[Gatsby1925]

I have lived in Las Vegas my whole life, and admittingly the one thing that I always do when I visit other cities that I can't do here is watch a major league game. Isn't Las Vegas one of the, if not the largest city without a pro sports team? Minor league teams just don't do it for me, with the exception of the Wranglers. Baseball is my favorite sport, but Cashman Field is an awful, awful ballpark.

This question isn't so much asking if we have the economic health to bring in a pro franchise; I know that right now it is not healthy enough. Rather, the question is if the local Vegas culture can sustain a pro team, and if so for which sport? I admit that I would love to see an MLB or MLS team here, but I admit to being biased as baseball and soccer are my two favorite sports to watch.

Thoughts?

[Ulysses373]

Las Vegas would be one of the smallest baseball markets, only ahead of Milwaukee. As a baseball fan, you know how well smaller market teams do. It wouldn't even be able to claim other areas for TV viewers, like Boston does with all of New England, since it's bordered by LA and Phoenix. Basketball is probably the only one that would be supported well enough and I don't think they're in a hurry to have a team in LV after the All-star game a few years ago.

[Gatsby1925]

Originally Posted by Ulysses373

Las Vegas would be one of the smallest baseball markets, only ahead of Milwaukee. As a baseball fan, you know how well smaller market teams do. It wouldn't even be able to claim other areas for TV viewers, like Boston does with all of New England, since it's bordered by LA and Phoenix. Basketball is probably the only one that would be supported well enough and I don't think they're in a hurry to have a team in LV after the All-star game a few years ago.

You made a good point about coverage through TV. I would assume if we did have a team, coverage would be throughout Nevada, but I do realize that Las Vegas and the rest of Nevada are like two completely different worlds.

Small markets have been doing better in recent years, though. I caught a Brewers game while visiting Milwaukee last spring, and they have quite a dedicated fanbase. Tampa Bay has also improved greatly despite their small market and an absolutely horrible ballpark.

What about Major League Soccer? The league has shown high attendance in places like Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, New York and Kansas City. I think a club here would be very successful.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Gatsby1925

Thoughts?

I think this topic has been covered quite well already.

[jojoindy]

If basketball can succeed in Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Indianapolis, I think it could have a chance in LV. Detroit and Cleveland are much like LV in that they have a small town feel, and have only one industry. From what I understand the whole sports gambling issue is to strong. Buying land for the stadium.. And many more hurdles.

Maybe the Maloofs should relocate Scramento to Las Vegas and connect the
arena to the Palms.

Baseball in 100 weather not so much. Unless you have a retractable dome.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by jojoindy

Baseball in 100 weather not so much. Unless you have a retractable dome.

I have seen thousands of baseball games and few have been as unpleasant as the games I have seen at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. And the covered seats are the most unpleasant.

[LA_Guy]

Hi all,

Not into baseball anymore...

Curious, are there any minor league baseball there ?
Any major leaguers come out of LV area recently ?
UNLV have a good baseball team ?

Think you gotta have a domed stadium to attract one anyway.

LA Guy

[Ulysses373]

Originally Posted by Gatsby1925

You made a good point about coverage through TV. I would assume if we did have a team, coverage would be throughout Nevada, but I do realize that Las Vegas and the rest of Nevada are like two completely different worlds.

There's only about 700,000 people total in the rest of Nevada, so even if they did get the whole state, it wouldn't help much. Local TV money is going to be huge going forward. The Angels with their new deal are getting $150 million per year. The Dodgers were bought for $2 billion mostly because of the potential of a huge local tv deal for them. A Vegas team would be capped at around 3 million people and so would never be able to get something like that.

Small markets have been doing better in recent years, though. I caught a Brewers game while visiting Milwaukee last spring, and they have quite a dedicated fanbase. Tampa Bay has also improved greatly despite their small market and an absolutely horrible ballpark.

There's no doubt small market teams can compete in a given year, it's more that it's more difficult to have sustained greatness when you don't have the same money as everybody else. It reduces your options, like Milwaukee didn't even pretend to try to re-sign Fielder.

What about Major League Soccer? The league has shown high attendance in places like Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, New York and Kansas City. I think a club here would be very successful.

I don't follow soccer so don't know about that.

[Gatsby1925]

I think it's pretty much universally agreed upon that a domed ballpark is a must if we are going to have an MLB team in the city.

And LA Guy, yes, we do have a minor league team, the AAA Las Vegas 51s. Unfortunately, not only are they terrible, but they play in an absolutely decrepit ballpark. Cashman Field is such an armpit that by comparison it makes Sam Boyd Stadium (another armpit) look like Cowboys Stadium. They used to get a fair number of fans back when they were the farm team for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Dodgers moved to a much nicer ballpark in Albuquerque. Now, we are the AAA affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays. Good luck getting Vegas fans to care about developmental players for a club that's 2,000 miles away in another country.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Gatsby1925

Now, we are the AAA affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays. Good luck getting Vegas fans to care about developmental players for a club that's 2,000 miles away in another country.

They weren't doing that great with wither the SD Padres or the LA Dodgers. It is an unpleasant experience in an old ballpark in a bad part of town. It is a recipe for small crowds.