ABM

One perspective from The Willamette Week

ProudBFan

And to think, Portland could have had a big-time hotel AND casino AND a Major League Baseball stadium AND team had they just given some land to that Native American tribe.

Portland's government sucks dong.

THAT's why we'll never host an All-Star game.

PBF

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Fork

It wasn't quite as simple as that.

MLB didn't want to be perceived as supporting gambling allowing a team to move to a city where their stadium was payed for by gambling money.

A 100,000 sq ft casino in downtown Portland=traffic nightmares.

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When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. -- Sinclair Lewis, 1935

If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by. -- Japanese proverb

deanwoof

We can't even sell out Blazer games, how are we going to sell out MLB? AND find a location for them to play? And the All-Star game? The Lloyd Center area only has so many upper class rooms. And the thought of "crossing the river" into downtown Portland seems very far, despite it only being a 5 minute drive.

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Dan

so you're saying that in the 20+ years that Portland did sell out games, we could've sold out MLB?

seems to me, the two are completely inter-dependant of each other. They're different games, somewhat different fan-bases, and different seasons.

there are enough places out there to put a baseball stadium. it's getting the ball rolling by getting the baseball team first that doesn't let most of us know the locations of the potential sites.

I suggest we all just give up on the all star game. I ain't coming here, and in reality, who cares? outside of the money it makes for the city, in the long run, I amost hope the NBA just has the all-star game kind of like the superbow and pro-bowl. At the same spot every year (or rotating between 2 or 3 cities).

this whole "hotel space" is a cop out, and the whole giving the all-star game to cities *multiple times* since we've been a franchise (including some getting it TWICE in 17 years) is just a slap in the face. It's not like the RG is out in the boone-docks. It's a short drive from downtown.

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A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog vendor and says "Make me one with everything".

when will the loss of life end?

The world respects the power of our example, not an example of our power.

I'd like to say I made this, but I didn't

hasoos

With the amount of money an all star game brings in, couldn't we just build a Motel next to the Rose Garden, and then burn it down when the event is done?

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Hasoos

It's_GO_Time

Heck over insure on the motel and you can make money on the back end too.

Fork

A) If it's built, why burn it down?

B) There's STILL no guarantee we'd get an all star game.

C) Where does the money come from to build the thing? It's not like the $30 million in revenue the ASG would bring in ALL goes to the people who pay for a hotel.

D) It costs many, many millions to build a large hotel. Far more than $30 million.

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When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. -- Sinclair Lewis, 1935

If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by. -- Japanese proverb

It's_GO_Time

This building a major hotel near the convention center has been a hot topic for years. Not just the ASG but Portland is weak at drawing national conventions because of lack of hotels near the convention center. Convention center would love new hotels, Katz was pushing for it, but there is a strong lobby group against it. It's been debated on many different levels with the top guns in the state.

I would love to see it happen but don't know all the issues invovled.

Xericx

Hippies hate tourism and hotels.

There. I said it.

Its the hippie's fault.

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Establiiiishment...establishment...you always know what's best......

ProudBFan

Portland to World: "Stay away. We don't want none o' yer so-called 'progress' 'round here!"



PBF

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ABM

I hear ya...

It's_GO_Time

Is your avatar (?) a sketch of the girl in the picture. I'll look for the response once I get back from my haircut . . . did you get that one?

ABM