Lasner Weighs in on Stadium Negotiations

[yk9001]

Lol, some funny comments in this thread.

 

Arte changed the name for one reason.  You can market Los Angeles a lot easier than you can market Anaheim outside of southern CA.  The people arguing otherwise know this but are just still bitter about the name change.

 

With that logic, its surprising more struggling actors don't change their name to Brad Pitt.  Its a much more marketable name.

[Mauch Won]

In the spring 1994, I had a conversation about the stadium with Tom Daly, the Mayor of Anaheim at the time. He talked about how the Rams continued to make demands on the city which if not met, would lead the team to leave. the Rams demands and presence were also causing a strain on the relationship between the city and the Autry's. We agreed that the Rams would never be satisfied and it may cost the city the good relationship with the Aitry's. While the Rams left, I wouldn't say that they lost the Rams as much as let them go to keep the Angels.

[mtangelsfan]

With that logic, its surprising more struggling actors don't change their name to Brad Pitt.  Its a much more marketable name.

 

There was already another baseball team called the Los Angeles Angels?

 

 

Oh yeah, there was.  It was the same team we are.

 

Horrible comparison.

[Ohtaniland]

I think that it's ironic that Arte wants the team name to be associated with Los Angeles but he's never openly expressed an interest to move the team to LA County. Tustin is still in Orange County.

Just in case you didn't know, the CoA land deal with Arte had a signed MOU agreement that required a public hearing. At that public hearing numerous residents voiced their displeasure about the deal and threatened recalls so the item was tabled. In that MOU was an agreement to remove "ANAHEIM " as part of the teams name.

The Los Angeles Angels is what Arte wants so maybe LA County is where he should move.

[mtangelsfan]

No, Arte is interested in marketing the team in the smartest way possible.

 

Believe it or not most people outside of California have no idea where Anaheim is, not really even Orange County.  It is only when you tell them you are by L.A. that people get where it is.

 

That is why he wanted to have Los Angeles in the name, no other reason.  Peeps want to be butt-hurt though.

[Stradling]

Numerous residents means very little to be honest. There are still people that hate the name change, it certainly isn't a majority, because most reasonable fans got over the name change.

I think it's silly that yk and Claude think Arte hates the city of Anaheim and doubt the reason he changed the name was to increase revenue. Just a hunch, the guy who made his billion dollars in advertising knows a little something about branding.

[Ohtaniland]

If people don't want to be associated with the Anaheim Angels then please stop bringing up 2002. The loyal Anaheim residents were very proud of that championship. Arte needs to stop crying wolf because NO OTHER CITY will give him a better deal than he currently enjoys.

[Docwaukee]

If the Angels still had the Anaheim name, it would be the smallest city in baseball with a team named after it.  Oakland is the smallest currently with a pop of around 400k.  Both have large metro areas associated with them.  

 

the smallest city to have it's name attached to one of the major professional sports franchises is Green Bay.  

 

All but the A's are named by the state in which they play or the largest city in the metro regardless of where their home stadium is located.  

[Stradling]

If people don't want to be associated with the Anaheim Angels then please stop bringing up 2002. The loyal Anaheim residents were very proud of that championship. Arte needs to stop crying wolf because NO OTHER CITY will give him a better deal than he currently enjoys.

So either appease the residents of the city you plan on or increase your revenue to help build a better team for your fans. Tough call.

[yk9001]

Numerous residents means very little to be honest. There are still people that hate the name change, it certainly isn't a majority, because most reasonable fans got over the name change.

I think it's silly that yk and Claude think Arte hates the city of Anaheim and doubt the reason he changed the name was to increase revenue. Just a hunch, the guy who made his billion dollars in advertising knows a little something about branding.

 

Numerous residents means very little to be honest. There are still people that hate the name change, it certainly isn't a majority, because most reasonable fans got over the name change.

I think it's silly that yk and Claude think Arte hates the city of Anaheim and doubt the reason he changed the name was to increase revenue. Just a hunch, the guy who made his billion dollars in advertising knows a little something about branding.

 

Frank McCourt made $1.3 billion off of buying and selling the Dodgers.  How smart do you think he is?

 

#fallacies #appealtoauthority

[mtangelsfan]

If people don't want to be associated with the Anaheim Angels then please stop bringing up 2002. The loyal Anaheim residents were very proud of that championship. Arte needs to stop crying wolf because NO OTHER CITY will give him a better deal than he currently enjoys.

 

ha ha, because only people from Anaheim were fans prior or during that time?  Holy crud that is horrible logic. 

 

Only fans of Anaheim were proud.  I grew up in Seal Beach and went to a ton of Angel games, when they won in 2002 we were living in Lake Forest.

 

Clearly I wasn't proud.

[Stradling]

Frank McCourt made $1.3 billion off of buying and selling the Dodgers. How smart do you think he is?

#fallacies #appealtoauthority

Yes, my issue is I appeal to authority on this subject. Go ahead and assume that you know as much as Arte does as it relates to marketing and advertising. The rest of us will have a good laugh.

[yk9001]

Yes, my issue is I appeal to authority on this subject. Go ahead and assume that you know as much as Arte does as it relates to marketing and advertising. The rest of us will have a good laugh.

 

I've never claimed I know more than Arte.  I do think that "Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim" is a craptastic name - it has been for ten years, and is still a laughingstock name in Los Angeles and nationwide (see the completely stoopid jokes and jabs about the name 10 years later).

 

Arte can clean it up by actually moving to Los Angeles, and leaving that two-bit dump Anaheim behind.  But he doesn't.  So he looks like a poseur.  He wants to be "LA", but not be in LA.

[mtangelsfan]

I've never claimed I know more than Arte.  I do think that "Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim" is a craptastic name - it has been for ten years, and is still a laughingstock name in Los Angeles and nationwide (see the completely stoopid jokes and jabs about the name 10 years later).

 

Arte can clean it up by actually moving to Los Angeles, and leaving that two-bit dump Anaheim behind.  But he doesn't.  So he looks like a poseur.  He wants to be "LA", but not be in LA.

 

You can say the same thing a thousand times but it still doesn't make it true.  It really is remarkable.  You would rather believe that a smart guy with tons of money hates the city that the team was in because...........?, rather than believes he is doing it so that the team is better marketed out of the area.  I think people who have lived in OC all their lives don't understand that they are still basically still a suburb of L.A. whether they want to believe it or not.

[yk9001]

I really don't care about Arte's relationship with the city of Anaheim, nor Anaheim's mayor or anything else.  I don't live in the OC.

 

I just think the name completely blows, and it always has, and Occam's Razor tells me that a complete joke of a name isn't significantly helping the team (when you consider the negatives as well).

 

Perhaps its been a godsend for the team.  Perhaps its been terrible.  If it has been a net drain, its highly doubtful Arte would admit it.

[Stradling]

Consider what negatives, your own personal opinion?

[yk9001]

Negatives:

• Poisoning relationship with the city where the current (and possible future) stadium resides.
• A constant negative reinforcement on a nationwide basis (the "of...." jokes).   It still happens in the sports letters to the editors in the LA Times, so locally as well.  Its the opposite of brand-building.
• It has soured a (very) few number of fans.

 

None of these are deal-breakers.  But they are negatives.

[Ohtaniland]

ha ha, because only people from Anaheim were fans prior or during that time? Holy crud that is horrible logic.

Only fans of Anaheim were proud. I grew up in Seal Beach and went to a ton of Angel games, when they won in 2002 we were living in Lake Forest.

Clearly I wasn't proud.

So why does Arte want to move again?

Beautiful Anaheim with an easy commute from all locations. 3.3 million fans in attendance, free rent, all of the concessions and 95% of the parking revenue with a huge TV deal.

Am I missing something?

[Blarg]

The fourth oldest stadium in baseball.

[Stradling]

And a few million a year in tax revenues

[tdawg87]

The stadium itself kind of sucks. And it takes a backseat to Disney.

 

There's also literally nothing to do in the immediate area.

[Inside Pitch]

I really don't care about Arte's relationship with the city of Anaheim, nor Anaheim's mayor or anything else.  I don't live in the OC.

 

I just think the name completely blows, and it always has, and Occam's Razor tells me that a complete joke of a name isn't significantly helping the team (when you consider the negatives as well).

 

Perhaps its been a godsend for the team.  Perhaps its been terrible.  If it has been a net drain, its highly doubtful Arte would admit it.

 

 

My family/friends in NYC refer to the Angels as the LA Angels.  My co-workers in Chicago refer to the Angels as the LA  Angels.   Everyone I speak to in FL about baseball calls them the LA Angels.    Yeah, online articles love to make fun of the name, and yeah.... opposing fans always reach for the low hanging fruit but the vast majority of the world moved on from the "of Anaheim" years ago.

 

Meanwhile back in SoCal .....  

 

Don't get me wrong yk, I get why some are still pissed.  But I don't think it's the same for people not emotionally attached to the team around the country.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[Ohtaniland]

And a few million a year in tax revenues

But Arte says that he has enough money to build his own stadium. That's about $750 million. How long will it for him to recoupe that money? He's better off selling the team than waiting for that outcome. If he sells the team then he's also off the hook for the $150 million in renovations.

[Ohtaniland]

The fourth oldest stadium in baseball.

The Red Sox should move too.

[Stradling]

The Red Sox should move too.

Give me a ****ing break. Remember all those specials on MLB and ESPN about Angel Stadium and how historic it is? Me neither.