Posted on 07/18/2009 2:43:53 PM PDT by Libloather
The Most At-Risk Sports Teams
By Minyanville
In the U.S., love of sport is fanatical. Our major-league obsessions are so intense we often forget that our favorite teams have a purpose higher than winning games: turning a profit. Pro sports franchises are businesses like any other, and sometimes businesses struggle, limp along or die off.
What will it take to keep the cowbells ringing in Sacramento? Can hockey survive in the desert? Will small-market football teams have to pack their bags?
Minyanville presents sports teams at risk of relocation -- or worse. And with the economy in question, saving them could take more than a Hail Mary.
(Meanwhile, some teams are better off than they seem. Even though the Chicago Cubs are considering a bankruptcy filing, they are not going to disappear and are highly unlikely to move.)
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.moneycentral.msn.com ...
Here's the list -
Jacksonville Jaguars
The WNBA
New York Islanders
Sacramento Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
Detroit Tigers
NASCAR
Los Angeles Clippers
Buffalo Bills
Texas Rangers
For the record, my V-chip blocks out anything and everything about the WNBA.
I think it is about time.
Tigers have held the ALC lead since late May and that can’t hurt.
I hear this recycled speculation from time to time about my beloved Jaguars. A 9-7 record will squelch this speculation.
One big one missing:
IRL
We really have fallen upon hard times.
The fact that the IRL isn’t even considered indicates to me that it ranks below the WNBA.
The Clippers? A pro team? Who knew!
I’m surprised Florida Marlins don’t make the list
People do need to have fun you twit..
Funded by whom? Madoff? Cally is WAY broke...
Phoenix Coyotes. Probably in the worst shape of all.
Sports is the best thing about Detroit these days. In the last two years in a row I went to a Tiger game and both times it was a sellout crowd. Something like 3 million fans so far this year.
One thing that helps is the fact that Windsor sends a lot of fans to Detroit sporting events. The Canadians in the area seem to feel a greater loyalty to Detroit teams than to Toronto sports teams.
I figure once an NFL moves into Canada, the CFL is dead..
1. NY Yankees $201,449,189
2. NY Mets $147,417,987
3. Chicago Cubs $134,809,000
4. Boston $121,745,999
5. Detroit $115,085,145
And their(Tigers)top ten salary players
1. Magglio Ordonez $18,971,596...he's finished
2. Miguel Cabrera $14,383,049...not bad
3. Jeremy Bonderman $12,500,000...head case...he's finished
4 a. Carlos Guillen $10,000,000...he's hurt, he's slow
4 b. Dontrelle Willis $10,000,000...LOL! x 10m
6. Nate Robertson $7,000,000...LOL! x 7m
7. Brandon Inge $6,300,000...1 good season...maybe
8. Placido Polanco $4,600,000...solid, but slowing down
9. Brandon Lyon $4,250,000...UNNNGH!
10. Justin Verlander $3,675,000...we'll see
And what are they paying Shef... to play in New York??? $14,000,000
Seems Dombrowski is trying to drain Illitch like Obama is draining the rest of America.
Almost forgot...
21. Joel Zumaya $735,000...should be the water boy
22. Zach Miner $437,500...should be the asst. water boy
NASCAR has taken a big hit in the past years with ratings. I can’t figure it out except that people are not watching it anymore.
The "Car of Tomorrow" and "The Young Guns," that's why. The only guy left who I care about is Mark Martin. Bring back the days of Sterling Marlin, Dale Sr., Rusty Wallace, Harry Gant, Dick Trickle, Richard Petty, the Allison brothers and DW. These slick kids have no personalities and the cars are a joke.
I look for George W. Bush and Nolan Ryan to soon own the Texas Rangers.
Why not since Bush and Hicks are neighbors. I did read an article from a couple months ago where Hicks maybe selling up to a 49% interest in the Rangers......
Hicks is in some dire financial straits- he would like to retain a majority but I don’t know if he’ll be able to swing it.
A couple predictions...
WNBA = Too Big To Fail
Buffalo Bills move to North Korea as the “Kim Jung Bills”
NY Islanders send hockey to Hawaii as the Hawaii Islanders.
Finally a fellow Jags fan on FR! I’m excited for the team with Gene Smith at the GM post now. Looks like we had a good if not great draft and the next couple of years should see the arrow pointing up for the team. Winning will solve all problems in Jax.
What's the WNBA?
Is that the thing where girls play something that looks a little like basketball in empty arenas?
The sports most popular driver, #88, is laying an egg...and yes, the car of tomorrow, well....
But the biggest problem is their push a few years back to make NASCAR popular among the hollywood devotes...too much commercialism and showmanship...chasing the old-time southern fans away, those who hate PC anything and liked the spit, swearing, smash-em-up's the way it used to be are getting bored, if not completely turned off.
Even when the Jags play well they have a hard time filling the stadium. They started covering 10,000 seats in 2004, they’ve made the playoffs twice since then, still not helping.
I think the Bills will move to San Antonio before they go to Toronto. The Saints sold out the Alamodome for their three games here in ‘05, and nowhere is more football-hungry than the heart of Texas. The only thing stopping it is Jerry Jones — he doesn’t want to risk losing Cowboys fans.
After getting a few glimpses of the stands for the California races makes me think there may be some truth in my attempt at humor.
With Jr not being being competitive at the end of races that does not help attendance at the tracks or viewers on TV.
When Jr Nation was wearing red it was amazing to see the number of fans that left the track when Jr went to the garage.
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