Brulotte is a clown (Rob Dibble is smart next to him). This is not serious. The Expos back in Montreal? As much as I'd love to have the team back, this will never happen.

They hovered around 10k fans per game in their last decade. Isn't that reason enough NOT to bring them back?

They hovered around 10k fans per game in their last decade.

That was after MLB and ownership tried to run the team into the ground for years. No reflection on the city or the fans.

What's the mood in Montreal about a publicly funded, retractable roof ballpark? Because that's likely the starting point for baseball to return to Montreal. None of the current teams that could move are paying for their own park, that's for sure.

#3 is dead right, but that doesn't mean the fans will welcome MLB BACK with open arms...

No, that's true. It would have to be handled right, and it may be too soon now to try it at all; not sure.

What's the mood in Montreal about a publicly funded, retractable roof ballpark?

I'd like to know too.

There's one recent example we may use to get an idea. Quebec City, the capital of the province Montreal is part of, is trying to get a new publicly funded hockey arena. The project is backed by most of the Conservative class of the province who think this would be a wonderful economic opportunity for the city because it might lure a NHL team back to the city. It is of interest to know that most of those "right wingers" are from Quebec City.

However, the left-wingers in the province (most of whom, interestingly enough, are from Montreal) are against the project because they don't want to publicly finance an industry that has billions in revenues.

So, just like in the US, the building of a new baseball stadium would become a political issue. Only, I have no idea how it would end up. Would left-wingers be in favour of building a baseball stadium because it would be based in their own city, even though it would support an industry that has billions in revenue? Or would they still be against it? I think the latter is likely because they are always critical of the Conference Board.

And what about the Quebec City right wingers? Would they consider that using public money to finance a baseball stadium is a waste of money as they usually argue when the government spends money on almost anything, or would they use the arguments they are now using to back up the arena project?

I have no idea. [as always, sorry for my English.]

However, the left-wingers in the province (most of whom, interestingly enough, are from Montreal) are against the project because they don't want to publicly finance an industry that has billions in revenues.


Is it really a left- or right-wing thing, or simply a revival of the old Canadiens-Nordiques rivalry? I can't see anyone from Montreal looking to support the return of the NHL to Quebec.

Are there any private Canadian investors (ideally French-Canadian) who would be willing to pay for a stadium and lure the Coyotes somehow. Balsillie wouldn't put a team in Québec City, and he's been turned away twice already.

J'aimerais voir un retour de les Nordiques ET de mes chers Expos, mais je ne suis pas optimiste.

(and your English is just fine)

Hey if a dump like Winnipeg can get an NHL team the Nords should be back within the year!

They'd probably still be my #2 team behind the Leafs, but it would be close.

Ouch.

Brulotte says the fact that a recent Conference Board of Canada report declared Montreal could still support Major League Baseball under the right conditions led the unnamed group to publicly explore the city’s appetite for it.

Ignoring the local politics for a moment, the above-referenced report hardly positioned Montreal as the most logical relocation or expansion destination. Unless I saw cherry-picked quotes, it basically said that even under optimum conditions, Montreal would be a bottom-third team in both revenue and payroll and would need subsidies to both survive and contend. (And this is with the U.S. and Canadian dollars at close to par, so currency fluctuations could render the outlook even worse.)

Are there any private Canadian investors (ideally French-Canadian) who would be willing to pay for a stadium and lure the Coyotes somehow.

Pierre Karl Péladeau has been negotiating with the city for some time now but in order to be acceptable for the province (who will end up paying 50% of the new arena), a new law has to be voted by the legislative assembly which somehow requires the unanimity. One deputy, the socialist Amir Kadhir, is REALLY against the whole project.

As much as I'd love to see major league baseball return to Montreal, I don't see it happening. I hope I'm wrong, though, and if I am I'll be there for the opening game.