I would buy season tickets to football, and already have them for soccer and basketball, but baseball, as a west coast guy, I can't get behind.
dude, that isn't cool, it isn't his fault, I think he is from Central Oregon... that's just how they make them there.
Nearly every native Oregonian I've ever known in my life does at least several of them, yes. And many more I do not do and did not mention. If you're a couch potato, it's unlikely you were born here.
I've never thought MLB would work in Portland. Imagine an afternoon game, mid-week? Not enough people to fill the stands; NHL? I think Portland would make a great NHL City - but the season goes head-to-head with the Blazers - and the lack of big-time local sponsors would hurt. NFL: With only (8) home games + playoffs! Here is the ticket. And the NW needs another football team! I truly think the NFL would work very well - provided the Stadium was built out towards Gresham - so that the East Vancouver fans could easily travel to games.
I thought I read that the NHL actually outdraws the NBA. And in cities with both NBA and NHL the NHL outdraws the NBA in more of those cities.....Per cpacity of course because the NHL rink is bigger so there aren't as many seats. In 3 tv markets, the NHL actually does better than the NBA too.
Minnesota is one, Tim. Nice job. The others could be right as well, but I remember Minny being on the list. The NHL is also gorwing in sponsors and jersey sales.
When I say a lack of corporations Cake, I tie in possible interested ownership into that. If there were more than one Phil Knight and more like five of them in the area. I have to believe one of them would have more interest than Knight to bring in another team. I think if Knight was really interested in bringing another team to Portland. He could make it happen. Go back a couple of years ago when David Kahn was working on stadium financing to bring a pro baseball. If Knight would have stepped in at that point. This area might have received the expos instead of the Washington Nationals. So what is missing is someone with that kind of interest,with that kind of money. Money that can only be found on the board of major fortune 500 companies.
I like to do many of the things on your list as well. And yes I am a native Oregonian. But I'd like to see a major league baseball game in Portland as well. It's not as if one precludes the other from happening. And since PLENTY of folks in Oregon are NOT from here and don't hunt/fish/hike/smoke weed/whatever...I'm guessing they would like to see an MLB game and that they probably don't care what YOU would rather do with your time.
Ah...I see...ownership is truly a different story, I agree. In the NFL it doesn't seem to be an issue, but with MLB, I would absolutely agree. We would need some kind of a local ownership group for MLB at least.