The Great Canadian Sports Attendance, Marketing and TV Ratings Thread - Page 80

Jaws · #**1581** Posted **May 6, 2019, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpicPonyTime

I'm surprised Katz hasn't picked up a team to fill dates at Rogers Place, to be honest.

Between the Oilers, Oil Kings and all the concerts that don't go to Calgary, I doubt Rogers has enough free dates to host a NLL team.

isaidso · #**1582** Posted **May 6, 2019, 4:38 PM**

With the NBL/CEBL, Premier League, CFL, and CHL the only major sport where Canada has no professional league will be baseball. It would be nice if regional variations of Ontario's Intercounty Baseball League will spring up and together be part of a national baseball league.

SaskScraper · #**1583** Posted **May 6, 2019, 5:25 PM**

^^
...you mean like the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) that's been in operation since 1931?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wester...aseball_League

EpicPonyTime · #**1584** Posted **May 6, 2019, 6:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaws

Between the Oilers, Oil Kings and all the concerts that don't go to Calgary, I doubt Rogers has enough free dates to host a NLL team.

I don't know about that. If Toronto, Denver, and Philly can all make it work, there's no reason Edmonton couldn't if they tried.

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

With the NBL/CEBL, Premier League, CFL, and CHL the only major sport where Canada has no professional league will be baseball. It would be nice if regional variations of Ontario's Intercounty Baseball League will spring up and together be part of a national baseball league.

We tried that once. The best thing that can be said about it is that it is now the textbook example of how to not start a domestic sports league.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

^^
...you mean like the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) that's been in operation since 1931?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wester...aseball_League

The WCBL isn't a professional league, is it?

esquire · #**1585** Posted **May 6, 2019, 6:14 PM**

It seems unlikely to me that we'll see a domestic Canadian baseball league. The habit of just tagging along on whatever the Americans are doing is too entrenched. By contrast, with soccer, the US doesn't dominate the way that it does with baseball, and that leaves some oxygen in the room for a Canadian league.

blueandgoldguy · #**1586** Posted **May 6, 2019, 8:38 PM**

The Western Canadian Baseball League is a summer collegiate league. Semi-pro would probably be a more accurate description?

I'm guessing crowds for that typical average 500 - 1000. If it is that low, that is university level gatherings. Not really pro level in my books.

Djeffery · #**1587** Posted **May 6, 2019, 9:02 PM**

Intercounty isn't pro ball either.

stefanYEG · #**1588** Posted **May 6, 2019, 9:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaws

Between the Oilers, Oil Kings and all the concerts that don't go to Calgary, I doubt Rogers has enough free dates to host a NLL team.

They 100% could. It was already done at Rexall Place before the Rush left for Saskatoon and Rogers Place opened. Staples Center in LA has two NBA teams, an NHL team, a WNBA team and an absolute full slate of concerts, awards shows, etc. At one time, between 2006-2008, Staples Center had 6 pro teams using it (NBAx2, NHL, WNBA, AFL and NBDL).

SaskScraper · #**1589** Posted **May 7, 2019, 1:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

The Western Canadian Baseball League is a summer collegiate league. Semi-pro would probably be a more accurate description?

I'm guessing crowds for that typical average 500 - 1000. If it is that low, that is university level gatherings. Not really pro level in my books.

...this really just shows how little you know about a league, you ( and isaidso) have never heard of before...
nice guess though

Quote:

Alberta and Saskatchewan each have six teams playing in the WCBL. Attendance across games reached 225,000 in 2017. The Edmonton Prospects hold the record for attendance at a single game, with around 8,000 spectators on Canada Day in 2017.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nton-1.4709619

http://www.charliesballparks.com/st/ph/AB-Edmonton-TELUS-2.jpg

EpicPonyTime · #**1590** Posted **May 7, 2019, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

...this really just shows how little you know about a league, you ( and isaidso) have never heard of before...
nice guess though

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nton-1.4709619

http://www.charliesballparks.com/st/ph/AB-Edmonton-TELUS-2.jpg

The disparity between ballparks in that league is astonishing. Telus Field is an absolute gem, but compare that to the park Saskatoon played at before they folded...

SaskScraper · #**1591** Posted **May 7, 2019, 4:43 PM**

^^ at capacity for 5,000 people each, Shell Park in Fort McMurray & Saskatoon's Cairns Field are astonishingly teeny tiny.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns_Field

Med Hat & Lethbridge's ballparks are even smaller at 3,000... god forbid

esquire · #**1592** Posted **May 7, 2019, 4:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpicPonyTime

The disparity between ballparks in that league is astonishing. Telus Field is an absolute gem, but compare that to the park Saskatoon played at before they folded...

The WCBL's natural habitat is small community parks with maybe around a thousand seats.

When there is a larger facility that no one else is using like in Edmonton or Okotoks, they'll use that.

EpicPonyTime · #**1593** Posted **May 7, 2019, 7:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

^^ at capacity for 5,000 people each, Shell Park in Fort McMurray & Saskatoon's Cairns Field are astonishingly teeny tiny.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns_Field

Med Hat & Lethbridge's ballparks are even smaller at 3,000... god forbid

That's not a photo of Cairns Field. That's Bob Van Impe Stadium, which is located immediately next to Cairns; you can tell because it has a curved grandstand and is playing host to a softball game in that photo (the stadium isn't designed for baseball).

This is Cairns Field (taken from this source, which also says it seats 2000):

SaskScraper · #**1594** Posted **May 7, 2019, 10:25 PM**

^^good catch!, Saskatoon has all the 'bases covered' when it comes to playing ball apparently

.. I was also wondering how 5,000 people could possibly fit in that stadium of picture I posted.

The pic you posted looks a lot more likely to host capacity of 5,000 people when Saskatoon had a team in the league.
Thanks for correcting pic

EpicPonyTime · #**1595** Posted **May 7, 2019, 10:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

^^good catch!, Saskatoon has all the 'bases covered' when it comes to playing ball apparently

.. I was also wondering how 5,000 people could possibly fit in that stadium of picture I posted.

The pic you posted looks a lot more likely to host capacity of 5,000 people when Saskatoon had a team in the league.
Thanks for correcting pic

Both stadiums relied heavily on temporary outfield bleachers to inflate their capacity numbers. Back when I used to go to Yellow Jackets games a majority of people would sit in the outfield to try and catch a ball (though they were kindly asked to return them afterwards). There would maybe be thirty people in the big stand in that photo. I remember hearing rumours it was going to be torn down.

They did the same thing for Bob Van Impe when it hosted the Softball Worlds a few years ago, only they had beer gardens and the like in the outfield. As a small aside: that was an amazing event for Saskatoon to host, and hopefully they will do it again soon (I remember the organization being very impressed with the facilities in Saskatoon and PA).

blueandgoldguy · #**1596** Posted **May 7, 2019, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

...this really just shows how little you know about a league, you ( and isaidso) have never heard of before...
nice guess though

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nton-1.4709619

http://www.charliesballparks.com/st/ph/AB-Edmonton-TELUS-2.jpg

288 games in 2017. That means an average of 781 persons per game. It's made up of former college and university players. At least half the stadiums are community level in quality ie) Currie Field. Melville with 4,000 people is in the league. Like I said, not a really pro league. Posting pics of a rare decent crowd does not make it a legit pro league.

Examples of smaller, but legit pro leagues

1. Canadian Premier League
2. NLL
3. American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
4. USL
5. NBA G League
6. Single A Baseball
7. Arena Football

blueandgoldguy · #**1597** Posted **May 7, 2019, 10:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

The WCBL's natural habitat is small community parks with maybe around a thousand seats.

When there is a larger facility that no one else is using like in Edmonton or Okotoks, they'll use that.

Pretty much. Several stadiums look like they seat 500 - maybe 1000. Community level facilities you see all over the place. The ones in Alberta are actual decent level starter level stadiums when and if a real pro league gets started up that can draw an average of at least 1500 - 2,000 per game.

SaskScraper · #**1598** Posted **May 7, 2019, 11:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

288 games in 2017. That means an average of 781 persons per game. It's made up of former college and university players. At least half the stadiums are community level in quality ie) Currie Field. Melville with 4,000 people is in the league. Like I said, not a really pro league. Posting pics of a rare decent crowd does not make it a legit pro league.

Examples of smaller, but legit pro leagues

1. Canadian Premier League
2. NLL
3. American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
4. USL
5. NBA G League
6. Single A Baseball
7. Arena Football

who exactly suggested that the WCBL was a pro league to begin with?

I'm still waiting for your synopsis of the Ontario Intercounty Baseball League legitimacy just so you aren't looking like playing favoritism between leagues

The original proposition was finding other regional baseball leagues in Canada to 'spring up' & be matched with the Ontario league to have games with.

blueandgoldguy · #**1599** Posted **May 7, 2019, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

who exactly suggested that the WCBL was a pro league to begin with?

I'm still waiting for your synopsis of the Ontario Intercounty Baseball League legitimacy just so you aren't looking like playing favoritism between leagues

The original proposition was finding other regional baseball leagues in Canada to 'spring up' & be matched with the Ontario league to have games with.

Isaidso said there was no professional baseball league in Canada. YOu brought up the Western League. I merely stated its not a real pro league.

SaskScraper · #**1600** Posted **May 7, 2019, 11:34 PM**

^^ Why have you repeated that WCBL isn't a pro league in each and every single one of your posts regarding, but didn't mention once anything about Ontario InterCounty Baseball League including isn't a pro league & with stadiums capacity averaging around a thousand?

I just want the Ontario league to have equal representation on this forum