Oklahoma City interested in having an NLL expansion team

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Fran
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Oklahoma City interested in having an NLL expansion team

Post by Fran » Mon Sep 15, 2008 4:53 pm

From the Sports Business Journal

NLL eyes city for expansion team
The National Lacrosse League is interested in bringing an expansion franchise to Oklahoma City, according to a report in The Oklahoman. The report quoted Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: “We feel that once the sport gets introduced, it will do really well here.” Home games would be at the Ford Center, according to the report.

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Post by hawk174md » Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:22 pm

I'd like to see the NLL place a team in Oklahoma City and Spokane would be a good place as well.
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Post by Buffalo Super Fan » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:47 pm

The thing is with NLL lacrosse it isn't like placing a arena football team or a minor league basketball team in a market. My hometown of Buffalo has a very successful team the Buffalo Bandits that draws over 17,000 in the regular season in 2009.

But the thing is where I am in Buffalo we are a boarder city to Canada where there is a huge pool of box lacrosse players. The NLL has not been real successful in alot of cities that aren't either one a boarder city to canada or where there isn't a huge pool of lacrosse players to draw from.

If you have to do alot of flying in for games your lacroose players that drives your cost up so keep that in mind with potential NLL expansion cities. Also NLL teams tend to do better finacially if there owned by a major league franchise and that said major league franchise owns or has full control of the events in said arena. Example Buffalo again, the NLL Buffalo Bandits are owned by the NHL Buffalo Sabres and said Buffalo Sabres have full control of HSBC Arena and the events in that building.

So basically the Buffalo Bandits are paying the Buffalo Sabres rent so there basically paying rent to themselves so they can set the rent price. That helps a NLL lacrosse team on its bottom line. A market to watch is Kent, Washington in the suburbs of Seattle. Many NLL fans think that franchise won't make it including myself for many reason one being the arena is just to small for a NLL lacrosse franchise.

The reason why I mention Kent is a market to keep an eye on hawk174md is because if Kent is successful than maybe the NLL will look at a market like Spokane with a smaller arena.

Oklahoma City is a good size market but the geographical location I personally would wonder about for NLL lacrosse. I would keep an eye on the Orlando Titans if there successful than maybe the NLL will look at Oklahoma City. But with NLL lacrosse it is tricky and market size doesn't seem to mean a hill of beans in NLL lacrosse.

The NLL has burned through alot of markets that are bigger than my Buffalo for many different reasons some that I have mentioned. Examples Portland, San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago, New York City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, Detroit and Charlotte. I am looking forward to the NLL season in Buffalo in 2010. Let's Go Buffalo
The above post is in my opinion and I have no proof or link. I am just a Buffalo sports fan.

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Post by Minor League Man » Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:33 pm

[quote=""Fran""]From the Sports Business Journal

NLL eyes city for expansion team
The National Lacrosse League is interested in bringing an expansion franchise to Oklahoma City, according to a report in The Oklahoman. The report quoted Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: “We feel that once the sport gets introduced, it will do really well here.” Home games would be at the Ford Center, according to the report.[/quote]
If it's anywhere, I think it'll be at the Cox. The Thunder kicked out the Blazers and Yard Dawgz...how they'd let a lacrosse team in is beyond me...
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Post by Buffalo Super Fan » Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:42 pm

Miner League Man it might be because maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA would own the new NLL team just a guess on my part. The NLL likes there teams to be owned and run by NHL and NBA teams in most cases that I know.

Did anybody think there could be a clash of egos there between the owners of the OKC Thunder NBA and owners of the Blazers and Yard Dawgz so they kicked them out. I don't live in OKC so it is just a guess. Let's Go Buffalo
The above post is in my opinion and I have no proof or link. I am just a Buffalo sports fan.

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