what city deserves a pro sports team (NBA, NFL, NHL)

[goozer]

Originally Posted by lammius

200,000 maybe. The metro is only 600,000. While I'd like to see some expansion in the almost untapped interior NW, there just aren't any major markets out there yet.

My eyes have been failing me lately -- you're right. I somehow added a digit when I looked at the Boise city population listed in the back of my 2005 Rand/McNally road atlas. It listed the pop as 189k, but I read it as 1.89 mil. But while we're on the subject of the NW, let's give Portland a baseball or football team. They DO have a metro pop of about two million and a pretty good following for the Trailblazers. A Portland pro football or baseball team also might benefit from a Seattle rivalry.

[Steve_W]

Originally Posted by goozer

I agree that Boise needs a pro team. The city pop is around two million and growing. You could also try include the surrounding areas by calling them the Northwest something or others. Basically, the Seattle Seahawks have cornered the football market (just like the Mariners in baseball) for a huge portion of the country in the northwest. Another team or two up there would be a good thing.

Actually, Boise has only 193K in city and 555K in metro...or around that.
I really don't think Boise could support a professional team of any sort.
It doesn’t take filling stadiums and arenas to sustain and fund a professional sports team. It is a teams "Marketability" in large markets which does so.

Omaha, for example, has a metro of 850K and 1.3 Million in a 50 Mile radius. There is absolutely no one who would even consider Omaha for a professional team of any sort. Reason for that is the remainder of the state (including surrounding states without their own teams) is sparsely populated.

A mid to large sized city doesn’t always mean a large market. A large amount of money supporting teams come in the forms of team apparel or anything sold with that teams logo...also other various forms of media.

I would vote for OKC or Vegas (Vegas just because it’s Vegas I guess)

[Steve_W]

Originally Posted by goozer

My eyes have been failing me lately -- you're right. I somehow added a digit when I looked at the Boise city population listed in the back of my 2005 Rand/McNally road atlas. It listed the pop as 189k, but I read it as 1.89 mil. But while we're on the subject of the NW, let's give Portland a baseball or football team. They DO have a metro pop of about two million and a pretty good following for the Trailblazers. A Portland pro football or baseball team also might benefit from a Seattle rivalry.

Yeah, Portland. I didn't even think of that. I think they would do quite well.

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

OkC. They deserve an NBA team after their showing with the Hornets. Sold out games night after night, and they truly demonstrated they can support a pro basketball franchise.

Judging by the comically inept handling of the Seattle Supersonic heist on the part of the naive OKC ownership group, I would say the only thing they deserve is a punch to the esophagus.

[desert sun]

college basketball is big in Albuquerque and NFL football,it seems like the whole state of New Mexico is either a devoted Cowboys or Broncos fan so the NFL here might draw alot of people rooting for the opposing team. I know Providence and Hartford has a small city pop. but the metros are a mil. or more and would create rivalry with Boston,along with a team in Norfolk could create rivalrys with Baltimore and DC.I think Birmingham might be a good choice for a NBA team.

[Steve_W]

Originally Posted by desert sun

college basketball is big in Albuquerque and NFL football,it seems like the whole state of New Mexico is either a devoted Cowboys or Broncos fan so the NFL here might draw alot of people rooting for the opposing team. I know Providence and Hartford has a small city pop. but the metros are a mil. or more and would create rivalry with Boston,along with a team in Norfolk could create rivalrys with Baltimore and DC.I think Birmingham might be a good choice for a NBA team.

Yeah, I get what you are saying but overall it's a business decision and probably way too risky. I think an investor would pick the Los Angeles Market before expanding to small markets.

[nl2134]

Somewhere west, and not another team on the east coast. Albuquerque is my choice too.

[tablemtn]

I'd have to agree with Las Vegas. It's inevitable. The market there is huge and underserved when it comes to pro sports.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by Juice13610

I chose Norfolk, since it is a city of around 400k and it sits right on top of VA Beach which is another 400k. I think they are extremely underserved when it comes to sports teams

norfolk is only like 260-270k inside the city limits. but the metro area is around 1.7 million. NBA or MLB could defintely work. i dont buy the rivalry with DC and B-more thing. It takes, on an average day, 4-5 hours to get to Norfolk from DC. Tack on 2 more hours if you are coming from Baltimore City.

[CNI]

1st choice - Norfolk (Hampton Roads). Why? Over 1.5 million people. Plus (if I recall correctly) Virginia is the most populous state without a pro sports team. The Carolina Panthers do not have a solid fan base in VA. The Washington Redskins have traditionally been VA's team but I think that grip can be broken. The Norfolk/Hampton Roads team would attract a fan base in northern N.C. also. Plus Norfolk/Hampton Roads has large numbers of transplants and people from other states in the area for military reason, for vacations during the summer, college, etc. Entire state secretly yearning for pro team.
2nd choice - Las Vegas. For many of the same reasons as Norfolk/Hampton Roads. Large metro area population. Not sure about state ppoulation. Tenuos (I assume) resident's connection to surrounding teams. Large numbers of transplants, out-of-towners vacationing and relocating. State seems to be yearning a pro team.
3rd - Oklahoma City. Lg metro population. No strong affiliations with surrounding teams. State seems to really be yearning a pro team. Seems to lack non-local support base for the team.
4th - Birmingham. Question would be - does college fanatacism translate directly into pro fanatacism. Could draw from surrounding areas w/o teams. Is state really motivated?
5th - Hartford. Hurt by proximity to other existing pro teams. Northeast already very well represented in pro sports.
6th - Louisville. Hurt by proximity to other existing pro teams. Midwest already well represented in pro sports.
Either I do not know enough about the other locals or they really seem to have far to many negatives to overcome their positives.