sherpa Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 19 minutes ago, LeGOATski said: What happened to the Expos?? Franchise moved to Washington and became the Nats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Joshin' Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I think you mean the Montreal Des Rayons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Egg Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) To repeat history shows MLB has learned nothing about their last Montreal folly. Why not San Antonio or Des Moine ? Edited June 21, 2019 by I am the egg man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, ChevyVanMiller said: It’s not a new idea. In 1974, World Team tennis actually had the Buffalo-Toronto Royals. Half the games were played at the old Aud and the other half north of the border. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto-Buffalo_Royals Also the KC-Omaha Royals of the NBA, now the Sacramento Kings. (Originally the Rochester Royals!) 8 hours ago, Gugny said: I would LOVE baseball back in Montreal. ROAD TRIP! Edited June 21, 2019 by PromoTheRobot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 It's just a dumb negotiation ploy that will likely backfire for the team. The team desperately wants out of St. Pete but the city is holding firm on its contract until 2028. I don't know why MLB would even bother with the idea for more than 10 minutes. Splitting a team between two failed MLB cities? Come on. If anything it highlights to MLB's Captain Obvious you have a big problem with the Rays. The irony is that the Rays have been decent to above average and they are having a pretty good year. I just think that the market is a nightmare, the stadium is lousy and Florida likely can't support two teams. Time to go to Indianapolis, Charlotte or Nashville. FWIW, I loved the Expos uniforms but I think the new Expos would have the same issues the old Expos had. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, dpberr said: It's just a dumb negotiation ploy that will likely backfire for the team. The team desperately wants out of St. Pete but the city is holding firm on its contract until 2028. I don't know why MLB would even bother with the idea for more than 10 minutes. Splitting a team between two failed MLB cities? Come on. If anything it highlights to MLB's Captain Obvious you have a big problem with the Rays. The irony is that the Rays have been decent to above average and they are having a pretty good year. I just think that the market is a nightmare, the stadium is lousy and Florida likely can't support two teams. Time to go to Indianapolis, Charlotte or Nashville. FWIW, I loved the Expos uniforms but I think the new Expos would have the same issues the old Expos had. I don't know if a Buffalo team in MLB would have worked but Miami has been a total cluster****. They built a new stadium and still no one goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 27 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said: ROAD TRIP! Abso-freaking-lutely!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 This is just the first step in moving them to Montreal permanently. The original Expos split a bunch of games (in Mexico?) in their final seasons. The Rays are done in Florida. There is little support for them even when they are competitive, and there's no way they get any government funding for a new stadium after what (former Expos owner) Loria did to get them to pay for the Marlins stadium. They will get to play half their games in Montreal (in the crumbling dome that's about as nice as Tampa's Dome) and when the new stadium is ready in Montreal they relocate permanently . Montreal has an ownership waiting, and they are ready to start building a new stadium, MLB already told them that they would be next in line once they have the new stadium. Fans have shown in Montreal they want the Expos back. They were only moved because Loria screwed them and their support dropped when everyone knew they were gone. I think the biggest problem today in MLB is that most teams need scaled back stadiums. They need capacities closer to hockey rinks of 15-20k then football 40k+. Only a few teams could support large capacities over an entire season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 The Canadiens need to return Youppi! to his/her/its rightful home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 42 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said: This is just the first step in moving them to Montreal permanently. The original Expos split a bunch of games (in Mexico?) in their final seasons. The Rays are done in Florida. There is little support for them even when they are competitive, and there's no way they get any government funding for a new stadium after what (former Expos owner) Loria did to get them to pay for the Marlins stadium. They will get to play half their games in Montreal (in the crumbling dome that's about as nice as Tampa's Dome) and when the new stadium is ready in Montreal they relocate permanently . Montreal has an ownership waiting, and they are ready to start building a new stadium, MLB already told them that they would be next in line once they have the new stadium. Fans have shown in Montreal they want the Expos back. They were only moved because Loria screwed them and their support dropped when everyone knew they were gone. I think the biggest problem today in MLB is that most teams need scaled back stadiums. They need capacities closer to hockey rinks of 15-20k then football 40k+. Only a few teams could support large capacities over an entire season. San Juan, PR, actually. If they build a new stadium in MTL is it open air? April and even May games could be brutal. This spring and summer in New England has sucked the big honker with lots of rain and temps in the low 60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaoulDuke79 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said: I don't know if a Buffalo team in MLB would have worked but Miami has been a total cluster****. They built a new stadium and still no one goes. And they destroyed the Orange Bowl to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 The Expos capitalized on the coincidence of the Montreal Exposition. That was over 50 years ago and few even now know what the theme of the Expo was. Their stadium was an after thought of that event. 20 years later they even tried to leave Canada by referendum. Montreal seems to pride themselves on being more European than the rest of Canada, and that's OK, but I don't see that matching up with a desire for a major league US sports franchise, that's previously been tried and failed. The baseball season is so long that April and September/October games, in an outdoor stadium, would be unwatchable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 37 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said: The Expos capitalized on the coincidence of the Montreal Exposition. That was over 50 years ago and few even now know what the theme of the Expo was. Their stadium was an after thought of that event. 20 years later they even tried to leave Canada by referendum. Montreal seems to pride themselves on being more European than the rest of Canada, and that's OK, but I don't see that matching up with a desire for a major league US sports franchise, that's previously been tried and failed. The baseball season is so long that April and September/October games, in an outdoor stadium, would be unwatchable. The stadium was built for the 1968 Summer Olympics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 47 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said: The Expos capitalized on the coincidence of the Montreal Exposition. That was over 50 years ago and few even now know what the theme of the Expo was. Their stadium was an after thought of that event. 20 years later they even tried to leave Canada by referendum. Montreal seems to pride themselves on being more European than the rest of Canada, and that's OK, but I don't see that matching up with a desire for a major league US sports franchise, that's previously been tried and failed. The baseball season is so long that April and September/October games, in an outdoor stadium, would be unwatchable. and a lot of the financial $$$ in Montreal went to Toronto starting in the mid-70s with a Separatist government installed at the Provincial level. it would be nice to have a team in Montreal again, not sure how it is financially feasible, this is a huge $$$ undertaking I figure 1/3 of games in Toronto are rescued to some extent by the dome, April and most of May are write-offs for weather, this particular June hasn't been pleasant or dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said: San Juan, PR, actually. If they build a new stadium in MTL is it open air? April and even May games could be brutal. This spring and summer in New England has sucked the big honker with lots of rain and temps in the low 60's. Montreal would have to build a dome or retractable roof, I'd think. Also - don't forget that baseball (post)season now goes into early November. Northeast weather starts getting iffy well before the regular season ends in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) 14 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said: The stadium was built for the 1968 Summer Olympics. 1976. The Expos almost didn't happen in 1969...a year earlier Montreal was awarded a team with no stadium in place and the owners and the city had to scramble to get a pi$$ poor stadium built at Jarry Park...after much fits and starts between MLB and the team's owners, the franchise was within a week of being awarded to...wait for it...Buffalo. Edited June 21, 2019 by Ned Flanders 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 15 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: 1976. The Expos almost didn't happen in 1969...a year earlier Montreal was awarded a team with no stadium in place and the owners and the city had to scramble to get a pi$$ poor stadium built at Jarry Park...after much fits and starts between MLB and the team's owners, the franchise was within a week of being awarded to...wait for it...Buffalo. Montreal hosted Expo/World's Fair in 1967, Canada's Centennial year, and the SUMMER Olympics in 1976, then the Separatist Government won a few months later and $$$ exodus hit the city huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said: The stadium was built for the 1968 Summer Olympics. Thought it was built for Expo 67 but used for the Olympics too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said: San Juan, PR, actually. If they build a new stadium in MTL is it open air? April and even May games could be brutal. This spring and summer in New England has sucked the big honker with lots of rain and temps in the low 60's. I couldn't remember if it was Puerto Rico or Mexico I believe the plan would be done or maybe retractable roof similar to Toronto, but I don't recall them releasing anything official. I doubt it will have a removable roof like their old one which can come off with a crane (or just wait till all the ceiling panels fall off.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 The Expos opened the 1977 season in the new Olympic Stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts