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Can Anyone Translate 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' into Canadian?
For The Lynx, with attendance at a dismal 3,000 a game, staying put In Ottawa is the good news & the bad news. [Exclusive to MLN]
DAN HICKLING
MinorLeagueNews.com
OTTAWA -- There is both good news and bad news regarding the future of the troubled Ottawa Lynx franchise.But if you ask Lynx general manager Kyle Bostwick, the good and bad are one and the same.
According to Bostwick, the Lynx will likely be back in Ottawa for the 2004 season, but not necessarily by choice.
Stucke Between a Maple Leaf and a Hard Place.
"Right now," he said, "Ottawa is not a financially viable option. That being said, there is no other option."
Depite the best efforts of Lynx owner Ray Pecor, who purchased the team in 2000, the Lynx have been a constant cash bleeder.
Pecor has repeatedly stated that the Lynx would be forced to vacate Canada's capital, if attendance didn't average 4,000 per game. But despite fielding a club that was in the playoff chase all season long, the Lynx continued to struggle badly at the turnstiles, averaging less than 3,000 per opening.
"And that's unacceptable," said Bostwick."Aint Got A Home...
The problem for Pecor is that there is no place to move the franchise. There are no communities with empty ballparks that meet Triple-A standards (i.e. 10,000 seats), and there are none on the horizon. Thus the Lynx are forced to stay put, for now at least.
"Right now, the plan is to play in Ottawa," said Bostwick. "But it's not (because) things have gotten better. And that's unfortunate."
There are examples of franchises that have pulled themselves off of death's doorstep to enjoy renewed success. But not many.
Nonetheless, Bostwick expressed hope that Ottawa will respond heartily to what amounts to a one-year reprieve.
"I guess what I'm hoping for is that the city of Ottawa will get on this again," he said. "I'd like to see this beautiful city come out and support this ball club.
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