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Norfolk VA to get 2011 UFL franchise...Bills connection

Beerball

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WWVaBeach Veteran

WWVaBeach

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Norfolk/Hampton Roads is the largest metropolitan area in the USA without a major league sports team. Do they even have a usable stadium?

 

PTR

 

We have 2 college football teams in the City of Norfolk, Old Dominion University (recently updated/upgraded stadium) and Norfolk State.

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Shoto Practice Squad

Shoto

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We have 2 college football teams in the City of Norfolk, Old Dominion University (recently updated/upgraded stadium) and Norfolk State.

 

 

Norfolk BILLS...has a nice ring!

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Lv-Bills Veteran

Lv-Bills

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Damn, I wish this league was in the spring. If it was, I'd seriously consider season tickets. I love it. Southern Virginia is seriously overlooked for pro sports. If you put a professional franchise somewhere off of I-64 between Richmond and the Tidewater area, it would thrive. So much money here, and it also has the population.

 

Move to the spring please.

 

:unsure:

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Rob's House All Pro

Rob's House

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Damn, I wish this league was in the spring. If it was, I'd seriously consider season tickets. I love it. Southern Virginia is seriously overlooked for pro sports. If you put a professional franchise somewhere off of I-64 between Richmond and the Tidewater area, it would thrive. So much money here, and it also has the population.

 

Move to the spring please.

 

:unsure:

 

Preferably around Williamsburg. The traffic around Norfolk is hell.

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Lv-Bills Veteran

Lv-Bills

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Preferably around Williamsburg. The traffic around Norfolk is hell.

I always thought that. The Williamsburg area. It would draw easily from Richmond and Tidewater. But even there though, 64 isn't big enough now to handle all the traffic. VA definitely has the money to support professional sports though. Most undertapped market out there.

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Mr. T Rookie

Mr. T

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Preferably around Williamsburg. The traffic around Norfolk is hell.

I live in Hampton, VA just 15 miles south of Williamsburg. The Redskins would do everything they could to keep this from ever happening.

 

I've been here for the past 11 years, retired from the Air Force. Grew up in Buffalo until joining the Air Force. This place doesn't feel at all like Buffalo as far as the support for pro sports. All we have are the Norfolk Admirals (minor league hockey), and Norfolk Tides (Triple A baseball). Neither gets a great deal of fan support. There certainly is the population to support a team, but something is difinitely missing. Maybe that would change if we ever got a pro team of any sort.

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/dev/null Hall of Famer

/dev/null

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I've been here for the past 11 years, retired from the Air Force. Grew up in Buffalo until joining the Air Force. This place doesn't feel at all like Buffalo as far as the support for pro sports. All we have are the Norfolk Admirals (minor league hockey), and Norfolk Tides (Triple A baseball). Neither gets a great deal of fan support. There certainly is the population to support a team, but something is difinitely missing. Maybe that would change if we ever got a pro team of any sort.

 

The problem with the Norfolk/VA Beach/Hampton Roads area is that most of the people aren't from here. They're military or prior military and already have team allegiances.

 

For example...I'm guessing that when you moved here you didn't switch allegience from the Bills to the Redskins/Ravens/Panthers. I know I'm still a Bills and Steelers fan. Same with college teams, ODU, NSU, W&M, Virginia Tech, Virginia, NC State, North Carolina, or East Carolina...nope, We Are Penn State (still)

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Mr. T Rookie

Mr. T

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The problem with the Norfolk/VA Beach/Hampton Roads area is that most of the people aren't from here. They're military or prior military and already have team allegiances.

 

For example...I'm guessing that when you moved here you didn't switch allegience from the Bills to the Redskins/Ravens/Panthers. I know I'm still a Bills and Steelers fan. Same with college teams, ODU, NSU, W&M, Virginia Tech, Virginia, NC State, North Carolina, or East Carolina...nope, We Are Penn State (still)

Your absolutely correct on both accounts. I'm still a big Bills fan, and the population around here is very heavily military. However, most military, active and retired, are usually great sports fans.

 

If this area got a legit pro team, aka NFL, I think they would sell most games out, simply because its NFL. A lot of people from this area travel to DC, Baltimore, and even Carolina to watch NFL games.

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Lv-Bills Veteran

Lv-Bills

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I live in Hampton, VA just 15 miles south of Williamsburg. The Redskins would do everything they could to keep this from ever happening.

 

I've been here for the past 11 years, retired from the Air Force. Grew up in Buffalo until joining the Air Force. This place doesn't feel at all like Buffalo as far as the support for pro sports. All we have are the Norfolk Admirals (minor league hockey), and Norfolk Tides (Triple A baseball). Neither gets a great deal of fan support. There certainly is the population to support a team, but something is difinitely missing. Maybe that would change if we ever got a pro team of any sort.

There are no pro sports anywhere around, that's why it doens't feel like Buffalo. No one cares about the hockey, and the Tides have a beautiful park on the Harbor and draw pretty well, especially on weekends.

 

This area would be a great area for pro sports. However, no area, without pro sports nearby feels like a pro sports town.

 

I've been to some Bisons games last year. I could have stretched across about 10 seats without hitting anyone. It's minor league stuff, no one cares. Here or in Buffalo.

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Lv-Bills Veteran

Lv-Bills

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Your absolutely correct on both accounts. I'm still a big Bills fan, and the population around here is very heavily military. However, most military, active and retired, are usually great sports fans.

 

If this area got a legit pro team, aka NFL, I think they would sell most games out, simply because its NFL. A lot of people from this area travel to DC, Baltimore, and even Carolina to watch NFL games.

People like to say this, yet, I don't know any military people who live here. I know they do live here, but there are next to none that live near Richmond. They live near and on Fort Lee and Fort Pickett, but most of Richmond is not military.

 

Also, in the Tidewater area, I have two relatives that live in VA Beach. I don't know any military people. Neither does my mom or my aunt. I know they are here, but I would say the population is less than 10%. THey do live on base and things like that, but they aren't necessarily spread through the city like people try to say they are. Its not like San Diego around here.

 

The Southeast corner of Virginia is full of money. It's full of population. And as for traveling to Redskins, Ravens, or Carolina games.......I am a huge sports fan, and I hardly know anyone who does that. This area is kind of Redskins country, however, I would say 50% of fans in Viriginia are fans of the Skins, 5% Carolina, and 45% of other NFL teams.

 

This area is ripe for pro sports. The high school football talent in the Richmond area and especially Hampton Roads are one of the most fertile in the country. The CAA on the 1AA level is also off the hook. The CAA had a winning record agaisnt the ACC last year. This area loves football.

 

As much as it pains me to say it though, Daniel Snyder wouldn't let another NFL team move here. When the NBA considered Norfolk last time around, they would have struck gold. It will happen someday. It's just a shame that the Tidewater area doesn't come together and make one big city. As dumb as that sounds, it would help attract things like this.

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Mr. T Rookie

Mr. T

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People like to say this, yet, I don't know any military people who live here. I know they do live here, but there are next to none that live near Richmond. They live near and on Fort Lee and Fort Pickett, but most of Richmond is not military.

 

Also, in the Tidewater area, I have two relatives that live in VA Beach. I don't know any military people. Neither does my mom or my aunt. I know they are here, but I would say the population is less than 10%. THey do live on base and things like that, but they aren't necessarily spread through the city like people try to say they are. Its not like San Diego around here.

 

The Southeast corner of Virginia is full of money. It's full of population. And as for traveling to Redskins, Ravens, or Carolina games.......I am a huge sports fan, and I hardly know anyone who does that. This area is kind of Redskins country, however, I would say 50% of fans in Viriginia are fans of the Skins, 5% Carolina, and 45% of other NFL teams.

 

This area is ripe for pro sports. The high school football talent in the Richmond area and especially Hampton Roads are one of the most fertile in the country. The CAA on the 1AA level is also off the hook. The CAA had a winning record agaisnt the ACC last year. This area loves football.

 

As much as it pains me to say it though, Daniel Snyder wouldn't let another NFL team move here. When the NBA considered Norfolk last time around, they would have struck gold. It will happen someday. It's just a shame that the Tidewater area doesn't come together and make one big city. As dumb as that sounds, it would help attract things like this.

Not heavily military? Let's see, Norfolk Naval Facility is second only to San Diego in size. Langley Air Force, and Air Combat Command Headquarters in Hampton. Oceana Naval Station, Fort Eustis just north of Hampton, Fort Monroe in Hampton. Being in Richmond I can see why it may seem like there are no military around but come down I-64 about 60 miles and you will feel differently.

 

Richmond will never see a team because it is too close to DC. However, the Hampton Roads Area, a radius of approx. 50 miles, has a population of over 2 million people.

 

As far as people traveling to watch NFL games, I've been to DC to watch the Redskins, been to Baltimore to watch the Ravens, and been to NC to watch the Panthers. Each time I was asked to go with other people who do this regularily.

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bluv RFA

bluv

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The best and worst thing about Hampton Roads (aka 7 cities) is that ot consist of 7 cities! Its next to impossible to get all 7 to agree on anything! If they were all united then you have potential to make this area a real power nationwide. The plus with that though is that you wont have one overzealous city leader force their agenda down your throat; it is what it is: one of the most balanced areas in the nation to reside! It is in the middle on most aspects (cost of living, urban development, country living, climate, entertainment, etc) that most consider as far as comfort of living. Bottom line if you are an extremist and nitpicky then you will hate Hampton Roads as you will be complaining about what it doesn't have. If you are from a small rural area then it will feel like a big city! Its like a step up from Applebees: too crappy for the buorguios type but good eating for the average joe!

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Griswold Practice Squad

Griswold

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Norfolk/Hampton Roads is the largest metropolitan area in the USA without a major league sports team. Do they even have a usable stadium?

 

PTR

 

No we (they) don't. It's weird. There are many indoor venues of Kleinhans quality.

 

Constant Convocation Center, Chrysler Hall, Scope, The Colliseum, Willet Hall.

 

But no commercial quality football fields. Odd.

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