Major League Baseball In Providence

[mental757]

Providence Equity Stadium - that guy bathes in money!

[BigUglyCat]

...so while the MLB may have said that the boston area could support a second team, there's a whole lot more going into it than that. and i wouldn't be surprised if the boston area were to get another team, it'd end up in foxboro as some sort of big sports complex (like the meadowlands/giants stadium complex in jersey or the sports complex area of philly).

[runawayjim]

Now there is an idea that does make a lot of sense. Gillette Stadium is empty 3/4 of the year, correct? Let's dream big: a baseball stadium, plus a hockey/basketball arena that could also host conventions. Doesn't the commuter rail go right by there? I confess, in recent years, I've not followed CR closely.

[BigUglyCat]

there is a stop there for the commuter rail, but it only runs to that stop on pats nights. i was thinking about taking it to see jimmy buffett there this summer and it wasn't running, so i had to drive and sit in the traffic. but yes, to answer your question, it does go right by.

[brick]

there is a stop there for the commuter rail, but it only runs to that stop on pats nights. i was thinking about taking it to see jimmy buffett there this summer and it wasn't running, so i had to drive and sit in the traffic. but yes, to answer your question, it does go right by.

[brick]

I beg your pardon, all, and ask you to forgive me, but I like to dream about things that have at least a faint chance of coming true.

[BigUglyCat]

then stay out of the thread entirely instead of just shooting people down when you only have half-facts and innuendo and a 20 year old "RI isn't capable of doing anything" attitude. My point is that being cautionary is one thing. Ominously stating things like "you might regret it" or whatever you said is just lame.

Seriously.

[jencoleslaw]

if this turns into a rumble you should probably know up front that i'm siding with Brick and am against a stadium at foxboro.

[Cotuit]

He doesn't have mirrors, its against his religion.

[BigUglyCat]

if this turns into a rumble you should probably know up front that i'm siding with Brick and am against a stadium at foxboro.

[runawayjim]

If you truly think that stadiums don't belong in a city, then that's fine, I will have to merely completely disagree with you in every way. But to me, throwing another stadium in a boring suburban location is lame lame lame.

PS if you asked me to handicap it, I would say the best chance would be for a second Boston team to be located in Boston proper. I would also say that Southeastern CT (pulling in much of the highly populated West Chester and Fairfield counties) or even Hartford would be better choices as the NY market can support a third team easier than Boston can support a second. But if the choice came down to Foxboro or Providence, then geez man, of course Providence should make a go of it.

[eltron]

never said stadiums don't belong in a city. never said providence shouldn't make a go for it. i simply said taht it's extremely unlikely that a stadium will be built in providence in the next 10-15 yaers (if not longer). i also said that the only (to my knowledge) stadium built entirely with private money is the new yankee stadium being built across the street from teh current one entirely out of steinbrenner's pocket.

[brick]

Are you ever serious? 'Whatever' I said? Was it that hard to look back? Aren't you shooting me down with half-facts and innuendo? Dude, you need to get away from the mirror more often!

[brick]

OMG, please tell me you are not serious - the yankees and mets are getting something on the order of half a billion dollars from the city and state of new york to build their new stadia. Mr. Steinbrenner is NOT building a New Toilet with his own money.

PacBell in SF is the only recent baseball park built entirely with private money.

[BigUglyCat]

Cue Howard Cosell voice:

And Brick wins the day, by an absolute landslide! Is there no stopping this man?!? He certainly found the room to swing a dead cat! Bring on the laurels!

End Howard Cosell voice.

Cotuit, I think you will have to let Brick be moderator for this topic. He is already assuming the position.

Seriously.

[Cotuit]

[09/21/38]

Obviously this is a dream that is a long shot from coming true. But if someone had described to you waterfire and the effect that it has had on Providence over the last 10 years no one would have ever believed it. or how the city looks today vs. 20 years ago. or how the city will look in the next ten years.

Who is to say that this can't come true. How close were we to having the Patriots move to Providence? Maybe that was all hot air but alot of people in this city were in favor and believed it was going to happen. And if Buddy had his way it would have happenned. We would have had to change the name of the state but we would had the Patriots. Four championships ago!

Sometimes good ideas start as dreams.

[runawayjim]

Obviously this is a dream that is a long shot from coming true. But if someone had described to you waterfire and the effect that it has had on Providence over the last 10 years no one would have ever believed it. or how the city looks today vs. 20 years ago. or how the city will look in the next ten years.

Who is to say that this can't come true. How close were we to having the Patriots move to Providence? Maybe that was all hot air but alot of people in this city were in favor and believed it was going to happen. And if Buddy had his way it would have happenned. We would have had to change the name of the state but we would had the Patriots. Four championships ago!

Sometimes good ideas start as dreams.

[Cotuit]

How close were we to having the Patriots move to Providence?

[mental757]

wow, and here I thought the Providence versus Hartford battles were good!

[Baines]

4) The PVD SMSA is probably not enough at this point to support a team that needs to draw two million people.

5) The Boston SMSA would be better served by a second team in Boston proper.

6) The PawSox would surely die, which may not be a strict barrier, but would be one of the unintended consequences that actually hurts.

[Baines]

Well, I think everyone agrees that the Patriots never had any intention of moving here and were just playing us and Hartford against Beacon Hill. But was it feasible that the Patriots could have moved here (if it wasn't all really just a big game)? Yes.

What that would have meant for Providence will never be known, if Buddy sold the farm to get them here, we may not have been any better off.

[Bil]

When Hartford (CT) jumped in Kraft immediatetly declined...he had no interest in going there. In the end, he settled with being on the edge of the PVD Metro and grab from both PVD and BOS...it is all about the money.

[runawayjim]

That's not how I remember it at all. Maybe someone can dig up the articles, but I recall the move to Hartford being a done deal, renderings were done, money was set aside, laws were passed and the Krafts backed out literally the day before the agreement with the team was supposed to be signed. It was a big shock.

[HartfordTycoon]

i lived in CT at the time and while the state was excited about the possible move (many articles in the papers and the news about how we were getting the patriots), i don't remember it being a last minute change of heart.