A Break from Sports. The Muppets Remake the Princess Bride

Thanks to my daughter, Emma, who came up with this idea, I present the cast of a remake of The Princess Bride.  The cast is, of course, the Muppets.

 

Robin the Frog as the Grandson

Gonzo as Grandfather/Narrator

Kermit the Frog as Westley

Miss Piggy as Buttercup, the Princess Bride

Pepe the Prawn as Inigo Montoya

Sweetums as Fezzik

Link Hogthrob as Prince Humperdink

Rizzo the Rat at Vezzini

Uncle Deadly as Count Rugen

Honeydew and Beaker as The Albino (and his assistant)

Rowlf as Miracle Max

Janice as Valerie

Swedish Chef as the Very Impressive Clergyman

Statler and Waldorf as the Ancient Boer(s)

Fozzie as Yellin

Floyd Pepper as The King

Annie Sue as the Queen

My Idea of Bowl Game Reform

 Bowls must fit the following criteria:

1. Must be played in a warm-weather city, unless played in the afternoon.
2. Must be played in a stadium whose primary use is football.  Can be a dual-use or multi-use stadium as long as college or professional football is regularly played at the stadium.
3. Must be played in a stadium with more than 34,999 regular seats
4. Most only be one bowl game played at the stadium

This will eliminate the following 13 bowls or slots for 26 teams This fits along with what happened in 2022. 8 teams for the playoffs.  17 teams were 6-6 or worse.  Here are the bowls elmiminated.

Myrtle Beach Bowl (Stadium Size)
New Orleans Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Cheez-Its Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Baseball Stadium)
Camellia Bowl (Stadium Size)
Hawaii Bowl (Stadium Size)
Boca Raton Bowl (Stadium Size)
Fenway Bowl (Baseball Stadium)
First Responder Bowl (Stadium Size)
Lending Tree Bowl (Stadium Size)
Gasparilla Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Bahamas Bowl (Stadium Size)
Frisco Bowl (Soccer Stadium)

Bowl Games that would still be played but could be moved different stadiums:

Military Bowl to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore from Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis due to stadium size.
Holiday Bowl to Snapdragon Stadium from PetCo Park to move from a baseball stadium to a football stadium
Pinstripe Bowl to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey from Yankee Stadium to move from a baseball stadium to a football stadium.  (The game could also move to SHI Stadium in Rutgers, New Jersey)
Cure Bowl to FBC Mortgage Stadium from Exploria stadium to move from a soccer stadium to a football stadium

Contingent Bowl games that could be organized if there are not enough bowl games for all 7-5 teams.  In some years, there may not be enough bowls for all 7-5 teams with this current list.  Each conference could have a contingency for such, provided the game is played in a stadium that will qualify.  According to applying the future playoffs in these years 

Bowl Eligibility.  7 wins and a winning record in conference will lead to an automatic qualification.  7 wins would make a team eligible but now guaranteed.  6-6 will be eligible if there are no other 7 win teams available.

Now, I have gone through an exercise to see if this will work based upon the 2022-23 bowl season.  There are some problems with this.  Mostly that there are only two independents remaining after the latest conference realignment, namely Army and Notre Dame, the latter who pals with the ACC.  Conferences will be larger, but playing with the same number of games.  I found that eliminating bowl games based upon stadium size will mostly hurt Conference USA and the Sun Belt.  That will be balanced by the number of teams from power conferences making the playoffs.

I learned that some secondary bowls from power conferences like the Gator Bowl and the Sun Bowl may end up on the short end of the stick.  This was my fourth iteration.  On the first iteration, I had South Alabama going to the Gator Bowl.  I guarantee that will never happen.  I think it is more likely that the Sun Bowl and Independence Bowl are more likely to go away than the Bahamas Bowl. 

The smaller G-5 conferences will have trouble.  The smaller bowls that play in smaller stadiums were created 

How it could have worked this year

College football playoffs

First Round Bye (Top 4 conference champions)

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Utah

Other Qualifiers

TCU
Ohio State
Alabama
Kansas State
Tennessee
USC
Penn State
Tulane

These take the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl

Other Bowls

Cure Bowl-Orlando, Florida
Affiliations: Sun Belt vs. Conference USA
Matchup: Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA

Las Vegas Bowl-Las Vegas, Nevada
Affiliations: PAC-12 vs. SEC
Matchup: Oregon State vs. BYU

Los Angeles Bowl-Los Angeles, California
Affiliations: Mountain West vs. PAC-12
Matchup: Fresno State vs. South Alabama

New Mexico Bowl-Albuquerque, New Mexico
Affiliations: Mountain West vs. American
Matchup: Wyoming vs. East Carolina

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl-Boise, Idaho
Affiliation: Mountain West vs. MAC
Matchup: Boise State vs. Toledo

Armed Forces Bowl-Fort Worth, Texas
Affiliation: Conference USA vs. American
Matchup: North Texas vs. SMU

Independence Bowl-Shreveport, Louisiana
Affiliation: American vs. 
Matchup: Houston vs. Wake Forest

Quick Lane Bowl-Detroit, Michigan
Affiliation: MAC vs. Big 10
Matchup: Eastern Michigan vs. Marshall

Birmingham Bowl-Birmingham, Alabama
Affiliation: American vs. Conference USA
Matchup: Troy vs. Middle Tennessee

Military Bowl-Baltimore, Maryland
Affiliation: American vs. ACC
Matchup: Cincinnati vs. North Carolina

Liberty Bowl-Memphis, Tennessee
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 12
Matchup Mississippi State vs. Liberty

Holiday Bowl-San Diego, California
Affiliation: PAC-12 vs. ACC
Matchup: Oregon vs. Norte Dame

Texas Bowl-Houston, Texas
Affiliation:  Big 12 vs. SEC
Matchup: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

Pinstripe Bowl-East Rutherford, New Jersey
Affiliation: Big 10 vs. ACC
Matchup:  Maryland vs. Duke

Alamo Bowl-San Antonio, Texas
Affiliation: PAC-12 vs. Big 12
Matchup: Washington vs. Texas

Duke's Mayo Bowl-Charlotte, North Carolina
Affiliation: ACC vs. Big 10
Matchup: Florida State vs. Iowa

Sun Bowl-El Paso, Texas
Affiliation: Pac 12 vs ACC
Matchup: UCLA vs. Louisville

Gator Bowl-Jacksonville, Florida
Affiliation: ACC vs. SEC
Matchup: NC State vs. Central Florida

Arizona Bowl-Tucson, Arizon
Affiliation: MWC vs. MAC
Matchup: Air Force vs. Toledo

Music City Bowl-Memphis, Tennessee
Affiliation: Big 10 vs SEC
Matchup: Minnesota vs. Arkansas*

ReliaQuest Bowl-Tampa, Florida
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 10
Matchup: South Carolina vs. Illinois

Citris Bowl-Orlando, Florida
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 10
Matchup LSU vs. Purdue

Number of 6-6 teams: 1

Invitations by Conference

American Athletic Conference

Playoff:
Tulane

Guaranteed Affiliated (7-5 or better with a winning conference record)
Central Florida (Gator vs. NC State) 
Cincinnati (Military vs North Carolina)
SMU (Armed Forces vs. North Texas)
Houston (Independence vs. Wake Forest)

At-Large (7-5 or better, but sub-500 in conference play)
East Carolina (New Mexico vs. Wyoming)

Eligible (6-6)
Memphis

Atlantic Coast Conference:

Playoff (Invited to participate in the college football playoff)
Clemson

Guaranteed Affiliated (7-5 or better with a winning conference record)
Florida State (Duke's Mayo vs. Iowa)
North Carolina (Military  vs Cincinnati)
Duke (Pinstripe vs. Maryland)

At-Large (7-5 or better, but sub-500 in conference play)
Louisville (Sun vs. UCLA)
NC State (Gator vs. East Carolina)
Wake Forest (Independence vs. Houston)

Eligible (6-6)
Syracuse 

Big 12

Playoff
TCU
Kansas State

Guaranteed Affiliated
Texas (Alamo vs. Washington)
Texas Tech (Texas vs. Ole Miss)

Eligible
Baylor
Kansas
Oklahoma

Big Ten

Playoff
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State

Guaranteed Affiliated
Purdue (Citrus vs LSU)
Illinois (ReliaQuest vs South Carolina)
Iowa (Duke's Mayo vs Florida State)
Minnesota (Music City vs Arkansas)

At-Large 
Maryland (Pinstripe vs. Duke)

Eligible
Wisconsin

Conference USA

Guaranteed Affiliated
UTSA (Cure vs. Coastal Carolina)
North Texas (Armed Forces vs. Central Florida)
Western Kentucky (New Mexico vs. SMU)
Middle Tennessee (Birmingham vs. Troy)

Eligible
UAB

Independents

At-Large
Notre Dame (Holiday vs. Oregon)
Liberty (Liberty Bowl vs. Mississippi State)
BYU (Las Vegas vs. Oregon State)

Eligible
New Mexico State
Army

Mid-American Conference

Guaranteed Affiliated
Ohio (Potato vs. Boise State)
Toledo (Arizona vs. Air Force)
Eastern Michigan (Quick Lane vs Marshall)

Eligible
Buffalo
Bowling Green
Miami (OH)

Mountain West Conference

Guaranteed Affiliated
Fresno State (LA vs. South Alabama)
Boise State (Potato vs. Ohio)
Wyoming (New Mexico vs. East Carolina)
Air Force (Arizona vs. Toledo)

Eligible
San Diego State
San Jose State
Utah State 

PAC-12

Playoff
Utah
USC

Guaranteed Affiliated
Washington (Alamo vs. Texas)
Oregon (Holiday vs. Notre Dame)
Oregon State (Las Vegas vs. BYU)
UCLA (Sun vs. Louisville)

Eligible
Washington State

SEC

Playoff
Georgia
Alabama
Tennessee

Guaranteed Affiliated
LSU (Citrus vs. Purdue)
Mississippi State (Liberty vs. Liberty)
Ole Miss (Texas vs. Texas Tech)
South Carolina (ReliaQuest vs. Illinois)

Eligible
Arkansas (Music City vs. Minnesota)
Kentucky 
Florida
Missouri

Sun Belt

Guaranteed Affiliated
Coastal Carolina (Cure vs. Kentucky)
Marshall (Quick Lane vs. Eastern Michigan)
Troy (Birmingham vs. Middle Tennessee)
South Alabama (LA vs. Fresno State)

Eligible
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Southern Mississippi

Transitioning-Not Eligible  If they were eligible, no 6-6 teams would get bowl invites.
James Madison

Thoughts on the College National Championship

Well, that was fun.  If you are a Georgia Bulldogs fan.  Otherwise, the Bulldogs won by a score more typical of a top-rate FBS school normally defeats a mid-level FCS school.  TCU was supposed to be a better opponent.  But they didn't bring their A game.  When the final gun sounded, UGA had a 58 point game.  Was it a true National Championship?

At the risk of being a critic, I must point out that the TCU Horned Frogs were not even the champion of the Big 12 Conference.  Kansas State was.  But the Wildcats didn't do so well against the SEC in the Sugar Bowl.  There were weaknesses found in the TCU armor before the end of the season.  November wasn't so good.  Beside the loss to KSU, the Frogs fended off upset bids from Texas Tech, Texas and Baylor.  They struggled in all phases of the game, but maintained their high ranking.  A 12 team playoff likely would have eliminated the Frogs in the round of 4, if they had gotten past Tulane in the first round.  (See this link.)

I suspect that if this game were played again, it would be a close one.  TCU now understands that there is a difference between preparing for a bowl game and preparing for a playoff.  In the final analysis, it can be said in short that TCU wasn't prepared.

The Big 12 finished 2-7 in bowl season.  They did not have a good showing at all.  One of those wins was TCU's shootout win over Michigan as well as the blowout loss to Georgia.  The other was Texas Tech's win over Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl, which started with a touching tribute to the late Mike Leach.

If you include the future four of the Big 12, the conference adds 2 wins and and 2 losses to the conference with BYU's narrow win over SMU and Houston's win over Louisiana.  (Go/Geaux Cougars)  While Cincinnati and Central Florida found themselves on the wrong end of not so close games.  Those departing the Big 12 for the SEC didn't fare so well either.  Texas and Oklahoma both lost close games.

The American, ACC, Independents, MAC and SEC had winning bowl records by conference.  C-USA was .500.  The other conferences lost more than they won.

I am not putting too much stock into bowl performances.  With players opting out, focusing on finals, accumulation of injuries, and coaching changes, bowls don't mean what they used to.  But I will have more on that in future posts.

Where The Major Sports Leagues Will Next Expand and/or Move

List of largest markets without sports teams in each of the 5 top-tier leagues in the United State.  *Denotes a city where a franchise was once located but either moved or folded.

Largest 10 US Metros without Major League Soccer

1. Detroit
2. Phoenix
3. Cleveland
4. San Diego
5. Tampa/St. Petersburg* (Tampa Bay Mutiny folded in 2001)
6. Sacramento
7. Pittsburgh
8. San Antonio
9. Indianapolis
10. Las Vegas

Las Vegas is larger than:

Cincinnati
Nashville--Now the smallest market for Major League Soccer

Note: No Canadian Cities without Major League Soccer are large enough to appear to this list.  

MLS is currently at 29 teams.  A planned expansion to Sacramento fell through during the pandemic.  My hunch is that Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego and/or San Antonio are next to bring the league to 32 teams.  

Largest 10 US Markets without Major League Baseball

1. Orlando
2. Portland
3. Charlotte
4. Salt Lake City
5. Sacramento
6. San Antonio
7. Austin
8. Columbus
9. Indianapolis
10. Las Vegas

Las Vegas is larger than:

Cincinnati--Now the smallest market for Major League Baseball

Note: If Canadian cities were included, Montreal, home of the Expos until 2004, would be the largest city on this list.

Baseball has said they will not discuss expansion until stadiums in Oakland and Tampa are worked out.  Tampa really would not have to move very far if they use Orlando as a stopping off point.  Nashville, which is not large enough to make this list is making a bid for the Rays.  Charlotte would also work. It appears, however, that the Rays will find a way to stay put. 

Many assume the A's will head to Las Vegas, but there are better cities on this list.  But from what I can tell, the A's to Vegas is about 80% a done deal.  The site planned for the stadium will work, there is an intermediate venue plan.  But there are infrastructure issues like a plan for traffic, parking and sewer and water systems  There are better markets. Portland has an aging old mall east of the Rose district that would make a great site for a new stadium and should be the more logical next city for the A's.  Sacramento would also work.  Salt Lake City has a sports fanatic with tons of money to throw around.

As for expansion, my guess for the next baseball cities would be Charlotte and Salt Lake should the A's land in Portland and the Rays go inland.  San Antonio and Austin are also promising baseball cities.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Footba1l League

1. Orlando
2. Portland
3. San Diego* (Chargers moved to Los Angeles in 2017)
4. St. Louis* (Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016)
5. Salt Lake City
6. Sacramento
7. San Antonio*** (San Antonio was the temporary home of the New Orleans Saints in 2005 for 3 games)
8. Austin
9. Columbus
10. Raleigh

Raleigh is larger than:

Jacksonville
New Orleans
Buffalo
Green Bay--Now the smallest market for the National Football League

Many want to see the NFL expand to London.  Logistically this will not work unless an entire division can be located in Europe.  Teams are now chartering two airplanes when they travel.  Travel to London for 8 teams every year will be expensive.  A division in Europe would solve logistical issues for nearly half the season.

Giving San Diego and St Louis teams again I think is the next logical step if the NFL decides to expand.  San Antonio, Austin and Columbus would also work very well for future NFL franchises.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Basketball Association

1. Seattle* (Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008)
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg*** (St. Petersburg was the temporary home of the Toronto Raptors in 2020-21)
3. San Diego* (Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984)
4. St. Louis* (Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968)
5. Pittsburgh** (ABA Pittsburgh Condors folded in 1972)
6. Austin
7. Columbus
8. Kansas City* (Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985)
9. Las Vegas
10. Cincinnati* (Royals moved to Kansas City/Omaha in 1972.  Team is now the Sacramento Kings.)

Cincinnati is larger than

Milwaukee
Oklahoma City
Memphis
New Orleans--Now the smallest market in the National Basketball Association

The next two cities for NBA expansion seem logical to me...Seattle and Tampa.  There is a push to put a team in Louisville, but as you can see, there are a lot of teams without basketball that are larger than Louisville.  Austin and Columbus would be very nice NBA cities.  Virginia Beach, which is also not large enough to be on this list could also be a good place for the NBA to land.  

However, many are starting to think the 82 game season is too long, there is too much tanking and there are other issues that the NBA has to work out first before expanding.  Once the NBA figures out their scheduling problems, then they can work on expansion.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Hockey League

1. Houston
2. Atlanta* (Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011.)
3. Orlando
4. Cleveland** (Barons folded in 1978)
5. Portland
6. Charlotte
7. Salt Lake City
8. Sacramento
9. San Antonio
10. Austin

Austin is larger than

Columbus
Las Vegas
Raleigh
Nashville
Buffalo-->The smallest US city with an NHL team.
Ottawa
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg--Now the smallest market in the National Hockey League

Note: The largest Canadian cities not on this are not large enough to appear on this list.

If Canada gets another team, I think a 2nd team in Toronto is the most logical place.  It would be more likely to succeed than Quebec City or Hamilton.  

The situation with the Coyotes needs to be solved before expansion in the US is considered.  Kansas City is often mentioned in Hockey expansion articles, but they do not make this list.  It's not that Kansas City is a bad sports town.  I think the NHL moving the Coyotes to Kansas City would be a good move.  Not all of the cities are good for hockey. These cities, except for Cleveland, are simply growing faster than KC. San Antonio and Austin do not appear to be hockey towns.  Same with Orlando.  Portland and Salt Lake City appear to be the next best targets for Hockey beyond Houston.  If baseball beats hockey to Salt Lake, then Sacramento would be a good place.

Markets with multiple teams in the same league

New York
MLS: NYFC, New York Red Bulls
MLB: New York Yankees, New York Mets
NBA: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets
NFL: New York Giants, New York Jets
NHL: New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils

Los Angeles
MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy, LAFC
MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angels Angels
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers
NFL: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers
NHL: Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks

Washington/Baltimore
MLB: Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles
NFL: Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens

Chicago
MLB: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox

San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland
MLB: San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics

Largest 20 Markets without any major sports franchises

1. Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, Virginia
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina
3. Providence, Rhode Island
4. Richmond, Virginia
5. Louisville, Kentucky
6. Greenville, South Carolina
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Grand Rapids, Michigan
9. Birmingham, Alabama
10. Fresno, California
11. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
12. Fort Meyers, Florida
13. Albany, New York
14. Rochester, New York
15. Knoxville, Tennessee
16. Albuquerque, New Mexico
17. Tulsa, Oklahoma
18. Tucson, Arizona
19. El Paso, Texas
20. Sarasota, Florida

Conference Expansion January, 2023

 PAC-12 Conference

Sports Illustrated currently lists the following 5 schools as targets of the PAC-12 Conference:

San Diego State

SMU

UNLV

Fresno State

Boise State

I found the order at which they are listed to be as telling as anything.  This is the priority of the author of the article and may not reflect anything other than his desirability.  But SI has contacts in the know and are likely close to those involved in the decision making process.  I can think of maybe two others that might be on the list, like Colorado State and Nevada, but it likely doesn't go beyond these five schools.  

Why is Boise State an afterthought after all they have achieved in recent years? Boise State is only on this list because of their recent success on the athletic field.  They have a brand.  But they do not bring a large market into the mix, and Boise is not a large market.  Nor do they bring Class A facilities, a strong academic reputation, a large pool of wealthy booster nor access to a deep recruiting pool.  It is also likely that the Idaho Famous Potato Bowl is one that is on the chopping block due to the rumored bowl restructuring in the wake of expanded college football playoffs.  If it wasn't for BSU's recent success, they would not even be considered.

If I were PAC-12 commissioner, I would expand to the PAC-14 and take SDSU, SMU, UNLV and Fresno.  It will not make up for the loss of LA area schools.  Nothing short of a full merger with the MWC, or taking the top five programs can make up for the loss of a market of 18 million.  (BTW-the other two would be Colorado State and Nevada.)

In hindsight, the PAC-12 should have taken BYU before the Big 12 did.

Mountain West Conference.

A year ago, before USC and UCLA left for the Big 10, I suggested that the MWC expand and grab UTSA before the American got 'em.  Of course, my opinion doesn't count for much, but now the MWC is likely going to be poached, hope that the PAC-12 collapses or expand with FCS schools.  

Well, here we are.  If the PAC-12 collapses and the MWC can land Oregon State and Washington State,  but for now they are going to have to invite at least one current FCS-Level school to replace the likely 3 that will get PAC-12 invites.  That doesn't have to be a bad thing if the right programs are added.  The MWC needs to consider four things in potential expansion candidates: Market, Student Body, Facilities and Academic reputation.  Therefore, who I think belongs in MWC expansion talks is probably not who you think belongs.

UC Davis or Sacramento State.  Sacramento is the second largest market in the West that does not currently have an FBS-level college football program (I will mention the first later).  UC Davis has one of the best academic programs in the country.  Sacramento State has recently upgraded their stadium.  UC Davis plays in a relatively new stadium that can be cheapy expanded to 20,000.  Both may need bigger basketball arenas, but that may be a secondary concern.  Another concern is that Hawaii may not approve of adding a Big West School, but if they are the only objection, then UC Davis joins.  UCD has an incredible academic reputation.

Texas El Paso.  I'm certain that New Mexico would push hard to include UTEP, a former WAC rival, into the MWC.  While it won't bring a Sun Bowl invite, it is still a program that has the facilities, the market, the alumni and the recruiting base to be a great program again.

North Texas.  Dallas is a big place and football is big.  The Mean Green are not always successful, but they give you a foothold in the Dallas area.  Again, should have nabbed UTSA when you had the chance.

Other possibilities: Beyond these two, here are some secondary programs to consider if these decide not to join.  But these programs are far from perfect.

Portland State.  Portland is the largest metro in the west without an FBS program.  Oregon State is the nearest, but they are 80 miles south.  Their biggest problem is facilities.  No, they no longer share a stadium with the Portland Timbers.  They currently play in Hillsboro, about 20 miles away from campus.  I would conditionally invite the Vikings provided that they can get a 15,000 to 20,000 seat stadium on or near campus.

Weber State.  Ogden is the fifth largest metro in the west that does not have an FBS program.  The problem is that there are two other FBS-level programs within an hour drive, and another right outside of this radius.  Utah is continuing to grow in population.  Eventually there will be the population to support a 4th FBS program on the Wasatch Front, but the market is not there yet.  There are bigger metros that have fewer college programs and they struggle.  (I will not mention a certain Bay Area university by name, but we know who you are.)  Would Utah State object?  If I were USU I would rather have Weber in the Mountain West than USU in the Big Sky.  But it is likely not going to come to that.  Houston is the only metro area that I can think of that has 4 FBS-level college football teams in Texas A&M, Houston, Rice and Sam Houston State.

Eastern Washington.  Spokane has the sixth largest market in the west without FBS football.  EWU is not the top dog in Spokane in sports played with a round ball, involving foot races and in the water, and that could be a problem.  If Gonzaga still played football, EWU would be a division lower.

Cal Poly.  There are lots of metros in the west smaller than Spokane and larger than SLO, but none of them have a college football program.  Many of them are near SLO, however.  Everything you need for a successful FBS program is near San Luis Obispo, but it is not right, right there and that is the problem.  Programs that have the fans, alumni and recruiting base next door struggle to succeed.  At least it is near the beach.

North Dakota State.  Success at the FCS level does not equate to success at the FBS level.  NDSU, if managed properly has what could make them a success in the MWC.  But they are isolated and the market is not large.  Smaller cities, like Lubbock, support successful FBS programs.  It could work, but it would be a gamble.

Programs not on my list and why

Montana, Montana State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa.  These fall into my Idaho category, meaning that success at the FCS level does not necessarily translate to success at the FBS level.  I would give NDSU a shot at the FBS level as Fargo/Morehead is a decent sized market, but considerably smaller than SLO, without the nearby beach.  Idaho's failure was not their stadium.  But that they are too isolated in too small of a city to succeed at the higher level.  

Major League Baseball in Salt Lake City? 2022 Edition

One of the most popular posts on this blog was the possibility of Major League Baseball in Utah.  It's time for a 2022 version.  

Much has happened in the past 3 years.  Well, that's an understatement.  I terms of the subject of this blog here is a chain of events.  First, The State Legislature decided to build a new, modern prison in the salt swamps west of the Salt Lake Airport.  Leaving 700 acres halfway between Salt Lake City and Provo open for a new development.  Bonus: the locality hasn't decided what to do with the site.  Second, a BYU alumnus named Ryan Smith stated a company called Qualtrics.  His company grew and grew and grew and grew.  Suddenly, Smith is the most wealthy Cougar ever.  He buys the Jazz from the Miller family...something I never saw coming.  He buys a stake in Real Salt Lake.  He is a sports fan who still has billions to burn.  He forms a group to bring Major League Baseball to Utah.  Finally, Arte Moreno decides to sell the Los Angeles Angels, a team which plays in the fourth oldest stadium in Baseball.  This stadium doesn't exactly hold the same nostalgia as the three ballparks that are older...Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium.  Suddenly, people are saying Salt Lake Angels.  A MLB may move there, but I doubt it will be the Angels.  More on that later.

Let me tell you a little about the site.  I-15 is to the East.  The Bangerter Highway is to the North.  The Front Runner, the high speed rail is to the west.  It is in, arguably, the wealthiest community in Utah.  The nearby freeway sees nearly 250,000 cars every morning.  It can easily handle baseball traffic.  Some of the largest tech companies in the world, like Adobe and Dell have centers within 5 miles.  I don't see any negative to moving a team to this site.  Baseball owners are probably drooling at the prospect.

Site plan reported by the Salt Lake Tribune made by the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority.  (Published May 24, 2021.  Accessed August 30, 2022.)
The stadium would likely be near the current I-15 access in a location designated for retail and entertainment.  The area I highlighted is about 20 acres.  This is an educated guess.

Location in Salt Lake County relative to Salt Lake City courtesy of Google Maps.

Another thing to keep in mind, in spite of relatively low salaries, the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake are perennial playoff contenders.  Sure, between the two of them, there is only one championship, but in terms of wins and losses, it is hard to find teams that have been consistently better.  Plus both teams have arguably the best home-court/field advantage in their respective leagues.  They also regularly sell out their venues.  With Utah adding 50,000 new residents every year, it's hard to imagine that baseball will be less successful.

Plus this is your outfield view

There are negatives.  Sunday play and alcohol sales will be issues.  Some players may not want to come to Utah because of negative stereotypes or even negative personal experience.  These are issues that the Jazz and Real Salt Lake deal with as well.  Many athletes who have played for these teams have chosen to remain here after their retirement.  Even those who finished their careers outside of Utah have come back.  

I would also argue that Salt Lake is likely, at best, the fourth best market for Baseball.  Based upon the 2020 Census, I would put Portland, Austin and San Antonio ahead of Salt Lake.  Portland could more than match the scenery.  But Salt Lake has spendthrift Smith and 700 prime acres.  I don't know if Portland, San Antonio and Austin can match that right now.

Does Anaheim deserve to lose this team?  They are 13th in the league in attendance.  This, in spite of a 52-71 record.  They are up from 16th last season.  But, before the pandemic, they were 5th.  They have historically been in the top ten.  The team and the stadium have seen better days.  The play of the team and the aging venue and the recent success of the Dodgers are likely factors for the drop in attendance.  Certainly, they still draw well in spite of the negatives.  But it is not trending in the right direction. I think the team needs a new stadium, there is enough room to build a brand new one in the parking lot.  If it were my team, I would keep them right there.  

If not the Angels, could it be the Athletics or Rays?  Possibly.  It remains to be seen.  Again, I prefer expansion.  The Athletics have been trying for decades to get a new stadium, while the current one is falling to pieces.  Not like they can't build a new on in the parking lot there.  But no one wants that.  The Rays?  I can't see why they can't get a deal done there, either.  The difference between Smith and the current owners of these clubs.  Smith will spend his own money.  They current owners aren't willing to.

If all this happened, what would become of the Salt Lake Bees, the current AAA West team in Utah?  Salt Lake City is eyeing the stadium district for redevelopment.  If unoccupied, it would likely revert to a community greenspace.  This would enhance the neighborhood and possibly spur some needed gentrification.  The current stadium is shared with the Utah Utes Baseball team.  However, the Utes could build a stadium on or near campus, and perhaps share a stadium with East High School.  The current Salt Lake Bees team would likely relocate.  My guess would be Fresno, a city whose AAA team folded after the 2020 minor league season didn't happen.  Boise, Spokane, Vancouver, BC, Vancouver, Washington and Tucson would be other possibilities.

I think baseball in Utah in the near future can happen.  I agree that the field is ripe for Utah Baseball.  Personally, I want MLB to put an expansion team in Utah.  I don't think the Angels should move.  There is no reason for it.  The Salt Lake Angels talk is premature.  Perhaps a team with owners who want their cities to foot the bill for a state of the art stadium will sell to Smith.  Hopefully, it will be expansion.

Adopt the Schiano Plan--It Would Solve 4 NFL Problems.

The Schiano Plan is simple for football.  If you have not heard of it, let me spell it out for you.  The most dangerous play in football is the kickoff.  It is as much as twice as likely to produce an injury as any other play.  This is why touchbacks were moved to the 25 yard line instead of the 20.  It incentivizes teams to get a touchback and provide a level of safety for players.  It has not worked out that way.

The Schiano plan was devized by former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano after seeing one of his players paralyzed on a kickoff.  It is simple.  Instead of a kickoff, the team will get the ball 4th down and 15 at their own 30 yard line.  The majority of the time, the team will chose to punt.  However, they can fake punt or they can trot their quarterback to the line of scrimmage.  The odds of converting a 4th and 15 on a fake punt or a designed offensive play are minimal, but it is better than an onside kick.  This will solve 4 problems in football.

First, it will reduce injuries.  As the kickoff is the most dangerous play in football, this will have an immediate positive impact on player safety.

Second, it will be more exciting because it will add drama to the play.  The percentage of kickoffs returned for touchdowns in low, less than one quarter of one percent. The percentage of punts returned for touchdowns is about one half on one percent.  Which means that a team is twice a likely to return a punt for a touchdown than they are a kickoff.  About 8% of onside kicks are successful.  Arguably, they are less successful if the opposing team is expecting them.  A fake punt is successful about 1% of the time, but is exciting to watch.  About 12% of 4th and 15 plays result in a conversion.

Third, it adds a level of fairness to sudden-death overtime.  If a team loses the coin toss in overtime, they have a chance to keep the ball anyway.  Image what that would have done for the 2022 Bills vs. Chiefs playoff game.  The Bills, instead of kicking off could have trotted Josh Allen out for a 4th and 15 play to keep the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.  Perhaps teams will chose to kick when they win the coin toss more often.  

Forth, it takes away an aspect of Gridiron Football that seems unrelated to the rest of the game.