Ramulous wrote:I love the fact that they state that other venues are quite willing to pony up the money to get them to move there....so go....please.....don't extort us.......a bunch of rich old white guys looking to prop up their investment with public money....see ya
Worcester has been cited a a possible location for the Paw Sox. I however don't buy that it is a plausible option. Massachusetts has generally been an exception to using public funding for pro sports venues. Fenway Park, TD Garden, and Gillette Stadium were all entirely privately financed and there are no subsidies. All that was provided were infrastructure improvements. I don't think the state of MA would go for this type of deal and the Worcester area has very little clout in state politics (everything in MA is centered on the Boston and the area within Rte 128). I also don't think that the City of Worcester could swing this on their own.
I went to college in Worcester. It is only the 2nd largest city in New England because its land mass is so large (2x Providence area). It is not a big metro area. It has no tv station and its newspaper has a small reach. Media promotion of a team would be tough. The city really seems to gravitate all its energy toward Boston and not within. Furthermore, pro sports teams have not fared well in Worcester as support has been spotty. They will soon lose their 2nd AHL team in the last 15 years.
I think the other town threat is a bluff. I call them on it.
Some statistics on the cities and metro areas of New England and a comparison of the towns/cities around Providence and Worcester.
CITY | LAND AREA SQ MILES | POP | DENSITY | METRO POP
Providence | 18.5 | 177,994 | 9,621 /sq mi | 1,604,291
Hartford | 17.3 | 124,893 | 7,219 /sq mi | 1,212,381
Bridgeport | 16.0 | 147,216 | 9,201 /sq mi | 939,904
Worcester | 37.6 | 182,544 | 4,855 /sq mi | 923,672
New Haven | 18.7 | 130,741 | 6,991 /sq mi | 862,477
Springfield | 32.1 | 153,060 | 4,768 /sq mi | 698,903
Manchester | 33.1 | 110,378 | 3,335 /sq mi | 403,895
Cities/Towns near Providence
Warwick 82,672
Cranston 80,387
Pawtucket 71,148
East Providence 47,037
North Providence 32,078
Johnston 28,769
Cities/Towns near Worcester
Shrewsbury 35,608
Grafton 17,765
Holden 17,346
Auburn 16,188
Millbury 13,261
West Boylston 7,669
Paxton 4,806