Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban_Genius
Well they are. I don't know if Moncton could support a team. Change that, Moncton cannot support a CFL team unless they draw from other people in the region. Good luck getting people to drive 3 hours for a CFL game and 3 hours back, especially for an expansion team.
Just google search and you'll find plenty of articles from local politicians. The CFL has also aknowledge the possibility of expanding there.
Of course serious market studies and potential ownership is key.
Anyways good day, I just thought I'd share some things I've heard...not trying to troll or anything.
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Whether Moncton can support a CFL team is very debatable. It's important to analyze markets as having unique features though. It's a mistake to assume that a Maritime population is the same as one in Alberta or Ontario. To do so, can lead to erroneous conclusions.
The Maritimes is, by far, the most rural region of the country, but also densely populated. It's characterized by small town after small town after small town, much like many US states. People in the Maritimes are used to traveling to the next town over, or further, on a regular basis.
The lack of large cities or pro sports also means that there's far less competition for the entertainment dollar. It explains why college sports has prospered here. Will people drive 3 hours to see an expansion CFL team, then 3 hours home? Maritimers are far more inclined to do something like that than almost any other population in the country.
A CFL team in Moncton or Halifax would be a very very big deal down there. I remember when Halifax got the Windjammers basketball team. The media coverage was insane, and the first game a sell out. That Halifax team led the league in attendance and only folded because the league folded. Many of the players came from NCAA Division 1 and commented that those Halifax crowds rivaled the best college crowds they'd played before in the United States.
The Maritimes has a very deep sporting culture, but people in the rest of Canada are largely oblivious to it. It goes unrecognized in the rest of Canada because there aren't any pro teams down there. The Maritimes have never been given a chance because of their small population base, and small corporate base. Sporting culture has never been the problem.
Saskatchewan proves that a team can prosper in an area with a small population base if the sporting culture is strong. The Maritimes is another Saskatchewan just waiting to happen. If Moncton or Halifax land a team, within a few years the league office will be kicking themselves for not going there sooner. I wouldn't be shocked if a Maritime team led the Eastern conference in attendance within 5 years.