I talk about it every year. Every chance that I get, I let people know that Baltimore is deserving of an NBA franchise. We have the loyal fans, a city that loves basketball and will go to lengths just to attend high school games. There is just one problem, a very big problem. Baltimore doesn’t have an NBA-ready facility.
Renovation
Yes, please tell me how the “Big Chicken Box” aka Royal Farms Arena, could be good enough for an NBA team? Our arena wouldn’t even house the amount of fans necessary for an NBA franchise, let alone be enough for the Terps to want to come here every year. A capacity crowd for the arena is 14,000. Royal Farms Arena would at least need to add 4,000 seats to even be thought of as being big enough for an NBA franchise.
There is a possibility of a renovation project for the arena. But it needs to be done immediately and extravagantly. The arena doesn’t have any luxury boxes, or even seats that are comfortable. The renovation would also cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to complete. However, if the city could get a group of owners together that would be willing to foot the bill for the arena, Baltimore could do it.
A New Arena
The second option is to build an entirely new facility. There are only a few places that could have enough space for an NBA arena. There was a report from The Baltimore Business Journal in January 2015 that stated:
The Baltimore developer is presenting early plans to key stakeholders for a 15,000- to 16,000-seat venue across Pier Five and Pier Six, according to sources with knowledge of the proposal. The location, tucked between Power Plant and ritzy Harbor East, is currently home to the Pier Six concert pavilion, Pier 5 Hotel, a surface parking lot, McCormick & Schmick’s and a Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
The ACBJ (parent company of the Baltimore Business Journal) would later run a study that concluded that Baltimore just can’t afford an NBA franchise:
The report concluded that Baltimore’s $151 billion TPI didn’t allow for any new teams. In fact, once you subtract the $104 billion in TPI needed for MLB’s Orioles and the $48 billion needed for the NFL’s Ravens team, Baltimore actually ran a tiny TPI deficit of $1 billion.
That placed it among 20 markets in the country labeled “overextended” with a TPI deficit. Compared to the others, Baltimore’s deficit was virtually nonexistent, though. The biggest deficit in the country was in Denver, where six teams overextended a $166 billion TPI by a whopping $121 billion.
I really want to see Baltimore become a bastion of sporting glory instead of absence. We have a huge space of ice in our hearts because we lack any sporting events to attend regularly without an NBA or NHL franchise during the Winter. Yes, we love the Orioles and the Ravens, but it sure would be nice to have an NBA team in the city.
Now I will always be a fan of the Wizards no matter what. I’ve been through all of the hardships and what not. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be the first one down to support the Baltimore Sparrows, Blackbirds or whatever the heck our team’s name would be. I would save up a lot to get court side seats. Not only that, but our fanbase is rabid.
Just think, the Ravens were warmly welcomed to Baltimore and won a championship just 4 years after being in the NFL. They did it all with the support of the city, smart ownership and great management. They also found a team in Cleveland that just couldn’t build a new stadium and moved them here.
Relocation
Now we’ve been through this before. Whatever team that will move here to Baltimore, will have an angry former fan base. I say that we need to get a team who’s fans have forgotten about them. A team who would otherwise be an afterthought. There is only one of those teams in the NBA: the Milwaukee Bucks. They are a young team with growing talent, but they need a new arena.
Baltimore could lure them here if they promise to build them a new arena, much like they did with M&T Bank Stadium for the Browns. Even though this would be a good option in my opinion, it’s less likely than receiving an expansion team.
Expansion
With the NBA most likely getting a team back in Seattle within the next 10 years, Baltimore could be added as the Eastern Conference’s new team. This would make the count even on both sides, 16 in the West, 16 in the East. Also, another plus is that it is organic in the sense that Baltimore would start fresh. It wouldn’t be any old history attached to the team.
Problems With Other Owners
Like with the Ravens and Nationals, other owners tried to block those moves. The Ravens weren’t welcome because of the nearby ‘Skins. This also holds true for the Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles, who were content with having fans in DC and much of Virginia. Maybe Baltimore can work out some deal with the Wizards for television rights on Comcast SportsNet or MASN can air NBA games, both of which would be huge for either channel.
Ownership Group
Baltimore loves homegrown talent. How about owners who already do a lot within the city limits? My favorite idea would be Steve Biscotti, Cal Ripken and Kevin Plank coming together as a major ownership group to own the team. Those three names are very iconic here in Charm City.
Ripken was one of the best Orioles ever, he also has a lot of money. Many people in Baltimore would say that he is their favorite Oriole ever. He also happens to be a big basketball fan, often going to Terps basketball games. Biscotti owns the Ravens, a team that has had major success in the NFL. Lastly, Plank is the owner of one of the biggest sporting brands in the World, Under Armour. I am more than sure that people would love to see these three men have something to do with the team.
Final Thoughts
As of right now, Baltimore won’t have a team any time soon. It’s sad because we love our sports here in Baltimore. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have the funds or support in the future to have that NBA franchise that many of us covet. It all starts with a movement. That movement needs to begin with the citizens of Baltimore and surrounding areas.
We can easily demand a team of we go and support the Ravens and Orioles tenfold. When the Terps come to Baltimore, we need to be there in droves. If the Caps come to Baltimore for a preseason game, we need to attend. It is all about support. Lastly, we need to organize. Get signatures, meet up with local legislatures, get money together, start a fan page. It all begins with us and I know that we are capable of doing great things. We are Baltimore.
