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OK Crazy... has anything NEW been announced by the league office? No.

Is Saskatoon a "done deal?" No. Never was. It's a hope, nothing more (that we know of) at this time.

Is there any expansion for 2009 in the cards at this time? No.

Do they want it (badly)? Yes.

Can you stop beating multiple dead horses? Apparently not. You keep bringing up the same topic over and over and over and over again.

When there's new news there'll be something to this. Quite frankly I don't know how the NoL can expand in any meaningful way. That doesn't mean Griffith isn't trying, but he's got a lot of competition that's been much, much more successful.

Leaving "crazi-land"

Some location may come back into the picture like Topeka, or SE suburban KCK but simply having "any" facility (like Saskatoon) is not enough to make a successful franchise. Something under the radar in a new location may be in the works, but no one would/should be talking about it.

What about investors?

The NoL is in a delicate position at the moment since though it needs/wants expansion it first needs to get the last expansion candidates into the black or no one will pay the full franchise fee or want to join --and that's not even considering the issues that the that last expansion added in the way of travel costs. Like locations, there may be some folks already in the queue for a spot, but it they've done any due diligence, they're probably not signed anything committing them to a NoL franchise right now.

If I were a potential investor wanting to buy my own club, the NoL is not on the top of my list, nor is it second, and maybe not even third. In the indy franchise market there are too many other leagues that are in a better position right now geographically.

Not easy?

It's dumb. Stupid. A continuing waste of time.

Something that you continually bring up with little or nothing to add when nothing's happened at all.

Trying to "pair" anyone is pointless when you don't even have the first one to pair it to.

No one answers --on any board-- because your premise is off base --in a word "crazy."

Oh crazy you are so consistently wrong.

THERE IS NO SASKATOON!

A pair takes TWO. Not zero plus one.

Why you continue to bring it up when there isn't anything there is just proof of your life in some parallel world where wishes (of commissioners and/or owners) is all that's needed to start a franchise.

The rest of your argument is patently wrong.

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the odds of NoL growth for 08

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...are NIL. "Expansion season" is almost closed unless there's a "ready to use" facility already in place -- Saskatoon does NOT qualify. NO official agreements have been made-- only hopes and wishes.

Short of some miracle announcement at the ASG next month it's already over.

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owners are too cheap to build new parks

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Wrong.

KCK and Fort Worth did. People came forward in GP to say they "would have."

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taxpayers arent dumb enough to build them for them as they use to be

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Wrong.

GP just did or does that fact something crazi people ignore. Springdale AK did (that's why Wichita is available). Others are. More are considering it.

Also they're not "dumb." They like a quality of life where they have a local ballclub that people can go out to see. Something that adds to their identity or returns them to something from their past.

What is "dumb?

It is clearly "dumb" to completely ignore the obvious facts to answer a stupid question predicated solely upon desires and wishes. That's simply "crazy."

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the NoL needs to expand for next year or they may lose more clubs

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The only word that allows that sentence to makes any sense is "may." But, frankly, the requirement that the league MUST expand or die for next year is another of your treasured delusions. The league might be better off if they expand but it's neither likely nor should it be a requirement. Griffith has not committed completely to that.

Also, expansion may do nothing to prevent defections. It was a factor in the split. Expansion to Saskatoon (or Wichita) does little to help the Chicago teams. A $1M has to be enforced and might just fail in court. Multiply that by say three (Chicago clubs) and you have a situation where the NoL might be trying to fight it in receivership with no one left to enforce it.

The NoL's future is only as strong as it is NOW, not any requirements for expansion.

I think it's abundantly clear that you refuse to acknowledge that you are adding nothing. That you continue to be wrong on nearly every point you make. As if no one was reading (which is pretty much what seems to happen in your BPD postings). It doesn't take someone who "knows it all" to know you refuse to deal with the realities of indy ball or even remember what's been posted.

As for your latest repeated question... I've already answered that in one of the many replies to your relentless avoidance of reality. Since you apparently have the memory of a gnat I'll repeat it in a slightly different way so that I don't bore myself and anyone else reading this thread.

The NoL will last as long as its "weakest links." The weak links will either be the financial failure of one or both of the Alberta teams or defection of one or more of the Chicago teams.

How long will that be in "real time?" Probably 1-3 years in the current form with no expansion, possibly longer. It all depends on the decisions of the individual owners on how much money they want to make/lose.

Repeating the collateral issues

Could the league survive losing one/both of the Alberta teams? Yes. They could contract to six teams (or 7 with a traveling club) until they find a replacement.

Could they survive losing the three Chicago clubs? Probably not.

Will any of this happen? Who knows? I don't. There are way too many variables in this equation to make anything authoritative --even for most of those directly involved.

About the only thing I think will happen is that the league will be back for the 2008 season and it will almost certainly not expand anywhere. Discussions will continue and efforts for expansion in 2009 will make the most impact to the future of the NoL. Griffith, if he can show real progress on that (2009 expansion)front, will be allowed to retain his position to follow through with it.

As that progresses (or doesn't) 2009 may become the year of destiny. Of course "split season" starts in late September. If anything happens to split the league, that's when it will be announced --mainly because of the PR nightmare on the remaining portion of the season to know that the club/league is a "lame duck."

Thanks for the link Aero.

It's good to know that the city is finally opening up the process to get a successor to the Wranglers. And they've got five contenders:

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Council member Paul Gray said he has talked with commissioners from five baseball leagues and that Wichita could have a new team by late summer or early fall.

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Those are AA, FL, NoL, UBL, GBL.

Of these the GBL has got to be a joke. It's hard to say if they're really doing as well as they report, but Wichita is far, to far away to work. The same is pretty much true for the UBL. After that it's the three main contenders (AA, NoL, and FL). The best bet is the AA for all the reasons I've posted (many times) before.

Also, countering the insanity from craziworld... they are clearly open to what may be necessary changes for success:

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The success of a new team will likely depend on its marketing skills, he said.

The city has already authorized designs for a new infield, dugout, locker rooms and concession stands at the stadium, but it has not yet completed those projects.

Mayor Carl Brewer said he expects stadium improvements to be part of a new contract and that some changes may be worthwhile.

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Hmm... so much for the dubious comments that the city doesn't deserve pro ball --or at least isn't prepared to do what is needed to support indy ball.

The need for a good marketing team is going to be critical since there seems to be (or may be) the same sort of local resentment from losing an affiliated club that has, in part, stymied efforts in Edmonton (and Calgary). Given the comments and complaints raised (in these forums as well as the popular press) it'll be important to have a good management team in place to avoid the pitfalls that are most certainly out there.

As for improvements.... From what I've seen, there's little reason, other than money and commitment to the future of indy ball in town, that these can't be accommodated. As a double-A affiliate facility, L-DS is definitely in the same league as Fair Grounds Field and Cohen Stadium.

If you say I'm a nitwit, then that must mean I'm very smart since in craziland everything is backwards. Ignorance and avoidance of reality is the norm and getting things consistently wrong is a way of life.

Your complete refusal to see Saskatoon as nothing more than a wish is just one sign of your lack of connection to the realities of the situation. Until the league actually announces real negotiations with the city it's all pipe dreams producing the smoke that's in your eyes and lungs. It ranks up there with your other doomsday conclusions and other utter nonsense.

Since you can't tell facts from craps and make it all up. It's irrelevant what YOU would call it. In this case it's real and official news but in craziland that probably means nothing and it will all be ignored while pretending that Saskatoon's already a "done deal."

Maybe you should stick to things happening closer to home in craziland (somewhere in Michigan I believe) and forget about leagues that will never be close to your home or reality. And, you are testing my patience. If you're not careful you'll get a "time out" that you may not like.

Back to questions from reality

The C-AL is not involved at all. Since Miles is commissioner of both leagues it would be a joke (except in craziland) to think they'd do that. The C-AL is more focused on the expanding the Can in Can-Am with Montreal and Ottawa. The result could be a boon for intra-provincial rivalries (i.e., Montreal and Quebec).