NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

Post by AlkaliAxel »

beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:08 pm I'm kind of surprised Omaha is never mentioned as trying a long shot play for an NBA team. They have no professional teams, the would have political backing as the only team in the state and it would boost their credibility as a city, like has somewhat happened with OKC.
Why would a team go there when they could go to KC just south of there? Also if a team went to a city that size for NBA it would be Louisville. They're the ones clamoring for it so badly.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:13 pm
beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:08 pm I'm kind of surprised Omaha is never mentioned as trying a long shot play for an NBA team. They have no professional teams, the would have political backing as the only team in the state and it would boost their credibility as a city, like has somewhat happened with OKC.
Why would a team go there when they could go to KC just south of there? Also if a team went to a city that size for NBA it would be Louisville. They're the ones clamoring for it so badly.
OKC is smaller than Nola but Nola has two teams. I get your Louisville comment but at least they have some big college teams in town. Omaha has close no big college teams and no nearby professional sports teams. Nearest is 3 hours vs 1.5 from Louisville.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:13 pm
beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:08 pm I'm kind of surprised Omaha is never mentioned as trying a long shot play for an NBA team. They have no professional teams, the would have political backing as the only team in the state and it would boost their credibility as a city, like has somewhat happened with OKC.
Why would a team go there when they could go to KC just south of there? Also if a team went to a city that size for NBA it would be Louisville. They're the ones clamoring for it so badly.
They would choose Omaha to be the only player in town and would appeal strongly to city and state pride. "We're a major league city now!". Kansas City would be in their sphere of fans, especially those who are hardcore NBA watchers. Louisville doesn't make sense if Nashville gets a team. They would be surrounded and Pacers fans are pretty loyal to the north. I'm not saying Omaha will happen, but I think they could make a legitimate case, especially if they have someone with deep pockets who could float the team.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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normalthings wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:24 pm
AlkaliAxel wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:13 pm
beautyfromashes wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:08 pm I'm kind of surprised Omaha is never mentioned as trying a long shot play for an NBA team. They have no professional teams, the would have political backing as the only team in the state and it would boost their credibility as a city, like has somewhat happened with OKC.
Why would a team go there when they could go to KC just south of there? Also if a team went to a city that size for NBA it would be Louisville. They're the ones clamoring for it so badly.
OKC is smaller than Nola but Nola has two teams. I get your Louisville comment but at least they have some big college teams in town. Omaha has close no big college teams and no nearby professional sports teams. Nearest is 3 hours vs 1.5 from Louisville.
Yes and NOLA is having trouble sustaining both teams, that’s why they’re at real risk of relocating here soon (2023-24 their lease expires).

Omaha issue is that it’s not all about the city, it’s also about the venue the team would go to. I’m sure the venue Omaha has for basketball is played in by Creighton, which is the exact problem Louisville has had about getting a team since they share with a college as well. And I just doubt they’ll have something better than the T-Mobile Center with P&L also surrounding it.

Omaha truly wouldn’t even have anywhere near a market to KC. Missouri the state is more than twice the size, you’d get all of STL, KC, all of Kansas…and Omaha lol. If you just locate out of Omaha you don’t get STL backing you, and you’d get only a fraction of KC. Really a no brainer. KC has much bigger and more reach.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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KC keeps consistently making these kinds of lists: it's always these 3 cities being mentioned on every website for expansion/relocations

https://sportsnaut.com/new-orleans-peli ... tinations/
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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Tampa host the 2 time Stanley Cup Champs Lighting the last 2 years. Jacksonville,Green Bay other mid markets.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:50 pm Yes and NOLA is having trouble sustaining both teams, that’s why they’re at real risk of relocating here soon (2023-24 their lease expires).

Omaha issue is that it’s not all about the city, it’s also about the venue the team would go to. I’m sure the venue Omaha has for basketball is played in by Creighton, which is the exact problem Louisville has had about getting a team since they share with a college as well. And I just doubt they’ll have something better than the T-Mobile Center with P&L also surrounding it.

Omaha truly wouldn’t even have anywhere near a market to KC. Missouri the state is more than twice the size, you’d get all of STL, KC, all of Kansas…and Omaha lol. If you just locate out of Omaha you don’t get STL backing you, and you’d get only a fraction of KC. Really a no brainer. KC has much bigger and more reach.
Surrounding it? Have you been to P&L? It’s not north, south or east of the arena.

It would do you good to actually look at each city.

Omaha has 14 games tied up in the arena and ~five of them are before the NBA season begins. Fitting 9 games into the NBA season doesn’t seem like it’s a big ask.

Incredibly, with Creighton having some 11am games and the NBA having some 8pm games, they could share the same day.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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TheSmokinPun wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:14 pm The people who think NBA wouldn't cut it here aren't hanging out with many young people. So much hotter than NHL these days. It would be a hot ticket for a while.

My group of friends have talked about getting a half season ticket package if they came in, 20-ish games sounds great to me.

Vegas in a few years might be a disaster, even without the impending water issues. I realize the casinos buying up tickets is fine but they're going to stretch everyone's dollar since they'll compete directly with well established & beloved Golden Knights & that black & silver wreck.
NBA or NHL would do very well in KC. I don't see how vegas can support so many teams. KC has so much to do in the summer, and very little in the winter. A team would be amazing there. Just need a deep pocket owner to bring a team to the city.

And at least from a DC perspective, the NHL blows the NBA out of the water. Sure, the Capitals are a much better team than the Wizards, but my point is it's probably more based on the team's performance and the market than the NHL vs NBA.

KCMO needs a downtown pro team. Doesn't matter if it's NBA or NHL.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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flyingember wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 6:47 am
AlkaliAxel wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:50 pm
Surrounding it? Have you been to P&L? It’s not north, south or east of the arena.
Ok, "next" to P&L then. Do you feel better now?
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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GRID wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 9:47 am
TheSmokinPun wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:14 pm The people who think NBA wouldn't cut it here aren't hanging out with many young people. So much hotter than NHL these days. It would be a hot ticket for a while.

My group of friends have talked about getting a half season ticket package if they came in, 20-ish games sounds great to me.

Vegas in a few years might be a disaster, even without the impending water issues. I realize the casinos buying up tickets is fine but they're going to stretch everyone's dollar since they'll compete directly with well established & beloved Golden Knights & that black & silver wreck.
NBA or NHL would do very well in KC. I don't see how vegas can support so many teams. KC has so much to do in the summer, and very little in the winter. A team would be amazing there. Just need a deep pocket owner to bring a team to the city.

And at least from a DC perspective, the NHL blows the NBA out of the water. Sure, the Capitals are a much better team than the Wizards, but my point is it's probably more based on the team's performance and the market than the NHL vs NBA.

KCMO needs a downtown pro team. Doesn't matter if it's NBA or NHL.
My hot take is that I don't think NHL would do well here. It has nothing to do with St. Louis Blues being in the same state or anything like that. I just don't see it doing well. In my entire time going through high school, college, and now early adulthood in KC, I've met one guy here who liked hockey. And I hang around with alooot of sports fans too. There's just zero interest in hockey here. Probably in part by the fact it's never cold enough here to play for several months of the year like you can up north. Ive asked friends of mine if we get an NHL what they'd say, and literally they all said they wouldn't even care.

Now NBA on the other hand....would be a huge success here. That definitely has a market. Among the youth, might even be more than the Royals before we even have a team here yet.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:20 pm
My hot take is that I don't think NHL would do well here. It has nothing to do with St. Louis Blues being in the same state or anything like that. I just don't see it doing well. In my entire time going through high school, college, and now early adulthood in KC, I've met one guy here who liked hockey. And I hang around with alooot of sports fans too. There's just zero interest in hockey here. Probably in part by the fact it's never cold enough here to play for several months of the year like you can up north. Ive asked friends of mine if we get an NHL what they'd say, and literally they all said they wouldn't even care.

Now NBA on the other hand....would be a huge success here. That definitely has a market. Among the youth, might even be more than the Royals before we even have a team here yet.
And I would be the exact opposite. Growing up in KC, I followed hockey and everybody I knew was more into hockey. I didn't know anybody that followed NBA and they would say they wouldn't care if we got a team. But that doesn't mean KC wouldn't support an NBA team. The people you are around is not enough of a sample to come to any sort of conclusion on NBA vs NHL support.

The KC Blades drew very well for quite some time. When the Blades were in the IHL and playing other large market cities, they drew very well. The Blades attendance didn't start to slide till the league itself started making poor decisions and the league fell back into a lower league. The KC Mavericks seem to draw very well for the level of hockey it is.

I think either league would do fine. There is not a lot of overlap in the fanbases, but I think fans of one would come to the other if KC got a team of either.

FYI, you don't have to play or even follow hockey in general to "like" hockey. NHL is a different level of hockey. A totally difference experience than KC is used to. The Washington Caps is more like a Chiefs game. The NBA is boring to me. Basketball in general is boring to me. But I think it would be cool for KC to to get a team and I think the city would support it.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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I think what you're talking about is *maybe* an older generation type of thing. My age demo 18-24 is super into NBA, and the stats are showing that as well. Hockey isn't really as much of a prize for younger people. But to be fair, I don't know any older people who like hockey either unless they're from out of town. NHL I think would be okay, I think people would show up but I don't think they'd ever truly be a big buzz for it. The NBA is something I can see there being a big buzz and getting people from out of town to drive in for. But mainly I just don't see the younger people clamoring for hockey.

Regardless, we're never getting an NHL team with the Blues being in the state. They just expanded in 2018 to two new cities and KC wasn't even close to being considered.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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Why would the blues matter? There is almost no overlap in the KC and StL markets. Very few people travel that far for a sports game. If anything, attendance would increase in StL due to the natural rivalry.

KC is not making any short list because there has been absolutely zero interest by anybody with the money to bring a team to KC.

And I don't buy the age thing about the NHL. Attend a game in DC. It's a pretty young fan demographic. KC is not the youngest city. I mean DC is truly a massive destination for young people to live. Much more so than KC. So if you are saying NHL is for the older crowd, than the NHL might be a better fit for KC.

Remember, only 30k live downtown. You have to draw fans from the greater KC area of 2.5 million. Most KC sports fans are blue collar types, even at Royals games where in most cities you see more white collar fans at MLB games. KC Is more of a NHL town than you may think. NHL is the same demographic as NFL.

Again, I think KC would support either league. It's a massive sports town. Everybody there is always wearing sports stuff etc.
Last edited by GRID on Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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GRID wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:32 pm Why would the blues matter? There is almost no overlap in the KC and StL markets. Very few people travel that far for a sports game. If anything, attendance would increase in StL due to the natural rivalry.

KC is not making any short list because there has been absolutely zero interest by anybody with the money to bring a team to KC.

And I don't buy the age thing about the NHL. Attend a game in DC. It's a pretty young fan demographic.
I lived in DC for college. I know what you mean there, the Caps got a ton more buzz than the Wizards did when I lived there. Metro was packed with Caps fans. But...I don't feel that in KC. We're alot more into basketball out here. I can see hockey being more popular out east, it's a brutal sport and cold, so that fits well with easterners. Also I just think KC people purely are more into basketball.

But yeah, we're not getting NHL, and I'm glad about it because if we did then we'd never get an NBA team here.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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AlkaliAxel wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:37 pm
GRID wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:32 pm Why would the blues matter? There is almost no overlap in the KC and StL markets. Very few people travel that far for a sports game. If anything, attendance would increase in StL due to the natural rivalry.

KC is not making any short list because there has been absolutely zero interest by anybody with the money to bring a team to KC.

And I don't buy the age thing about the NHL. Attend a game in DC. It's a pretty young fan demographic.
I lived in DC for college. I know what you mean there, the Caps got a ton more buzz than the Wizards did when I lived there. Metro was packed with Caps fans. But...I don't feel that in KC. We're alot more into basketball out here. I can see hockey being more popular out east, it's a brutal sport and cold, so that fits well with easterners. Also I just think KC people purely are more into basketball.

But yeah, we're not getting NHL, and I'm glad about it because if we did then we'd never get an NBA team here.
Yet living in the DC area you would never know there were any caps fans. Unless you are on a train going to a game, you will rarely see anybody wearing a Caps jersey randomly around town. Yet every game is sold out and upper deck seats are $80. So you can't base fan support off what you see or who you talk to.

If KC had a NHL team, people would have to take take at least one day away from wearing other KC and college sports gear to wear NHL gear out and about. KC is a sports town.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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Not to mention sports fans in KC are intelligent. They pay attention to the world around them and have watched first-time NHL cities like Vegas and cities that have received a second chance, like Denver, become almost immediately playoff caliber teams with rosters containing stars and high draft picks. The NHL expansion rules nearly guarantee it. And, if there is ever a town that embraces, supports and celebrates a winner - it’s KC.

KC sports fans are beyond ready to take the next step to support an NHL (or NBA) team, IMO.
Last edited by StL_Dan on Mon Jul 12, 2021 6:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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Right. However, all signs point to NBA. NHL just went through a wave of expansions, as you mentioned, and KC wasn't even close. Being at 32 teams now, NHL would have to relocate a team, which I don't see happening anytime soon.

NBA, however, is looking to expand next year and then also relocate a team or two out of some poor markets. That's probably who pounces here first long before NHL reshuffles the deck again.

These waves of reshuffling the deck in each league come about every 10-15 years. NBA, MLB are overdue. NFL, NHL just did theirs.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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^Reasonable.

BTW, have been spending most time in SE lately especially in Tampa/Sarasota area and even the locals realize their string of championships have been bought. Many realize they are just riding with it and metros with deeper roots like KC are real sports towns. In KC sports is a metro wide identity relative to Florida, where sports is just another one of thousands of things to do, not really brewed into a standout identity outside maybe Dolphins's history.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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Reports are flying that Pelicans may be re-locating soon
https://sportsnaut.com/new-orleans-peli ... tinations/

That puts 3 new NBA cities by 2024 if they take off, if you include the two expansions.
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Re: NBA to Kansas City

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I know nothing but forgive me for not getting excited about an owner of the shittiest team moving here. I’d feel different if they’d sell to a local ownership group.
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