NCU has just beaten Idaho State in Pocatello, but the site of the tournament is still not settled. There could still be a first place tie in the final Big Sky Conference Standings. All that needs to happen on Wednesday is for Northern Colorado to beat Sacramento State, and the Big Sky Tourney is in Greeley. If they lose to Sacramento State and Weber State beats Eastern Washington, then the Big Sky Tourney goes to Ogden because the Cats own a sweep of fourth-place Northern Arizona. If both NCU and WSU both lose on Tuesday, then the Big Sky has to go to RPI as both teams swept Montana State. Right now, both Montana and Northern Colorado have nearly identical RPI rankings, but Montana has a slight edge. It is logical that if Sacramento State does beat NCU, that the slim gap will widen. But that may not happen.
Here is how the Big Sky Tournament looks now, assuming NCU wins.
1. Northern Colorado awaits lower seeded remaining team
2. Weber State awaits higher seeded remaining team
First Round
6. Eastern Washington at 3. Montana
5. Montana State at 4. Northern Arizona
Note: Portland State has not yet been eliminated from the tournament. Idaho State and Sacramento State are out. Montana can still be the #2 team if Weber State loses.
Tie Breakers.
1. Head to head...NCU, Montana and Weber all have splits against each other. Each team won on their home court.
2. Conference Team Records.
Advantage Weber State: 1. WSU owns a sweep of Northern Arizona. NCU and Montana split their series against the Jacks. 2. Northern Colorado and Montana own a sweep of Montana State.
3. RPI. Currently Montana is 113 and Northern Colorado is 114.
4. Coin Toss.
Monday, February 28, 2011
WAC Tournament
Utah State has secured a regular season WAC championship and will be the top seed in the tournament. They all-but have a bid sewn up, but they can still lose a bid if things do not go right. Here is how the WAC tournament currently looks...
1. Utah State vs 8. Fresno State
2. Boise State vs 7. San Jose State
3. New Mexico State vs 6. Nevada
4. Idaho vs 5. Hawaii
There are games left to be played and the only seed that is settled is #1. For Certain, Louisiana Tech is out. Boise State could fall to 4 and Fresno State could rise to #5. There are too many possibilities to enumerate.
1. Utah State vs 8. Fresno State
2. Boise State vs 7. San Jose State
3. New Mexico State vs 6. Nevada
4. Idaho vs 5. Hawaii
There are games left to be played and the only seed that is settled is #1. For Certain, Louisiana Tech is out. Boise State could fall to 4 and Fresno State could rise to #5. There are too many possibilities to enumerate.
BYU a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
I have little doubt that BYU will be the number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament if they win their two remaining regular season games and win the Mountain West Conference tournament. But there are those who have those doubts. There are two legitimate arguments.
1. No Sunday play. But this will not be an issue this year. The Anaheim regional is on a Thursday/Saturday schedule and so is the Denver Sub-Regional. The NCAA will have little trouble in accommodating the Cougars in 2011. However, if BYU falls, expect the Cougars to fall to #3 and have Sunday become the reason.
2. History. Neither BYU nor the MWC has a good tournament history. The NCAA committee likes to give higher seats to teams and conferences that have a positive history. Even though the MWC has been a good basketball conference, sweet 16 appearances have been rare.
Looking at the MWC standings, this should be the seeding in the MWC tournament.
1. BYU vs 8. Wyoming/9. TCU winner
4. Colorado State vs. 5. Utah
2. San Diego State vs 7. Air Force
3. UNLV vs 6. New Mexico
1. No Sunday play. But this will not be an issue this year. The Anaheim regional is on a Thursday/Saturday schedule and so is the Denver Sub-Regional. The NCAA will have little trouble in accommodating the Cougars in 2011. However, if BYU falls, expect the Cougars to fall to #3 and have Sunday become the reason.
2. History. Neither BYU nor the MWC has a good tournament history. The NCAA committee likes to give higher seats to teams and conferences that have a positive history. Even though the MWC has been a good basketball conference, sweet 16 appearances have been rare.
Looking at the MWC standings, this should be the seeding in the MWC tournament.
1. BYU vs 8. Wyoming/9. TCU winner
4. Colorado State vs. 5. Utah
2. San Diego State vs 7. Air Force
3. UNLV vs 6. New Mexico
Saturday, February 19, 2011
New Head Basketball Coach at Utah -- Update for March 29
This post is dedicated to my good friend Cody, the administrator at Weber Hoops who is now settling his family in the San Jose area after taking a job there. (You will find out why if you keep reading.); Cody, I'm pleased to hear that you are safe and wish you luck in California.
Note: I've been reading a twitter debate between Block U and ESPN 700's Bill Rielly on twitter about the possibility of Larry Kristowiak (I did not spell the name right and I don't care...it's a poor choice) at Utah's head basketball coach. Any of these guys would be better....
Original Blog...
All signs point to the dismissal of Jim Boylen as the Utah head basketball coach at the end of the season. I kind of like this guy, he was a good balance between the too much we had with Majerus and the too little we had with Giacoletti. The fault for the dismal situation that the Utes are in right now can not all be blamed upon Boylen. The Block U has a very nice article about the decline of Utah Basketball. Boylen is likely not the guy to fix it.
Based on the block U article about the current state of Ute Basketball, requirements for replacing Boylen are:
1. Not necessarily young, but healthy enough and without enough baggage to be a burden to the program as Majerus was in his final years in Salt Lake.
2. Knows how to recruit local kids and deal with those who desire to serve LDS missions.
BTW--Currently Weber State has 8 local players (either from Utah or a neighboring state: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada), Utah State has 9 and BYU has 10. Utah has 3. This does not include those currently serving LDS missions. Certainly if the other big schools in the state can succeed with local players, Utah can too.
3. Has the ability to get along with and keep assistant coaches to provide stability.
4. Has some collegiate-level head coaching experience.
Here is my short list.
5. Current Utah State Assistant Chris Jones--Out of all of the people on my short list, Jones is the only one who has not been a head coach anywhere. He was an assistant for Giacoletti before becoming one of Coach Stew's peeps in Logan. He currently runs the defense in Logan, where the Aggies are one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA. He is also a Utah Alumnus and a native of Salt Lake City. As an alum of Judge Memorial (Catholic High School) one would assume that he is not LDS, but being at Utah State and affiliated with the U for so long, one would also assume he can deal with LDS kids.
4. Current Utah Assistant Barrett Peery--Is a local product who served as the head coach at the College of Southern Idaho before joining Boylen's staff. He was the SWAC coach of the year and led the Eagles to the Conference Championship in 2008. Before going to CSI, he was an assistant at Portland State and at his Alma Mater, Southern Utah and also at Snow College and Utah Valley. He is a native of Payson, Utah, where almost everyone is LDS and if he is not LDS, he has a lifetime of experience dealing with LDS kids. He played college ball at SUU helping them win back-to-back conference titles and earning NCAA bids.
3. Current Westminster College Head Coach Tommy Connor--Has been the head coach in Sugarhouse for 12 years and currently boasts a 243-105 record for the Griffins. His teams have also dominated the Frontier Conference for the last decade where Connor has a 118-34 record. Of course there is a big difference between the NAIA and the PAC-12, but at least the U will not have to pay relocation expenses to get this very successful coach on the bench at the north end of 13th East.
2. Current BYU Assistant Dave Rice--This name will come up with every coaching vacancy west of the Mississippi this off season. That is what happens when you are an assistant with the type of consistency the Cougars have had with Dave Rose as the head dude. Rice is known for his recruiting skills and by looking at the roster for the Utes, Cougars and Aggies, he is winning the battle for the local guys. He was a member of the UNLV national championship team and the team that made the final four the following year. The main downside, and the reason I do not list him first is because he has no experience as a head coach. But that will change, one way or another, in 2012. Someone, somewhere, will hire Rice.
1. Current Weber State Head Coach Randy Rahe--Prior to the current season, Rahe was 81-50 at Weber and possibly doing his best coaching for the Cats this season. After all, who did not think that the season was over for Weber State once Damien Lillard went down with a broken foot, but now WSU is only a game and a half out of first place in the conference. The fact that a guy like Lillard is even in Ogden is a testament to how good Rahe is at recruiting. Coach Rahe has dealt well with the LDS missionaries he has been blessed with over the years in Ogden--such as Darrin Mahoney. Before becoming the head coach in Ogden, Rahe was an assistant for Gaicoletti.
Update...March 17...Rumor has it that none of these men are being considered...St. Mary's Randy Bennett is considered the leading candidate for the job.
Note: I've been reading a twitter debate between Block U and ESPN 700's Bill Rielly on twitter about the possibility of Larry Kristowiak (I did not spell the name right and I don't care...it's a poor choice) at Utah's head basketball coach. Any of these guys would be better....
Original Blog...
All signs point to the dismissal of Jim Boylen as the Utah head basketball coach at the end of the season. I kind of like this guy, he was a good balance between the too much we had with Majerus and the too little we had with Giacoletti. The fault for the dismal situation that the Utes are in right now can not all be blamed upon Boylen. The Block U has a very nice article about the decline of Utah Basketball. Boylen is likely not the guy to fix it.
Based on the block U article about the current state of Ute Basketball, requirements for replacing Boylen are:
1. Not necessarily young, but healthy enough and without enough baggage to be a burden to the program as Majerus was in his final years in Salt Lake.
2. Knows how to recruit local kids and deal with those who desire to serve LDS missions.
BTW--Currently Weber State has 8 local players (either from Utah or a neighboring state: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada), Utah State has 9 and BYU has 10. Utah has 3. This does not include those currently serving LDS missions. Certainly if the other big schools in the state can succeed with local players, Utah can too.
3. Has the ability to get along with and keep assistant coaches to provide stability.
4. Has some collegiate-level head coaching experience.
Here is my short list.
5. Current Utah State Assistant Chris Jones--Out of all of the people on my short list, Jones is the only one who has not been a head coach anywhere. He was an assistant for Giacoletti before becoming one of Coach Stew's peeps in Logan. He currently runs the defense in Logan, where the Aggies are one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA. He is also a Utah Alumnus and a native of Salt Lake City. As an alum of Judge Memorial (Catholic High School) one would assume that he is not LDS, but being at Utah State and affiliated with the U for so long, one would also assume he can deal with LDS kids.
4. Current Utah Assistant Barrett Peery--Is a local product who served as the head coach at the College of Southern Idaho before joining Boylen's staff. He was the SWAC coach of the year and led the Eagles to the Conference Championship in 2008. Before going to CSI, he was an assistant at Portland State and at his Alma Mater, Southern Utah and also at Snow College and Utah Valley. He is a native of Payson, Utah, where almost everyone is LDS and if he is not LDS, he has a lifetime of experience dealing with LDS kids. He played college ball at SUU helping them win back-to-back conference titles and earning NCAA bids.
3. Current Westminster College Head Coach Tommy Connor--Has been the head coach in Sugarhouse for 12 years and currently boasts a 243-105 record for the Griffins. His teams have also dominated the Frontier Conference for the last decade where Connor has a 118-34 record. Of course there is a big difference between the NAIA and the PAC-12, but at least the U will not have to pay relocation expenses to get this very successful coach on the bench at the north end of 13th East.
2. Current BYU Assistant Dave Rice--This name will come up with every coaching vacancy west of the Mississippi this off season. That is what happens when you are an assistant with the type of consistency the Cougars have had with Dave Rose as the head dude. Rice is known for his recruiting skills and by looking at the roster for the Utes, Cougars and Aggies, he is winning the battle for the local guys. He was a member of the UNLV national championship team and the team that made the final four the following year. The main downside, and the reason I do not list him first is because he has no experience as a head coach. But that will change, one way or another, in 2012. Someone, somewhere, will hire Rice.
1. Current Weber State Head Coach Randy Rahe--Prior to the current season, Rahe was 81-50 at Weber and possibly doing his best coaching for the Cats this season. After all, who did not think that the season was over for Weber State once Damien Lillard went down with a broken foot, but now WSU is only a game and a half out of first place in the conference. The fact that a guy like Lillard is even in Ogden is a testament to how good Rahe is at recruiting. Coach Rahe has dealt well with the LDS missionaries he has been blessed with over the years in Ogden--such as Darrin Mahoney. Before becoming the head coach in Ogden, Rahe was an assistant for Gaicoletti.
Update...March 17...Rumor has it that none of these men are being considered...St. Mary's Randy Bennett is considered the leading candidate for the job.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Conference Expansion Update...Feb 26, 2011
What is the WAC up to? It has been hard to find information as of late. We are swinging into the home stretch of the college basketball season, football recruiting is done and there is not a ton of data on conference expansion potential right now. It appears that the WAC will likely enter 2012 with only (let me check my scorecard) 7 football schools and 8 basketball schools.
Since the MWC passed on Utah State and whomever, the only rumor that has any traction is Lamar. They have announced their intentions to apply to the Football Bowl Subdivision and apply for WAC membership. No formal invite from the WAC, yet however. But at least someone is interested. Notice that the short list is shorter.
WAC Short List as of February 17, 2011
1. Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas)
2. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
3. Portland State University (Oregon)
4. Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff)
5. North Dakota State University (Fargo)
Update on 2/26. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Karl Benson is pushing for a 9-football team conference and 10+? for other sports. I expect that Lamar and ULLAF to be invited in the coming weeks.
Since the MWC passed on Utah State and whomever, the only rumor that has any traction is Lamar. They have announced their intentions to apply to the Football Bowl Subdivision and apply for WAC membership. No formal invite from the WAC, yet however. But at least someone is interested. Notice that the short list is shorter.
WAC Short List as of February 17, 2011
1. Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas)
2. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
3. Portland State University (Oregon)
4. Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff)
5. North Dakota State University (Fargo)
Update on 2/26. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Karl Benson is pushing for a 9-football team conference and 10+? for other sports. I expect that Lamar and ULLAF to be invited in the coming weeks.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thank You Coach Sloan
You can't put diapers on a kid one day and a jock strap on him the next.
This is one of Jerry's most famous sayings. It was said about the development of CJ Miles, a kid the Jazz drafted out of high school in 2005 and have surprisingly kept and tutored over the last six season. He is still a kid at only 23 years of age. It was just one of many challenges that Coach Sloan rose up to in 23 years with the Jazz. He will be missed.
Good luck to Coach Corbin and the team.
This is one of Jerry's most famous sayings. It was said about the development of CJ Miles, a kid the Jazz drafted out of high school in 2005 and have surprisingly kept and tutored over the last six season. He is still a kid at only 23 years of age. It was just one of many challenges that Coach Sloan rose up to in 23 years with the Jazz. He will be missed.
Good luck to Coach Corbin and the team.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Moving Sports Franchises...The Ones most likely to move
NFL
It has been 15 years since Art Modelquietly left Cleveland for Baltimore and 16 years since the Raiders returned to Oakland. That is the longest stability of any of the big four leagues in the North America. The NFL has mostly enjoyed good attendance, but there are a few teams struggling at the gate. The biggest problem that many NFL teams have right now are stadium issues. Many NFL franchises are playing in new, state of the art facilities. But some are playing in facilities that were designed, or redesigned, without a lot of forward thought. Other franchises are simply not supported in their hometowns as they deserve.
Teams most likely to move:
Oakland Raiders--Where Lambeau Field succeeded, the Oakland Coliseum has failed. This stadium has become the poster boy for how not to modernize and build a multi-purpose arena. Both the Raiders and the Athletics are suffering at the gate because of it. The A's will likely not leave the state of California, but will at most move up-river to Sacramento. The Raiders may end up back in Los Angeles or in Santa Clara with the 49ers.
Buffalo Bills--In Buffalo, the problem is not the stadium. Sure, it is one of the older venues in the NFL, it was built with some forward thought and could be modernized on the cheap. The problem is the city. Buffalo has been shrinking in population and is about to fall out of the top 50 in the United States. There is simply the feeling that there are cities more deserving than Buffalo to host an NFL franchise. A permanent move to Toronto could be in the works. Sure, Green Bay is smaller and just won the Super Bowl. But Buffalo is not Green Bay, and may not have an owner that will accept a reduced revenue.
San Diego Chargers--San Diego has been trying for years to replace the outdated Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, but have had trouble finding the funding. They could be the primary candidates to bring football back to Los Angeles.
Jacksonville Jaguars--The Jags are still struggling at the gate, have covered seats to avoid TV blackouts and many wonder why the city was awarded a franchise in the first place.
Minnesota Vikings--The Vikings lost two home games this season because the roof to the Metrodome collapsed. It's it supposed to snow a lot in Minnesota? Shouldn't a venue be able to handle all of that snow. Three other similar-type stadiums, in Pontiac, Michigan; Vancouver, BC and Indianapolis never had this kind of trouble. Their lease is considered the worst in the NFL and could be the catalyst to get the Vikings out of town.
Cities most likely to get an NFL Franchise:
1. Los Angeles, California--The second largest market in North America has been without a franchise for 16 years. There are two stadium proposals on record that are gaining steam. One is downtown and the other is in the suburbs. Perhaps two teams can locate to LA.
2. Toronto, Ontario--The Buffalo Bills play one game per year on the north side of Lake Ontario. Could that be changed to eight games per year?
3. San Antonio, Texas--The Saints played in San Antonio for one season in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. With a little upgrade, the Alamodome would be a nice place for an NFL team to call home.
4. Portland, Oregon--Portland is listed as a city at the top of many prospective sports lists. But they could not get a AAA baseball stadium built in Portland and an NFL owner may have to pay for the entire place out of pocket.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah--Now that the PAC-12 includes the Utah Utes, some feel that this growing metro would be a great place for an NFL franchise. It is the largest city in a vast area where the NBA's Jazz are the only big sports franchise around. (No apology to RSL fans who should realize that MLS is not that big, yet.) But the NFL may need to have more games on Thursday and Monday to make this move work.
NHL
Right now the NHL is struggling with geography. Things were going well in the south before the season-long lockout, now teams in the Sun Belt are struggling at the gate and suddenly moving back to Canada makes sense.
1. Phoenix Coyotes--The NHL kept the Coyotes from moving a couple of years ago, and has the Valley of the Sun turned out to thank the NHL for their intervention? In 2009-2010, they had the worst attendance in the league.
2. Atlanta Thrashers--Hockey and the Deep South go together like Jack Daniels and a Mormon ward summer picnic. They will have trouble finding people who will even notice if the Thrashers leave town.
3. New York Islanders--The storied franchise deserves better than the hole-in-the-wall Nashua Coliseum as a home. But New York does not deserve to lose them.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning--Another southern team that is not well supported in the community.
5. Nashville Predators--Again, the NHL is struggling to gain a foothold in the deep south.
Cities most likely to gain an NHL Franchise
1. Kansas City, Missouri--There is a brand new arena in KC and no tenant for it. KC is a large city which has supported the Chiefs and the Royals so well for years, but no one calls this town home who plays between January and April.
2. Quebec City, Quebec--Since the Nordiques became the Avalanche, this city has longed for some hockey to beat the wintertime blues.
3. Hamilton, Ontario--There are people with money in this more western Ontario city that want to bring Hockey here. Perhaps to save the planet. Hockey fans in Hamilton will not have to drive to Detroit or Toronto to get their fix.
4. Portland, Oregon--Unlike football and baseball, a team in Portland has a nice arena to call home if they are willing to share with the Blazers. Very few NHL teams have the "Joe Lewis" advantage, meaning that they get their own venue.
5. Las Vegas, Nevada--Someone in Las Vegas is willing to gamble on any sports franchise in this growing city.
NBA
The NBA has done well in most cities. They are the league where a small market team have had success. Look at Oklahoma City and Utah, for example. You have small rosters and an influx of international talent. But some teams have not been able to attract good talent and fans have stayed away. This is probably why the NBA is taking about contraction. There may not be enough talent to go around.
1. Memphis Grizzlies--for years this team has had the worst NBA attendecne figures. It could be the years of futility have taken a toll on fan interest. It could be that this team should have never moved from Vancouver.
2. Sacramento Kings--Fortunes have turned in Sacramento. They were one of the best supported teams in the NBA, but now they struggle at the gate. Arco arena is one of the that was built without a lot of foresight.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves--A franchise that still regrets letting the franchise player leave town several years ago. Without Kevin Garnett, this team has been nothing and the fans have responded.
4. Indiana Pacers--Good sized city, nice arena, but a lack of talent have driven the fans away.
5. Los Angeles Clippers--They need to stop being the Beaver to the LA Lakers Wally.
Cities most likely to gain an NBA franchise
1. Las Vegas, Nevada--The NBA played the All-Star game there a few years ago. So far the only non-NBA city to host the game. Could signal something.
2. Vancouver, British Columbia--A former NBA city that has the tools in place for a second chance.
3. San Diego, California--The Clippers used to be here and play in an arena best described as an empty drum. The Aztecs have shown that basketball can succeed here.
4. Kansas City, Missouri--The old box arena that was an architectural flop is gone and a new arena awaits a tenant.
5. Austin, Texas--Austin is possibly the next American City to break into Major League sports. Like many other successful sports cities (Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Portland, Indianapolis), the NBA is a good place to begin.
Major League Baseball
Baseball used to be Americas pastime, but fans have stayed away from Major League venues. Baseball is the easiest ticket in America right now. Only three franchises, the Phillies, Red Sox and Twins had tickets that were hard to come by in 2010. Where there were 4 franchises that had more empty seats than fans in 2010. (Blue Jays, A's, Indians and Orioles). Not good.
1. Toronto Blue Jays--Their attendance averaged 39% of capacity at the Rogers Centre in 2010. Winning will bring back the fans, but attracting free agent talent to an empty stadium is another problem. It's a catch-22 that no one can figure a way out of.
2. Oakland Athletics--I mentioned already that both the Raiders and the A's are suffering because of the mistake made by the City of Oakland in renovating the Coliseum. It could cost them both franchises.
3. Tampa Bay Rays--Good team, good baseball town poor venue. Fans are staying home.
4. Detroit Tigers--Detroit is suffering and the Tigers are the team that may have to move out of this shrinking city.
5. Washington Nationals--This team needed to be moved out of Montreal, but Washington was a bad place to put them. Those who said that Washington was too close to Baltimore to succeed and that both teams would suffer was right.
Cities most likely to gain an MLB Franchise
1. Orlando, Florida--With a good stadium, the Rays could move up the freeway.
2. Charlotte, North Carolina--Have been the model farm city for years. This is a AAA city that deserves a Major League promotion.
3. Nashville, Tennessee--Where hockey is not doing so well...the Country Music Capital...baseball could succeed.
4. San Antonio, Texas--The Alamodome can not be configured for Baseball, but this city is still ready and has lots of room for a baseball stadium.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah/Sacramento, California--A nice minor league park that is easily expandable to major league proportions...either city.
It has been 15 years since Art Model
Teams most likely to move:
Oakland Raiders--Where Lambeau Field succeeded, the Oakland Coliseum has failed. This stadium has become the poster boy for how not to modernize and build a multi-purpose arena. Both the Raiders and the Athletics are suffering at the gate because of it. The A's will likely not leave the state of California, but will at most move up-river to Sacramento. The Raiders may end up back in Los Angeles or in Santa Clara with the 49ers.
Buffalo Bills--In Buffalo, the problem is not the stadium. Sure, it is one of the older venues in the NFL, it was built with some forward thought and could be modernized on the cheap. The problem is the city. Buffalo has been shrinking in population and is about to fall out of the top 50 in the United States. There is simply the feeling that there are cities more deserving than Buffalo to host an NFL franchise. A permanent move to Toronto could be in the works. Sure, Green Bay is smaller and just won the Super Bowl. But Buffalo is not Green Bay, and may not have an owner that will accept a reduced revenue.
San Diego Chargers--San Diego has been trying for years to replace the outdated Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, but have had trouble finding the funding. They could be the primary candidates to bring football back to Los Angeles.
Jacksonville Jaguars--The Jags are still struggling at the gate, have covered seats to avoid TV blackouts and many wonder why the city was awarded a franchise in the first place.
Minnesota Vikings--The Vikings lost two home games this season because the roof to the Metrodome collapsed. It's it supposed to snow a lot in Minnesota? Shouldn't a venue be able to handle all of that snow. Three other similar-type stadiums, in Pontiac, Michigan; Vancouver, BC and Indianapolis never had this kind of trouble. Their lease is considered the worst in the NFL and could be the catalyst to get the Vikings out of town.
Cities most likely to get an NFL Franchise:
1. Los Angeles, California--The second largest market in North America has been without a franchise for 16 years. There are two stadium proposals on record that are gaining steam. One is downtown and the other is in the suburbs. Perhaps two teams can locate to LA.
2. Toronto, Ontario--The Buffalo Bills play one game per year on the north side of Lake Ontario. Could that be changed to eight games per year?
3. San Antonio, Texas--The Saints played in San Antonio for one season in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. With a little upgrade, the Alamodome would be a nice place for an NFL team to call home.
4. Portland, Oregon--Portland is listed as a city at the top of many prospective sports lists. But they could not get a AAA baseball stadium built in Portland and an NFL owner may have to pay for the entire place out of pocket.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah--Now that the PAC-12 includes the Utah Utes, some feel that this growing metro would be a great place for an NFL franchise. It is the largest city in a vast area where the NBA's Jazz are the only big sports franchise around. (No apology to RSL fans who should realize that MLS is not that big, yet.) But the NFL may need to have more games on Thursday and Monday to make this move work.
NHL
Right now the NHL is struggling with geography. Things were going well in the south before the season-long lockout, now teams in the Sun Belt are struggling at the gate and suddenly moving back to Canada makes sense.
1. Phoenix Coyotes--The NHL kept the Coyotes from moving a couple of years ago, and has the Valley of the Sun turned out to thank the NHL for their intervention? In 2009-2010, they had the worst attendance in the league.
2. Atlanta Thrashers--Hockey and the Deep South go together like Jack Daniels and a Mormon ward summer picnic. They will have trouble finding people who will even notice if the Thrashers leave town.
3. New York Islanders--The storied franchise deserves better than the hole-in-the-wall Nashua Coliseum as a home. But New York does not deserve to lose them.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning--Another southern team that is not well supported in the community.
5. Nashville Predators--Again, the NHL is struggling to gain a foothold in the deep south.
Cities most likely to gain an NHL Franchise
1. Kansas City, Missouri--There is a brand new arena in KC and no tenant for it. KC is a large city which has supported the Chiefs and the Royals so well for years, but no one calls this town home who plays between January and April.
2. Quebec City, Quebec--Since the Nordiques became the Avalanche, this city has longed for some hockey to beat the wintertime blues.
3. Hamilton, Ontario--There are people with money in this more western Ontario city that want to bring Hockey here. Perhaps to save the planet. Hockey fans in Hamilton will not have to drive to Detroit or Toronto to get their fix.
4. Portland, Oregon--Unlike football and baseball, a team in Portland has a nice arena to call home if they are willing to share with the Blazers. Very few NHL teams have the "Joe Lewis" advantage, meaning that they get their own venue.
5. Las Vegas, Nevada--Someone in Las Vegas is willing to gamble on any sports franchise in this growing city.
NBA
The NBA has done well in most cities. They are the league where a small market team have had success. Look at Oklahoma City and Utah, for example. You have small rosters and an influx of international talent. But some teams have not been able to attract good talent and fans have stayed away. This is probably why the NBA is taking about contraction. There may not be enough talent to go around.
1. Memphis Grizzlies--for years this team has had the worst NBA attendecne figures. It could be the years of futility have taken a toll on fan interest. It could be that this team should have never moved from Vancouver.
2. Sacramento Kings--Fortunes have turned in Sacramento. They were one of the best supported teams in the NBA, but now they struggle at the gate. Arco arena is one of the that was built without a lot of foresight.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves--A franchise that still regrets letting the franchise player leave town several years ago. Without Kevin Garnett, this team has been nothing and the fans have responded.
4. Indiana Pacers--Good sized city, nice arena, but a lack of talent have driven the fans away.
5. Los Angeles Clippers--They need to stop being the Beaver to the LA Lakers Wally.
Cities most likely to gain an NBA franchise
1. Las Vegas, Nevada--The NBA played the All-Star game there a few years ago. So far the only non-NBA city to host the game. Could signal something.
2. Vancouver, British Columbia--A former NBA city that has the tools in place for a second chance.
3. San Diego, California--The Clippers used to be here and play in an arena best described as an empty drum. The Aztecs have shown that basketball can succeed here.
4. Kansas City, Missouri--The old box arena that was an architectural flop is gone and a new arena awaits a tenant.
5. Austin, Texas--Austin is possibly the next American City to break into Major League sports. Like many other successful sports cities (Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Portland, Indianapolis), the NBA is a good place to begin.
Major League Baseball
Baseball used to be Americas pastime, but fans have stayed away from Major League venues. Baseball is the easiest ticket in America right now. Only three franchises, the Phillies, Red Sox and Twins had tickets that were hard to come by in 2010. Where there were 4 franchises that had more empty seats than fans in 2010. (Blue Jays, A's, Indians and Orioles). Not good.
1. Toronto Blue Jays--Their attendance averaged 39% of capacity at the Rogers Centre in 2010. Winning will bring back the fans, but attracting free agent talent to an empty stadium is another problem. It's a catch-22 that no one can figure a way out of.
2. Oakland Athletics--I mentioned already that both the Raiders and the A's are suffering because of the mistake made by the City of Oakland in renovating the Coliseum. It could cost them both franchises.
3. Tampa Bay Rays--Good team, good baseball town poor venue. Fans are staying home.
4. Detroit Tigers--Detroit is suffering and the Tigers are the team that may have to move out of this shrinking city.
5. Washington Nationals--This team needed to be moved out of Montreal, but Washington was a bad place to put them. Those who said that Washington was too close to Baltimore to succeed and that both teams would suffer was right.
Cities most likely to gain an MLB Franchise
1. Orlando, Florida--With a good stadium, the Rays could move up the freeway.
2. Charlotte, North Carolina--Have been the model farm city for years. This is a AAA city that deserves a Major League promotion.
3. Nashville, Tennessee--Where hockey is not doing so well...the Country Music Capital...baseball could succeed.
4. San Antonio, Texas--The Alamodome can not be configured for Baseball, but this city is still ready and has lots of room for a baseball stadium.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah/Sacramento, California--A nice minor league park that is easily expandable to major league proportions...either city.
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