So i'm flyingg to Montreal with my girlfriend in a few hours so she can visit McGill University and get her orientation and as i'm looking up places to visit and what to do while i'm there, I saw that Montreal has a huge population. It has a big following in sports (mainly hockey) and since it's pretty much the second largest city in Canada (in terms of population and its market size), do you think it would be a good idea to have an NBA team in Montreal? I mean: - It's fairly close with Ottawa, which is the capital in Canada (and according to a few friends of mine who have been there, they have quite a number of basketball fans) and so i'm sure a lot of the Ottaw-ans (?) would rather go to montreal than toronto to watch a basketball game. They could have a duo-fan base but a large portion would be in montreal - Canada would finally have more than one NBA team. - If cities like Milwaukee, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Utah, etc. can get an NBA team, why can't Montreal? - They're getting an MLS team too in 2011 (or 2012) which will fill out the holy sport trinity (in Canada) of hockey-basketball-soccer (mostly hockey, but you get my point). - I remember the Expos had a decent amount of sellout games back in the 70s, and since basketball (and soccer) are both growing in Montreal, now is the perfect time for them to get a team -- or in the next 5-7 years. - I'm also certain the NBA can pry away the bigger name Euro players to Montreal since it's got a european feel to the city, which will be a good transition for them. So I'm I propose expansion team or moving a club no one cares about (Clippers?) to Montreal. Iunno, i'm just thinking out loud, and since i'm leaving in a couple of hours, i've got nothing else to do seeing as how I finished my paper and early exams. What do you guys think? And oh, what about giving Vancouver another shot? I've always been a firm believer in having at least 3-4 CDN teams in the NBA (as well as the MLS, but thats another story). Thoughts?
Just got here in Montreal and I even asked a few Montre-aliens (?) on my way to the hotel, and they seemed ecstatic about the idea. With Beckham apparently being a part of the Montreal Impact campaign, they love the idea of an NBA team being here as well. Also, holy fuck it's cold. btw, any other thoughts?
I think the Clippers relocating makes a lot of sense. Im a firm believer that no city should have 2 teams in one city. Plus, its not like they'll ever become bigger than the Lakers.
Vancouver needs the Grizzlies back, seriously ever since Yao Ming has been in the league basketball has been waaay more popular here. The Grizzlies are suffering in Memphis anyways, give em back to us.
I love the idea of Canada having 4 NBA teams. Vancouver deserves a second chance, and Montreal is definitely a viable destination. What about a city like Edmonton for the fourth city? Montreal and Vancouver are very possible, but Edmonton was just me throwing out cities.
I was in Montreal in March of this year, man loved it there, great city. (cold but very nice lol) Only thing that sucked is the French there didn't want to speak english. BOOOO!!!
Won't they want to get Seattle back one day though? I think it could happen for Montreal but not sure it is their turn yet.
The only problem is telling NBA players to go to a market that is French won't sit well. Hell, half of the NBA players can't even speak English.
How are the demographics in Montreal? Do they have a fan base to support an NBA team? Do they have enough disposable income to pay for season tickets and luxury boxes? Is the city willing to build a new state of the art stadium?
Well being here a few days, I've realized there's a fairly large basketball fanbase to support a club in montreal. And to add, just about everyone in this city can speak english so I don't think the language barrier will be quite a problem. Also, like I said earlier, the addition of an MLS team can benefit montreal and their bid for an NBA team. Hell, the montreal impact are probably better than any MLS team lol. They should also take away some of TFC's fans, which is arguably the largest of any team in TFC. In the 70s the stadium the expos played in a stadium that was constantly sold out so yes, I do believe montreal can support a team that isn't hockey. Like any other city, montreal will support any team as long as they show heart.
If they got behind that team and they were a winner, that would be the best atmosphere in the league. No debate.
I'm certain they can support an NBA team as much as Toronto can. Like I said, if cities like sacarmento, utah, OKC and memphis get a team, why can't montreal?