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Marlins continue stadium extortion tour
2006-02-09 19:00
by Bob Timmermann

Except in this case the businessman from Norfolk, who mysteriously is not named in this MLB.com story.

The story mentions that Norfolk and Las Vegas are the two largest cities in the U.S. without a team in MLB, NFL, NBA, or NHL. The absence of a team in Las Vegas is understandable with concerns about gambling, but I think Norfolk's problem may be that a sizeable chunk of the people of the United States don't know where Norfolk is. Or what state it's in. (I have a low regard for the geographical knowledge of most of the United States.)

And it appears that the name of the mysterious businessman from the Tidewater area of Virginia is William Somerindyke, Jr.

Charlotte is supposed to be the next stop on the extortion tour, which has already been to San Antonio, Portland, and Hialeah.

Comments
2006-02-09 19:17:52
1.   grandcosmo
I don't think Norfolk is close to being the largest city without a big four team. Austin, TX has almost three times as many people as Norfolk.

Actually Austin, El Paso, and Louisville are all bigger than Las Vegas and there are dozens of cities bigger than Norfolk which is #74 according to the Census Bureau Estimates Program:
http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-01.xls

As for metropolitan areas the largest without a team is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario-(Fontana) which is ranked as the #13 biggest metro area in the U.S.

2006-02-09 19:30:15
2.   Bob Timmermann
This shows what happens when you rely on facts in a story from a reporter who can't even come up with the names of one of the principal participants in the meeting.
2006-02-09 20:19:27
3.   Mark
Bob, is there a reason why you think this is extortion? It seems to me that the Marlins owner wants to play in a city that will build him a stadium. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation, do you?
2006-02-09 20:23:20
4.   Bob Timmermann
I suppose it's not extortion because Miami and Dade County don't seem to care much about the Marlins.
2006-02-09 20:31:42
5.   sanchez101
3. I dont think the Marlins ownership is really interested at all in moving the team, they are just trying to scare people in south Florida into thinking they are. Otherwise, why parade around the country and let everyone know that your having these meetings.
2006-02-09 21:16:16
6.   Steve
As for metropolitan areas the largest without a team is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario-(Fontana) which is ranked as the #13 biggest metro area in the U.S.

And I couldn't even listen to a Dodger game in Ontario

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