22 Additional Cities Could Support NBA Franchises: Baltimore #47

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2011/08/22-markets-have-nba-potential.html?appSession=93378528265695&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=&cpipage=5&CPISortType=&CPIorderBy=

Basically, they analyzed the TPI (total personal income) for 57 metro areas that do not have NBA franchises. Then they figured out the about of that money needed to theoretically support a pro sports franchise, coming up with $34.2 billion dollars for the NBA.

Based on those numbers and what would be left over after what is taken by other pro teams, they found 22 metros that could support a club, and another 18 that were within 70% of that number and considered "borderline".

Notables:

1. Riverside/San Bernardino
2. Montreal
3. Bridgeport/Stamford
4. Las Vegas
5. Virginia Beach/Norfolk

10. Richmond
11. Louisville

13. Honolulu
14. Rochester

16. Seattle

19. Albany
20. Omaha

22. Worcester

Borderline

23. Bradenton/Sarasota
24. Vancouver
25. Allentown/Bethlehem

29. Dayton

33. Poughkeepsie
34. Springfield (MA)

Insufficient

43. San Diego
44. Columbus

47. BALTIMORE

55. Kansas City

57. Pittsburgh

Now, in many cases this is based on the fact that there are no other sports teams in those places, while supporting a wealthier population. And the point isn't that some of those cities would even be considered before others (they wouldn't put one in Albany before Pittsburgh).

Any thoughts? I think...

1) Ha ha, Pittsburgh's last :p

2) Kansas City has that brand-new arena, but by the numbers they probably shouldn't have at least one, if not two, of their present teams.

3) If the NBA DOES contract, as rumored, it isn't because of a lack of markets, but because the league will not have fixed their financial system.

4) I've thought for a while that pro basketball, of all the sports, was the one that could expanded beyond current team limits, by 16-20 teams. Not necessarily the NBA itself, but a second league could get a hold and succeed (or, somewhat more likely, that the NBA could expand and then split teams off into a separate competition while staying in the same organization). This confirms my thought from an economic standpoint, and I have little doubt that competitive issues could be solved through continued influx of foreign players and the continuing increase of the level of play in college.

[Bluerocksfan]

I think Baltimore is slim because of the proximity of the Wizards. Albany just being on the list makes me laugh. Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal, Vancouver and Kansas City are the only ones I would think would be considered. Besides LA is about to get another team so it doesn't matter for now.

[NewMarketSean]

Well, we don't have a new arena, don't have the money to build one, don't have a government that could agree on where and how to build a new arena, the population in the city and metro area that DOES care about the NBA isn't wealthy enough to attend games regularly, not enough corporate sponsors....and then the Wizards are just 40 miles away.

So you're saying there's a chance!!!

I really don't care for the NBA so it doesn't bother me at all. It's pretty painful to see much smaller cities and suburban areas ranked ahead of Baltimore as a candidate for the NBA but there are other factors involved there too.

If the city ever gets another team, I hope it's an NHL team.

In the meantime, the city just needs to build a new arena.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I think Baltimore is slim because of the proximity of the Wizards. Albany just being on the list makes me laugh. Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal, Vancouver and Kansas City are the only ones I would think would be considered. Besides LA is about to get another team so it doesn't matter for now.

I don't think that the important thing to take away from the list is the inclusion of places like Albany or Sarasota (as amusing as it is). Those are places where there are a comparatively-high number of people with money, who could theoretically afford the season tickets and suites that a team would need to survive.

The point from Baltimore's side is that the way things stand right now there is a limited amount of money to go around to support sports franchises. That is a point that has been made by many people many times over the years, and it is a good one even if I don't think it tells all of the story. I think its interesting to see it quantified like this.

My biggest point is the idea that the NBA (or American professional basketball in a general sense) likely has the ability to support a number of other franchises both money- and talent-wise if it could figure a few things out within the NBA financial system.

[JDRex05]

I about choked on my food when I saw Albany on there, it's a very affluent area, but it's also just not that big.

Though, as a resident of the Albany metro area, I'd love to see a pro team from just about any sport here.