Ottawa Rapidz Fold

After one year in the Indy Can-Am League Ottawa is left without professional baseball.

At the year-end meetings, the Ottawa Rapidz announced they were filing for bankruptcy and would not be fielding a team for the 2009 campaign.

Ottawa city council was quick to jump on Rapidz president Robb Hall claiming that this was a coward’s way out of paying outstanding bills which add up to about $30,000 in rent and transportation fees, as well as over $1 million in other debts, cbc.ca reports.

In the Rapidz’ only year in the Can-Am League, they finished last in both halves but had a respectable draw of 2197 on average. That is better than what the AAA Lynx drew in 2007 and about average in the now 7-team Can-Am League.

The league is disappointed by Hall’s decision to file for bankruptcy, and seeing the success at the gate this year, they were planning on Ottawa becoming a cornerstone franchise in the always choppy waters of Indy Ball. In fact, the league may add another expansion team in Ottawa for next year.

This comes as no surprise to me. The city of Ottawa has continually punished its sports teams. There has never been any aid to help struggling teams and the city seems to expect kickbacks instead of being welcoming and giving citizens of the Nation’s Capital professional sports. The city has now lost two pro baseball teams and two pro football teams in the last 15 years.

With Mr.Hall’s bankruptcy claim, I am sure this will even strengthen the resolve of the City of Ottawa to not give the new CFL club a chance or any further ball club that wants to call Ottawa Stadium/JetForm Park home.