Read the entire article here on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website

Much work still to be done if Las Vegas pursues Marlins

By MARK ANDERSON
THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Las Vegas has been down this path before.

About 1 1/2 years ago, the city pursued the Montreal Expos, who were on the market before moving to Washington and becoming the Nationals.
Advertisement

"Las Vegas made a very credible and impressive presentation during the Expos relocation process which was favorably viewed by members of the Relocation Committee," baseball's chief operating officer, Bob DuPuy, said via e-mail late Tuesday.

Being received warmly by Major League Baseball could be important, following Tuesday's announcement that the Florida Marlins received permission to look into possibly relocating after failed attempts to complete a deal for a new stadium.

The Miami Herald reported Las Vegas, Charlotte, N.C., and Portland, Ore., are the three cities the Marlins will most seriously consider and could contact soon. No contact has been made with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, according to his office.

Mike Shapiro, a key player in the chase for the Expos, said his group put in plenty of time and work for baseball to take its proposal seriously last year.

But he said there still is much to be done for Las Vegas to get the Marlins.

"There are two key components," Shapiro said. "How much public support is available? How do you address the gaming industry? I've heard the chief individuals ... wouldn't welcome baseball with open arms. There are political concerns and financial concerns."

The main financial concern is building a stadium, which Shapiro estimated would cost about $500 million, plus another $100 million for the land.

That might be a tough sell to a community loathe to raising taxes.

"It can't be just the papers (supporting the effort)," Shapiro said. "It can't just be the mayor. There has to be real strong public support."

Even if such support was given, there is still the matter of actually erecting a stadium.

Shapiro said the entire process probably would take about four years because of planning and putting financing together.

"By the time you put a shovel in the ground, it's two years," he said.

That could be a problem if Las Vegas becomes a serious player for the Marlins. The club has announced it will not extend its lease at Dolphins Stadium when it expires after the 2007 season. The team does have a series of one-year options that could keep it there through the 2010 season.

Beyond the stadium, there still is the question of whether baseball would place a team in a city with legalized sports betting.

Las Vegas supporters will argue that at least it's regulated here, and there is so much more money bet illegally nationwide that cannot be monitored.

Even so, it would be a major step for baseball to take, one that would draw scrutiny throughout the country.

MLB probably would request that all games be taken off the betting board, but sports books probably wouldn't go along with that. A compromise could be to take off the Las Vegas games, but the UNLV and UNR football and men's basketball games are available at sports books.

"The issue of gambling on baseball generally and the possible Las Vegas team specifically was discussed (last year) but never resolved," DuPuy said through e-mail.

So there are some major issues that still need to be addressed, but despite the potential obstacles, Shapiro said Las Vegas should give it a shot.

"I would look into it," he said. "I think it's worth studying and figuring out what the options are."

Ah, the old bugaboo. This issue is the only reason the NBA isn't already in LV, IMO. I just can't see the Mandalay Bays and Bellagios of Vegas taking baseball off the books. It makes relatively little $ for the casinos, but still, they're not into reducing their bottom line, and it's not like there'd be a local public outcry for them to take baseball off the books, either, methinks...not necessarily a deal breaker for MLB in LV, but PDX is looking better the more I think about it We may not have a ton of $ already earmarked towards our ballpark, but at least it is there, and is a statement (not bold, necessarily, but a statement nonetheless) of our commitment to bringing MLB to PDX.

Financing a stadium in Vegas is interesting.
Big ticket public projects are very very unpopular there and I dont see the taxpayers taxing themselves $500 million. They cant produce a Portland solution of earmarking the teams state income tax since they dont have an income tax.
The casinos could finance a stadium with the stroke of a pen.
Fat chance. 35,000 people sitting in a stadium for three hours are 35,000 people who could be gaming in casinos. A stadium would be a net loss for the casinos and you bet the casinos are a very powerful lobying group in Vegas.
The one thing I do envy in Vegas is the spirit, vision and can do attitude of mayor Oscar Goodman.

Footnote; I saw mayor Goodman on the news last week. His city (like Portland) has a grafitti problem. When asked of a solution he said"let's cut the thumbs off the taggers" Our mayor Potter would be way to P.C. for such a colorful statement!

Roy: Yep, iff the mega-casino corporations (like MGM Mirage) want MLB, they'll get it. If they don't, you won't see MLB in LV for a loooong time IMO...The mega-corporations are the ones who'd foot the bill for the park, not the taxpayers....I honestly don't know if I'd rather have Goodman or Potter as our Mayor--it's not much of a choice...I do envy Goodman in that he has such a progressive, enlightened, and common-sensical (I can't believe I used "Goodman" and "common-sensical" in the same sentence, egads! )...While Goodman stumps for MLB in LV, Stumptown's lovely Mayor quashes the fun for everyone who ever dreamed of big league baseball in big league-sized PDX...know what Goodman's election campaign slogan was? Vote for me, or I'll have you whacked! ...say what you want about him (the guy is an unabashed hedonist, not to mention a former attorney for the Mob), he is funny, colorful, and "gets" it about the wondrous benefits of MLB...truly, PDX's obsession for political correctness (Potter would probably be the poster boy for this mindset) is nauseating, while LV's brutal honesty is, at least on certain issues like MLB, very refreshing.

quote:

Mike Shapiro, a key player in the chase for the Expos, said his group put in plenty of time and work for baseball to take its proposal seriously last year.

But he said there still is much to be done for Las Vegas to get the Marlins.

"There are two key components," Shapiro said. "How much public support is available? How do you address the gaming industry? I've heard the chief individuals ... wouldn't welcome baseball with open arms. There are political concerns and financial concerns."

The main financial concern is building a stadium, which Shapiro estimated would cost about $500 million, plus another $100 million for the land.

That might be a tough sell to a community loathe to raising taxes.

"It can't be just the papers (supporting the effort)," Shapiro said. "It can't just be the mayor. There has to be real strong public support."

Vegas has the gaming industry to worry about. Any locale that is lookig to fund a stadium will have political concerns, and I don't see Portland being the exception in that.

quote:

Originally posted by Maury:

quote:

Mike Shapiro, a key player in the chase for the Expos, said his group put in plenty of time and work for baseball to take its proposal seriously last year.

But he said there still is much to be done for Las Vegas to get the Marlins.

"There are two key components," Shapiro said. "How much public support is available? How do you address the gaming industry? I've heard the chief individuals ... wouldn't welcome baseball with open arms. There are political concerns and financial concerns."

The main financial concern is building a stadium, which Shapiro estimated would cost about $500 million, plus another $100 million for the land.

That might be a tough sell to a community loathe to raising taxes.

"It can't be just the papers (supporting the effort)," Shapiro said. "It can't just be the mayor. There has to be real strong public support."

Vegas has the gaming industry to worry about. Any locale that is lookig to fund a stadium will have political concerns, and I don't see Portland being the exception in that.

How true that all cities have an uphill climb in their own unique way. I think of Portland as having many small incremental pieces to put together. Vegas has fewer pieces but they are huge. In some ways Vegas and Portland have opposite problems. Vegas-supportive mayor and newspapers. Portland-baseball supportive public. Only the future will tell which path is more difficult. Now that will be interesting.

The Las Vegas Sun is VERY supportive. I'm not sure about the Review-Journal.

quote:

Originally posted by The Cactus Leaguer:
The Las Vegas Sun is VERY supportive. I'm not sure about the Review-Journal.

On that note...

Read the entire Editorial here on the Las Vegas Sun website

Editorial: Ready to reel in the Marlins?

Baseball team, searching for a new home, is considering Las Vegas and other cities

Once again a baseball team is scouting for a new home and once again Las Vegas appears to be in the running.

This time it is the Florida Marlins, whose owners are upset that the team must play in the Miami Dolphins football stadium instead of a stadium of its own. Last year Las Vegas worked hard to attract the departing Montreal Expos, which ultimately chose Washington, D.C., as their new home.

At the time, Mayor Oscar Goodman said the city would continue to search for a pro team. We agree that the Las Vegas metropolitan area, now with about 1.7 million people, is ready for a big-league team and that the city should seek a franchise.

This is not to discount the problems that we face. Where would we put a stadium? How would it be financed? Would Major League Baseball allow relocation to a city teeming with sports books? The city felt it could overcome these problems in chasing the Expos and that same air of confidence should prevail now.

A professional sports team, in our view, would be a crowning touch for Las Vegas. We believe a team, especially a baseball team, would have a healthy fan base between our own population and the 100,000-plus tourists who are here daily.