As soon as I saw the Fort McMurray thing, I knew the league was in trouble. No disrespect to Fort Mac, but their entry signaled that this league was going the route of the ABA: Put teams anywhere and hope they stick. Chico and Lake County already went under, and it seems the entire south-eastern division realized just how dumb the merger was in the first place. The NABL was basically down to Edmonton, Maui, Yuma and a new team in San Rafael, CA, in a ballpark that Wikipedia lists with a capacity of 800.
Edmonton was dead the moment Calgary went under. The two cities are a pair, and will pretty much always have to be. And looking at league maps, there really aren't many options. The Pioneer League to the south is affiliated, but a lower calibre brand than the Dawgs play. The Northwest League would be ideal - short season, affiliated even if just single-A, and already has a presence in Canada. But I'm not sure if either league is interested in relocating two markets. Especially given the distance from each league's home base.
The PCL is a pipe dream for both cities, especially since Calgary doesn't have anything close to an appropriate facility. And there are no other indy leagues nearby. The American Association won't have an interest given most teams there were part of the Northern League when the NL's idiotic management went out and ruined pro ball in Alberta along with the league itself.
|