St. Louis Golden Arches An NBA Expansion Team Proposal Adam Jolly, Conor Levey, & Ryan Killoren Period 7/8 Geography 9/30/2009

Why St. Louis? SPORTS  St. Louis has proven year after year that it can support two major sports teams.  Both teams, the Cardinals, of the MLB, and the Rams, of the NFL, have a history of excellence.  St. Louis is near Oklahoma City, OK, Memphis, TN, Chicago, IL, and Indianapolis, IN, all home to NBA franchises.

Why St. Louis? PEOPLE  St. Louis has a metro population of nearly 2.8 million, providing an large market from which to draw.  The average age of a St. Louis resident is 33, right in the age group essential for a sports team’s success.

Why St. Louis? FINANCES  St. Louis offers a property tax abatement and sales tax exemption on construction materials.  Also offered are tax credits during the first seven taxable years, which can be put towards paying taxes in subsequent years.

A Tradition of Excellence St. Louis Cardinals  The Cardinals have won a whopping 10 World Series, in addition to seven more NL pennants, setting a standard for sports success in St. Louis. St. Louis Rams  The Rams, since moving from Los Angeles, have won a Super Bowl (1999), and from 1999 to 2006, never finished worse than second in their division.  In L.A., they won two NFL championships, in 1949 and 1951.

Pro Basketball in St. Louis ABA  The Spirits of St. Louis were an ABA team from that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger.

McDonald’s Sponsorship  The St. Louis Golden Arches would operate in close cooperation with McDonald’s USA. The financial backing of a 23 billion dollar organization would provide stability and solidarity often not present in expansion franchises.  The partnership could also provide in-stadium food services, including Chipotle, a McDonald’s subsidiary.  McDonalds’ also sponsors a High School All-American basketball game, naturally tying them in to the sport.

McDonald’s Sponsorship  Ronald McDonald, the clown McDonald’s uses as a corporate mascot for Happy Meals and the like, would be a natural entertainer at Golden Arches games.  Additionally, the Arches’ name ties in with the Gateway Arch, which would be represented in alternate uniforms in gray and white, with single arches versus the double McDonald’s set.

Stadium Location Scottrade Center  The Scottrade Center, a 19,150 seat arena home to the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, is the perfect location for the Golden Arches. Hockey arenas and basketball stadiums are paired all over the country, notably in New York City (Madison Square Garden) and Washington, D.C. (The Verizon Center).

Uniforms

Bibliography  "Cardinal Championships." St. Louis Cardinals History. Web. 29 Sept  "Greater St. Louis Taxes At a Glance." St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) - St. Louis, MO. Web. 29 Sept  "Missouri Financing Programs." St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) - St. Louis, MO. Web. 29 Sept  "Ronald McDonald's Profile on ComicVine." Comic Vine.com ~ Comic Book Database, Reviews, News, and Forums - Comic Vine. Web. 29 Sept  "Spirits of St. Louis." Remember the ABA. Web. 29 Sept  "St. Louis city QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." State and County QuickFacts. Web. 29 Sept  "St. Louis Rams History | NFL at CBSSports.com." CBSSports.com Sports News, Fantasy Scores, Sports Video. Web. 29 Sept