tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2676591017018865408.post416465574653514631..comments2024-03-28T17:00:25.774-04:00Comments on The Greedy Pinstripes: Tampa Bay Rays Considering Move To MontrealDaniel Burchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212584396848733519noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2676591017018865408.post-21788461074902067212014-10-28T11:39:35.630-04:002014-10-28T11:39:35.630-04:00Major League Baseball forcing miniscule payrolls, ...Major League Baseball forcing miniscule payrolls, the selling off of players, etc. really hurt the Expos at the end. Everyone knew the team was destined to move, who wants to support that?<br /><br />I agree with everything you said here Viruk and I welcome you to the blog and thank you for your input. Good work. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10804643650522801129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2676591017018865408.post-43633350923184346512014-10-28T10:48:41.614-04:002014-10-28T10:48:41.614-04:00The Expos had horrendous attendance near the end o...The Expos had horrendous attendance near the end of their existence, but that is entirely due to the position the team was in. They were the best in 1994, then the season ended early and the team was forced to sell off all their stars. Add in the poor Canadian economy during that period, meaning that the team was in worse shape and more fans couldn't afford tickets, and it's easy to understand why they didn't draw any fans.<br /><br />Furthermore you can look at their compatriots in the NHL for more reasons. The fans in Montreal were used to success, as the Canadiens were the best team in the NHL for decades. Thus the fans were not willing to tolerate failure, and the Expos only ever made the playoffs once (during the period where they had 2mil fans show up). Now the Canadiens have gone more than 20 years without winning a championship, and they had their worst spell during the late 90s/early 2000s (again, poor Canadian economy contributed, leading to lower ticket sales for hockey as well as baseball. Since 2005, the Canadiens have sold out *every* game), so the fans expectations for success are somewhat lower. <br /><br />Would baseball be a success in Montreal? Not without a new stadium. The Big O has been falling apart ever since it was completed, and that concrete monstrosity is not one that people are going to go to 80 times a year. But I think the city would be open to a new one, if they're getting baseball back, and I'm confident the fans would come out and support it. Viruk42https://www.blogger.com/profile/02550309403492984111noreply@blogger.com