Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Could Canada handle more than 1 NBA franchise?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Metropolitan areas are far more meaningful:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._by_population

    Even Ottawa, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Canada, is still smaller than about 40 US cities. Orlando and Portland are both well over 2 million. Charlotte (1.8), Milwaukee (1.5), and Oklahoma City (1.2) are the only metro areas smaller than 2 million to have NBA teams. Ottawa's smaller than all of those places.

    I do think Vancouver and Montreal could each support a well-run NBA franchise, though.

    Comment


    • #17
      great point! at least Ottawa has a larger population that Utah :P
      We all make mistakes... Tanking is not the answer.. This squad can ball! Let it roll!!

      Comment


      • #18
        octothorp wrote: View Post
        Metropolitan areas are far more meaningful:

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._by_population

        Even Ottawa, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Canada, is still smaller than about 40 US cities. Orlando and Portland are both well over 2 million. Charlotte (1.8), Milwaukee (1.5), and Oklahoma City (1.2) are the only metro areas smaller than 2 million to have NBA teams. Ottawa's smaller than all of those places.

        I do think Vancouver and Montreal could each support a well-run NBA franchise, though.
        Exactly! thanks for this .. previous post was extremely misleading showing Canadian metro areas vs US cities (not metro areas). Ottawa is very small at #60 in North America ...

        Comment


        • #19
          WJF wrote: View Post
          Vancouver is the easy choice, after that it does get a little more difficult. Calgary is in a a period of rapid growth right now, but for how long with that be sustainable, Ottawa, while a great city with some solid basketball pedigree, may not be large enough to get 18,000 people to every game, Montreal has lots of basketball going on, but I wonder how the lack of a French connection would work, they get pretty pissy if the hockey team does not have a French coach and French Canadian players.

          As for another team in Toronto, now way that is happening.

          Rather than looking at NBA expansion (or team relocation) we should be looking at supporting the NBL Canada. This league is going into year two and seems to have been doing things the right way. Now boasting a solid 8 team league with teams in 5 provinces, the foundation is there to put down roots and become something special. I have had the opportunity to take in a game and the product on the floor was pretty good. The league has former NBA players, CIS all Canadians, former Canadian National team members, NCAA champions, as well as the lessor know guys who can really play. While I would like to see the mandatory minimum amount of Canadians on a team increase, I do think that starting at 2 kept the quality of play up.

          Give it a try and check it out.
          I just wanted to revisit my original post now that we all basically agree that Vancouver and Montreal are currently the only other two cities in Canada with a population base large enough to sustain an NBA team, and that they are not getting one any-time soon, that we should show our support for the NBL Canada.

          Currently there is an Atlantic Division:
          Halifax
          Summerside
          Moncton
          St John
          And East Division
          Laval
          Oshawa
          London
          Windsor

          The league added Windsor for this season to bring the total teams to 8, they are not rapidly expanding and putting glorified men's league teams on the floor, they are doing it the right way, ensuring ownership groups are stable and in it for the long haul. While I think that there wont be any more teams out East, there is room for a few more in Ontario and plenty of options as you move west. Ontario could see places like Ottawa, Kingston, Kitchener/Waterloo, Scarborough, Mississauga(sp), St Catherine's, or Hamilton support a successful team. Now I am not saying all these places, but maybe having teams in 3 of those locations in the future.

          As we go west we have obvious choices like Calgary and Edmonton, but places like Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Lethbridge, Surrey, Richmond and others.

          If we can get half the support that Junior A hockey teams have, a 16 team league could be successful, and maybe there are options to do like soccer and compete in a Concacaf event with international clubs in North and South America.
          Twitter @WJ_FINDLAY

          Comment


          • #20
            Most major sports franchise depend on corporate sales, via season tickets or luxury boxes, for a lot of their support. They don't make it by way of walk-ins buying onseys and twoseys. A place like Ottawa doesn't have that kind of corporate presence.

            I agree that the NBL could reasonably expand. Ontario is where the population is. Three more teams in Ontario would go a long way towards strengthening the league. I think it would be great if there was an "at home" option for Canadian talent to get playing time and experience.

            I am looking forward to the growth of the league and agree it seems to be managed correctly. I intend to take in a lot of games this season.

            Comment


            • #21
              I don't know. You'd have to do a business case. Vancouver didn't work out too well.

              Comment


              • #22
                Apollo wrote: View Post
                I don't know. You'd have to do a business case. Vancouver didn't work out too well.
                +1
                We all make mistakes... Tanking is not the answer.. This squad can ball! Let it roll!!

                Comment


                • #23
                  What was wrong with Vancouver though? Why'd they only last 6 years?

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Sam17 wrote: View Post
                    What was wrong with Vancouver though? Why'd they only last 6 years?
                    Management certainly didn't help. Stu Jackson would rival Rob Babcock and Michael Jordan as one of the worst executives ever.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X