The Globe Editorial Board finally criticized the study commissioned by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, which presented a rosy view of professional baseball's prospects in Joplin.
The only problem with that study is it was based on having a minor league team such as those affiliated with major league baseball and not an independent professional team like the Blasters.
The Globe editorial failed to include a single word about the Chamber and Chamber Executive Director Rob O'Brian's role in commissioning the study and let's face it, pretty much guaranteeing that the study would say professional baseball should have no trouble succeeding in Joplin.
And this all comes on the heels of the Globe's absolving O'Brian and CART members of any responsibility in bringing master developer David Wallace and Wallace Bajjali Development Partners to Joplin after the tornado.
David Wallace is long since gone and it appears the Blasters are also history.
The problems, however, still remain even if the Joplin Globe can't see them.
I posted this earlier…but with the predication that it would be real minor league baseball…a couple more observations…Joplin is too small to have the closest league, AA Texas, and too far away for the closest A league, which is mainly Upper Midwest. A quick trip to wikipedia would tell them that they were smoking crack to think this would happen.
ReplyDeleteJoplin is underachieving on attendance. When you divide the average attendance per home game for the three Texas League teams by the Nielson households for their respective tv markets then apply that percentage to Joplin you find that…Joplin would be getting 1775 per home game…in 2015 Joplin averaged 1545, yet this year it plummeted to just over 600. I'm not sure what their projected attendance would be in their overall plan, but to assume you would average more than 1775 per game is a fool's folly…especially with three real minor league teams within an hour and a half.
Yet, the Blasters page says "The original lease between the City and the Blasters was signed based on the assumption of an average paid attendance of 2,500 to 3,000 fans per game for 50 games"
Both parties to this agreement did an awful job of due diligence and being realistic about the business plan.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Michael Beatty, the publisher at the Globe, sits on the board of directors at the chamber?
ReplyDeleteThis is a troubling trend for the Globe, that they are always a year or two behind on presenting vital information to their readers. And the fact that they protect sacred cows in the city is much more than troubling, probably journalistic malfeasance.
ReplyDelete>>>I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Michael Beatty, the publisher at the Globe, sits on the board of directors at the chamber?<<<
ReplyDeleteNow there's Conspiracy theories on Turner's Report?
What's next?
Claiming a there is a silver lining in the tornado?
smh...