for the Expos, but more likely.

[cornelldavy]

Well, Las Vegas grew over 83 percent in population from 1990 to 2000. By 2010 the population will be bigger than say, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh, all of which have teams (yes, they're not doing well). On top of that, you have tourists coming through all the time looking for things to do, and a major league baseball game in a nice stadium is going to be high on that list, especially during the day, when tourists are waking up from their hangovers and aren't ready to go to shows or gamble yet.

As for the gambling...it's legal in Montreal, and MLB has had a team there for years...I don't think the Casino de Montreal has a sportsbook, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if casinos in Vegas were willing to take baseball off their sportsbooks, after all, betting on baseball is not nearly as popular as football or basketball and the traffic that a baseball team would generate would likely offset any losses incurred by taking baseball off the books.

If it comes down to D.C. or Vegas, I say Vegas. The Orioles are good enough for D.C.

[KeithK]

I don't really think many tourists are going to put a ballgame high on their list of things to do when they go to Vegas.  I would also be very surprised if they played a lot of day games given the climate.  Oh, I suppose they might build a dome (adding $100 million or more to the stadium cost, but they're still not likely to play a lot of day games.  For reference, the 51's only play day games on Sundays (though that's typical of the minors).

Just as importantly, tourists are not going to help the TV/media revenue stream and they wouldn't be buying team merchandise.

Re: gambling in Montreal.  I didn't realize that gambling is legal in Montreal.  But I'd bet not many people travel to Montreal specifically to gamble.  Lot's of folks do in Vegas.  So the comparison isn't relaly fair.

[Greg Berge]

As long as they don't put a stadium in Loudoun County *directly* on my commute route (as some yahoos are proposing), I don't care.  It's pointless to put it in DC, the population there is split between people who can't afford MLB and people who work until 11 pm and can't get to MLB.  NoVa isn't a terrible idea, but there's no good place for a stadium, roads are already a nightmare, and state and local is still rabidly tax averse.

I would say give it to Portland, but there's no way they can support a team.

The solution is to fold it, along with about 7 other franchises.

[The Rancor]

they should go to Puerto Rico, where they played the first half of their home season last year to sold out crowds.