Why aren't there any American sports teams in Mexico while there are some in Canada?

[United-States-of-America]

I've been tinking about this for a long time. The NBA has a Canadian team, MLB has a Canadian team, but neither of them have a team in Mexico, which is one of the two neighbors of the U.S., the other one being Canada.

[ROCguy]

Because everyone in Mexico has already moved to America anyways!!!! lol, jk, that was bad.

[thx-rvg]

Dear American,

thank you for remembering that Canada exists .

J/k.

I think it's plain economics: Toronto, where both the Jays and Raptors are, is one of North America's richest metropolitan areas, and to set up teams there would be more profitable than, say, in Monterrey.

However, I have to say that it would be wise of them to give Mexico City some serious consideration, especially with basketball. A market of 18m people should not, under any circumstances, be ignored. The language barrier might be an issue, but there are tens of millions of Hispanics in the US (with money to spend on merchandise and millions of tv sets), and French-speaking Montreal did have an baseball team anyways.

Cheers

[Latin l0cO]

Originally Posted by thx-rvg

Dear American,

thank you for remembering that Canada exists .

J/k.

I think it's plain economics: Toronto, where both the Jays and Raptors are, is one of North America's richest metropolitan areas, and to set up teams there would be more profitable than, say, in Monterrey.

However, I have to say that it would be wise of them to give Mexico City some serious consideration, especially with basketball. A market of 18m people should not, under any circumstances, be ignored. The language barrier might be an issue, but there are tens of millions of Hispanics in the US (with money to spend on merchandise and millions of tv sets), and French-speaking Montreal did have an baseball team anyways.

Cheers

But what about fan-base wise. Baseball is the seocnd most popular sport in Mexico. Mexico already has its own official baseball league and the soccer league is very popular. Infact both Mexico City and Monterrey bidded for the Expos franchise when they were leaving Montreal.

[DiggerD21]

I think the answer is partly that apart from Edmonton all the big canadian cities are relatively near the border while only some big mexican cities are relatively near the border.

[SDfan]

Language

[ROCguy]

Yeah...language and culture are probably the main reasons.

[dhuwman]

Not really sure, but Canada's cities with American sports teams, (Toronto, Montreal) are fairly closely located to the states, whereas all of Mexico's big-enough cities are located far away from the border?

[i.q.ninja]

white people don't like mexicans

[SDfan]

your an idiot

[thx-rvg]

Originally Posted by dhuwman

Not really sure, but Canada's cities with American sports teams, (Toronto, Montreal) are fairly closely located to the states, whereas all of Mexico's big-enough cities are located far away from the border?

Save, the distance between Los Angeles and NYC is much greater than between LA and Mexico City.

But what about fan-base wise. Baseball is the seocnd most popular sport in Mexico. Mexico already has its own official baseball league and the soccer league is very popular. Infact both Mexico City and Monterrey bidded for the Expos franchise when they were leaving Montreal.

I think that ties in with economics: to the leagues, the only thing a fanbase is good for is for buying merchandise and tickets, and it seems to me that the leagues think that the fans in Mexico will not be willing (or able) to spend as much money as Americans or Canadians.

But again, with 18m people, even if a fraction of Mexico City's population buys the merchandise and attends the games, it'd be worth it.

Another issue, though, might be that players will perhaps not be willing to relocate to Mexico, which after all has a different language, government, and culture than the US, esp. when compared to Canada.

[lakerdar123]

if you think about it, is the us gonna give visas to away fans coming from mexico also. poor mexicans will use it as an excuse to enter the US illegally cause if they decide to stay US can't evict them.

[Latin l0cO]

Originally Posted by lakerdar123

if you think about it, is the us gonna give visas to away fans coming from mexico also. poor mexicans will use it as an excuse to enter the US illegally cause if they decide to stay US can't evict them.

I dont think poor mexicans would be going to baseball games. You got to remember not all of mexico is poor. Theres a good portion thats financially stable (about 60% of the country).

[thx-rvg]

Originally Posted by lakerdar123

if you think about it, is the us gonna give visas to away fans coming from mexico also. poor mexicans will use it as an excuse to enter the US illegally cause if they decide to stay US can't evict them.

Huh? If those 'fans' were rich enough to afford the trip and the ticket to attend the game in the US, why on earth would they opt for such an odd and complicated means to reaching the US instead of a much easier one?

I wonder why it is that some of America's poor haven't gotten that idea and made their way to Canada, which is far more generous to the impoverished than the US is (free health care, for one thing).

At any rate, given how much of California's and America's economy is based on the work of immigrant workers who earn below-minimum wages, having additional immigrants might not be the worst thing to come out of establishing a franchise in the US.

[nomarandlee]

follow the smell of the money........That and I think that in general the USA and Canada share a bit more of a sporting culture together. American/Canadian football is more embraces then in most of Mexico. Both have a hocky culture (especially Canada). Both have la cross as a minor sport and both play soccer but are not as emphatic about it like Mexcio is. Also lacrosse is played as lower tier sport by Americans and Canadians.

[Latin l0cO]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

follow the smell of the money........That and I think that in general the USA and Canada share a bit more of a sporting culture together. American/Canadian football is more embraces then in most of Mexico. Both have a hocky culture (especially Canada). Both have la cross as a minor sport and both play soccer but are not as emphatic about it like Mexcio is. Also lacrosse is played as lower tier sport by Americans and Canadians.

But what about baseball? I think basbeall is bigger in mexico than it is in Canada.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by Latin l0cO

But what about fan-base wise. Baseball is the seocnd most popular sport in Mexico. Mexico already has its own official baseball league and the soccer league is very popular. Infact both Mexico City and Monterrey bidded for the Expos franchise when they were leaving Montreal.

Is baseball a "big number two" in Mexico though or is there a HUGE differance between soccer and baseball in Mexico? I know some Mexicans play and I know it is at least a little popular but I really don't know how popular it is.

Is baseball anywhere near as popular as soccer in Mexico or are they on totally differant levels?

[SHiRO]

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