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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67122 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 10/14/21 7:48 am ::: Nashville readies its pitch for WNBA franchise |
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https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2021/10/14/nashville-readies-pitch-wnba-franchise
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A coalition of city leaders is slowly making progress on its mission to attract a women's professional sports team to Nashville.
The women's professional sports ad hoc committee, led by influential attorney Margaret Behm, met last week to hear an update from the city's consultant. |
_________________ I'm sick and tired of the stories that you always tell
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020 Posts: 1898
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Posted: 10/14/21 4:45 pm ::: |
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I'd be very hyped for this. I've always had a fondness for teams in non NBA markets. I think this could be a very successful location.
Seems like we could really see some expansion in the next few years.
Or maybe Atlanta gets relocated to Nashville. X
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snlMINAJ
Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 1233
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Posted: 10/14/21 7:11 pm ::: |
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yes it seems like a no-brainer that expansion is needed - but then you have teams like indiana and atlanta where you look down at the bench and are like - what? who?
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3371
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Posted: 10/14/21 8:16 pm ::: |
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I'll say it again, if they put a WNBA franchise in Tennessee, and don't call them the Summit**, they're hustling backwards.
** Presuming that they have the blessing of the estate, obviously.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67122 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 10/26/21 7:00 am ::: |
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https://www.newschannel5.com/news/could-wnba-team-come-to-nashville
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the Sports Authority says the consultant is now designing a survey to see if there's specific interest for a WNBA team to play here, and exactly where they would play here. |
_________________ I'm sick and tired of the stories that you always tell
Shakespeare couldn't tell a story that well
See, you're the largest liar that was ever created
You and Pinocchio are probably related
Full of criss-crossed fits, you lie all the time
Your tongue should be embarrassed, you're a threat to mankind
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hyperetic
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 5419 Location: Fayetteville
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Posted: 10/26/21 12:27 pm ::: |
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Anybody know if the name Pat Summit holds has much weight with younger Tennesseans as it does with the previous generations? I am not familiar with current Summitt reverence in Tennessee but I remember when it was very high. |
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22478 Location: NJ
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mercfan
Joined: 08 May 2013 Posts: 1910
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Posted: 10/26/21 1:06 pm ::: |
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This wouldn't be the most intriguing expansion in my mind but I'd love to see what organizers can put together.
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root_thing
Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 7365 Location: Underground
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Posted: 10/26/21 1:08 pm ::: |
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Even if people remember Pat Summitt, is she revered throughout Tennessee? Nashville is 180 miles from Knoxville. Their big local WCBB teams are Vanderbilt and Belmont. Elsewhere in Tennessee, you have Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee Chattanooga, Tennessee Martin, etc. Do even fans from rival schools love Pat Summitt?
Nashville is a blue city in a very red state. What might fly in Nashville -- like WNBA players regularly wearing BLM gear -- doesn't necessarily work for the rest of the state. So, they need to have strong support from within the city itself and maybe the surrounding suburbs.
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UK1996
Joined: 03 Sep 2015 Posts: 403
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Posted: 10/26/21 9:07 pm ::: |
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In Kentucky most college sports fans are Kentucky fans although Louisville does have some fans. I’d say there are at least 2-3 Kentucky fans for every Louisville fan everywhere in the state except for Louisville. Even in Louisville there are a lot of Kentucky fans. I’ve lived close to the Tennessee border my whole life, most of it close to Knoxville but the past few years close to Nashville. I would say it’s similar to UK-Louisville but it seems like the gap between the number of Tennesse-Vandy fans is even wider. I see UT gear and license plates all the time but rarely see Vandy merchandise. People respect Pat Summit as one of the greatest coaches to ever exist. Nashville being such a tourist destination could benefit them. Tons of bridal parties venture to Nashville, this could be marketed as a thing to do before Binge drinking on Broadway. If a team were to come I’d also work really hard recruit some of more famous residents to come like Taylor Swift, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and number of other country stars. It wouldn’t be a huge number but you’d be surprised what people will do to try and spot a celebrity. They’d really do best to work and try to get a well respected country singer to serves as somewhat of an ambassador. Dolly Parton would be an ideal candidate but I’m sure she and many other candidates stay pretty busy. Dolly could do a local commercial, appear on a billboard with a player or players. Country music is so ingrained into the identity and culture of Nashville it would be nice to see it used to help promote the team. If you could find a player who really enjoyed country music that would be a plus. Someone like Victoria Vivians who I believe has referred to herself as a country girl in the past could possibly work if she enjoys country music. Also, if you could pull in a Tennessee star that could help as well. As far as promo I’d push hard for ads on Broadway and The Grand Ole Opry.
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UK1996
Joined: 03 Sep 2015 Posts: 403
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Posted: 10/26/21 9:16 pm ::: |
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Also, I’d like to add, I don’t see being a blue city in a red state affecting things too much. The same could be said for a few states with WNBA cities, (Arizona, Texas, Georgia) although those states have trended purple more recently and are larger cities overall. Based on my observations with some of the college teams in this part of the country, most of the people who have an issue with players taking a stance aren’t the ones going to the games, and “individual boycotts” rarely last more than a season.
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Silky Johnson
Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3371
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Posted: 10/26/21 10:21 pm ::: |
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UK1996 wrote: |
Also, I’d like to add, I don’t see being a blue city in a red state affecting things too much. The same could be said for a few states with WNBA cities, (Arizona, Texas, Georgia) although those states have trended purple more recently and are larger cities overall. |
Nitpick: Georgia is 33 percent Black, the third-largest percentage of Black people of any state in the US. It's not a red state, it's a blue state, in bondage.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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DFWub2018
Joined: 24 Aug 2018 Posts: 1047 Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67122 Location: Where the action is
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9776
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Posted: 11/24/21 11:38 pm ::: |
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Silky Johnson wrote: |
UK1996 wrote: |
Also, I’d like to add, I don’t see being a blue city in a red state affecting things too much. The same could be said for a few states with WNBA cities, (Arizona, Texas, Georgia) although those states have trended purple more recently and are larger cities overall. |
Nitpick: Georgia is 33 percent Black, the third-largest percentage of Black people of any state in the US. It's not a red state, it's a blue state, in bondage. |
Whether a state is blue or red depends on how the citizens vote, not on how many are black. But since Georgia voted Democratic for president and both Senators in 2020 it should probably be considered blue now.
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9776
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Posted: 11/24/21 11:42 pm ::: |
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It doesn't make sense to report a city is lobbying for a team without also mentioning which rich people are ready to buy the team.
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The key next step is identifying possible venues a WNBA franchise could call home as well as drawing the attention of prospective ownership groups. |
I think the key first step is finding a local rich person interested in buying a team.
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020 Posts: 1898
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Posted: 11/25/21 8:35 am ::: |
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Honestly, it's kind of a strange strategy we've seen with municipalities pushing for a team since most municipalities are trying to avoid being held hostage by arena / stadium tax credits. I guess a W team could never leverage tax credits from the city, so their is no risk in the possible goodwill of supporting a team.
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StevenHW
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 10983 Location: Sacramento, California
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