[AlbertC]

M&T Bank to make Buffalo a little bit more relevant again?

M&T Bank’s CIO Wants To Help Make Buffalo, New York A Magnet For Tech Talent

Mike Wisler, M&T Bank’s tech leader, has an ambitious plan to create hundreds of new IT jobs in its upstate New York hometown and to support the city’s startup scene.

www.forbes.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Buffalo could try having an MLS team (it won't negatively affect Toronto FC's attendance much) and MLS doesn't have a team in Western New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or northern Ohio. It would create an instant rivalry with Toronto FC (call it the QEW Derby or the 416-716 Derby (referencing the area codes of Toronto and Buffalo, respectively)?).

However, Erie County's population may not be large enough to support an MLS team.

 

[AlbertC]

Buffalo could try having an MLS team (it won't negatively affect Toronto FC's attendance much) and MLS doesn't have a team in Western New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or northern Ohio. It would create an instant rivalry with Toronto FC (call it the QEW Derby or the 416-716 Derby (referencing the area codes of Toronto and Buffalo, respectively)?).

However, Erie County's population may not be large enough to support an MLS team.

An issue with that at this point is Buffalo will most likely have issues forming an ownership group that could afford the MLS' expensive entrance fee for expansion teams.

In contrast, TFC only had to pay around $10 million back in 2006.

MLS to expand to 28 teams with huge jump in fees for new entrants

The fee for new entrants is jumping from $10 million to $150 million in a decade.

www.usatoday.com

In 2013, New York City FC agreed to pay a record $100 million expansion fee for the right to join MLS in 2015.[10] This record was surpassed by the ownership groups of FC Cincinnati and a new Nashville team, which each paid $150 million to join MLS (FC Cincinnati in 2019 and Nashville in 2020).[11][a] The same amount was paid as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought Columbus Crew SC in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving a new team in Austin, Texas, that will likely join MLS in 2021.[13][14] MLS has also announced that the ownership groups of the 28th and 29th teams will each pay a $200 million entrance fee and that the ownership group of the 30th team will pay a $325 million entrance fee.

Expansion of Major League Soccer - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Johnny Au]

An issue with that at this point is Buffalo will most likely have issues forming an ownership group that could afford the MLS' expensive entrance fee for expansion teams.

In contrast, TFC only had to pay around $10 million back in 2006.

MLS to expand to 28 teams with huge jump in fees for new entrants

The fee for new entrants is jumping from $10 million to $150 million in a decade.

www.usatoday.com

Expansion of Major League Soccer - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Expansion fees go up significantly each time there's an ownership group that seeks to own a new franchise. There goes any prospect of a Buffalo-based MLS team within this decade (even if said Buffalo-based MLS team were to use New Era Field to cut down costs of constructing a new stadium).

 

[Johnny Au]

Why the hell would the Jays play a regular season game in Buffalo in a stadium that seats <20,000?

It's time that you eat your hat because the Jays will play regular-season games in Buffalo in a stadium that seats <20,000.

I must be Nostradamus.

 

[someMidTowner]

It's time that you eat your hat because the Jays will play regular-season games in Buffalo in a stadium that seats <20,000.

I must be Nostradamus.

Like I said in the Jays thread, nobody should be eating their hat over this. You made a crazy and unrealistic prediction that required a catastrophic global pandemic to come to fruition. Which says more about your prediction than it does about @Translude15 calling you out for being ridiculous. You're trying to rub salt in his nonexistent wound with a mighty large cut on your palm.

 

[Johnny Au]

Like I said in the Jays thread, nobody should be eating their hat over this. You made a crazy and unrealistic prediction that required a catastrophic global pandemic to come to fruition. Which says more about your prediction than it does about @Translude15 calling you out for being ridiculous. You're trying to rub salt in his nonexistent wound with a mighty large cut on your palm.

Apologies. As I said in the other thread, I must admit that my prediction is very far out of left field and that it only became correct due to a very rare and specific circumstance, in this case, a catastrophic pandemic that nobody here predicted in 2016, not even myself.

 

[marcus_a_j]

The Toronto Blue Jays could play an exhibition game (or even a regular season game) at the Coca-Cola Field, so that Buffalonians would get a taste of Major League Baseball. It helps that the Buffalo Bisons is the AAA affiliate of the Jays.

The Raptors 905 could even play a game in First Niagara Center (exhibition or regular season).

There will be no fans at the Jays games, which means Buffalonians would not get a taste of MLB action. Therefore your prediction is not completely correct. Good effort tho...

 

[Translude15]

It's time that you eat your hat because the Jays will play regular-season games in Buffalo in a stadium that seats <20,000.

I must be Nostradamus.

Like I said in the Jays thread, nobody should be eating their hat over this. You made a crazy and unrealistic prediction that required a catastrophic global pandemic to come to fruition. Which says more about your prediction than it does about @Translude15 calling you out for being ridiculous. You're trying to rub salt in his nonexistent wound with a mighty large cut on your palm.

No need to come to my rescue @someMidTowner. I have accepted my fate and will dutifully eat my hat. @Johnny Au I have about 5 Jays hats, a Dodgers hat and a Cardinals hat. Take your pick.

There will be no fans at the Jays games, which means Buffalonians would not get a taste of MLB action. Therefore your prediction is not completely correct. Good effort tho...

Saw there was a congregation of fans hanging out by the freeway in the outfield. I guess that technically counts as Buffalonians getting a taste of MLB action. They could be Canadian though.

 

[marcus_a_j]

Saw there was a congregation of fans hanging out by the freeway in the outfield. I guess that technically counts as Buffalonians getting a taste of MLB action. They could be Canadian though.

I would accept that. There were also some fans just outside of the park hoping to catch HR balls that went over the fence. I read that one guy drove in from Brooklyn, NY for to shag potential balls leaving the stadium.

 

[Johnny Au]

No need to come to my rescue @someMidTowner. I have accepted my fate and will dutifully eat my hat. @Johnny Au I have about 5 Jays hats, a Dodgers hat and a Cardinals hat. Take your pick.



Saw there was a congregation of fans hanging out by the freeway in the outfield. I guess that technically counts as Buffalonians getting a taste of MLB action. They could be Canadian though.

I have accepted your apology. After all, the Blue Jays playing in Sahlen Field during the regular season with Buffalonians getting a taste of the action is indeed a black swan moment. You can eat a Jays hat (because of what I have correctly predicted), a Dodgers hat (because Ryu signed with the Jays), and a Cardinals hat (because some of its players tested positive for COVID-19, necessitating postponement).

I would accept that. There were also some fans just outside of the park hoping to catch HR balls that went over the fence. I read that one guy drove in from Brooklyn, NY for to shag potential balls leaving the stadium.

No doubt about it.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Buffalo could try having an MLS team (it won't negatively affect Toronto FC's attendance much) and MLS doesn't have a team in Western New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or northern Ohio. It would create an instant rivalry with Toronto FC (call it the QEW Derby or the 416-716 Derby (referencing the area codes of Toronto and Buffalo, respectively)?).

However, Erie County's population may not be large enough to support an MLS team.

There are still too many big markets in the States lacking teams (including nearby Detroit) that I don't think Buffalo is likely to get a team.

 

[Jonny5]

Expansion fees go up significantly each time there's an ownership group that seeks to own a new franchise. There goes any prospect of a Buffalo-based MLS team within this decade (even if said Buffalo-based MLS team were to use New Era Field to cut down costs of constructing a new stadium).

An issue with that at this point is Buffalo will most likely have issues forming an ownership group that could afford the MLS' expensive entrance fee for expansion teams.

In contrast, TFC only had to pay around $10 million back in 2006.

I am a bit out of the loop on MLS. Is it still the case that individual clubs aren't even "owned" but sort of simply leased? I thought that scared off a lot of small investors too because after paying your entrance fee your team has nothing of value on the balance sheet.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I am a bit out of the loop on MLS. Is it still the case that individual clubs aren't even "owned" but sort of simply leased? I thought that scared off a lot of small investors too because after paying your entrance fee your team has nothing of value on the balance sheet.

Correct in that it is a single-entity structure which owns the teams and the players. The individual owners own franchise rights, name and branding of their market team, and are part shareholders of the MLS entity, so if you are a prospective owner and are betting long on MLS then it could be and has been an amazing investment.

There really aren't any small investors anymore. The valuation of MLS franchises has skyrocketed compared to the time when the Canadian clubs got in. The best estimation to give for a value of MLS franchises is David Tepper paying $325 million expansion fee for Charlotte FC in July 2019, and I believe in September 2019, an investor purchased 20% of FC Cincinnati for $100 million which would indicate a valuation of FC Cincinnati at $500 million.

If you are Joey Saputo of Montreal Impact, you are loving your investment in MLS at a time when it was small.

 

[AlbertC]

How Buffalo is coping without Toronto tourists

September 13, 2020

How Buffalo's local businesses are coping without Toronto tourists | TRNTO.com

COVID-19 has taken a toll on Buffalo's tourism industry

trnto.com