The worst theory in the history of the OH

[Sports Guy]

There's no logic to that. The Nats had their highest attendance in their first season, so that would have been the year they took the most attendance away from the Orioles. Both teams' attendance has been dropping, and that's because they are losing teams.

When PA and the Orioles organization is involved, logic doesn't matter..trust me, I saw it first hand.

[LookinUp]

When PA and the Orioles organization is involved, logic doesn't matter..trust me, I saw it first hand.

There's no logic to this post either...unless you're like PA's mom or something.

I doubt you were enough of an "insider" to really know what was going through their minds then, much less what's going through their minds now with AM involved.

[SammyBirdland]

Too bad they don't have a fanbase that's identical.

That's an interesting thing to think about as well. Even if Angelos were to outspend Steinbrenner, the Yankees would still be the Yankees and the Orioles would still be the Orioles.

The Yankees are successful for many reasons far beyond the product that they put on the field.

- They are in the biggest and arguably most loved and desired city in the country. Non-fans will see a Yankees game just because they are in New York.

- Yankee hats are sold in every town and city in the country. Loving New York City translates into loving the Yankees.

- History. The Yankees will be able to live off of their history regardless of what they put on the field today. A large percent of the Yankee "fanbase" loves the Yankees because of Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, Berra, etc. A large percentage of the fanbase would have trouble naming four members of their current roster.

[Moose Milligan]

There's no logic to this post either...unless you're like PA's mom or something.

I doubt you were enough of an "insider" to really know what was going through their minds then, much less what's going through their minds now with AM involved.

Ehhh, I wouldn't be so sure. SG had his ears to the ground.

[Sports Guy]

There's no logic to this post either...unless you're like PA's mom or something.

I doubt you were enough of an "insider" to really know what was going through their minds then, much less what's going through their minds now with AM involved.

LOL..Spare me...I knew exactly what was going on in their minds when it came to DC...We had several meetings about it and it was a big topic of discussion with several people within the organization.

AM has nothing to do with that side of things.

Now, maybe PA has been shown enough data to where he has changed his thinking but knowing how strongly he felt about DC getting a team, I tend to doubt it.

[GoldGlove21]

I have seen the Orioles do so little to improve upon the lack of success by the previous year's team that it is really hard for me to defend them. I will say that they seem to pinch on players they should offer larger contracts to and offer larger contracts for players that they should have passed on.

Filling the seats makes the team money and it does seem that the team salary and not the win-loss record drives a lot of their decisions. We have been under .500 for more than a decade and although we are trying to put something together here were are doing it with young inexpensive prospects for the most part and when the time comes we will do our best to extend those players that have become fan favorites. We do not seem to be serious players (or have we been) for many of the better baseball players over the years. Money and length of contract have always seemed to get in the way.

I am not saying that the Orioles do not try, but it sure does seem like fielding a quality team is a not so close second to padding the old bank account. It also seems at times that it is hard to really root against our competition at the ball park. Other places are hostile places to play, but Orioles fans can not always get away with heckling the teams competition. I can go on and on, but I could probably site more example of ticket price increases than well advised free agent spending. In a lot of ways, it is hard for any franchise to be as bad as the Orioles over a longer period of time.

[amateurfan]

You're right it is ridiculous to argue that all PA wants is to make the best profits. I don't think that's the case. That argument of such extreme positions isn't very interesting, though.

I don't think his main priority is winning. I think he read Moneyball three years after its publication and became a late converter.

When Rosenthal published that the Orioles were going to have a yearly payroll of 80mm, it definitely brings into question PA's priorities. Whether or not he's got them balanced enough to achieve a winner is a good question. We'll see in 2011 when there really shouldn't be any excuses.

[EL_Coyote]

LOL..Spare me...I knew exactly what was going on in their minds when it came to DC...We had several meetings about it and it was a big topic of discussion with several people within the organization.

AM has nothing to do with that side of things.

Now, maybe PA has been shown enough data to where he has changed his thinking but knowing how strongly he felt about DC getting a team, I tend to doubt it.

PA had every right to attempt to protect his interests in the matter. It's no different than Jack Kent Cooke trying to keep Baltimore from getting an NFL franchise in the 90s.

As for fan base. I feel really good about telling you Baltimore's population is far more interested (if not Rabid) about seeing the Orioles win than DC is even interested in their city having a team. Will time and winning improve that in DC? To some extent yes. However I doubt that DC would ever be as in love with it's team as Baltimore is with it's own.

[El Gordo]

When PA and the Orioles organization is involved, logic doesn't matter..trust me, I saw it first hand.

How much could you really see from the ticket selling booth? I fail to see how this makes you an authority.:laughlol:

[El Gordo]

LOL..Spare me...I knew exactly what was going on in their minds when it came to DC...We had several meetings about it and it was a big topic of discussion with several people within the organization.

AM has nothing to do with that side of things.

Now, maybe PA has been shown enough data to where he has changed his thinking but knowing how strongly he felt about DC getting a team, I tend to doubt it.

Lol. We? Were you present at those meetings?:rofl:

[Frobby]

When SG, and I worked for the O's (2001-03), the team stated that roughly 20% of their season ticket base came from Montgomery, PG, and NOVA. 25% of their individual game ticket sales came from that same area.

Clearly the Nationals have provided some erosion of that market.

I expect so, but it could have been much worse. The O's had attendance declines in 6 of 7 years before the Nats arrived, and I really don't think the Nats have cost them more than maybe 200-300,000 fans a year tops, which is nowhere near some of the doomsday scenarios that were being painted before the Nats arrived.

[Moose Milligan]

Lol. We? Were you present at those meetings?:rofl:

C'mon dude. I know you like to poke at SG whenever given the chance but c'mon.

He's not a liar, don't treat him like one.

[El Gordo]

I have seen the Orioles do so little to improve upon the lack of success by the previous year's team that it is really hard for me to defend them. I will say that they seem to pinch on players they should offer larger contracts to and offer larger contracts for players that they should have passed on.

Filling the seats makes the team money and it does seem that the team salary and not the win-loss record drives a lot of their decisions. We have been under .500 for more than a decade and although we are trying to put something together here were are doing it with young inexpensive prospects for the most part and when the time comes we will do our best to extend those players that have become fan favorites. We do not seem to be serious players (or have we been) for many of the better baseball players over the years. Money and length of contract have always seemed to get in the way.

I am not saying that the Orioles do not try, but it sure does seem like fielding a quality team is a not so close second to padding the old bank account. It also seems at times that it is hard to really root against our competition at the ball park. Other places are hostile places to play, but Orioles fans can not always get away with heckling the teams competition. I can go on and on, but I could probably site more example of ticket price increases than well advised free agent spending. In a lot of ways, it is hard for any franchise to be as bad as the Orioles over a longer period of time.

Care to give some examples of this for the time AM has been here? I'd agree this has happened before him, but I haven't seen that since he has been here.

[Satyr3206]

If you want to see a cheap owner look no further than the Marlins.

[El Gordo]

C'mon dude. I know you like to poke at SG whenever given the chance but c'mon.

He's not a liar, don't treat him like one.

I am not saying he is a liar. I am laughing at his exaggerated, IMO, sense of self importance. I'm sure he had some perspective working as a ticket seller, that we don't have outside the warehouse, but I fail to see why that makes him an authority.