The 10 Sports Franchises Most Likely To Move

[NewYorkSpider]

Top_10 (http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-forbesmovers101208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)


They show the top 5 at the bottom, but you have to click on the slideshow for the other 5.

[NewYorkSpider]

I think the Flordia Marlins are changing their name to Miami in a couple of years, and they're getting a new stadium. I doubt the Rays will relocate if they win the World Series.

[Ziggyman]

Don't think you'll see any hockey franchises move anytime soon...

[LegendaryCaleb]

I doubt the Rays move anytime soon

[Immortalfire]

The Marlins have been threatening to move since like, forever haven't they? And a new stadium isn't going to help their non existent fan base.

Why did the Hornets even leave Charlotte to begin with?

Bills and Niners moving? Yeah right.

[Dr. Evil]

For the NFL in particular, market size doesn’t much matter. How else to explain a thriving franchise in Green Bay, Wis., while Los Angeles sits empty?

Let's see:

- The Packers have a history of tradition and success.
- The city of Green Bay owns the Packers.

So yeah.

[Darthphere]

I think the Flordia Marlins are changing their name to Miami in a couple of years, and they're getting a new stadium. I doubt the Rays will relocate if they win the World Series.

Indeed the Marlins are.

[ih8nyy]

How are the Florida Panthers not on that list? They should move them to Hamilton Ontario like yesterday.

[Darthphere]

They get pretty decent attendance actually, at least to the games I've gone to.

[Dr. Evil]

Surprised that they don't have the Chargers on there, seeing as how they have been trying to get a new stadium for the last few years. I believe their lease to Qualcomm Stadium expires at the end of this season.

[ih8nyy]

They get pretty decent attendance actually, at least to the games I've gone to.

I'm surprised that people actually go to Sunrise to watch them. Actually, I'm more shocked than anything.

[Raiden]

I just hope one of these NFL teams will relocate to LA. #2 market in the country and still without a NFL team while little cities like Jacksonville has it is mind-boggling.

[Immortalfire]

Why LA doesn't have a team: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/7371-boo-nfl-why-doesnt-los-angeles-have-a-team

[christhn]

I guess I'll just have to keep driving down to San Diego then. :csad:

[FaT_tONle]

L.A is a buffer for NFL franchises... someone else brought that up a while back. Makes sense. It's good to leave that city opened until you have a viable repleacement. I agree with Raiden to a point... what the heck is Jacksonville doing with a franchise... but they are in Florida and that is a big football market. What shocks me though is how a franchise like the Seattle Sonics move to Oklahoma City of all places... so people can't say only the NFL has the worst locations for some of their franchises.


I guess I'll just have to keep driving down to San Diego then.


How long is that drive?

[Immortalfire]

what the heck is Jacksonville doing with a franchise... but they are in Florida and that is a big football market.

Indeed, the Jags are good, but they're always gonna take a backseat to the Cocktail Party. Ironically, that's probably what led the charge to get a team there to begin with.

[christhn]

How long is that drive?

I'm in Orange County, so it's about an hour for me (when there's no traffic, but that's rarely the case). So I guess it's about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

[bored]

Eh, this doesn't convince me of much. Except for the Hornets. Seriously, how many cities have they been in?

[Immortalfire]

2. Charlotte (I don't know why they even left), and now New Orleans.

[Zephyr Alexian]

Why did the Hornets even leave Charlotte to begin with?

Stern claimed that the attendance would be better in New Orleans.:down

Charlotte's team never had poor showings. That's why the Bobcats were located there. They should've let Charlotte keep the team name at least. "Bobcats" is almost as bad a "Thunder"

[Immortalfire]

For real, and NC is basketball country anyway. Plus New Orleans Hornets is an annoying tongue twister :down

[Alex The Great]

Marlins Becuase after a home game there Ticket Sales Numbers is 250 Dollars and 63 cents. I mean, It's a freaking ghost town when they play. I'm sure a city like New Orleans or Las Vegas would make a bid for that team.

[NewYorkSpider]

The Marlins aren't going anywhere. They have a new stadium coming in 2010 I believe.

[Alex The Great]

And still, 20 people will show up per game

[The Incredible Hulk]

For Forbes, this is quite a poorly researched list. Both the Florida Marlins and SF 49ers have new stadiums coming in the next few years. The Marlins are moving down closer to Miami which should benefit them, and I believe the 49ers are building a stadium in Santa Clara.

As for all those NHL teams, both Nashville and Phoenix in brand new arenas. Nashville was also just recently purchased by an owner committed to keeping them in the area. And the Islanders? Are they kidding me? You'll never see a NY franchise relocate. I believe they also have a plan in the works to completely refurbish Nassau Coliseum and build a mall, bars, restaurants, etc. next to it, as well as access to public transportation. Dont know if that's been approved yet though.

[SoulManX]

Stern claimed that the attendance would be better in New Orleans.:down

Charlotte's team never had poor showings. That's why the Bobcats were located there. They should've let Charlotte keep the team name at least. "Bobcats" is almost as bad a "Thunder"

Actually the city wouldnt give the current owner of the Hornets a new arena so fans stopped going to games to get the owner to sell the team....the owner decided to move to NO:o

[U.S War Machine]

We got the Oklahoma City Thunder

[ih8nyy]

They should've let Charlotte keep the team name at least. "Bobcats" is almost as bad a "Thunder"

Bobcats is bad and Thunder is even worse.

Plenty of NBA Teams have moved and kept their names.

Last time I checked there are no Lakes in LA and Utah is not known for its Jazz Music.

[Immortalfire]

Charlotte Bobcats sounds like a high school team. Agreed about the Jazz and Lakers...it's always neat when a team is named for something that has to do with the state/city that they're in. Alas, LA and Utah fail in this category.

[ih8nyy]

Charlotte Bobcats sounds like a high school team.

Which is ironic cause they play like one.

[Immortalfire]

LoL

[Raiden]

Charlotte Bobcats sounds like a high school team. Agreed about the Jazz and Lakers...it's always neat when a team is named for something that has to do with the state/city that they're in. Alas, LA and Utah fail in this category.

Well, LA Lakers has a nice connotation to it. Utah Jazz...not so much.

[ih8nyy]

Well, LA Lakers has a nice connotation to it. Utah Jazz...not so much.

How does LA Lakers work?

They moved from Minneapolis, which is in a state that bills itself as the "Land of 10,000 lakes". That makes sense.

The LA Sparks makes more sense.

[Steve Rogers]

Jesus, Charlotte goes through basketball teams like Van Halen goes through lead singers.

[The Riddler]

i can't see the niners moving anywhere...

[Dodger]

How does LA Lakers work?

They moved from Minneapolis, which is in a state that bills itself as the "Land of 10,000 lakes". That makes sense.

The LA Sparks makes more sense.

Cause we have lakes in LA too!

Maybe not 10,000 but hey remember, in the west coast if you can't spit across it it's a lake. ;)

[Darthphere]

Actually the city wouldnt give the current owner of the Hornets a new arena so fans stopped going to games to get the owner to sell the team....the owner decided to move to NO:o

I suggest all of you go to Youtube and search for "Rogue Helicopter Pilot" for further details.

[ScottyBBadd]

Surprised that they don't have the Chargers on there, seeing as how they have been trying to get a new stadium for the last few years. I believe their lease to Qualcomm Stadium expires at the end of this season.

And they would most likely move back to L.A. However, if Tags were the NFL commissioner a team might be persuaded to move to Ft.Worth to really p.o. Jerry Jones.

[Microchip]

None of the NHL teams are moving. There's a Commissionar in right now who has no interest in seeing any teams going anywhere, and has the power to make that stick.

[ih8nyy]

None of the NHL teams are moving. There's a Commissionar in right now who has no interest in seeing any teams going anywhere, and has the power to make that stick.

Bettman is an idiot. They expanded way to quickly and watered down the product and tried to force the game on places that didn't even know if you lowered the temp of water to 32 degrees it would freeze. Then acted shocked that people weren't coming out to watch soccer on ice. There are at least 4 teams I could think off that could easily be moved. I know there is an arena in Seattle that needs a tenant.

[Shifty]

The NHL needs to consider relocation as its a gate revenue driven league. They're never going to have a television deal like the NFL, MLB or even the NBA. The head of the Players Association is in favour of relocating to better hockey markets since if league revenues go up so does the salary cap. The 6 Canadian teams have been making 1/3 of the league's revenue for the past couple of seasons. They have teams like Phoenix and Nashville which are receiving money from revenue sharing. Yes Edmonton is helping give money to teams that should have moved long ago.

DAVID SHOALTS

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

December 5, 2008 at 9:51 PM EST

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Coyotes are expected to lose between $25- and $35-million this year, and with his primary business under financial duress, the question is whether owner Jerry Moyes is able to continue underwriting the NHL franchise's losses.

After an encouraging spike in paid attendance over the first five games this season, thanks to a young and exciting hockey team, the crowds have decreased as the Coyotes faltered on the ice. But even with the small increase in attendance, the Coyotes are still near the bottom of the NHL in revenue. Consequently, Moyes may be looking to sell the team or he could be forced to put it into bankruptcy if he cannot persuade the city to alter leasing terms on Jobing.com Arena.

The Coyotes signed a 30-year lease with the City of Glendale when they moved into the arena in December of 2003. The lease calls for large financial penalties if the agreement is broken, but if the club is placed into bankruptcy, it can break the lease through U.S. bankruptcy laws.

However, Moyes could ease his potential losses by renegotiating the lease so the club could receive subsidies from the city and more revenue from the arena. This was done in Nashville when a local group bought the Predators from former owner Craig Leipold.

Moyes, 64, took his company, Swift Transportation, private in May of 2007 with debt financing of $2.74-billion (all figures U.S.). The Globe and Mail obtained an analysis of the company done by a corporate credit analyst for a U.S. financial management company that shows Swift Transportation lent Moyes $560-million as part of the takeover. He guaranteed the loan.

Swift Transportation, one of the largest truck carriers in the United States, ran into a financial hurricane of rising fuel prices and a falling economy. The entire industry has been hit hard by the double whammy of high costs and low demand.

In June, Moody's Investors Service changed its outlook on the company to "negative" from stable. By late November, the junk bonds issued to finance Moyes's takeover are currently trading at 18 cents on the dollar and bank debt is between 46 and 50 cents on the dollar, according to the U.S. corporate credit analyst. This means the bond market believes Swift Transportation's outlook is grim.

Two sources said Moyes is so eager to unload the Coyotes that he approached his former partner, Steve Ellman, about buying the team back.

"The answer was short and emphatic," one of the sources said of Ellman's refusal.

Club management has a more positive outlook.

"I am confident not only that hockey will be here in five years, but that we will be doing well in five years," Coyotes governor and chief executive officer Jeff Shumway said, pointing to improved ticket and suite sales and fewer giveaways. "We run a great franchise in a great sport, a sport we love. And we're in one of the fastest-growing markets in the U.S."

Shumway's optimism is not shared by many throughout the NHL.

"I don't know how they can sustain the losses," one former league governor said. "The team loses so much money you can't sell it. If I were offered the team for a dollar, I'd say no because you can't fix it."

He estimates the Coyotes have lost more than $200-million since 2001 — $80-million more than the purchase price. The Coyotes regularly receive payments from the NHL's revenue-sharing plan, introduced after the 2004-05 lockout.

A Swift Transportation spokesman said Moyes would not be interviewed, and Shumway would not confirm the estimate of the Coyotes' losses.

"All we've ever been willing to say is we lose a substantial amount of money," he said. Shumway has admitted to the Arizona Republic newspaper that the club lost about $30-million in 2006-07.

The Coyotes, after five consecutive years of missing the playoffs, have assembled a talented young team under head coach Wayne Gretzky. Attendance is down slightly from last year's average so far this season, and the average ticket price of $31 ranks 29th out of 30 clubs. Like all NHL franchises, the lack of television money compromises the balance sheet.

"This team has to win," NHL Players' Association executive director Paul Kelly said after a recent visit to Phoenix. "If you just look at the numbers on a page, you would say, 'Back up the truck and pull them out of there.' But if they get some home [playoff] dates and qualify for their full share of revenue sharing, they've got a good chance."

Moyes, along with Ellman, purchased the Coyotes in 2001 for $120-million and bought out Ellman's interest two years ago. It is not known whether Moyes paid Ellman any cash, but Ellman did receive control of the real-estate project around the arena as part of the deal.

Ellman's original plan had been to build an arena in the affluent city of Scottsdale, where many of the team's fans lived. When the city refused the terms, they made a deal with Glendale, a working-class suburb on the opposite side of Phoenix. Glendale provided $180-million of the building's $220-million cost.

The Coyotes are no strangers to the upper-bowl phenomenon, whereby the cheaper seats at the top of the arena are filled, but thousands of seats in the expensive lower bowl are empty. One Scottsdale-based businessman said the club offers significant discounts on its most expensive seats, further suppressing revenue.

"The big-money guys, the corporate guys, don't live in Glendale," Kelly said. "If you live in Scottsdale, Glendale is not an easy place to get to. That hurts them in the area like club seats and boxes. You could see evidence of that the other night [at a Coyotes game]."

An apparent option for Moyes is to enter the franchise into bankruptcy protection. The strategy would allow the franchise to break the lease under U.S. bankruptcy laws. The franchise could then be sold and relocated.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail the Coyotes' financial problems are not considered overwhelming and sought to quash rumours the club came close to missing a payroll.

"I'm not in a position to comment on Mr. Moyes's personal financial situation or the financial condition of Swift," Daly said. "I can confirm that we are not concerned about the Coyotes missing payroll, nor have they ever come close to missing payroll.

"I can also confirm that I do not expect the team to file for bankruptcy protection."

A banking source said the Coyotes are talking to Citibank about a loan. Citibank, which is having its own financial difficulties, declined to comment.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/12/12/brophy_tickets_giveaway/

Teams are willing to do almost anything to get people to buy NHL tickets.

You say you haven't been to an NHL game for a long time because the tickets are just too darned expensive?

Guess you haven't checked out teams' websites then. That's because there are deals to be had, plenty of amazing deals. In some cases you wonder how people can afford to not go to games.

Take the Florida Panthers. One of their ticket packages includes a $5 gas card, free parking and a Coca-cola combo meal. You get all of this for a whopping $17. Now let's assume parking is $10. The ticket price is now down to $7. The gas card drops it to $2. And you just know you can't buy a combo meal at an arena for under $7 dollars. You take advantage of this package and you actually make money. The only down side, it would seem, is you have to watch the Panthers.

The Panthers also have a Holiday Pack promotion where fans can purchase tickets to any three games starting at $51. Or you can go for the Papa John's Pizza Pack where you get two upper level tickets, two pizzas, two Cokes and free parking for $50.

And if you think it won't be until next season when NHL teams start to feel the pinch of a failing economy, as commissioner Gary Bettman suggests, you might be interested to know the Panthers laid off 10 employees Thursday and announced they will no longer match employees pension contributions. That's not all. Employees now require management approval to send FedEx packages.

Some other unbelievable deals are available around the NHL.

For instance, in Columbus fans can purchase tickets to see three games against the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks - all primo opponents - and spread their payments out over four months. Purchase tickets in the upper bowl and they'll cost you just $10 a week while lower bowl tickets are $20 a week.

In Los Angeles fans can purchase a Holiday Pack Special starting at $99. That gets you two tickets to four games (four games!), a $50 ESPN zone game card as well as a LA Kings collectable glass and coaster set.

The Nashville Predators are offering a Saturday Hockey Holiday 3-Game pack starting at $63. The offer includes games on Dec. 26, Jan. 1 and Jan. 19, a holiday stocking, team media guide on CD as well as a buy one get one free ticket for Adventure Science Center. Other three-game packages include a 101 rules brochure and tickets to the Nashville zoo. Teams used to routinely offer promotion packages for mid-week games, but Saturday night games didn't need extra promotion. They looked after themselves.

Fans of the New York Islanders can purchases two seats for any three games and they'll receive a $50 Visa card and an Islanders duffle bag.

The Philadelphia Flyers encourage fans to sit in the Wachovia Center's All You Can Eat section for just $35 and you can chow down on unlimited hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, ice cream and soda.

The Atlanta Thrashers have a similar deal where fans can enjoy unlimited hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, popcorn and Coca-cola starting at $39 per ticket. So you can sick from over eating or from watching the Thrashers - your choice.

Even the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings have had to resort to slashing prices and offering deals to attract fans. This really shouldn't come as a surprise given the state of the auto industry, but it is a shame nonetheless. Fans can buy one ticket to three games and receive three food vouchers and a Red Wings knit winter hat for just $96. Fans can also purchase single-game tickets for as low as $10 and can also buy tickets from season ticket holders using the Red Wings ticket exchange on redwings.nhl.com.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. That said, not all teams are offering mega giveaways. The Toronto Maple Leafs money-making machine is still running on all cylinders. But things are even changing in the hockey capital of the world. The Leafs have taken to advertising their games in local papers and on billboards around the city. Even they have recognized it is no longer possible to just open your doors and expect the building to be sold out.

Some of these deals may seem a little comical, but there is nothing funny about the direction professional sports is headed. In fact it is quite scary.

It will be interesting to see what changes teams make in terms of curbing spending. Sure they can lay off employees, but if they continue to hand out whopping long-term, big money contracts, they will be the engineers of their own destruction. Hockey is keeping an eye on baseball to see how the economy affects it now that it is in a selling mode.

I would suggest the Yankees signing of pitcher CC Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract is an indication they just don't get it. If I am hockey, I just may not use baseball as my role model.

Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta and Florida should be moved and be sold to new owners. Easier said then done I know. Islanders need to be put of of their misery (new ownership and new arena). Tampa's new owners are having trouble as well.

Winnipeg, Seattle (with no NBA team to compete against), Houston, Quebec City & Hamilton (once they get new arenas) should be looked at as relocation cities. A couple of weeks ago the Toronto based media went crazy with talk of putting another team in the city. There should be another team in Toronto. Every game is sold out for a substandard team, it would make sense for the health of the league for another team that would play to soldout games with some of the highest ticket prices.

But the bigger concern seems to be related to something else that the commissioner repeatedly declines to discuss, the somewhat shaky financial condition of his league.

Nobody is speaking on the record, but your humble correspondent has been told by a variety of sources that the trouble spots in the game -- Atlanta, Phoenix, Nashville and others -- are becoming more troubled by the day.

Phoenix’s cash-flow problems are very real and the same is being said of the finances of team owner Jerry Moyes, whose trucking empire has felt the two-fisted hits -- first of rising fuel prices and now a sudden and dramatic slowdown in the economy. It’s one thing to have fuel prices ease, but it is of no real impact if manufacturers aren’t moving goods. The economic slowdown is very real for the trucking industry so it’s not just a ticket-selling issue in Phoenix; it’s also one of throwing a shrinking pile of owner cash toward underwriting significant operating losses at the rink and now at the primary source of the owner’s income.

It’s a similar situation in Atlanta where, partly because of poor attendance and partly because of a fractured ownership, there are a steady stream of rumours that the franchise may be in danger of not making payroll down the road. Payroll issues are not uncommon for the U.S.-based teams at certain points of the season (football has an impact in terms of gate attendance early in the season and money is often tight late in the year), but it’s doubly difficult to arrange for letters of credit during a banking crisis and it’s especially difficult in Atlanta where lenders are concerned as to who is responsible (read liable) for paying back any loans that might be granted. There is fractured infighting in the ownership group there and the banks and others have taken note.

Nashville’s problems are well documented what with minority owner Boots Del Biaggio in bankruptcy and the principal owners said to be in default on some of their obligations, but there are similar concerns in Tampa as outgoing team owner Bill Davidson and a New York-based investor are holding a total of about $100 million as the new ownership struggles to find bank financing. Davidson, who owns Palace Sports and Entertainment, has some $70 million of that debt but at some point will want his cash. Reportedly he’s willing to extend the terms of the loan to OK Sports, the Len Barrie-Oren Koules owners, but there is a question as to how long. According to reports in the St. Petersburg Times it will be as long as necessary, but at some point OK needs to find new financing (not particularly easy these days) or Davidson might be forced to take back the team (not something he wants to do).

Rest assured that the govs are troubled by all of this AND the sinking Canadian dollar and the impact it will have on the six franchises in Canada.

The view from here is that one of two things is likely to happen. Either Balsillie buys into one of these teams and moves it into the Toronto marketplace against Bettman’s wishes but with some tacit support from governors or Bettman and the govs cut a deal with the RIM billionaire and the purely speculative nonstory inches closer to becoming a reality.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/10/28/kelley_buffalo_notdull/

[Green Lantern]

I agree, that places like Phoenix and Tampa should NOT have hockey teams. I'm a proud fan of a team that is in a city that deserves a hockey team, though ironically we got ours from Canada... Go Avs!