Charlotteobserver.com: BB&T, Knights agree on uptown ballpark rights
I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.
[quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
Indianapolis
[quote=“ZombieLew, post:3, topic:26705”][quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
Indianapolis[/quote]
Charlotte
They’re called the Checkers. Bottom line, we either have the Knights, or no pro baseball.
P.S. When did Bob’sCats become a major league time, and why didn’t anyone let them know?
[quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
The Knights belong uptown. It was a stupid decision to ever let that ball club leave the downtown area. They are simply coming home. On top of that the majority of their games would be when none of the other teams are playing. It would be good for the team and good for the city. MLB won’t be coming here for many many years - no reason to worry about that right now.
I’m failing to see the issue. What’s wrong with a minor league baseball team being downtown?
[quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]Indianapolis’ downtown stadium does very well.
Memphis is in the process of having a AAA stadium built downtown as well.
I personally think SouthEnd would be a better location for the stadium. I hate to see 4+ blocks in Third Ward being taken up by a park and a baseball stadium.
The city always talks about wanting to increase the uptown population, but that’s really hard to do if you don’t have any land to build on.
[quote=“NinerWupAss, post:5, topic:26705”][quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
The Knights belong uptown. It was a stupid decision to ever let that ball club leave the downtown area. They are simply coming home. On top of that the majority of their games would be when none of the other teams are playing. It would be good for the team and good for the city. MLB won’t be coming here for many many years - no reason to worry about that right now.[/quote]
Preach it.
[quote=“NinerWupAss, post:5, topic:26705”][quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
The Knights belong uptown. It was a stupid decision to ever let that ball club leave the downtown area. They are simply coming home. On top of that the majority of their games would be when none of the other teams are playing. It would be good for the team and good for the city. MLB won’t be coming here for many many years - no reason to worry about that right now.[/quote]
MLB doesn’t need to come here, it would be a huge failure. Very few cities can support major league baseball for 80 home games a year. Atlanta is bigger then Charlotte and they barely support the Braves. I love baseball but it’s probably the least popular sport in the south.
With that said, nothing wrong with having the Knights in downtown Charlotte.
BB&T is putting a ton of money in sports marketing lately. Purchasing the rights to Wake Forest football stadium and baseball stadium (Ernie Shore Field), Winston Salem Dash new downtown stadium, and now the Knights downtown stadium. I’m sure it helps that they already had dealt with another White Sox affiliate in the Dash before.
[quote=“switchfoot, post:9, topic:26705”][quote=“NinerWupAss, post:5, topic:26705”][quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
The Knights belong uptown. It was a stupid decision to ever let that ball club leave the downtown area. They are simply coming home. On top of that the majority of their games would be when none of the other teams are playing. It would be good for the team and good for the city. MLB won’t be coming here for many many years - no reason to worry about that right now.[/quote]
MLB doesn’t need to come here, it would be a huge failure. Very few cities can support major league baseball for 80 home games a year. Atlanta is bigger then Charlotte and they barely support the Braves. I love baseball but it’s probably the least popular sport in the south.
With that said, nothing wrong with having the Knights in downtown Charlotte.[/quote]Professionally, yes. That is mostly due to the fact that the South doesn’t have teams that date back generations. Most southern cities are filled with transplants still loyal to their home teams.
This is why southern cities tend to be such worse professional sports towns than northern cities. College athletics are more important in the south because those were the forms of sports entertainment for decades before professional sports arrived in southern cities.
[quote=“switchfoot, post:9, topic:26705”][quote=“NinerWupAss, post:5, topic:26705”][quote=“SteauA, post:2, topic:26705”]I still think a minor league sport has no place in downtown Charlotte. How many other cities in this country have two major league teams located in their downtown and also a minor league team? The only one that even comes to mind is Buffalo. Do we want to be Buffalo?
It’s backwards thinking. I’m not saying we should strive to get an MLB team but we definitely should not build a freaking uptown ballpark for a AAA team.[/quote]
The Knights belong uptown. It was a stupid decision to ever let that ball club leave the downtown area. They are simply coming home. On top of that the majority of their games would be when none of the other teams are playing. It would be good for the team and good for the city. MLB won’t be coming here for many many years - no reason to worry about that right now.[/quote]
MLB doesn’t need to come here, it would be a huge failure. Very few cities can support major league baseball for 80 home games a year. Atlanta is bigger then Charlotte and they barely support the Braves. I love baseball but it’s probably the least popular sport in the south.
With that said, nothing wrong with having the Knights in downtown Charlotte.[/quote]
Atlanta is often brought up in these types of discussions. Over the past decade Atlanta has averaged 14th in attendance figures. Never lower than 16th out of the 30 teams. They’re routinely ahead of Northern cities like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Toronto, Cincinnati. If Atlanta is no good for the league then there would only be about 10 teams in MLB.
clt thinks the knights should play at halton.
[quote=“Normmm, post:12, topic:26705”]Atlanta is often brought up in these types of discussions. Over the past decade Atlanta has averaged 14th in attendance figures. Never lower than 16th out of the 30 teams. They’re routinely ahead of Northern cities like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Toronto, Cincinnati. If Atlanta is no good for the league then there would only be about 10 teams in MLB.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2011[/quote]
I don’t really believe those attendance figures for Atlanta. Unless it’s the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, or Phillies they don’t get above 20K-25K even on Friday & Saturday night games.
They have Oakland averaging 18K and Florida 19K. I’m calling bullshit on 11 thru 30.
[quote=“bleedsgreenandgold, post:14, topic:26705”][quote=“Normmm, post:12, topic:26705”]Atlanta is often brought up in these types of discussions. Over the past decade Atlanta has averaged 14th in attendance figures. Never lower than 16th out of the 30 teams. They’re routinely ahead of Northern cities like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Toronto, Cincinnati. If Atlanta is no good for the league then there would only be about 10 teams in MLB.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2011[/quote]
I don’t really believe those attendance figures for Atlanta. Unless it’s the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, or Phillies they don’t get above 20K-25K even on Friday & Saturday night games.
They have Oakland averaging 18K and Florida 19K. I’m calling bullshit on 11 thru 30.[/quote]
Lol! So just teams 11-30 adjust their figures?!?!
Plus, you can’t take out the games against the Yankees, Red Sox, etc, when discussing attendance figures. Every team in the league has the same type of activity. Every team draws higher when they play the Yankees than when they play other teams.
Regardless, it doesn’t change my point that if Atlanta’s attendance is inadequate that would only leave the league with about 10 teams. Which IMO would be boring.
Two scenarios that I can dream on for a few decades:
- Kansas City moves here, become Queen City Royals.
- New franchise: Carolina Shiners.
[quote=“Normmm, post:15, topic:26705”]Lol! So just teams 11-30 adjust their figures?!?!
Plus, you can’t take out the games against the Yankees, Red Sox, etc, when discussing attendance figures. Every team in the league has the same type of activity. Every team draws higher when they play the Yankees than when they play other teams.
Regardless, it doesn’t change my point that if Atlanta’s attendance is inadequate that would only leave the league with about 10 teams. Which IMO would be boring.[/quote]
I’m not saying take out those games because they very rarely play those teams but watch some of the weeknight games there aren’t anymore than 12K-14K in the stadium.
I agree that there are much worse teams than Atlanta, I’m just calling BS on those numbers.
After going to AT&T Park this past summer I can see why no one goes to Oakland.
That being said, I attend 1-2 Knights games a year if it was Uptown I would probably up my number to 6-7.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been threatening to leave the Tampa/St. Petersburg area if they can’t get a new stadium.
How about trying to bring them to Charlotte?
[quote=“Normmm, post:15, topic:26705”][quote=“bleedsgreenandgold, post:14, topic:26705”][quote=“Normmm, post:12, topic:26705”]Atlanta is often brought up in these types of discussions. Over the past decade Atlanta has averaged 14th in attendance figures. Never lower than 16th out of the 30 teams. They’re routinely ahead of Northern cities like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Toronto, Cincinnati. If Atlanta is no good for the league then there would only be about 10 teams in MLB.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2011[/quote]
I don’t really believe those attendance figures for Atlanta. Unless it’s the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, or Phillies they don’t get above 20K-25K even on Friday & Saturday night games.
They have Oakland averaging 18K and Florida 19K. I’m calling bullshit on 11 thru 30.[/quote]
Lol! So just teams 11-30 adjust their figures?!?!
Plus, you can’t take out the games against the Yankees, Red Sox, etc, when discussing attendance figures. Every team in the league has the same type of activity. Every team draws higher when they play the Yankees than when they play other teams.
Regardless, it doesn’t change my point that if Atlanta’s attendance is inadequate that would only leave the league with about 10 teams. Which IMO would be boring.
[/quote]
I am not advocating only having 10 teams in the MLB. But there’s not a large enough market nor the interest in baseball for MLB to come to Charlotte let alone North Carolina. Keep the minor league teams here though.
My point is simple, MLB doesn’t need to expand to more teams and I don’t believe NC can support an MLB team. The fact that the Braves have been as successful has they have yet they finish 14th-16th in attendence proves my point (along with the fact that Turner Field is way too big). That’s not saying that Atlanta is “no good” for the league, hell I am a Braves fan.
[quote=“Charlottefan49, post:18, topic:26705”]The Tampa Bay Rays have been threatening to leave the Tampa/St. Petersburg area if they can’t get a new stadium.
How about trying to bring them to Charlotte?[/quote]
As mentioned we don’t have the population base for baseball.
I have no doubt that sometime in Charlotte’s futue a baseball team will be a realistic possibility. I just don’t think it is going to happen in the next 15-20 years.