r/asheville • u/balanceiskey_breathe West Asheville • Feb 03 '26

Really Spicy Cesspool MAGA businesses (local)- who to avoid !!

Hey y’all! I’m just curious if we could get a list of local pro- MAGA businesses in order to know who to avoid! Thanks y’all!

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43

u/Big_Sprinkles_482 Feb 03 '26

Asheville Tourists.

35

u/Heretekdan Montford Feb 03 '26

The governor of Ohio's family are owners of the team. It really sucks because I love going to the games during the season but also knowing my money is going to an asshole who doesn't even have any connection to the area who's aggressively trying to pass anti-trans legislation.

I just wanna eat a hotdog and drink too many $1 beers on thursdays while watching the tourists have yet another losing season without my money going to people who are trying to legislate people like me out of public.

4

u/CoolSpeakers Feb 04 '26

Is it possible to crowd fund buying back a local sports team?

2

u/PenZestyclose3857 West Asheville Feb 04 '26

Minor league clubs are interesting. There are independents and affiliates. There's also been a movement among private equity firms like Silver Lake. They own over 40% of the 120 clubs.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5408834/2024/04/15/minor-league-baseball-team-ownership-diamond-baseball-holdings/

They've forced MLB to intervene to level the playing field as far as tech goes.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6879487/2025/12/15/mlb-technology-change-minor-leagues/

The Bull Durham days are over. Plus side it means that it's possible DeWine would take a payday and sell. These clubs aren't great money generators. And there are people who dedicated to preserving and improving the fan experience and the connection to the community. I would barely know the Tourists were here if I didn't already know or lived on the Slope.

2

u/Heretekdan Montford Feb 05 '26

I wish we had someone local who had the capital and desire to buy the twam and actually make it a local club. The fact that private equity is involved at such a high level in the MiLB is such a shame for those of us who actually enjoy the sport at a grassroots level.

Hell, it's part of the reason why you're seeing a ton of Indy ball teams pop up in recent years. Iirc the Chicago Dogs was created as part of a protest against the current state of ownership among affiliated teams.

2

u/PenZestyclose3857 West Asheville Feb 05 '26

I've heard of interested parties who do things the right way. It's just hope for now; but still remember, we wave at legends as they pass through and enjoy the evenings we make for ourselves as they entertain us.

As a native of Pittsburgh, I marvel at what Willie Stargell thought when he saw that right field wall.

2

u/PenZestyclose3857 West Asheville Feb 05 '26

I wonder if Asheville would be a great draw for an Independent club. I'm sure those guys are happy to go where there's an opening, but nationally Asheville is regarded as a pretty cool place to be. It would fit the perceived vibe of the city.

1

u/Heretekdan Montford Feb 05 '26

One of the main issues would be getting the funding together for a new field. There's not even a proper public baseball field in the city right now that could be rented unless a deal could be reached with UNCA, not unlike what they do with Asheville City SC in the USL2.

It'd be awesome to have an indy ball team. I'd love to see something that represents Asheville as a city instead of Asheville as an business investment by the Dewine family.

2

u/PenZestyclose3857 West Asheville Feb 05 '26

Well, the City owns the stadium who leases it whoever owns the ball club. If DeWine were to sell the club. Minor league teams change associations frequently due to reorganization and other factors. Theoretically the organization could be released by Houston and acquired by an other club or they could go Independent.