As a writer and sports fan, it has been a pleasure following and writing about major professional sports leagues and teams. Many NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL franchises are located in huge markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Dallas. These clubs have attained success in recent memory and the fans in each city have reason for optimism and hope for their teams. However, there are other well-known cities in the United States, such as Las Vegas and Virginia Beach that do not have an NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL franchise in place. Sports Illustrated, recently gave its opinion, as well as short explanations of why these cities should lay claim to their first ever pro sports teams. In the spirit of this, here are my top three personal suggestions for U.S. cities that should have a pro sport franchise.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is a lovely, enjoyable place to visit. It has surf shops, beaches, it is family and military friendly and it has many terrific fans. It does NOT have, however, a professional sports team. The closest professional MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL sports organizations to Virginia Beach are the Washington Nationals, the Baltimore Orioles, the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Ravens, the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals. This doesn’t seem right.
Something Virginia really does have is excellent and encouraging universities such as Regent University, Liberty University, Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion, Virginia Tech and University of Virginia. Some of these are NCAA Division 1 schools. This is a potential breeding ground for professional athletes, many of whom might wish to play for a professional team closer to home. These athletes should have a chance, and these fans should have a team of their own.
Las Vegas
The gambling capital of the world is yet to boast about a pro sports team and a reason for optimism. The Oakland Raiders, long-time residents of Oakland, California, are strongly considering relocating to the mega-center of sports betting. Yet, the Raiders have a passionate fan base. These people, throughout the years, have remained loyal to Oakland in spite of the team’s recent regular season failures. Should Mark Davis, the team’s owner, really risk having to deal with the anguish and uproar that could follow?
Either way, the point is, Las Vegas should be considered as a destination for a pro sports team because it is a vibrant city, a place where fabulous shows happen round the clock. Where else would a professional team be more welcome? Sports is one of the greatest shows on earth. People come to Vegas to enjoy themselves, it’s a no-brainer. Having a professional sports franchise there would keep the fans occupied and give them one more reason to go to Las Vegas.
Seattle
Yes, this U.S. city has two professional franchises in the NFL (Seahawks) and in MLB (Mariners), but it allowed its once proud and successful NBA organization, the Seattle Supersonics, to relocate to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as “the Oklahoma City Thunder” in 2008. This move has left a major gap in the Seattle sports landscape. Since then, the Supersonics fans have moved on to other teams and this is discouraging. In other sports like Hockey, there is also a need. The NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman have to really consider adding a team in the Emerald City. The obvious question would be, would this club play in the Eastern Conference or the Western Conference? My guess is they would play on the western conference. But what is stopping the NHL from establishing a team at all? These NBA and NHL sports fans in Seattle ought to have the opportunity to root for the home team, and fans nationwide should be allowed more choice.
There are many considerations that need to be made in order to bring a team to these cities. Financially alone, the investment is huge. The city, the league and the owners (financial backers) need to be aligned to make it happen. However, many good things would come out of creating expansion teams in these places. The economy of these cities would be impacted positively as businesses related to sports would thrive. Also, fans would bring additional cash flow to businesses as they travel to these cities to see their teams play. It seems like a win–win situation for all. Therefore, the three U.S. cities listed above should be given professional sports teams.
