Calgary Vipers - League attendance

[CaramonLS]

So why does the PCL not want to come back to Canada?

[flambers]

My Kids BaseBall team is going on Saturday (Players, Coaches, Parents etc), the Vipers should be working with the kids and getting al the teams to go to a game. Would help allot.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by flambers

My Kids BaseBall team is going on Saturday (Players, Coaches, Parents etc), the Vipers should be working with the kids and getting al the teams to go to a game. Would help allot.

Might also be an idea if they do a meet and greet with the kids.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

So why does the PCL not want to come back to Canada?

The primary reason is customs hassles. The Cannons demise was finalized immediately following the new security procedures after 9/11.

Spring weather is a constant problem - the Cannons lost 20 home games in 2002 to weather.

Isolation. We are just too far from other markets. This was a major reason for the desire to relocate Edmonton. None of the other teams wanted to fly to Edmonton when the nearest PCL market is Tacoma.

Altitude. Especially in Calgary. There was a reason why our affiliates (usually) meagre pitching prospects tended to stay in AA.

These reasons, among the others, are why Calgary and Edmonton were usually the last two AAA teams to sign affiliation agreements with MLB parents from the mid-90s on. Specific to Calgary, it is why we had four affiliations in seven years from 1993-99.

Would the PCL ever consider returning to Canada? I think it would only on the following conditions:
Calgary (with a new park) AND Edmonton both showed a strong desire for baseball (ie: supporting the Northern League), and several American teams collapse at the same time so that there are no other preferable markets available.

We're about as likely to see AAA baseball return as Winnipeg is of seeing the Jets return.

[kn]

For whatever reason, any team not named Flames or Stampeders will have a hard time in Calgary. Honestly, outside of those two teams, I really don't care if there wasn't anything else. There's only so much time, money and emotional investment one can expend.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by kn

For whatever reason, any team not named Flames or Stampeders will have a hard time in Calgary. Honestly, outside of those two teams, I really don't care if there wasn't anything else. There's only so much time, money and emotional investment one can expend.

I can guarantee an NFL or MLB team would do fine in Calgary.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by kn

For whatever reason, any team not named Flames or Stampeders will have a hard time in Calgary. Honestly, outside of those two teams, I really don't care if there wasn't anything else. There's only so much time, money and emotional investment one can expend.

I dunno about that. The Hitmen have led the WHL in attendance four years in a row, and their success in Calgary led to rapid expansion into many other large cities - Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto proper, Quebec City, Montreal, Edmonotn again - where it was previously believed that the CHL could not survive, especially against professional competition.

The Roughnecks are holding their own.

The Dawgs had over 800 season ticket holders each of their three years in a league that averages 300 fans per game.

[theJuice]

Hrm, not interested in any other sports that aren't "big league" type stuff. Ala, if its not the NHL, MLB, NFL, CFL, NBA, than I'm just not really that interested, and don't really waste my time following, or watching the sport.

[Resolute 14]

Good crowd today - 2670. Shame the Vipers went out and lost 20-1.