BLOOMINGBURG, NY – Having just moved last week, it dawned on me that there have been some changes in locales in sports history that just left me a little befuddled. 
All of the confusion centers around the Golden State of California and the perpetual movement of sports teams that proves the overall flaky nature of the West Coast.
Basketball: The Buffalo Braves were a scrappy bunch back in the 1970’s as I remember power forward Randy Smith and guard Ernie DiGregorio (now that’s Italian!). They weren’t long for Western New York and left for the Left Coast to become the San Diego Clippers in 1978. During my gambling days I remember placing a few bets on the moribund franchise when Bill Walton was struggling on his balky feet prior to his curtain call as a bench player for the Boston Celtics. Betting on the Clippers was a lot like wagering on the Washington Generals, rarely did I win when backing them. As short a term in Buffalo, the franchise didn’t call San Diego its forever home either as they moved to northern Cali by setting in Los Angeles in 1984.
Hockey: I understand a sports team leaving for California due to a larger population 
and the prospect of making money in the process but before hockey got Californicated the Oakland/California Golden Seals sucked enough to be sold to new owners in 1976. Where did the old Seals move? To the armpit of the United States that is Cleveland, Ohio to become the Barons. The Barons had enough problems to dissolve the team after two years and merged with the equally pathetic Minnesota North Stars.
Football: Oakland Raiders. Los Angeles Raiders. Oakland Raiders. Las Vegas Raiders. You get the idea here. The Davis family just can’t stay put after 15 years in one spot. This is the epitome of sports wanderlust. Now add the San Diego Chargers to the list after packing up for Los Angeles a few seasons ago. To a lesser degree the Niners even moved out of Candelstick Park in San Francisco and settled in Santa Clara.
Baseball: The Angels have had their own identity problems across the California landscape. It’s confusing. First as the Los Angeles Angels when Gene Autry bought the team way back when, then named the California Angels, only to be called the Anaheim Angels for a short time and morphed into the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to the now back to shortened origins as the Los Angeles Angels.
So there you have a lesson in moving brought to you by the sports ownership flakes who call California home… for now at least. Come back tomorrow for another mover, Different Matt going from Friday to Monday here.
