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Old 07-15-2020, 01:28 PM   #1
TheScorpion
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I remember going to see Calgary Vipers games at Foothills as a kid and really enjoying them, but that stadium is terribly outdated by about 40 years at this point and there hasn't been any sort of pro team here in 10 years.

The Dawgs are interesting enough, but not only are they not a Calgary team, they're amateurs. Doesn't mean it's not good baseball, but I don't think it's nearly as interesting. Heck, we had a triple-A team up here for decades... could that ever happen again?

Forgive my seeming ignorance on this subject, I don't really know a lot about the history of baseball in the city. I've been reading some stuff about the Cannons lately and I'm just curious about if they might ever be back in some shape or form.
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Old 07-15-2020, 02:38 PM   #2
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We will never see AAA ball again. We just don't get a good enough spring season and would need a new facility.
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Old 07-15-2020, 02:43 PM   #3
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No.

We've tried and tried but it seems like it just wont work here. The interest seemingly isnt there and at the moment neither is the money.
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Old 07-15-2020, 02:46 PM   #4
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Nope.

Look at what it took to build a new arena in this city.....it took years and years and all sorts of hoops to jump through to end up with what will be little more than an adequate facility.

McMahon is embarrassing and needs to be replaced long before any new ball park is built.

Add to that the weather issues that baseball faces and what Calgarys climate is akin to doing at the worst times, and there is no chance any pro team ever looks to take roots here again....particularly with the lack of geographically close competition.

Now when we look at the economic disaster that the feds and covid have put us all in, the fact the city itself is broke and the provincial government will be reeling for a decade financially.....add it all up and you have your answer.
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Old 07-15-2020, 02:48 PM   #5
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I remember going to see Calgary Vipers games at Foothills as a kid and really enjoying them, but that stadium is terribly outdated by about 40 years at this point and there hasn't been any sort of pro team here in 10 years.

The Dawgs are interesting enough, but not only are they not a Calgary team, they're amateurs. Doesn't mean it's not good baseball, but I don't think it's nearly as interesting. Heck, we had a triple-A team up here for decades... could that ever happen again?

Forgive my seeming ignorance on this subject, I don't really know a lot about the history of baseball in the city. I've been reading some stuff about the Cannons lately and I'm just curious about if they might ever be back in some shape or form.
The Dawgs were once a Calgary team (I did their pbp for a season) and got forced out by the Vipers.
Which turned out to be a blessing as it got the area just an incredible ball park out in Okotoks.
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Old 07-15-2020, 02:57 PM   #6
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Nope.

Look at what it took to build a new arena in this city.....it took years and years and all sorts of hoops to jump through to end up with what will be little more than an adequate facility.

McMahon is embarrassing and needs to be replaced long before any new ball park is built.

Add to that the weather issues that baseball faces and what Calgarys climate is akin to doing at the worst times, and there is no chance any pro team ever looks to take roots here again....particularly with the lack of geographically close competition.

Now when we look at the economic disaster that the feds and covid have put us all in, the fact the city itself is broke and the provincial government will be reeling for a decade financially.....add it all up and you have your answer.
so you're saying there's a chance?.....
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Old 07-15-2020, 04:11 PM   #7
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An under-rated little gem of a ball park is the one down in Stanley Park. There is some pretty high quality ball played there. The atmosphere is terrific and they staff a small snack stand. If someone is craving some base ball - it can't be beat locally.
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Old 07-15-2020, 04:19 PM   #8
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The U of C Dinos have a baseball team (maybe not right now) that plays at Foothills Stadium. I know a player that pitched for them and also in the league the Dawgs are in.

https://godinos.com/sports/baseball/roster/2019-20
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Old 07-15-2020, 04:37 PM   #9
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so you're saying there's a chance?.....
Its all really to bad.

I'm of the opinion that healthy happy cities have healthy happy professional and amateur sports franchises in adequate, if not excellent, facilities.

I know im in the minority on that but i do remember when things were hummin pretty good even in Calgary around a magical run of sports success starting in the mid 80's and of course with the Olympics. It was never as much fun to be a Calgarian than through those times IMO, and those times had better than average facilities overall.

But im just a grumpy old man...so don't listen to me.
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Old 07-15-2020, 06:12 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScorpion View Post
I remember going to see Calgary Vipers games at Foothills as a kid and really enjoying them, but that stadium is terribly outdated by about 40 years at this point and there hasn't been any sort of pro team here in 10 years.

The Dawgs are interesting enough, but not only are they not a Calgary team, they're amateurs. Doesn't mean it's not good baseball, but I don't think it's nearly as interesting. Heck, we had a triple-A team up here for decades... could that ever happen again?

Forgive my seeming ignorance on this subject, I don't really know a lot about the history of baseball in the city. I've been reading some stuff about the Cannons lately and I'm just curious about if they might ever be back in some shape or form.
You think Foothills is a dump, you should have seen what the Calgary Expos played in. Still, I have some good memories of those games as a little one.

There are so many pro baseball leagues out there, some with a shortened season, but it does seem you need a nice little stadium to attract interest.
There are a whole lot of baseball players looking for work, that's for sure.
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Old 07-15-2020, 07:35 PM   #11
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Slightly off topic - but I still think Calgary doesn't need another baseball or football stadium. First, Calgary does not have baseball weather. And I think McMahon is fine (needs upgrade though) for the 10 to 12 times a year that it is being used.

How about a low-level pro basketball team in the city?
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Old 07-15-2020, 10:43 PM   #12
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As mentioned, Calgary had baseball weather for ten years when the Cannons were here. Personally, I think that a single A team could do well here, do the shortened schedule.

And baseball stadiums can cost a boatload less than any other kind of stadium, sort of on par with soccer. Half of it doesn't even need proper walls. That said, Foothills stadium was pretty embarrassing when it was being used, man were those uncomfortable seats.
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Old 07-16-2020, 08:22 AM   #13
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Slightly off topic - but I still think Calgary doesn't need another baseball or football stadium. First, Calgary does not have baseball weather. And I think McMahon is fine (needs upgrade though) for the 10 to 12 times a year that it is being used.

How about a low-level pro basketball team in the city?
The 88s of the WBL were pretty successful and it was a high quality brand of basketball. They had a height restriction so the league had a more European style with great passing and shooting. At the time the NBA was a big man's game, so it was a great counter offering.
Since then there have been other attempts at basketball in Calgary: the Outlaws, Crush and I think at least one more.
But the product has been poor and they have failed.
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Old 07-16-2020, 11:35 AM   #14
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The 88s of the WBL were pretty successful and it was a high quality brand of basketball. They had a height restriction so the league had a more European style with great passing and shooting. At the time the NBA was a big man's game, so it was a great counter offering.
Since then there have been other attempts at basketball in Calgary: the Outlaws, Crush and I think at least one more.
But the product has been poor and they have failed.
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Old 07-16-2020, 01:10 PM   #15
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Who can forget guys like Sydney Lowe and Chip Engelland. Went to lots of those games and at one point, due to a series of events that I can’t really remember, my high school coach became their head coach.

Just not that many basketball fans in the city IMO. How many non students typically attend a Dino’s game? Three?
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Old 07-16-2020, 01:12 PM   #16
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I think there's a much higher chance we see a CEBL team pop up in Calgary before any sort of baseball team. Not that either is a great idea.
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Old 07-22-2020, 04:31 PM   #17
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I am thinking that with the hop-hop culture and also the number of immigrants to the country plus the success of the Raptors, I think basketball will be more universally-accepted (after soccer) than baseball.
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Old 07-22-2020, 04:33 PM   #18
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I know it was just a preseason game but seeing the Saddledome sold out for the Raptors versus Nuggets a few years ago was pretty neat.
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