OT MLB to PDX: We're talking baseball to PDX

[THE HCP]

Why can't he see this post?

God damn......this post is AMAZING!!!!!!

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[BBert]

The Portland Rays

Mascot

View attachment 23742

We get to hire our own umpire?

 

[julius]

I like how this guy, who I've never heard of, seems to know more about the prospects of expansion (which the commissioner of MLB has pretty much said is on the table after they settle Tampa Bay and Oakland) than the people who are actually in the know.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I like how this guy, who I've never heard of, seems to know more about the prospects of expansion (which the commissioner of MLB has pretty much said is on the table after they settle Tampa Bay and Oakland) than the people who are a
ctually in the know.

Youve never heard of Steve?!?

 

[HailBlazers]

 

[Mediocre Man]

And this is why it probably wont happen. Too many small town thinking people in Portland to pay taxes for it

 

[BonesJones]

And this is why it probably wont happen. Too many small town thinking people in Portland to pay taxes for it

Up to $1.5M? So like 3 dollars per adult at most? No complaints here. Dont think that'll be an obstacle. That's better than most cities.

 

[Strenuus]

Current status of pants: Tight.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Up to $1.5M? So like 3 dollars per adult at most? No complaints here. Dont think that'll be an obstacle. That's better than most cities.

The 1.5M is money the PDP will pay to PoP during the initial 2-year negotiating window. At this point, there are no plans for any public money to be used.

The article does mention the potential use of $150M in bonds to partially offset eventual construction costs, but even this would be repaid with player income taxes, so it's not really an expense for the state so much as a recoverable investment.

They really have tried very hard to do everything without any public money at all. Because of all the "small town thinking people," I presume.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Up to $1.5M? So like 3 dollars per adult at most? No complaints here. Dont think that'll be an obstacle. That's better than most cities.

Too many people will bitch about the money going to less fortunate. Read the few comments from the article. It's going to be an issue

 

[julius]

Too many people will bitch about the money going to less fortunate. Read the few comments from the article. It's going to be an issue

Usually the fans who comment on stuff like this are some of the most uniformed people involved. Hell, look at the comments on articles about the Blazers, they tend to be full of people who don't even have a elementary grasp on facts.

That said, even knowing what I know about the situation (and how it's being said that it's privately funded), I still have a hard time believing it's going to happen.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Usually the fans who comment on stuff like this are some of the most uniformed people involved. Hell, look at the comments on articles about the Blazers, they tend to be full of people who don't even have a elementary grasp on facts.

I hope you're right

 

[julius]

I hope you're right

Me too (about the fans lacking basic knowledge of stuff). But think about who mostly posts on line stuff? Look at political stuff on twitter/facebook. It's a lot of people who just act like talking louder and more often makes them correct. Not a lot of fact checking goes on, just "it feels correct so I'm going to say it".

 

[PtldPlatypus]

As has been mentioned previously, it's not the property, the structure itself, or the surrounding development that will require significant cooperation from the city and/or public funding. It's the infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate a stadium and a team that will be the issue. Increased traffic access, likely another bridge, expanded lightrail, etc...no way an MLB team can succeed in that location without those improvements, and those are the things that the non-baseball-loving public is going to bristle about money being spent on.

 

[ripcityboy]

As has been mentioned previously, it's not the property, the structure itself, or the surrounding development that will require significant cooperation from the city and/or public funding. It's the infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate a stadium and a team that will be the issue. Increased traffic access, likely another bridge, expanded lightrail, etc...no way an MLB team can succeed in that location without those improvements, and those are the things that the non-baseball-loving public is going to bristle about money being spent on.

Well. I would expect people who don't like a sport to object to any public funds of any kind used to benefit it. But they woud probably bristle if you merely traded baseball cards as a kid. Or that you liked the sport in general.... because that would just give them another opportunity to tell you how much they hate it.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Well. I would expect people who don't like a sport to object to any public funds of any kind used to benefit it. But they woud probably bristle if you merely traded baseball cards as a kid. Or that you liked the sport in general.... because that would just give them another opportunity to tell you how much they hate it.

I'm talking more about people who are indifferent to sports rather than those who openly oppose them. People who couldn't care less about baseball one way or the other begin to care (negatively) once the city has to outlay tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements "solely" to support stadium development.

 

[ripcityboy]

I'm talking more about people who are indifferent to sports rather than those who openly oppose them. People who couldn't care less about baseball one way or the other begin to care (negatively) once the city has to outlay tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements "solely" to support stadium development.

The city spent 31 million dollars upgrading Providence Park when the Timbers became an MLS club. And I don't renember people picketing City Hall.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

The city spent 31 million dollars upgrading Providence Park when the Timbers became an MLS club. And I don't renember people picketing City Hall.

They would have, but nobody knew about it because nobody pays attention to soccer.

(I kid, FAMS, I kid. Well, sort of...)

 

[ripcityboy]

They would have, but nobody knew about it because nobody pays attention to soccer.

(I kid, FAMS, I kid. Well, sort of...)

Which just proves my point further. When it comes to soccer, Portlanders are at worst indifferent. When it comes to baseball, snobs.

 

[blue9]

Or that you liked the sport in general.... because that would just give them another opportunity to tell you how much they hate it.

Is true. Can confirm. You're all idiots for liking such a stupid sport.

 

[ripcityboy]

Is true. Can confirm. You're all idiots for liking such a stupid sport.

All sports at some basic level are meaningless and trivial. But to point at one over the other and say, "that one has no value." That's stupid to me. No single person is the arbiter of taste. You can find something fun to watch out of any sport.

 

[dviss1]

... to mean "why don't they fix the cracks in this gol durn sidewalk!"

barfo

 

[Natebishop3]

The city will have to develop that area regardless. That area will either be condos or it will be an awesome stadium. Sooner or later every single bit of developable land will be built upon.

 

[dviss1]

As has been mentioned previously, it's not the property, the structure itself, or the surrounding development that will require significant cooperation from the city and/or public funding. It's the infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate a stadium and a team that will be the issue. Increased traffic access, likely another bridge, expanded lightrail, etc...no way an MLB team can succeed in that location without those improvements, and those are the things that the non-baseball-loving public is going to bristle about money being spent on.

I love infrastructure spending. It equates jobs, helps commerce, and improves our economy. It's also one of this country's biggest needs.

Shortsighted people are the reason it's taken so long to update the trillion dollar infrastructure deficit we have.

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

The city spent 31 million dollars upgrading Providence Park when the Timbers became an MLS club. And I don't renember people picketing City Hall.

I believe Paulson footed some of that bill. At the very least that money came from bonds paid back by ticket taxes. I remember hearing Paulson say they paid the city back in record time, way ahead of schedule.

 

[Hoopguru]

I like how this guy, who I've never heard of, seems to know more about the prospects of expansion (which the commissioner of MLB has pretty much said is on the table after they settle Tampa Bay and Oakland) than the people who are actually in the know.

I hear expansions not until 2025. Thats a ways out!
I'd think a team relocating may happen sooner?

 

[hoopsjock]

I hear expansions not until 2025. Thats a ways out!
I'd think a team relocating may happen sooner?

I'm fine with waiting as long as we are getting a team. It gives everyone plenty of time to make everything perfect when building the stadium and developing the area around it.

 

[CupWizier]

They would have, but nobody knew about it because nobody pays attention to soccer.

(I kid, FAMS, I kid. Well, sort of...)

sounds like an uninformed comment. Soccer in Portland averaged more attendance than the Blazers the last several years and is expanding 4,000 more seats for next season to up the attendance to over 25,000 and approximately 15,000 on a paid waiting list. Yeah, no interest in soccer around here at all.