How come there is no NBA in St Louis? (St. Louis: 2015, purchase)
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There was a study that said St Louis is already overextended in terms of professional sports. Discussed here, link to actual Post Dispatch article is dead.:
I remember that study, the methodology was a bit fuzzy in my opinion. It used a constange percentage of income among all metro areas. That has flaws in both cost of living issues and some areas people would be more or less willing to support professional sports. It also doesn't take into account teams that have more regional support with fans from other metro areas or rural areas going to see the games, the Cardinals are a big one in this regard.
There seems to be a desire for it though. An NBA squad would be a real shot in the arm for the city.
I really think so too, St. Louis would be able to boast as being the only city to have all four major sports Downtown. In a Downtown that hasn't even reached its full potential yet.
Moorlander, I think you might be selling St. Louis' future short to say there won't be an NBA team here within 50-60 years. That's outrageous. Who knows how populous St Louis could be in 50-60 years and how revitalized? Its trending in the right direction now already. I think that can be argued. There's so many possibilities for this city, to single out not having an NBA team just makes it seem like you hope that doesn't happen.
There's a real buzz in this city over the NBA, I made a thread looking for a sports bar that shows NBA games and turns out there's one in Maplewood, The Post, Brian Doolittle has an NBA radio show that broadcasts there and there's facebook pages and blogs. Basketball is growing and hopefully St. Louis keeps pace. There's definitely a growing interest in St. Louis. An NBA team would EASILY be our most international team and if St Louis wants to be an international city again I don't see how having an NBA team could hurt! Its truly America's equivalent of the EPL.
As far as Chicago Memphis Milwaukee etc go, that's not enough when you want to see 10-15 games a year. That can take a toll on travel expenses. I really do think having an NBA team would be fantastic for St. Louis. My fiancé took me to my first game about 3 years ago and there's truly nothing like it.
I really think so too, St. Louis would be able to boast as being the only city to have all four major sports Downtown. In a Downtown that hasn't even reached its full potential yet.
Moorlander, I think you might be selling St. Louis' future short to say there won't be an NBA team here within 50-60 years. That's outrageous. Who knows how populous St Louis could be in 50-60 years and how revitalized? Its trending in the right direction now already. I think that can be argued. There's so many possibilities for this city, to single out not having an NBA team just makes it seem like you hope that doesn't happen.
There's a real buzz in this city over the NBA, I made a thread looking for a sports bar that shows NBA games and turns out there's one in Maplewood, The Post, Brian Doolittle has an NBA radio show that broadcasts there and there's facebook pages and blogs. Basketball is growing and hopefully St. Louis keeps pace. There's definitely a growing interest in St. Louis. An NBA team would EASILY be our most international team and if St Louis wants to be an international city again I don't see how having an NBA team could hurt! Its truly America's equivalent of the EPL.
As far as Chicago Memphis Milwaukee etc go, that's not enough when you want to see 10-15 games a year. That can take a toll on travel expenses. I really do think having an NBA team would be fantastic for St. Louis. My fiancé took me to my first game about 3 years ago and there's truly nothing like it.
Actually city revitilization would have little input on professional teams relocating or new franchises. It would have to be metro growth in terms of importance, and over 50-60 years its hard to tell where it might go since it could run the whole range of possibilities largely due to being located right between north/south and east/west. Also a league itself would be a factor in terms of expansion as to who would be most likely to get an expansion team as well as who is likely to move and to where?
yes you're right I said city when I meant the MSA. Still, I will argue the point that you can't close the door, on the possibility of an NBA team, for the next 50-60 years.
Okay, I'll be the one to respectfully disagree here. I do not agree that St. Louis is "only" a baseball Cardinal town. St. Louis is a sports town, regardless of sport. While it is true the baseball team has the largest local following, and while it is true that following exists regionally and nationally as well, St. Louis itself, is a sports town regardless of sport. Let's take a look:
The Cardinals have been around since the 1800's, and since that time, the Cardinals have been successful every other decade, and by that I mean most of that decade. And, in some cases consecutive decades, over 100 years.
St. Louis is and was a town that was unable to support two professional baseball teams at the same time for any extended period. The Cardinals were for a long period the Southern most and Western most team in Major League Baseball. And, the radio affiliate KMOX was more powerful than most nationally, reaching almost all 50 states. That was big prior to the television era. Generations and generations would pass down their Cardinal fandom annually, and thus the size and scope of Cardinal Nation is wide. It helps to have winners. The Cardinals are second only to the NY Yankees in success.
The move away from KMOX will not be that big of a deal to younger generations, because those people do not listen to games on the radio in large numbers. It is television, internet, etc...and it will be up to people to pass down their fandom over generations. Some will and others will have children who root for other teams in other areas.
Make no mistake, St. Louisans love their sports teams, and as long as you are competitive they will support you. Imo the St. Louis Blues have the most loyal fan base in all of St. Louis.
To say St. Louis is not a football town, would be incorrect too. The Rams sold out ALL, 100% of their games for its first dozen seasons. Most of those seasons were terrible in terms of product. You cannot get much better than that. What St. Louis has is a long history of bad football teams, run by inept owners and management. That doesn't mean people don't like football. That would be the wrong conclusion to make. Football is well supported in St. Louis. Again, the Rams have had stronger competition with other regional teams for fans, due to history. Chicago, GB, KC, etc...something the Cardinals baseball never had to go through. However, the Rams still are extremely well supported.
The Mizzou Tigers football and hoops sell out their annual Stl game and in the case of hoops, in under an hour each season. St. Louis routinely gets College hoops men's and women's final fours, hockey final fours, NCAA wrestling championships, and on and on and on ...each year.
It'd be a mistake to say St. Louis is a baseball town. Many people say that, and they'd all be underinformed. That's only part of it. You couldn't be more wrong about the Rams, and whether or not people in St. Louis care. You grossly underestimate their local support. People are rightfully upset about the lack of competitive play in recent years, but most of those games still sold out. Now, with new ownership, new upper management, GM, Player Personnel Director, Coach etc...the Rams are moving in a much better more stable and competitive direction.
I know it's old, but this is a great post.
I think StL could easily support an NBA team unless they came to town and were terrible for several years in a row and couldn't get a foothold (typical of any city).
....be careful what you wish for...an NBA team in St. Louis would really cut into Mizzou's hold on... its basketball fans...same goes for Kansas City....there used to be a lot of support for college baseball down in Springfield, MO...NCAA trips..lots of fans...then someone got greedy and moved the AA Cardinals in...now the baseball fans here spend money at minor league games and have abandon the Missouri State team...and it was the stupid ass baseball AD that did it
....be careful what you wish for...an NBA team in St. Louis would really cut into Mizzou's hold on... its basketball fans...same goes for Kansas City....there used to be a lot of support for college baseball down in Springfield, MO...NCAA trips..lots of fans...then someone got greedy and moved the AA Cardinals in...now the baseball fans here spend money at minor league games and have abandon the Missouri State team...and it was the stupid ass baseball AD that did it
It's a little silly to compare the possible effect of minor league baseball team on a metro of 430K with an NBA team with a metro of more than 2.8 million.
How much do tickets cost for the Cardinals or for MO State? They're so cheap it hardly seems an economic force at work here.
Plus, most of the folks I know in Springfield are thrilled to have the Cardinals playing in town.
....be careful what you wish for...an NBA team in St. Louis would really cut into Mizzou's hold on... its basketball fans...same goes for Kansas City....there used to be a lot of support for college baseball down in Springfield, MO...NCAA trips..lots of fans...then someone got greedy and moved the AA Cardinals in...now the baseball fans here spend money at minor league games and have abandon the Missouri State team...and it was the stupid ass baseball AD that did it
I could see it possibly cutting into SLU basketball ticket sales but I can't see it effecting tickets sales in Columbia. Alumni are very loyal.
No worry, we won't be getting an NBA team any time in the foreseable future.
^ I don't know why I always let your posts bait me, maybe its the authoritative, yet completely unfounded way you say things. You hate the NBA we get it.
St. Louis WILL be getting an NBA team in the foreseeable (turn on spell check) future. In Checketts we trust.
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Its truly America's equivalent of the EPL.
