Expos Managing General Partner Jeffrey Loria said
Monday that a new ballpark in Montreal will "neither solve
the financial ills that have plagued the franchise for more
than a decade nor stop speculation that the team will move,"
according to Thomas Heath of the WASHINGTON POST. While
being interviewed in his N.Y. art gallery, Loria said that
the Expos' financial troubles "run far deeper than he
thought" when he bought the team nearly a year ago. Loria:
"There are three or four main factors. You have an exchange
rate, which is 40 cents on every dollar. We get killed. We
have huge taxes, upwards of [16% on each ticket sold] ...
the highest in the league. And there's no competition in
television dollars. TV is basically a monopoly in Canada.
You get the number they give you" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/21).
MOVIN' ON UP? When asked if he would like to move the
team, Loria said, "That's a tough one to answer." But Expos
Exec VP David Samson said, "We are very aware that
Washington-Virginia may be a very attractive market for a
professional baseball team. If everything we've heard about
it is true, it would be hard for any businessman to say no."
Loria said that he has not talked with MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig or any other owners about moving. Samson: "The
commissioner has made it clear in all of his public
statements that he has no interest in hurting any of his
existing franchises by relocating a franchise in the
vicinity of an existing franchise. That leaves open the
question, 'What's the definition of vicinity? What's the
definition of hurting?'" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/21).
MARKET WORRIES: Meanwhile, Loria "expressed doubts"
about whether Montreal can support any major league
franchises, including hockey. Loria: "The Montreal
Canadiens, the jewel of Canadian sports, are having trouble
up there too." Samson said, "Even in a full stadium, with
complete business and corporate support, 2.4-plus million in
attendance, Montreal still would not be able to support a
team without revenue sharing" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/21).
