I was taken aback recently when while watching the MLB playoffs, I saw a) a prominent backdrop in the Milwaukee stadium (behind the bullpen), a big logo advertising BetMGM, then b) an actual COMMERCIAL for BetMGM! I couldn't have imagined seeing either of those things even a few years ago!
Maybe we should put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame where he belongs? Just a thought.
My standard rant about this topic: MLB is not keeping Pete Rose out of the HOF. The HOF is a museum that decided to exclude anyone on MLB's "permanently banned" list. The reason Rose is on that list is becuse every single day of his career, he walked past a sign in the clubhouse that says anyone found to have bet on baseball will be banned for life. Rose decided to ignore that sign because (IMO) he thought he was bigger than the game. After agreeing to a lifetime ban, he continued to lie about it for decades until he decided he could make money by admitting it.
A few years ago it would have been unimaginable for Las Vegas to have a major league sports team.
I think MLB was the last holdout for a Vegas team because crooked sports betting is a famous part of their history. ("Say it ain't so, Joe.")
Originally posted by: MisterPicture
I think MLB was the last holdout for a Vegas team because crooked sports betting is a famous part of their history. ("Say it ain't so, Joe.")
Nope.
The White Sox scandal (of "Say it ain't so, Joe" fame) occurred in Chicago. A city that has nevertheless enjoyed (to varying degrees) two MLB teams since 1900.
Las Vegas hasn't had a team because it's a very small market.
Vegas is the #43 market in North America.
Smaller than Portland, Austin, Sacramento, Orlando, Vancouver, Puebla, Montreal, Inland Empire (it's a very long list) . . . .
Now that Vegas has transitioned to a modern, full-service resort city, Fisher is betting that he can sell A's tickets to travelling Yankee, Dodger, Cub, Red Sox, and Brave fans. We may find out.
Originally posted by: Dan Svatass
Nope.
The White Sox scandal (of "Say it ain't so, Joe" fame) occurred in Chicago. A city that has nevertheless enjoyed (to varying degrees) two MLB teams since 1900.
Las Vegas hasn't had a team because it's a very small market.
Vegas is the #43 market in North America.
Smaller than Portland, Austin, Sacramento, Orlando, Vancouver, Puebla, Montreal, Inland Empire (it's a very long list) . . . .
Now that Vegas has transitioned to a modern, full-service resort city, Fisher is betting that he can sell A's tickets to travelling Yankee, Dodger, Cub, Red Sox, and Brave fans. We may find out.
Dan, from having read about this particular back-and-forth for about three decades, I tend to agree with MP, that people getting kerfuffled about the supposed influence of gambling on a local MLB team is what has stifled any efforts to draw a team to Vegas or create one there. It was never about the size of the city, because Vegas sees more visitors than all but the very largest cities.
You could make the same argument about the advisability of an NFL or NHL franchise in Vegas. But the VGK have been wildly successful (the Raiders, not so much). I doubt that either team is relying solely on a local fan base.
The real handicap that the A's face is being a semi-major league team run by a cheapskate that has had very few winning seasons in the last twenty years.
Writing as an A's fan, I can tell you that the A's have had MANY winning seasons in the past 20 years. Definitely NOT in the postseason. But many great seasons. Look it up.
VGK have suceeded (1) by being crazy good for an expansion franchise, and (2) being such a great vehicle for civic recovery from the mass murder at 2017's Route 91 Harvest Festival. That was a singular event. It has been impressive, but I expect an attendance descent as the team reverts to the mean.
My bottom line is that MLB is making a mistake in thinking Vegas will support a MLB team. It's fundamentally different from the NFL, which would work in Reykjavik. And VGK are outliers.
