What if: Major League sports in Riverside county CA

Started by Desert Man, November 16, 2017, 03:54:24 PM

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Desert Man

I can see this (call me a futurist): Due to the continued population growth in the eastern regions of Greater Los Angeles, the Inland Empire region of southern CA (currently, 4.5 million people, grows to 5.5-6 million by 2030) is ready to host a major league sports team. What if this was possible?

NFL - California Chargers (not selling out well in LA compared to the Rams) - Temecula Stadium, between Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego. The NFL expands to 34 team granting one in LA's Carson Stadium, not far from the Rams' Inglewood Stadium. The 2nd (or 3rd) NFL team in So Cal & 4 or 5 in Cal. (depends if the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas - or an expansion team for Las Vegas).

MLS - San Diego Mission (the Sockers are their developmental team) - Escondido Soccer Stadium, 20 miles north of San Diego. 3rd MLS team in So Cal. and 4 or 5 in Cal. (Sacramento Republic?) - the Temecula Quails can be a developmental team either for the LA Galaxy or the new 2nd LA team.

NBA - San Bernardino Tremors (31st-34th team, possible NBA expansion to Seattle, Las Vegas and Virginia Beach) - San Bernardino Arena. They're the 3rd NBA team in So Cal (it won't work in San Diego - historically had the NBA Clippers and Rockets, and ABA Sails-Conquistadors) and 5th in Cal.

NHL - Palm Desert Coyotes (possible relocation of Arizona Coyotes) - Palm Desert Arena, note they would be the smallest major league sports city vs. Green Bay, but the Palm Springs area has 500-600,000 residents plus the entire Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The 3rd NHL team in So Cal. and 4th in Cal. I believe a minor league hockey Coyotes team is more feasible, but whatever.

Currently, the Inland Empire has 4 or 5 minor league baseball teams (3 in California League, 1 in Pecos League and 1 collegiate in Palm Springs, former spring training site of the Angels baseball team). It has the minor league hockey Reign (LA Kings affiliate) and the basketball Agua Caliente Clippers in the Ontario Arena (Clippers developmental team) - should they be in Palm Springs?
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.


Desert Man

#1
After reading demographics of the Inland Empire CA region, I came to realize this isn't a place for a major league sports team of any sport. The most affluent are Chino Hills (San Bernardino county borders on LA county) followed by Rancho Cucamonga (to some extent, but close to poorer Fontana or "Fontuckey"), Loma Linda and Redlands near SBDO (church-operated college towns), and Palm Desert which touches Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and La Quinta (Riverside county) with a high percentage of millionaires per ratio than any other place in California - ideal for minor league sports teams.

You have the population: Riverside-San Bernardino CA is 13th-14th largest metropolitan area in the country, but not prosperous enough. Riverside ranks 10th in population for the state (ahead of Santa Ana near Anaheim and Bakersfield), then it has a large low-income population and so does nearby "regional center" San Bernardino - the 2nd worst city to live in between Stockton and 1. Desert Hot Springs north of Palm Springs, a city with more crime than Compton. Near Riverside: Norco, Eastvale and Jurupa are widely viewed as not-so-good places, but "bad" Corona and Lake Elsinore touch Orange county.

Moreno valley-once the fastest growing city in America in the 1980s, is considered going to slum status. Perris is similar, so is Menifee ("meth" valley). There are jokes about how "redneck" the Murrieta-Temecula area is. Hemet-San Jacinto and Banning-Beaumont each rank among the worst places in the state. And Cathedral City, Indio, Coachella and Blythe (this may sound un-PC) are very Latino (and region's poorest) populations. What about Wildomar? Is that a town? LOL!

I don't think the San Bernardino side can support a major league sports team: Colton, Highland and Rialto are renowned "ghettos", and driving through Upland, Ontario and Chino is right out of a gangsta rap music video. The Victorville area is compared to South Central LA in socioeconomics, and even worse stats for Needles, Barstow, Yucca valley and 29 Palms (also among the region's poorest). Big Bear Lake, Calimesa and Yucaipa are the most rural places you can get (incorporated cities, or Cabazon-with community councils).
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

gonealookin

When I was down that way a couple years ago and went to a minor league baseball game I was pleased to discover that the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes play at "LoanMart Field".  That's a pretty good match of the corporate naming partner with the demographics of the surrounding communities.

Bruce

MLS is not going to give Los Angeles a third team, and certainly not going to build a new stadium in the exurbs. They are an urban-minded league.

There's a chance of USL or some affiliate team in the lower division, at best.

Desert Man

#4
Quote from: Bruce on November 16, 2017, 07:02:51 PM
MLS is not going to give Los Angeles a third team, and certainly not going to build a new stadium in the exurbs. They are an urban-minded league.

There's a chance of USL or some affiliate team in the lower division, at best.

Obviously, the Temecula team is USL in close proximity to Escondido, which touches the northern city limits of San Diego. And no 3rd team in the LA metro area, again the USL in...how about Montclair? which touches the county limits of Los Angeles. They would be named the Los Angeles...LA-ncers? It reminds me of the town of Landers, which has to be the poorest place in the Inland Empire, LOL.

edit: The Palm Springs area used to have the Desert Valley Knights in Cathedral City's soccer park. Earlier in the 2000s we had the California Desert Spinys in Palm Desert's soccer park. They were minor league and played teams from across Southern CA and Arizona. There's efforts to bring soccer back, but under the name "Desert United", most likely in Palm Springs' Sunrise Park Stadium.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

Desert Man

Quote from: gonealookin on November 16, 2017, 07:01:53 PM
When I was down that way a couple years ago and went to a minor league baseball game I was pleased to discover that the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes play at "LoanMart Field".  That's a pretty good match of the corporate naming partner with the demographics of the surrounding communities.

Their California League opponents are the Inland Empire 66ers (San Bernardino, noticed they didn't want the city name, nor Riverside) and the Lake Elsinore Storm (class-A Padres affiliate) while the Quakes are Dodgers and 66ers are Angels. I remember the Palm Springs Angels and as a child, I attended the Angels baseball training camp in Sunrise Park Stadium until the site moved to Arizona (with 14 other MLB teams around Phoenix) in 1993. Palm Springs has the collegiate team Power in the hot summer season.

And the High Desert Yardbirds in the independent Pecos League, formerly the Mavericks in the class-A California League, in Adelanto Stadium (renamed for Stater Bros, a regional grocery chain), but honestly to be close to Victorville Federal Prison, which replaced George Air Force Base as the top local economic activity center in 1992. The Cal League still has a team in Lancaster (the Jethawks) and the Pecos League has 2 teams in Kern county - California City (90% of the city is undeveloped) and Bakersfield (former Cal League city).
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

Roadgeekteen

Maybe a team from LA could move there to try to get more fans.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

Road Hog

Move the Dodgers to Pine Cove.  :poke:

(My absolute favorite place in the Southland.)



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