Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

Comments

  • Not really the same as here. The knights are the first expansion team in any sport to reach the finals in their debut season. Due to salary caps and what not, finances have far less relevance to overall success than it does in football.
  • addick05 said:

    Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
    I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

    Vegas is a very big city with a permanent population of over 2 million.
  • addick05 said:


    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?)

    they're an expansion team, no one's been uprooted, sold or moved and there is no history to not give a toss about

    this post would make more sense if you were complaining about the LV Aces or if you repost in a couple of years about the Raiders
  • Only similarity I can think of is Wasps, it's the same club that used to play at Loftus Road, then moved to Wycombe and now at Coventry.
  • The BBC had an article recently about how the Knights players were a mishmash of rejects from other clubs. So it's kind of an underdog story.
    Also isn't Blackpool the closest thing we have to Vegas (admittedly an incredibly run down version these days).
  • What they have achieved is way beyond anyone’s expectations, but this isn’t really just a bunch of castoffs.

    The NHL set up the expansion draft is a way that guaranteed they would have access to good players. LV were then able to do deals to not select certain players, getting draft picks in return and then using the draft picks to trade for other players. They have some very good players, and, most importantly for playoff hockey, probably the best goalie out there this year.
  • What they have achieved is way beyond anyone’s expectations, but this isn’t really just a bunch of castoffs.

    The NHL set up the expansion draft is a way that guaranteed they would have access to good players. LV were then able to do deals to not select certain players, getting draft picks in return and then using the draft picks to trade for other players. They have some very good players, and, most importantly for playoff hockey, probably the best goalie out there this year.

    But that is what they do in US sport...

    They always give expansion teams advantages. In the US, they try to make sure it's a level playing field for all teams.

    Except the Cleveland Browns, of course...
  • The reason Vegas has never had a professional team in the big 4 sports before, is because the puritanical Americans feared that the cities close links to gambling could lead to fixing games.
  • In the MLS, Atlanta United who are only in their second season, are top of the Eastern conference and have by far the biggest crowds in the league.
    In the Western conference LA FC who are in their first ever season, have sold out every game and are 2nd in the league.

    So expansion seems good for the game there.
  • Sponsored links:


  • All good points and the Vegas hockey team is not your regular franchise throw loads of money at it move. The Raiders might be....

    I wonder at what stage the MLS will forced into a promotion / relegation system. There are 23 teams currently split east and west with 5 more coming.
  • MrOneLung said:

    The reason Vegas has never had a professional team in the big 4 sports before, is because the puritanical Americans feared that the cities close links to gambling could lead to fixing games.

    So true, that's what I was told while in Vegas. The feeling there is that it will not be long before professional soccer, American football teams etc. will be formed. The casinos apparently are not doing so well, which is why the price of drinks wherein are very expensive.
  • addick05 said:

    MrOneLung said:

    The reason Vegas has never had a professional team in the big 4 sports before, is because the puritanical Americans feared that the cities close links to gambling could lead to fixing games.

    So true, that's what I was told while in Vegas. The feeling there is that it will not be long before professional soccer, American football teams etc. will be formed. The casinos apparently are not doing so well, which is why the price of drinks wherein are very expensive.
    And let's not forget, the impact on the US gambling industry, of casinos appearing on every Native American reservation...
  • Will be an NFL team too by 2020. Oakland Raiders set to become Las Vegas Raiders.
  • PopIcon said:

    Will be an NFL team too by 2020. Oakland Raiders set to become Las Vegas Raiders.

    And that's the point I was trying to make. Can you imagine Chelsea/Arsenal fans being told that their team was relocating to Birmingham?
  • edited May 2018
    addick05 said:

    PopIcon said:

    Will be an NFL team too by 2020. Oakland Raiders set to become Las Vegas Raiders.

    And that's the point I was trying to make. Can you imagine Chelsea/Arsenal fans being told that their team was relocating to Birmingham?
    image
  • addick05 said:

    PopIcon said:

    Will be an NFL team too by 2020. Oakland Raiders set to become Las Vegas Raiders.

    And that's the point I was trying to make. Can you imagine Chelsea/Arsenal fans being told that their team was relocating to Birmingham?
    But they don’t have pyramidical league systems. Their sports are all franchise based and the public know this.
  • addick05 said:

    PopIcon said:

    Will be an NFL team too by 2020. Oakland Raiders set to become Las Vegas Raiders.

    And that's the point I was trying to make. Can you imagine Chelsea/Arsenal fans being told that their team was relocating to Birmingham?
    I thought Chelsea were moving to Israel.
  • addick05 said:

    Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
    I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

    I wouldn't say Ice Hockey is huge in The States by any means - it's absolutely dwarfed by Baseball, NFL & Basketball & the MLS is snapping at it's heels to become the 4th big team sport. It has a good share of the market in some towns up in the real winter belt (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota) - but it barely registers in places like LA, San Francisco, Texas & the South - despite the presence of the game in decidedly un-wintery places like Phoenix. I guess that some of these teams Phoenix, Vegas, Florida franchises exist purely to cater to the Canadian/US snowbird population.

    Now it is overwhelmingly popular in Canada, although declining again at the expense of "soccer" as it is crushingly expensive to participate in.

    A good example of the minority appeal of NHL in America can be seen by the rosters of most clubs - Vegas Knights are about 75% Canadian & there are maybe at most 6 Americans in a squad of 35+ - this is repeated at club after club, always puzzles me that this is mainly a Canadian sport & yet the Canadian clubs never win the Stanley Cup - 25 years and counting since a Canadian winner.
  • Oakster said:

    addick05 said:

    Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
    I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

    I wouldn't say Ice Hockey is huge in The States by any means - it's absolutely dwarfed by Baseball, NFL & Basketball & the MLS is snapping at it's heels to become the 4th big team sport. It has a good share of the market in some towns up in the real winter belt (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota) - but it barely registers in places like LA, San Francisco, Texas & the South - despite the presence of the game in decidedly un-wintery places like Phoenix. I guess that some of these teams Phoenix, Vegas, Florida franchises exist purely to cater to the Canadian/US snowbird population.

    Now it is overwhelmingly popular in Canada, although declining again at the expense of "soccer" as it is crushingly expensive to participate in.

    A good example of the minority appeal of NHL in America can be seen by the rosters of most clubs - Vegas Knights are about 75% Canadian & there are maybe at most 6 Americans in a squad of 35+ - this is repeated at club after club, always puzzles me that this is mainly a Canadian sport & yet the Canadian clubs never win the Stanley Cup - 25 years and counting since a Canadian winner.
    I bow to your not inconsiderable knowledge, but if that is the case why is everyone going so crazy about it in Vegas? Is it just because the team are doing so well?

  • Sponsored links:


  • addick05 said:

    Oakster said:

    addick05 said:

    Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
    I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

    I wouldn't say Ice Hockey is huge in The States by any means - it's absolutely dwarfed by Baseball, NFL & Basketball & the MLS is snapping at it's heels to become the 4th big team sport. It has a good share of the market in some towns up in the real winter belt (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota) - but it barely registers in places like LA, San Francisco, Texas & the South - despite the presence of the game in decidedly un-wintery places like Phoenix. I guess that some of these teams Phoenix, Vegas, Florida franchises exist purely to cater to the Canadian/US snowbird population.

    Now it is overwhelmingly popular in Canada, although declining again at the expense of "soccer" as it is crushingly expensive to participate in.

    A good example of the minority appeal of NHL in America can be seen by the rosters of most clubs - Vegas Knights are about 75% Canadian & there are maybe at most 6 Americans in a squad of 35+ - this is repeated at club after club, always puzzles me that this is mainly a Canadian sport & yet the Canadian clubs never win the Stanley Cup - 25 years and counting since a Canadian winner.
    I bow to your not inconsiderable knowledge, but if that is the case why is everyone going so crazy about it in Vegas? Is it just because the team are doing so well?

    Novelty factor I guess & the fact they are doing well - it might be a generalization but I find over here the depth of support or interest even in a live game is very shallow. The live pro-sports games I have been to I look around and many people arent watching, they’re guzzling fast food, playing on their phones or yapping to their neighbours - the atmosphere only lifts when “Fan Cam” comes on or the mascot fires the t-shirt cannon into the crowd - all very Meire-esque.
  • Oakster said:

    addick05 said:

    Oakster said:

    addick05 said:

    Just back from Vegas and more then a little jet-lagged... anyway managed to keep up with the latest regarding our doings - but here's what's happening on the sport scene out there and I find it more than a little disconcerting. Vegas has never had a professional team in any sport (to the best of my knowledge) until now. The big new thing is the Lass Vegas Knights - a professional ice hockey team who were 'created' out of nothing. Shed loads of money was poured in and they have reached the finals of the Stanley Cup. The town is full of replica 'jerseys' and tons of tacky souvenirs just the same as football club shops over here. My knowledge of ice hockey could be written on the back of a postage stamp but it is huge in the States - the point is this club has no history, no real fans - and don't forget, the population of Vegas must be made up of 80% tourists. When they started you could get tickets for $20 - now they are going for $200 plus!
    This is so typical of American sport/big business. American football and baseball teams - many with 100 year's of history - have been uprooted and sold off as franchises and moved to cities hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their roots. The owners don't give a toss about the fans or the history of the club (remind you of anyone?) I'm not saying it will happen to premier league or championship clubs over here (although let's not forget MK Dons). Who's to say that other clubs in trouble such as Coventry and Blackpool, under new owners, could be forced out of their stadiums and uprooted miles from their traditional homes? In the end, money talks. Many American's I spoke with, who have some knowledge of our game, understand the value we put on our clubs' roots and history and are envious of our set up.
    I'm sure the takeover is happening shortly and that the Aussies realise the importance of maintaining and improving the status of CAFC which we should be grateful - and not a little relieved about.

    I wouldn't say Ice Hockey is huge in The States by any means - it's absolutely dwarfed by Baseball, NFL & Basketball & the MLS is snapping at it's heels to become the 4th big team sport. It has a good share of the market in some towns up in the real winter belt (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota) - but it barely registers in places like LA, San Francisco, Texas & the South - despite the presence of the game in decidedly un-wintery places like Phoenix. I guess that some of these teams Phoenix, Vegas, Florida franchises exist purely to cater to the Canadian/US snowbird population.

    Now it is overwhelmingly popular in Canada, although declining again at the expense of "soccer" as it is crushingly expensive to participate in.

    A good example of the minority appeal of NHL in America can be seen by the rosters of most clubs - Vegas Knights are about 75% Canadian & there are maybe at most 6 Americans in a squad of 35+ - this is repeated at club after club, always puzzles me that this is mainly a Canadian sport & yet the Canadian clubs never win the Stanley Cup - 25 years and counting since a Canadian winner.
    I bow to your not inconsiderable knowledge, but if that is the case why is everyone going so crazy about it in Vegas? Is it just because the team are doing so well?

    Novelty factor I guess & the fact they are doing well - it might be a generalization but I find over here the depth of support or interest even in a live game is very shallow. The live pro-sports games I have been to I look around and many people arent watching, they’re guzzling fast food, playing on their phones or yapping to their neighbours - the atmosphere only lifts when “Fan Cam” comes on or the mascot fires the t-shirt cannon into the crowd - all very Meire-esque.
    I know what you mean; I was in Charleston a couple of years' ago and they have a small professional soccer team. Charleston is the home of the Citadel Cadet military academy (who's forbears opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour to open the Civil War). Anyway, when the home team score, a cannon is fired!

Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!