The best sports city in America, as voted by The Sporting News, is yet again in the running for an NBA franchise. St. Louis, along with New Orleans, Nashville, Las Vegas, Louisville, San Diego and Anaheim are all potential homes for the struggling Vancouver Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are expected to lose 40 million dollars this year alone, and NBA Commissioner David Stern has admitted that blocking Bill Laurie’s bid to move the team to St. Louis last year “may have been a mistake.” Stern is now actively participating as the Grizzlies search for a new cave.
As a St. Louis resident, I’d love to see the Savvis Center become the Grizzlies’ new home. Sports-wise, all of STL needs a hoops team. Residing within the city limits is a championship football team, one of the best professional hockey teams and the second- best baseball team in Major League history (sorry, but the Yankees blow everyone away).
However, as much as I’d like to see the team come to town, there are several issues that cloud the Grizzlies’ move. First of all, as a Saint Louis University student, I’ve become accustomed to watching our men’s basketball team battle on the Savvis Center floor.
If the Grizzlies did move into town, it would put SLU fourth on the date chart for the Savvis. Concerts, the Blues and the Grizzlies would have first choice, while SLU would be left with the dregs.
Imagine watching Marque Perry throw alley-oops to Josh Fisher at eleven in the morning on a Thursday. As much as I love college basketball, I doubt my parents would be happy to know that I’m skipping class to watch hoops.
If SLU decides that the times don’t meet their requirements, then moving the team is another option. When looking around the city, there aren’t exactly any arenas waiting to take the Bills.
The St. Charles Family Arena is an option, but what SLU student will want to drive or ride a bus for 30 minutes across town; that’s if there isn’t any traffic. Factoring in rush hour on I-70 during the week it would take at least an hour in bumper- to-bumper conditions. Who wants to sit through that?
A solution to this problem would be to build an on-campus arena. The idea has been kicked around before, but with the other concerns on campus, it doesn’t seem feasible.
Another problem that could arise is support. With so many professional sports in St. Louis, there is only a limited amount of money that can be spent.
St. Louis is a baseball town first and foremost. No matter how badly the Cardinals may play, St. Louisans always make their way out to Busch Stadium.
St. Louis loves its hockey and has always supported the Blues, even when Mike Keenan was coaching.
The regular season for basketball runs from late October to the middle of June. Hockey runs on a similar schedule, and baseball starts up in April. There is no time during the year that a professional basketball team will be the only sports draw in town. I hardly doubt the people of St. Louis will put their hard-earned money into a basketball team, especially if they don’t win.
A prime example of this is the Rams. Before they won the Super Bowl, the Rams were not the sellout draw that the “Greatest Show On Earth” has become. While Tony Banks was running the team and fumbling the ball, St. Louis really didn’t care about the Rams.
If the Grizzles fizzle, as they have in Vancouver, St. Louis will not support them. Maybe the NBA should consider another location, especially considering St. Louis’ basketball team history. The Atlanta Hawks made their way out of town, and the CBA Spirits were shut down before the merger of the NBA and CBA.
As bad as things are in Vancouver, St. Louis may not be the answer.
