Charlotte MLB Team Speculation

[dubone]

Yeah the whole CSET thing was Johnson's worst move yet.  The team doesn't even have exposure unless you have digital cable, and the average person doesn't.  Plus, who would ever want to watch a JC Smith vs. Fayetteville State football game?  I mean come on.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and even those with digital don't notice that channel because it just one of a few hundred channels. (and channel flipping is less likely on digital, where there is an interactive tv guide).

[dubone]

I believe this is due to the "marketing" done by Bob Johnson.  What has he done to promote the new team?  Sometimes I even forget that we have an NBA team now because of his poor marketing.  He only televises all the games on CSET which is a Time Warner Digital Cable ONLY channel.  You have to pay $60 a month for cable just to watch a Bobcats game.  The commercials for the Bobcats are among the stupidest commercials ever produced for any "product" IMO.  I don't think it's so much the lack of involvement from locals but is moreso from the bad taste left from those marketing the franchise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

while we are on the subject of what has been done wrong on this team's launch, does anyone else think the Rufus Lynx, the maskot, is the ugliest mascot they've ever seen? I think it would scare children.

[Raintree21]

I got a bad taste in my mouth after going to a game earlier this season. I thought I was off Beatties Ford Rd. for a minute with the thug atmosphere put on by the team by the rap music, DJ with "scratch records," bootie shorts on the dancers, and orange overall clad, gold chain wearing pep guys.

[bobliocatt]

I don't see Charlotte or North Carolina getting a baseball team anytime soon. MLB is struggling, its not trying to expand and all the North Carolina markets are too small to support one. If you noticed, all of the markets, Charlotte's size, that already have teams, are struggling for survival. If MLB ever expands, I think it will go to Mexico, Vegas, Portland, San Juan, etc. before it considers NC.

[Raintree21]

Knights Stadium Bid Still in Full Swing

A committee examining possible sites for a Charlotte stadium is scheduled to report to Mecklenburg County commissioners next week. It is still examining at least two other county-owned parcels that Mecklenburg County commissioners have yet to rule out -- the Hal Marshall Center and Memorial Stadium sites.

[QueenCity]

well i really think if charlotte attianed a baseball team it would become a bigger city maybe instantly. with all that popularity and companys thats going to produce the teams clothing and the stadium . it will also give charlotte an economic boost by bringing in fans from around the sourounding areas also the state bieng that it would be the only city with a baseball team. what do you think

[BobbyS]

well i really think if charlotte attianed a baseball team it would become a bigger city maybe instantly. with all that popularity and companys thats going to produce the teams clothing and the stadium . it will also give charlotte an economic boost by bringing in fans from around the sourounding areas also the state bieng that it would be the only city with a baseball team. what do you think

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most all of that logo'd merchandise is made in China these days.

There's actually been some research on the (surprisingly low) economic impact of sports teams:

http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/04/1117stadiums.html

I really don't like the way teams threaten to leave every decade or so unless the government builds them a new stadium.

[dubone]

i think that a bigger boost would be we fully support the nba and nfl and our AAA baseball team

the bottom two teams in the Nba for attendance are our relocated old team and our current. (although interestingly, the team that left for greener pastures had fewer people attend than our start up team). i suspect we will get a lot more people coming when the new arena opens up, especially if we get some UNC and/or Duke drafts, as has been rumored in the observer. both college basketball programs are very popular in charlotte (albeit with different fans ), and i'd suspect that it will help endear many charlotteans to the bobcats if it were to happen. Ameka is great and all that, but he's from UConn.

but back to baseball... i think that as long as the knights are stuck in SC with no one going, we will have zero chance of winning an mlb team.

[cinco]

i, for one would rather see MLS soccer come to charlotte. i don't know exactly whats in store for memorial stadium, but a little TLC and it would suit MLS just fine. i feel like we could support a professional soccer team, especially with the boom of hispanic immigrants. 'cha think?

[redjeep77]

That's an interesting question. I do feel that with a growing international crowd in charlotte, we could support a MLS team. Although that would kill the Eagles (which i believe are doing well). I am much more of a football fan myself, but i think that it's an amazing sight to see how intense other countries are about their soccer teams (in particular the english premier league). I have a feeling that with all of the new upstart "bada$$" soccer players in america (like that freddie guy), soccer could be on the verge of exploding interest. It will be neat to see how this unfolds. Also a major tenant at memorial stadium would be cool. Also the fact that it's near downtown (with a great skyline view) would be an added bonus.

[treason]

There's no way that MLS would be supported in Charlotte. I'm not knocking soccer, but I don't think the fan base will support it. Arena football disappeared in CLT and I bet the Charlotte WNBA team is not a money maker either. Football, basketball and baseball are the 3 major sports in the US. MLS soccer has come on strong over the past years but the newness would quickly rub off and attendance would fall in CLT.

I have a feeling that if the Knights come to uptown, then you can forget about a MLB team coming to uptown CLT. That is unless they are capable of expanding a minor league park to a major league park. Or not having the MLB tean in uptown.

Does Charlotte have the fan base to support 80 or so home games over the length of a major league baseball season when most of the games are during the week in the evening? I don't see many people willing to drive from Greensboro on a Tuesday to catch a 7:30pm baseball game in Charlotte.

[dubone]

also, wasn't there something put together to bring mls to winston salem a few years ago? what ever happened with that?

[treason]

Here's an article on some of the baseball talks up in Winston-Salem / Greensboro.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/storie...editorial2.html

[treason]

And MLS in the triad:

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2.../03/story3.html

[skysdalimit]

I find MLB highly unlikely in the Triad, though I could possibly see MLS in the Triad. But don't expect anyone in Charlotte to travel up for it.

I have found that when a major league team is located in a smaller city, people in larger cities rarely will go to the smaller city to see that team. For example, I only knew 1 guy who had season tickets to the Hurricanes in Raleigh, even then they were only part-season tickets. And this guy was Finnish, and they love they're hockey. I think he was purely satisfied with the Checkers. Just like in Charlotte we soccer lovers are purely satisfied with Eagles soccer. You might catch me at one MLS game in the triad every decade or so.

[monsoon]

The plan to move MLB to the Triad was a Red Herring to get a better deal out of whatever city was getting ready to lose it. I think it was Minneapolis. When that happened they also pitched woo to Charlotte but the leaders here saw through the proposal for what it was. In any case, I think that MLB has lost the appeal it once had and like the NBA loves to hit cities up for corporate welfare via the taxpayer to subsidize their excessive salaries and facilities. Too bad Charlotte did not learn this lesson wiht the NBA as well.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

When do you think MLB will come to Charlotte? Or will it ever come? How big was Atlanta when they got the Braves?

I think we should get it by 2025, or at least I would hope so.

[DigitalSky]

I would hope earlier than that

[krazeeboi]

I would say within a 15-20 timeframe.

Does the city (or its residents) even want a MLB franchise?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I would think so. I know quite a few people, myself included, who would buy season tickets the day it came. That may not be an accurate representation of the Charlotte Metro though.

[monsoon]

The Minnesota Twins briefly considered moving to Charlotte when the voters in Greensboro voted down a new tax to build a stadium for them there. The Twins made a proposal to Greensboro to relocate the team there, but the voters did not want them.

I don't remember exactly what happened now, but I believe it was a combination of there not being enough support for it Charlotte, and Minnesota bowing down and giving the team huge tax concessions to stay there. (where they are today) As a result MLB did not come to Charlotte.

I think the Twins considered Greensboro because of its central location in the state, and there were already Major league teams in Raleigh and Charlotte.

[GSP Tiger]

Charlotte can handle an MLB team by 2015. As Charlotte lies between two NL teams, an AL team could work out.

Would the Knight's new stadium downtown be able to support atleast 50,000 fans a night?

[Mobuchu]

Charlotte can handle an MLB team by 2015. As Charlotte lies between two NL teams, an AL team could work out.

Would the Knight's new stadium downtown be able to support atleast 50,000 fans a night?

On top of that, could Charlotte give 50,000 fans a night? I just dont see it happening, 2 major sports and a couple minor league teams probably puts Charlotte at capacity for fans.

[Hotlanta]

I heard somewhere that they want to bring a ML baseball team to Raleigh in the next couple of years.

[RaleighHeelsfan]

I heard somewhere that they want to bring a ML baseball team to Raleigh in the next couple of years.

I have not heard that...but

I think Charlotte deserves it more

Raleigh would build the stadium in.....Apex lol or in Siler City

Raleigh has to have the most unsmart growth in the state