This is a little different than the typical "sky is falling" thread regarding the state of the Pacer franchise and a possible relocation.
What I want to consider is that Mel and Herb won't own the team forever, and that apparently none of the other family members want to take over the responsiblity. Therefore, it is a near certainty that the team will be sold "at some point".
I won't even ask you to identify potential buyers, that doesn't matter. What I will challenge you to do is to name a possible city for relocation that can support an NBA team. I contend that it is much more difficult to come up with a viable relocation city than what you might think.
Among NBA owners, it is common that the owner or group of owners have substantial business interests in the city where their teams are located, or are residents of the city themselves.
So, in order for the team to be relocated, that may require that a pairing of a willing buyer and his city be found to assume ownership. And, in my opinion, there simply aren't very many viable city/metropolitan areas that can support an NBA franchise.
To relocate an NBA team to a city with the expectation of long-term success, I believe it would require either a very substantial population base, or at the very least, a city with lesser population that does not already have an NFL team and/or a major league baseball team.
Oklahoma City has 2/3 the population as the Indy area. Even without other pro teams, just how long do you expect them to hold a fan base of nearly 19,000? Once the novelty and the "honeymoon" are over, give them a couple of losing seasons and let's see how many fans are still attending and how viable the franchise is. If they can continue to connect with the city and establish some traditions, then maybe they have a chance. Otherwise, probably not.
Anyway, many are fearful of a relocation. All I'm asking is if you really think that is likely, where do you think the Pacers could be relocated? Hopefully, in going through this exercise, perhaps we can all be a little calmer about the current news regarding renegotiation between the Simons and CIB.
I've listed the 50 largest municipal areas by population to help in your selection. Municipal areas (or near by areas) with NBA teams appear in bold print.
What I want to consider is that Mel and Herb won't own the team forever, and that apparently none of the other family members want to take over the responsiblity. Therefore, it is a near certainty that the team will be sold "at some point".
I won't even ask you to identify potential buyers, that doesn't matter. What I will challenge you to do is to name a possible city for relocation that can support an NBA team. I contend that it is much more difficult to come up with a viable relocation city than what you might think.
Among NBA owners, it is common that the owner or group of owners have substantial business interests in the city where their teams are located, or are residents of the city themselves.
So, in order for the team to be relocated, that may require that a pairing of a willing buyer and his city be found to assume ownership. And, in my opinion, there simply aren't very many viable city/metropolitan areas that can support an NBA franchise.
To relocate an NBA team to a city with the expectation of long-term success, I believe it would require either a very substantial population base, or at the very least, a city with lesser population that does not already have an NFL team and/or a major league baseball team.
Oklahoma City has 2/3 the population as the Indy area. Even without other pro teams, just how long do you expect them to hold a fan base of nearly 19,000? Once the novelty and the "honeymoon" are over, give them a couple of losing seasons and let's see how many fans are still attending and how viable the franchise is. If they can continue to connect with the city and establish some traditions, then maybe they have a chance. Otherwise, probably not.
Anyway, many are fearful of a relocation. All I'm asking is if you really think that is likely, where do you think the Pacers could be relocated? Hopefully, in going through this exercise, perhaps we can all be a little calmer about the current news regarding renegotiation between the Simons and CIB.
I've listed the 50 largest municipal areas by population to help in your selection. Municipal areas (or near by areas) with NBA teams appear in bold print.
Rank | Municipality | State | 2000.07 |
1 | New York city | New York | 8,104,079 |
2 | Los Angeles city | California | 3,845,541 |
3 | Chicago city | Illinois | 2,862,244 |
4 | Houston city | Texas | 2,012,626 |
5 | Philadelphia city | Pennsylvania | 1,470,151 |
6 | Phoenix city | Arizona | 1,418,041 |
7 | San Diego city | California | 1,263,756 |
8 | San Antonio city | Texas | 1,236,249 |
9 | Dallas city | Texas | 1,210,393 |
10 | San Jose city | California | 904,522 |
11 | Detroit city | Michigan | 900,198 |
12 | Indianapolis city (balance) | Indiana | 784,242 |
13 | Jacksonville city | Florida | 777,704 |
14 | San Francisco city | California | 744,230 |
15 | Columbus city | Ohio | 730,008 |
16 | Austin city | Texas | 681,804 |
17 | Memphis city | Tennessee | 671,929 |
18 | Baltimore city | Maryland | 636,251 |
19 | Fort Worth city | Texas | 603,337 |
20 | Charlotte city | North Carolina | 594,359 |
21 | El Paso city | Texas | 592,099 |
22 | Milwaukee city | Wisconsin | 583,624 |
23 | Seattle city | Washington | 571,480 |
24 | Boston city | Massachusetts | 569,165 |
25 | Denver city | Colorado | 556,835 |
26 | Louisville-Jefferson County city | Kentucky | 556,332 |
27 | Washington city | District of Columbia | 553,523 |
28 | Nashville-Davidson (balance) | Tennessee | 546,719 |
29 | Las Vegas city | Nevada | 534,847 |
30 | Portland city | Oregon | 533,492 |
31 | Oklahoma City city | Oklahoma | 528,042 |
32 | Tucson city | Arizona | 512,023 |
33 | Albuquerque city | New Mexico | 484,246 |
34 | Long Beach city | California | 476,564 |
35 | New Orleans city | Louisiana | 462,269 |
36 | Cleveland city | Ohio | 458,684 |
37 | Fresno city | California | 457,719 |
38 | Sacramento city | California | 454,330 |
39 | Kansas City city | Missouri | 444,387 |
40 | Virginia Beach city | Virginia | 440,098 |
41 | Mesa city | Arizona | 437,454 |
42 | Atlanta city | Georgia | 419,122 |
43 | Omaha city | Nebraska | 409,416 |
44 | Oakland city | California | 397,976 |
45 | Tulsa city | Oklahoma | 383,764 |
46 | Miami city | Florida | 379,724 |
47 | Honolulu CDP | Hawaii | 377,260 |
48 | Minneapolis city | Minnesota | 373,943 |
49 | Colorado Springs city | Colorado | 369,363 |
50 | Arlington city | Texas | 359,467 |
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