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Nashville as MLB Expansion/Relocation Market


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1 hour ago, L'burgnative said:

^^^That is what the news was reporting at the time.  Also back then no one thought hockey was working nor was it going to in Nashville so they probably thought the Preds were on there way out.  That's my guess anyways, I hear what you are saying but actually the first two cities mentioned for the Grizzlies was Nashville and Louisville with Memphis coming later out of the blue.  I think Memphis was the better choice for the same reason you mentioned and Memphis has always been more of a basketball city than Nashville.  I think (could be wrong) Memphis probably produces the most instate basketball talent in TN.

That's my recollection, too.  I was living in Memphis at the time, and even in Memphis the assumption was that Memphis was a distant 3rd to Nashville and, especially, Louisville.  I think the common thought was it was Louisville's to lose.  I remember watching ESPN commentators gush over how successful the NBA would be in Louisville compared to either Nashville or Memphis.  The Louisville owners would be the Yum! people (KFC) and the new arena would be nicknamed The Bucket.  I don't remember what happened, but seemingly overnight things soured in Louisville, and Memphis leapfrogged over Nashville to become the favored new home of the Grizzlies.  I'm sure Fred Smith's bottomless pockets helped, and maybe even the pledge to build a brand new arena downtown and not out in the suburbs.  I don't think Nashville had any of its mega millionaires interested in the NBA, but I could be wrong.   I think also that the University of Memphis was very interested in having the NBA in town, unlike the University of Louisville which didn't want to share its fan base.

Edited by jmtunafish
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3 hours ago, JoeyX said:

 

Where did you hear that from? That the NBA was going to move to a place where there was already an NHL team that had control over the arena. Also the only teams that have both NBA and NHL teams are teams that have NFL and MLB teams. Nashville only had two teams at that time.

Here is the only thing I can find and Nashville is not mentioned as a contender.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20447356/tennessee-to-get-nba-team&ved=2ahUKEwjdvJulpqDqAhXQmeAKHaxaCK8QFjAKegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1iUpiHQNvad7R7rPTlHRSh

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We suddenly feel very well-poised to get an expansion club if that's really the route that the league wants to go in. Would adding more teams be what's really best for the sport? I'm not so sure, but I have to admit that I really am digging the look of these visionary stadium renderings. This ownership group continues to impress me more and more.

Edited by henburg
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21 hours ago, L'burgnative said:

As for the Grizzlies, did anyone here really stop rooting for the team they've pull for before and become a Grizzlies fan?  I'm still a Celtics fan and could care less about the Grizzlies, probably still would had they moved to Nashville other than I'd might have a second favorite team.

Yes.  The first game I saw in the Pyramid was a Celtics 111 - 110 victory over the Grizz back in 2003.  I grew up a Sixers fan despising both the Lakers and Celtics...meandered a bit to the Bulls in the 90s, but I found a true fandom for the Grizzlies.  Same as well for the Titans...I dropped my nearly two decade love for the Eagles like hot garbage when the Oilers came...both were dreams come true (home state NFL and NBA franchises).

Edited by tragenvol
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47 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

Obviously there needs to be parking for the football stadium, but it is pretty sickening that most of the east bank is covered with asphalt just because of the eight days out of the year there happens to be a Titans home game. 

I would imagine if they build a baseball stadium there...with those 2-3 towers shown, there will ample replacement parking.  Tailgaters will just have to tailgate in the east lot for football.  If they can work out something with the Titans' organization, it would be nice to be able to share the east parking lot for games...as well as the overflow parking in the baseball park garages.

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I went to every home game last year. And the lord are rarely full. The one between the stadium and the new hotel going in is anywhere between 50-75% capacity. 

The group of people going across the pedestrian bridge is huge. 
 

It would be interesting to see some kind of aerial breakdown of where people are coming from and going to after each game. 

Edited by PaulChinetti
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Well that's because since 2016 a significant number of people from the area don't bother going to the games anymore.  If it wasn't for the opposing teams fans, the Tennessee Titans home games  would look like Jacksonville's.

Edited by JoeyX
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12 hours ago, bnacincy said:

Aren't at least some of those lots used for commuter parking during the week?

And if so, doesn't that keep the CBD less crowded with cars at rush hour?

The communters park in Lot B, A and E over by Woodland and Russell St.  That's where we would pick up the shuttles to the various stops in the CBD.

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