Cities that could use a new sports team

[JamJam]

Simple really. Name some cities that you think could use a new sports team. It could be any city and it can be any sport. Hell, it could be another sports team in a city that already has a sports team for that particular sport but be sure to explain why. Simple enough right? Discuss.

Basketball is the sport that I follow the most so I'm going to name some cities that could use some new basketball expansion teams.

1. Seattle - I'm sure you all saw this coming. The former Seattle Supersonics are now the Oklahoma City Thunder. I think the people of Seattle have been clamoring a whole lot for a new basketball team. They were so close when the Kings seemingly were going to relocate to Seattle but that deal was stopped. I'd love to see another Supersonics team for sure. The city is definitely a sports town (Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, etc.), people will love their Supersonics. If this does happen, I get the vibe that they'll be like the Portland Trailblazers who are some of the best fans in the NBA. Bring back the Supersonics!

2. Las Vegas - Think about it. Vegas is already a tourist attraction itself. I'm not sure there are any major sports in Vegas and if basketball was the first one, I think it'd be a success. They can play at the Thomas & Mack Center that holds about 18,000 - 19,000 people. All attractions plus a major sports team in Vegas would be a great idea. They can be named......the Las Vegas Aces or something like that.

3. Kansas City - There seems to be a recent string of success in their sports teams. The Royals are doing way better and even if the Chiefs didn't start off the NFL season good, they're still a pretty solid team. Plus, Kansas City already has the Sprint Center that is ready to be called home from any sports team that would take them. There are rumors that they are hoping to land a NBA or NHL team. I know Kansas City, Missouri is more of a college sports team city but having major sports in them will really be interesting. Landing a third major sports team will not only be good for the city but also for whatever sports team calls Kansas City their home.

Your turn. Discuss away.

 

[The Brain]

MLB

Last year I created a thread about the Rays leaving Tampa. I haven't heard any rumors about it and don't want to get into the legalities. I'm just looking at it from an MLB fan's point of view. Not counting this year the Rays have been one of the better teams in the league for the last several years now. Despite that they have terrible attendance. They also have a horrible looking stadium, especially compared to the gems that have been built over the last 20 years.

There are three cities that I think could use an MLB team. Charlotte and Memphis are two of them. About 25 years ago neither of these cities had any teams from the four major sports. Today both have an NFL, NBA, and NHL team (at least within the state if not those cities) but neither have an MLB team. I think the cities have grown enough in the last quarter century to warrant a team. The other city is New Orleans. It just seems like a big enough city and a marketable place for an MLB team.

NFL

There has been talk about moving the Jaguars out of Jacksonville for a while now and Los Angeles is the obvious choice but I'll throw another city out there just for the hell of it. How about San Antonio? I know Texas already has two pro teams but it's certainly a big enough state to have a third. After all, Florida already has two besides the Jags and California already has three without them. I think I'd rather see them go to LA than San Antonio but I'm just saying it to say it. I think the NFL is spread out pretty well throughout the country and has pretty much every big market covered.

NBA

It would be nice to see an NFL team in LA but I'd like to see one less NBA team there. I've always wanted to see the Clippers leave LA. For some reason it just kind of bugs me that they not only share a town but actually play in the same arena as the Lakers. They've always been in the shadow of the Lakers and I'd like to see them in a town they can call their own.

There are a few good sports cities that have teams from the other sports but no NBA team. Instead of Kansas City I think St. Louis would be a good choice. It just seems weird to me that there in no NBA team there. St. Louis would be my first choice followed by Seattle, Pittsburgh and maybe Baltimore.

NHL

I don't follow the league that closely. Are there still talks about the Coyotes leaving Phoenix? I'd hate to see it happen as Phoenix is a nice town but if the market doesn't warrant an NHL team you have to do what you have to do, just like Atlanta. How about Milwaukee? Wisconsin has teams from the other three sports and the NHL always seems to draw more in the north.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

MLB- I think is fine the way it is.
NFL- As far as the teams go I wouldn't add or move anyone.
Now here's where it gets interesting.
NHL/NBA- Seattle. I've lived in the Seattle area for about seven years now. The city supports a freaking MLS team for crying out loud. First off bringing back the Sonics is a win for the city and the league. Renew the I-5 rivalry with my Trail Blazers. I just don't see how it could fail. Second, bring a hockey team here. If this town will support soccer, it will love hockey. There is already a ready made rival in Vancouver.

So after all that I guess my answer would be Seattle.

 

[Akhilleus]

I would so much love to see a team in Las Vegas. Specifically an NFL team. It would never happen, but I would love it. I remember back in the older Madden games when you were able to relocate your team and change the uniform yourself and everything before they changed it and made it so restricted, I would always move a team to Las Vegas.

I remember someone suggesting that one reason why there hasn't been a team there was because of gambling and what not. Though most of the states allow gambling so it's entirely different. And even then the Jets and Giants are in New Jersey, although I'm not sure if as far as that type of stuff goes if they're considered New York or not. But even then the Nets were in New Jersey, and I think the NHL has a couple teams there too.

But yeah Vegas really doesn't have any sports teams whatsoever, other than UNLV. I could totally picture there being a big dome stadium there where an NFL team would play.

As far as LA. I would personally like to see an NFL team move back there, but the city doesn't need it. They have two football teams, two baseball teams...I know at least one hockey team with the Kings. Two basketball teams too. Same deal with New York, they also have two football teams, two baseball teams, two basketball teams. I can't stand that. Why do they need two teams?

Still though I do think LA should have one football team. Get rid of those ugly cities and stupid gimmicks like the Jaguars with their stupid looking helmets, or the Buccaneers with their gross uniform. Those two are really it, maybe the Chiefs too I don't like their gimmick it's too vague. So yeah NFL I'm going to write you this letter proposing you get rid of all these teams because I don't like them, and after you're done sorting out all this stuff with Roger Goodell being chase by an angry mob, and Ray Rice punching chicks in the face, I expect you'll go through with it.

Anyway as far as basketball goes...Pittsburgh needs an NBA team. I live somewhat near Pittsburgh. I live pretty much on the border of Pennsylvania right near West Virginia, and I came from Oregon and we never had a team to root for, I would root for a lot of the Seattle teams because they were close by, but a lot of people I knew only cared about the Ducks. But since I've been here a lot of my friends are fans of all the Pittsburgh teams so I've become sort of a fan of most of them as well, so the Pirates and Steelers are teams I tend to root for, as well as the Seattle teams because I was pretty close to there too at one point. But I hate hockey, and I've said for the last two years now that Pittsburgh should sell the Penguins and buy a basketball team. Baseball, football, and basketball is what I like. Hockey is a big blah from me, and I can't stand the Pittsburgh Penguins. I would pay money to punch Sidney Crosby right in his fragile paper jaw. So they need to bring an NBA team to Pittsburgh. I remember the Pistons almost moved and it was rumored they'd end up in Pittsburgh and that would've been awesome.

Also aren't the SuperSonics supposed to come back? When's that happening?

 

[Slash-LN]

I don't see why St. Louis never brought another NBA team in. In the late 40s they had a team but ended up dropping out of the league.

I think an NBA team could be successful there from a fan standpoint at least. Seems kind of odd that major U.S. city that already has an NFL, NHL and MLB team doesn't have an NBA team.

 

[Trill Co$by]

If being in South Carolina's taught me anything, it's that they love having sports teams... Only problem is that they have college teams. Admittedly two really great programs in USC and Clemson, but still only two. Well at least when it comes to football. Which is sad because this whole state is just a market waiting to be untapped. I'd say that adding a pro-team (NFL or NBA) could do great wonders for the state itself.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

The most blatant to me is how the hell has no team risen in San Antonio? San Antonio is (shockingly) the 7th largest city in America, and is the only one in the top ten without a team to call its own. Larger than Dallas, and only slightly smaller than Houston......In a football insane state like Texas. How the shit does California and their new-stadium-refusing asses have three teams, but San Antonio has none?

Add these to two teams that could usher in international expansion, Toronto and Calgary. Many dont realize that Toronto is only slightly smaller than LA, and would be the NFL's third largest market. Calgary is also sneaky large, and would be a top ten market. Football (albeit slightly different form of it) is already very popular in Canada.

It continues to make no sense that St.Louis and and Baltimore have no NBA teams. Both have proven to be stellar sports cities over the years. Pittsburgh as well.

Las Vegas falls under "obvious" for every sports league, and I have never been able to quite grasp why exactly it was so unthinkable to put a team there. Other teams exist were gambling is legal. Who cares.

 

[Slash-LN]

The most blatant to me is how the hell has no team risen in San Antonio? San Antonio is (shockingly) the 7th largest city in America, and is the only one in the top ten without a team to call its own. Larger than Dallas, and only slightly smaller than Houston......In a football insane state like Texas. How the shit does California and their new-stadium-refusing asses have three teams, but San Antonio has none?

Do you just mean NFL team here? If not then you're forgetting the Spurs. I feel like you just mean football though because most of the post was about football. And I would agree. No matter where you go in Texas you'll have a stellar fan base.

This part isn't directed at you but just the Las Vegas debate in general.

From what I've seen over the years people are hesitant to move a team to Las Vegas because it's more of a tourist town than anything. So owners are worried about building a fan base and getting to buy season tickets and such.

I don't know how much of that is true but if it is then they're discrediting the locals.

As far as the tourists going there to gamble and such it seems like UFC draws a good crowd when they're there. I don't see why tourists wouldn't go to a major sporting event.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Yea, I meant NFL, since obviously the Spurs exist, plus I mentioned its a football crazy state.

Far as Vegas goes, the easy answer to that is to build a smaller stadium (50k range) that is heavy with suites and luxury boxes. Plenty of filthy rich moguls live there, not to mention people on get-aways will buy up those suite tickets.

 

[Akhilleus]

As far as the tourists going there to gamble and such it seems like UFC draws a good crowd when they're there. I don't see why tourists wouldn't go to a major sporting event.

Yeah as far as this goes, it may be a big tourist place. But I am highly considering movie there, or nearby, when I'm finished with school. I love that whole area. I love the desert, and I just love that entire atmosphere. I hated it in Oregon, it was a nice place to grow up but I just didn't like the atmosphere, and I've been here in Pennsylvania for about a year and a half now and I'm not crazy about it here either the only reason I came here is because of school. I love the atmosphere of a desert. I think I need to go out there and live there for like a month just to make sure I'd like it, but I'm would consider going there, and I would definitely be a fan of any Las Vegas sports team.

There's so many gimmicks they can go with too. Las Vegas Rattlers, Las Vegas Aces maybe. Las Vegas Scorpions. I think it'd have to be poker or desert related, but yeah I would love that gimmick.

And back to what I was saying about an NBA Pittsburgh team. Why the hell does LA get two teams, New York has two teams, and Pittsburgh none. Those selfish cities why are they hogging up all the teams dammit? I think the NBA needs to get two expansion teams anyway and have 32. I think baseball only has 30 as well. I would love to see those two leagues change into four divisions instead of three. Have I made a post here before about that? I'm going to check on that, and if not that might be a future discussion.

Back to what I was saying though. I can understand states having multiple teams, just as long as the cities aren't that close. I mean like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are at two different ends of the state, and they both despise each other I know. Don't ask my buddy if he likes the Eagles or he might stab you in the eyes. I assume it's probably similar with the Texans and Cowboys, Jags/Bucs/Dolphins, Raiders and 49ers, etc. Other than of course New York, I think they're the only city in the NFL that has two teams and has had them. I think what they should do there is keep one city in New Jersey and make them officially New Jersey, then take the the other and move their stadium into New York city, and either keep them New York or call them Brooklyn Giants or whatever. That would be so much better. Or make it that New Jersey Jets and Brooklyn Giants. Or New Jersey Giants and Brooklyn Jets? I like the first one better.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

Alright, I hate to be a buzzkill here but there is no chance Las Vegas get a professional team. None. The only way it happens is if they legalize sports gambling in America. The city doesn't have the population. The state doesn't have the population to support it. And before anyone goes on attack on Missouri or some other Midwest podunk state, those states have already established themselves as sports states.

The state of Nevada has what? Gambling and prostitution. I'm all about both of these things. But the leagues apparently are not.

 

[Trill Co$by]

The state of Nevada has what? Gambling and prostitution. I'm all about both of these things. But the leagues apparently are not.

You need to get out more. Gambling and Prostitution is everywhere, not just Las Vegas. In fact, if I remember correctly; Cincinnati, Ohio and Loredo, Texas are high in prostitution. The reason why Nevada doesn't have a team is because the state doesn't want one.

 

[The Butcher]

Look up the 2007 NBA All-Star Game if you need help understanding why Las Vegas won't be getting a Big 4 pro team in the foreseeable future.

San Antonio and Los Angeles should have NFL just based off of numbers, but I like the lay of the league as is.

The Seattle SuperSonics had great colors, unis, and history. The sooner that franchise gets back in the league, the better.

A year ago I'd have said Houston needs a Major League Baseball team, but that Altuve kid and some others have are bringing the 'Stros back around.

 

[smizzy]

San Antonio and Los Angeles should have NFL just based off of numbers, but I like the lay of the league as is.

They very well may in the near future.. at St. Louis' expense

A year ago I'd have said Houston needs a Major League Baseball team, but that Altuve kid and some others have are bringing the 'Stros back around.

I'm eagerly awaiting this cat.

Spoiler

 

[King Patrick Star]

With the way casinos are going these days, I think Atlantic City could use MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL teams right about now. If only there was a way to convince Donald Trump to invest in these 4 teams, things might turn around for A. C. However, with that being said, make no mistake about it, I’m a Philly fan (Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, and Sixers) for life. HAHA!!

 

[braveh]

Sports writers always point this out but its worth mentioning again. Most people in LA already support the nfl team they grew up with in their home town.

Besides, there is such a bandwagon mentality in LA. People didnt support the raiders before they got hip.