Texsox

The struggle was real. Now my phone is constantly listening for songs and matching them.

I've been twice with the roof open. Everyone around me was complaining that it was open. Lol

What a fast winter. Has a season started with lower expectations? But I can't wait to see some MLB baseball. There is a great opportunity for guys to earn the MLB check. I suspect this will be an interesting spring training.

Maybe we should do that here.

Some of it is the availability. It was tougher to explore different music when you had to go to the store and buy it, or catch it on the radio.

That makes sense to me.

I do. I believe that many people, like yourself, learned from the previous deal and there will be more resistance.

I enjoyed "The Jungle". That was when high school students would actually read an entire novel. Now we talk about the novel and read excerpts sigh.

It seems like the three biggest cities have teams further out. And cities with multiple teams are also further from downtown. Suburbs really come into being in the 1950s and 1960s after many of these stadium sites were selected. Probably just random chance.

Nice graphic. Thanks for posting. We do have to consider that five miles from downtown Chicago is much different than five miles from downtown Tampa Bay or Milwaukee.

Welcome to capitalism.

I overvalue character and contribution to the image of baseball.

You hit the nail on the head and this is exactly why these things get funded with taxpayer dollars. They point to the revenue and tax dollars a large enterprise generates. If the Sox leave the city we won't have those dollars to fund the stuff that directly benefits the average resident. Or with this stadium the city will have all these extra dollars to spend on projects everyone wants. The projections always seem grossly optimistic but it's painted as an investment. Would you spend $10,000 in 2024 to make and extra $30,000 over the next five years?

I don't disagree with you and why I've come to dislike any breaks. Ultimately it hurts the business that have been around a long time. The issue always comes back to if the team moved, would you give incentives to a different team to move to Chicago or an expansion team? If you are going to give it to them, why not the business that has already being in town? Folks say no and just churn over businesses.

@Balta1701 well said. To add a comment usually the companies that leave behind the environmental mess are bankrupt.

And that's fair. If a company is going to generate $1 in tax revenue, are you willing to accept less to have them in your tax district versus moving? In the real world a town will give an incentive to a company. After the incentive is over they move then the town gives an incentive to the next company. That's the game that economic development agencies are in. Compete for businesses in your area. In the slim chance the team moves, would you buy the new team a 🏟️

Except that's not really how the rest of the world always does it. Musk didn't move to Texas entirely on his own dime. There were plenty of incentives and future tax breaks. All those tax deductions for buying a Tesla avoided real pricing issues for the company. The last development board I sat on handed money to anyone who would increase hotel occupancy, from Sand Castles to Harley's. Business are given incentives all the time. The Sox getting some isn't extraordinary. The debate is really how much?

In my day you ran on the field and committed assault up close and personal. Lazy kids these days lol

I wonder how many fans went to Oakland to see their team? Maybe dozens. There is also some civic pride in having a major sports team.

Sure. How did the As moving impact JR? Would you spend a billion dollars on a franchise knowing you won't have much flexibility? And how would the Cubs new valuation if the Sox moved harm the other owners? Bonus question. How does expansion help team's valuation?

How so?

Are the owners going to turn him down "for the good of the game?" When was the last time they didn't do what was in their best interests? Telling one owner no means if they wanted to move, they could potentially be told no. I believe they will do what is in their best interest, not the game, not the players, and not the fans. Owners will stick together and stick it to the fans every damn time. The league would still have a team in Chicago and gain another market with the TV viewership. They haven't been expanding because it's for the good of the game or competition. It makes them more money. Hey JR, it's going to cost you $20 mil that we'll all share. And be we, I mean the owners.

Exactly. Worst case they move. It's a simple game of poker. Would you rather have JR's hand or local officials?

I wonder how many jobs are tied directly or indirectly to the team? How much fans spend when attending the game and the tax dollars generated. That's what's list if he goes off to Nashville. Teams with money to spend seem to do better at winning world series. I don't want a WS win if it means JR takes public money. Plus unless it was structured into the deal there is no guarantee he'll increase spending.

For those who forgot one of Kenny's best trades. https://legendsrevealed.com/sports/2009/05/07/attention-to-small-details/