Salt Lake City Athletics?

Big Blue's House is intended for general sports talk, sharing ideas, announcements, etc.
User avatar
3rdGenAggie
Pick'em Champ - '16 Kickoff
Posts: 12303
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 11:53 pm
Location: The City of the Salty Lake
Has thanked: 3955 times
Been thanked: 2283 times

Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by 3rdGenAggie » May 11th, 2021, 3:34 pm

I'm not a huge baseball guy, but I would really start following it if we had a local MLB team.

If they leave Oakland, I'm sure SLC would be way down the list of options, but a guy can dream...right?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/314 ... ources-say


"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well." -Andy Dwyer

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Yossarian » May 11th, 2021, 3:53 pm

Nashville and San Antonio are two cities I hear a lot when it comes to MLB expansion or teams relocating. Both would be great baseball towns. There are so many players that come out of the deep south that I could see New Orleans or Charlotte as possibilities too.


Eutaw St. Aggie

User avatar
ProvoAggie
Site Admin
Posts: 14947
Joined: June 14th, 2010, 1:00 am
Location: Provo, Utah
Has thanked: 1467 times
Been thanked: 2865 times
Contact:

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by ProvoAggie » May 11th, 2021, 4:17 pm

Apparently Vegas is the top candidate right now. As an Angels fan I'd love to have an AL West team just down the road to see my team play more. Vegas wouldn't be a bad drive either but Salt Lake is easy enough to make it to a few games each year.



pilotaggie
Posts: 1317
Joined: November 13th, 2010, 6:53 pm
Has thanked: 113 times
Been thanked: 245 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by pilotaggie » May 11th, 2021, 4:53 pm

We can't afford another stadium. I love baseball games but Vegas needs to pass on MLB right now.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk



This post is likely straight up poor sarcasm and cannot be taken seriously.

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Yossarian » May 11th, 2021, 7:56 pm

Are any sports franchises making money right now?


Eutaw St. Aggie

pilotaggie
Posts: 1317
Joined: November 13th, 2010, 6:53 pm
Has thanked: 113 times
Been thanked: 245 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by pilotaggie » May 11th, 2021, 8:08 pm

I was at the knights game on Saturday. They announced attendance just over 7k. Said it was the largest crowd for any NHL or NBA game in the last year.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk



This post is likely straight up poor sarcasm and cannot be taken seriously.

User avatar
3rdGenAggie
Pick'em Champ - '16 Kickoff
Posts: 12303
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 11:53 pm
Location: The City of the Salty Lake
Has thanked: 3955 times
Been thanked: 2283 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by 3rdGenAggie » May 11th, 2021, 11:01 pm

pilotaggie wrote:
May 11th, 2021, 4:53 pm
We can't afford another stadium. I love baseball games but Vegas needs to pass on MLB right now.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
It would have to be a dome as well. No way they're playing a July afternoon game in Vegas outside.


"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well." -Andy Dwyer

User avatar
sam tingey
Pick'em Champ - '13, '16 FB Predict the Score; '17, '18 Bowl
Posts: 3622
Joined: October 2nd, 2012, 8:40 am
Has thanked: 1827 times
Been thanked: 888 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by sam tingey » May 12th, 2021, 6:11 am

talks of the A's moving make me sad. I didn't care about the raiders at all. SLC A's would be pretty cool though.



User avatar
2004AG
Posts: 12395
Joined: November 16th, 2010, 11:42 am
Has thanked: 774 times
Been thanked: 1587 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by 2004AG » May 12th, 2021, 8:00 am

The city of Oakland is ridiculous. Serves them right if the A's leave.



User avatar
Mr. Sneelock
Posts: 7018
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 10:09 am
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Has thanked: 45 times
Been thanked: 772 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Mr. Sneelock » May 12th, 2021, 10:25 am

I would love to see a MLB team in SLC. While I recognize that it may be down the list a bit, I actually think SLC would be a very good MLB city. Utah is the fastest growing state in the country, and that isn't expected to slow down anytime soon. It is also one of the best states for businesses. Business sponsorships would be critical. The Jazz don't have a corporate sponsorship problem and I don't anticipate that an MLB team would either. Utah fans love their teams and are a loyal bunch. We support the Jazz with pretty much every game sold out, and attendance doesn't wane much when the team is mediocre. We don't have a lot that would compete with MLB. While MLB teams have larger stadiums (about 35-45K) and more games, I really think that Utah could support that. I don't see Sunday play as a significant issue anymore. It may have been 20-30 years ago, but I don't think it is really anymore. Also, in MLB, most of the teams don't sell out regularly. Minnesota was the median attendance team in 2019, averaging 28K per game. Several teams averaged under 20K per game. The A's averaged right at about 20K per game. I believe SLC could support at least that, and as it continues to grow, so would attendance.

Salt Lake City is the #30 ranked media market in the United States. There are a handful of larger markets that do not have teams (Orlando, Sacramento, Portland, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Nashville), but I am not convinced any of them are demonstrably better than Salt Lake. Incidentally, there are a handful that are smaller and DO have teams (Kansas City, Cincinnati, Milwaukee).

Let's look at some of the contenders:
1. Las Vegas - Smaller than SLC (#40 media market), but is a destination city. Growing fast, and pretty business friendly. Lots of visitors and tourists. Probably the frontrunner. One problem is that they don't have a long history of professional sports, so it remains to be seen how the city supports its teams longer term. Also, MLB is VERY averse to gambling.
2. Orlando - It is a big city, but doesn't make much sense to me. Florida already has two teams that get very tepid support. The Rays have threatened to move, and the Marlins have the lowest attendance of any team despite winning two World Series and having a newer ballpark. Tampa is second lowest. Why would Orlando be any different?
3. Charlotte - It is a big enough city, but does MLB really want another East Coast team? This is a factor for Orlando, too.
4. San Antonio is the #31 ranked market, and is very similar in size to Salt Lake. While it is definitely not tied to Houston or Dallas, I have to wonder how those two teams would feel about another team in Texas. I don't see how it is demonstrably better than SLC.

I would like to know why any of these are demonstrably better than SLC. Obviously I am biased, but I am still not convinced that SLC shouldn't get serious consideration.
These users thanked the author Mr. Sneelock for the post (total 2):
3rdGenAggie2004AG


Formerly TulsAGGIE

pilotaggie
Posts: 1317
Joined: November 13th, 2010, 6:53 pm
Has thanked: 113 times
Been thanked: 245 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by pilotaggie » May 12th, 2021, 10:47 am

3rdGenAggie wrote:
pilotaggie wrote:
May 11th, 2021, 4:53 pm
We can't afford another stadium. I love baseball games but Vegas needs to pass on MLB right now.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
It would have to be a dome as well. No way they're playing a July afternoon game in Vegas outside.
No way that's our home field advantage. A nice afternoon in July/August 115 on the field. The players would love it and the fans. No need for a domeImage

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

These users thanked the author pilotaggie for the post (total 2):
3rdGenAggiesam tingey


This post is likely straight up poor sarcasm and cannot be taken seriously.

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Yossarian » May 12th, 2021, 11:12 am

Mr. Sneelock wrote:
May 12th, 2021, 10:25 am
I would love to see a MLB team in SLC. While I recognize that it may be down the list a bit, I actually think SLC would be a very good MLB city. Utah is the fastest growing state in the country, and that isn't expected to slow down anytime soon. It is also one of the best states for businesses. Business sponsorships would be critical. The Jazz don't have a corporate sponsorship problem and I don't anticipate that an MLB team would either. Utah fans love their teams and are a loyal bunch. We support the Jazz with pretty much every game sold out, and attendance doesn't wane much when the team is mediocre. We don't have a lot that would compete with MLB. While MLB teams have larger stadiums (about 35-45K) and more games, I really think that Utah could support that. I don't see Sunday play as a significant issue anymore. It may have been 20-30 years ago, but I don't think it is really anymore. Also, in MLB, most of the teams don't sell out regularly. Minnesota was the median attendance team in 2019, averaging 28K per game. Several teams averaged under 20K per game. The A's averaged right at about 20K per game. I believe SLC could support at least that, and as it continues to grow, so would attendance.

Salt Lake City is the #30 ranked media market in the United States. There are a handful of larger markets that do not have teams (Orlando, Sacramento, Portland, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Nashville), but I am not convinced any of them are demonstrably better than Salt Lake. Incidentally, there are a handful that are smaller and DO have teams (Kansas City, Cincinnati, Milwaukee).

Let's look at some of the contenders:
1. Las Vegas - Smaller than SLC (#40 media market), but is a destination city. Growing fast, and pretty business friendly. Lots of visitors and tourists. Probably the frontrunner. One problem is that they don't have a long history of professional sports, so it remains to be seen how the city supports its teams longer term. Also, MLB is VERY averse to gambling.
2. Orlando - It is a big city, but doesn't make much sense to me. Florida already has two teams that get very tepid support. The Rays have threatened to move, and the Marlins have the lowest attendance of any team despite winning two World Series and having a newer ballpark. Tampa is second lowest. Why would Orlando be any different?
3. Charlotte - It is a big enough city, but does MLB really want another East Coast team? This is a factor for Orlando, too.
4. San Antonio is the #31 ranked market, and is very similar in size to Salt Lake. While it is definitely not tied to Houston or Dallas, I have to wonder how those two teams would feel about another team in Texas. I don't see how it is demonstrably better than SLC.

I would like to know why any of these are demonstrably better than SLC. Obviously I am biased, but I am still not convinced that SLC shouldn't get serious consideration.
I think you need to compare SLC to Nashville. I think that is a very likely possibility for an expansion or re-located MLB team. I know my Baltimore Orioles have been mentioned as one team that could move there. The Nationals moved from Montreal to D.C. and took a good chunk of Baltimore's fan base (and the wealthy part, to boot). Attendance, poor management, an aging stadium (It's weird to say that considering Camden Yards was the jewel of MLB when it was built), and the once new and shiny Inner Harbor area of Baltimore is getting run down and crime-ridden - which is keeping fans away, all play into the idea that the team may move. The thing SLC has going for it is it is a rare western city in a league that needs/wants to keep some east-west balance and regional divisions. Portland and Vegas are the only other locations that make sense in the west.


Eutaw St. Aggie

SeattleAg
Posts: 2366
Joined: September 9th, 2011, 4:32 pm
Location: The gloomy Northwest
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 148 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by SeattleAg » May 12th, 2021, 4:02 pm

Vancouver is another Western possibility. Would prefer that the A's stay in Oakland, of course, and have mixed feelings on Portland. They have made a lot of noise about getting a team, but I don't know if they are actually in the running. Vancouver would be pretty cool tho. Bigger city than most or all of the US possibilities, built in fan base that probably would have no problems moving from the Jays to the local club, instant rivalry with the Mariners and Blue Jays. Not sure what they would do for a stadium tho.



User avatar
El Sapo
Posts: 3051
Joined: November 27th, 2017, 1:32 pm
Has thanked: 605 times
Been thanked: 692 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by El Sapo » May 13th, 2021, 8:35 am

The Athletics' stadium proposal would require Oakland to spend $855 million in taxpayer money. That's never going to happen.

FYI John Fisher, (net worth $3.6 billion) the owner of the A's, has an art collection probably worth more than $855 million.



User avatar
travelingagg
Posts: 1869
Joined: November 13th, 2010, 10:29 am
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Has thanked: 518 times
Been thanked: 726 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by travelingagg » May 26th, 2021, 6:46 am

Vegas is not smaller than SLC. At 2.3 million residents in Clark County, it’s closer to the size of the entire Wasatch Front than to SLC or even SL County. I.e., there are way more people within a 30-minute or less drive to go to games.


Jordan Nathan’s #27 Fan

User avatar
Mr. Sneelock
Posts: 7018
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 10:09 am
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Has thanked: 45 times
Been thanked: 772 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Mr. Sneelock » May 26th, 2021, 10:02 am

travelingagg wrote:
May 26th, 2021, 6:46 am
Vegas is not smaller than SLC. At 2.3 million residents in Clark County, it’s closer to the size of the entire Wasatch Front than to SLC or even SL County. I.e., there are way more people within a 30-minute or less drive to go to games.
Clark County is more densely populated than Salt Lake County, but the Clark County metro area is absolutely not larger than the Wasatch Front metro area. Once you get outside of Clark County, there are very few people. There may be more people in the combined surrounding counties than in Salt Lake County proper. According to the 2020 census, there are roughly 2.85 Million people living between Logan and Payson.


Formerly TulsAGGIE

User avatar
sam tingey
Pick'em Champ - '13, '16 FB Predict the Score; '17, '18 Bowl
Posts: 3622
Joined: October 2nd, 2012, 8:40 am
Has thanked: 1827 times
Been thanked: 888 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by sam tingey » May 26th, 2021, 10:08 am

Mr. Sneelock wrote:
May 26th, 2021, 10:02 am
travelingagg wrote:
May 26th, 2021, 6:46 am
Vegas is not smaller than SLC. At 2.3 million residents in Clark County, it’s closer to the size of the entire Wasatch Front than to SLC or even SL County. I.e., there are way more people within a 30-minute or less drive to go to games.
Clark County is more densely populated than Salt Lake County, but the Clark County metro area is absolutely not larger than the Wasatch Front metro area. Once you get outside of Clark County, there are very few people. There may be more people in the combined surrounding counties than in Salt Lake County proper. According to the 2020 census, there are roughly 2.85 Million people living between Logan and Payson.
Its always an argument about size around here isn't it?
These users thanked the author sam tingey for the post (total 2):
3rdGenAggieNVAggie



User avatar
ViAggie
Posts: 24662
Joined: June 16th, 2011, 6:49 pm
Location: Temecula, California
Has thanked: 6004 times
Been thanked: 2514 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by ViAggie » May 26th, 2021, 10:55 am

Any stadium is going to cost taxpayer dollars, no stadium ever gets built sans huge tax breaks. In fact most stadiums never pencil out, never recoup their costs. That's why professional stadiums are considered a "benefit" like a public park or public museum.


Just another day in the (Aggie) Brotherhood

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: Salt Lake City Athletics?

Post by Yossarian » May 26th, 2021, 11:53 am

ViAggie wrote:
May 26th, 2021, 10:55 am
Any stadium is going to cost taxpayer dollars, no stadium ever gets built sans huge tax breaks. In fact most stadiums never pencil out, never recoup their costs. That's why professional stadiums are considered a "benefit" like a public park or public museum.
Are those tax dollars an investment? Or lost money? I guess it depends on how successful the team is and how many fans the stadium can draw. There has to be a pretty big boost to the economy in the immediate vicinity of the stadium - hotels, restaurants, bars, gift shops, etc. Add to that rental cars, car services (taxis, Uber, etc.), public transportation, and the like and there is a pretty good revenue stream coming in. The stadiums can be used for other events (concerts, etc.) to add even more to that. I'm not sure all of this adds up to the hundreds of millions needed to build a stadium or not?


Eutaw St. Aggie

Locked Previous topicNext topic