Dodge Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Norfolk still wants an MLB team.? If the Marlins had to move, I'd very much love for them to come here.? (I'd rather they stay down with you guys) 765962[/snapback] I don't think that would ever happen. The Nationals have been averaging about 30,000 a night (which really isn't bad), but I don't think there is quite as much interest in the northern Virginia area as I originally expected. 766334[/snapback] We're two hours from up there. There are TONS of baseball fans in this area. Norfolk (or VA Beach) will bring in fans from all over SE Virginia and NE North Carolina. 766560[/snapback] I would go every chance I could if they moved out there. 766664[/snapback] Thats what a lot of the DC/Northern Virginia people said when the Nationals came into the area. And yet when I went to the fourth home game in Nationals history there were only about 24,000 there. It would be a disaster to have three teams in the same area. 766733[/snapback] Same area?! Been to Virginia lately? Washington is to Norfolk what, say, Pittsburgh is to Philly. It's a world away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moneyball Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Yep, I thought Washington would attract 35-38K a night when the season started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreshFish Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Loria was in attendance at the Heat game today :mischief2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prinmemito Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Loria was in attendance at the Heat game today :mischief2 767226[/snapback] :mischief2 Wonder what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Loria was in attendance at the Heat game today? :mischief2 767226[/snapback] :mischief2 Wonder what's going on. 767231[/snapback] Sounds like he wanted to watch a basketball game :mischief2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Good Lord, you guys seem to forget that they play 81 home games a season, which is an absurd amount to expect 30,000+ people to show up, on a week night no less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prinmemito Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Loria was in attendance at the Heat game today? :mischief2 767226[/snapback] :mischief2 Wonder what's going on. 767231[/snapback] Sounds like he wanted to watch a basketball game :mischief2 767271[/snapback] :lol The reason FreshFish made that comment was that there has been speculation on the board that Loria may bring in Micky Arison (owner of the Heat) in as a minority partner for, say, $30 million, enough to close the funding gap for the stadium. Dunno if you had read that on the message board. But, you're right, we're probably reading too much into this. I only watched part of the game, so I don't know where Loria was sitting. If Micky was next to him or if Loria was sitting in a luxury box with him, then the speculation may be somewhat justified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gainesvillemarlin Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 The team with the best record in baseball is averaging under 20k a game in the 3rd(?) largest market. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/schedule?team=chw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gainesvillemarlin Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 The team with the best record in baseball is averaging under 20k a game in the 3rd(?) largest market. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/schedule?team=chw 767396[/snapback] ok, edit. They are averaging 20,044 a game at home which is 27/30. We are averaging 24,507 which is 20/30. On the bright side we are in 5th place in attendance in our road games with a 33,451 average. :lol : http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/attendance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bman8316 Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 I say we all start putting in some money now and before you know it the Fish will have their own stadium and still be in South Fla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HokieMarlinFan Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Norfolk is at least 3 hours away from Washington. Also Norfolk sold a ton of season tickets when they where trying to get the Expos. They have one of the best Minor League stadiums that the Marlins could live in till the new one was built and there is no body who is against a team here(Unlike DC). I dont want the Marlins to move but if they did Norfolk would be perfect and I could know that when the Braves and Mets came to town there would be a sell out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CantCatchMe Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Forget Vegas. By my count there are 6 of the larger TV markets that have no MLB team , yet are larger than the TV markets for several existing franchises. Those are Portland, Nashville, Indy, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, and Orlando, Daytona/Melbourne. I think that the "TV market size" isssue is a red-herring anyway. Our market size is exaggerated, insofar as potential baseball suport is concerned, by the tremendous number of immigrants included in that number who are soccer fans(Argentines, Brazilians, and Haitians for example) and couldn't care less about baseball. Our poverty (I believe Miami is still the USA's poorest major city) also reduces the effective baseball audience (not a favorable market for ads even if they are watching). In Raleigh and Charlotte, because of the demographic differences, there may be a larger baseball audience than in Miami. Look at our attendance, for gosh sakes, with a contending team, that has won 2 World Series in the last 7 seasons. Do that well in Charlotte, and you'll sell 40,000+ seats every night. I hope they can find the money to keep the Marlins here, but if they don't, there are quite a few cities who could put a package together that would satisfy MLB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rferry Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Norfolk is at least 3 hours away from Washington. Also Norfolk sold a ton of season tickets when they where trying to get the Expos. They have one of the best Minor League stadiums that the Marlins could live in till the new one was built and there is no body who is against a team here(Unlike DC). I dont want the Marlins to move but if they did Norfolk would be perfect and I could know that when the Braves and Mets came to town there would be a sell out. 767473[/snapback] The two things that made Norfolk/Hampton Roads attractive to MLB was Virginia's financial commitment to bringing in a major league franchise; and the large television market that could be exploited by Bob Johnson's Carolina Sports Network. Virginia had financing issues down the stretch and many politicians in Richmond were down on it, but I think the latter had a lot to do with its location - away from southern Virginia. I just don't see how if the area is targetted there's not some interest from North Carolina communities to get the team for their own that would move Norfolk down the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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