Question Sebastien,
It seems like for the past year or two that the Expos owners were going to make a decision to build a new stadium, relocate to another city, or Loria buy out the other minority owners. It kind of reminds of a sick patient who just won`t die. One way or another I wish a final decision would be made. Do you know when a decision is going to be made if a) Loria will buy out the Montreal owners and move the team to the States, b) Loria will buy out the Montreal owners and keep the team in Montreal and build a stadium, c) Loria will sell the team to an owner in the States, d) none of the above?
Hoping for an answer,
Jeff
ps: I`ve been a fan since the early 80s and made the trip from Sacramento to Montreal in 93 just to see the Expos play at home. For the record, I would love to see them stay in Montreal, but at some point this situation must be resolved!
Answer Hi Jeff,
Well, you're asking the famous $64,000 question. If I knew the answer to a), b), c) or d), I'd be a rich man ($64,000 times 4 :-)
Noone knows, not even the media or the guys covering the team on a daily basis, have a clue as to what's happening. Loria and Samson think we're idiots, but we've seen the worst of them. I could take a stab at what I think will be realized, and use your questions. A) Loria has already bought out the shareholders. As far as moving the team to an american city, well consider this: By letting this happens, MLB loses two markets. It loses Montreal as a window to baseball in a foreign country, and it loses the city where Loria moves the team to as a possible lucrative expansion franchise. Then he couldn't move the Expos next year, cuz there's not a city with a stadium as big as the big O ready to receive a ball team (only Washington with RFK Stadium is a possibility, but between you and me, Peter Angelos will never let that happen and if it did, Loria would lose his shirt playing in that stadium. B) Not likely to happen, unless that was his intention all along. Problem with Loria and Samson is that they don't talk. You never hear a clear explanation on what their intentions are, so that's why I'm saying nobody knows. It just looks like they're trying to put this franchise on the ground. No marketing, no Quebec influx of talent in the administrative side of the organization, despite the fact that former Montreal Manic (of the defunct NASL) GM Roger Samson was sitting there waiting to be asked to join the forces. C) No, unless Bud Selig and MLB force him to sell. Remember that when Selig approved Loria as the Expos' new majority owner, he did so because he wanted to see Loria try and make it work in Montreal. It doesn't take a 150 IQ person to figure out Loria has done just the opposite since.
Hope this answers your questions a little, sorry I do not have more to tell you
