MLB considering expansion to Mexico, Montreal

[torts]

Yes they try to keep an NBA in a 2 hour TV timeframe and they usually slightly go over. I thought I saw MLB this year with the new emphasis on speed only got the times down 2:55ish.

 

For the NHL, people that are into it are really into it. And of course live hockey is amazing. On average though it is the least popular of the big 4 sports by a large margin, which explains whey they can't even get playoff games on major network TV and I think only the weekend Finals games, could be wrong on that though and the Finals are all on major. Almost no regular season games on major networks.

 

NHL had a long contract with Versus/NBC that basically aired games regularly on Versus and one game a week on NBC on Sundays?

 

Now that NBC turned Versus into NBCSports Network, tyhe NHL has quiet a few more games on actual NBC broadcasts throughout the year. Its still not like any other league in terms of major network/cable broadcasts, but if you live in any NHL teams local network, you'll get every game that local team plays.

[tmwiese55]

That's what I mean, you have to find NBC Sports or Versus or whatever they're on. After the last strike the big networks didn't even bother. But yea locally they're just like FSN for Bucks or Brewers games.

[trwi7]

That's what I mean, you have to find NBC Sports or Versus or whatever they're on. After the last strike the big networks didn't even bother. But yea locally they're just like FSN for Bucks or Brewers games.

 

I mean, it's not like the other leagues are on CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox. The LCS has had one game on Fox so far. The rest of the ALCS have been on Fox Sports 1 which has pretty much the same distribution as NBCSN. Now TBS has more households for the NLCS but they're still only at 83%.

 

Same with TNT and ESPN for the NBA playoffs.

 

And I'm pretty sure only games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final are on NBCSN for whatever reason and they usually put a few popular games before the Stanley Cup Final on NBCSN. I know the Blackhawks/Predators first round game 6 was on NBC last year.

[tmwiese55]

The NBA, NFL, MLB regular season is commonly on the big networks all season. Not sure what you mean. Nobody even knows where Rivals or CBS sports is on their network because they probably air hunting and racing shows all day. You even just said their Finals game was on that weird channel, they only put it on big networks if it's on the weekend probably. You're kind of making my point.

 

Edit: college football and basketball are on all regular season on the big networks too. Making the NHL what 6th on the list?

[1992casey]

For a moment, I thought I was in the TV thread.

 

Moving on…

 

How does the expansion process begin? Does an ownership group need to apply for a franchise or does MLB just decide it wants more teams and then send out for bids?

Procedures have varied from one expansion to another. Timelines have been different, and the expansion drafts have been structured differently. But generally, I think baseball has asked for applications and has gone from there. That wouldn't stop a potential ownership group from making their desires known at any time they please, though.

 

A friend of mine has taught in AZ for over a decade & a large portion of his class every year is of Mexican heritage and/or are kids of immigrants. I sent him some of my thoughts on expansion to get his reaction & to see what his thoughts were both on mine ideas & in general. Here's part of his reaction (and if his observations & opinions are indeed accurate, and if MLB's seriously intent about expansion in these couple places, these also seem like the sorts of observations they could well totally ignore or gloss over):

 

No way to Mexico City! Many Mexicans don't want to go anywhere near there. SO SO dangerous and corrupt (think: kidnapped players like Ugueth Urbina's clan). . . Baseball's just not that popular in Mexico. I might have one student each year that finds baseball somewhat bearable - but they hate baseball A LOT! You can't change a culture just by plopping down a franchise in the biggest city. . . . Floating around the internet somewhere are some horror stories of that NFL game in Mexico City a few years back. I know the AZ Cardinals were one of the teams. If I remember correctly, the players were basically on lockdown in their hotel and had to keep their blinds drawn. I believe the team bus was stripped or somehow vandalized despite being in a supposedly safe part of town. I also think the NFL had to hire some local security force to be stationed outside the hotel with machine guns.

Fútbol (soccer) is definitely the number one team sport in Mexico. But baseball does have a presence.

 

The Cardinals played the 49ers in Mexico City in 2005. I can't find any horror stories about that; what I find is overwhelmingly positive. It appears that the Texans are looking to schedule a game there in 2017.

 

Regarding safety, I'd be very careful about sensationalist language used by people who have an agenda. Objective reports state that personal safety concerns are significantly greater than they were a couple of decades ago. But they also emphasize that Mexico is a huge country and that the majority of it is fine as long as you take the precautions you'd take when traveling anywhere else. Specifically, the US government says that the Federal District (Mexico City) is good but that travelers should exercise caution in its outer suburbs in the State of Mexico. FWIW, Jamaica has a much higher homicide rate than Mexico.

[tmwiese55]

Though I wouldn't completely rule it out as I'm sure it can be worked around, I don't see the need to deal with the potential issues when you have other good viable options. Extremely close to Mexico you have the rapidly expanding Austin/San Antonio market with only one other pro franchise. Throw in Montreal, Charlotte, Portland and you have plenty of options. There's also no teams between Atlanta and Dallas further south than what St Louis/Cinncy. Something there could work, like Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans. Though I think Charlotte would still be better in the general southeast region.