Today's News,Thursday,Dec.17

[denime]

Mornin'


Amado Guevara Leaves Toronto, Joins Honduras' Motagua (http://goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2009/12/17/1692506/amado-guevara-leaves-toronto-joins-honduras-montagua)


Attakora Scoops CSA Award (http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20091216&content_id=7817520&vkey=news_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280)


Argonauts told to pass on move to BMO Field (http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=2349835)



SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshinegirl/)

[denime]

Toronto FC supporters can rest assured that the $5-million grass field being installed at BMO Field for Major League Soccer games next season will not be torn apart by a bunch of behemoths in football cleats. :D



The Toronto Argonauts bid to vacate the Rogers Centre for the cozier, city owned, natural grass confines of the 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium <3, has been officially shot down following a feasibility study conducted by the CFL.



Nice article.

[ensco]

Per Ives

Van den Bergh on trade block, This is interesting. This guy could be a perfect fit here
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/12/fc-dallas-puts-van-den-bergh-on-trade-block.html




Also, DCU tried to spring Yallop out of SJ
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/12/dccoachsearch.html#more

[TFC_Junky]

Was Guevara out of contract with us? Just wondering if we got anything out of Motagua.

[4evared]

Morning D

[CoachGT]

Was Guevara out of contract with us? Just wondering if we got anything out of Motagua.

I thought he still had a year.

[TorCanSoc]

What disturbs me about the Argos article, is this reprieve is only for one season? Are we going to go through this year after year? You know MLSE was sh*tting their pants when they first heard it. $5M field torn apart, of course there would be concern. They did not take an antogonistic, controlling interest in BMO field, I guess that's the aesthetics and politics of the situation.

I just don't want my heart to drop year after year. Why can't MLSE just say sure take new tenants, but if the turf is harmed let them cover the $5M to replace it, that statement would pretty much say "bye-bye Argos". Instead they let the Argos issue a statement of not wanting to be at BMO. That could change at any time, when Roger's Centre starts charging them rent? I used to watch the ARgos a lot, but they are a BMO nuisance and that has turned me off it. However if the CFL has more games like the last grey cup, they'll get a lot of new fans.

[Suds]

What disturbs me about the Argos article, is this reprieve is only for one season?
...

Why can't MLSE just say sure take new tenants, but if the turf is harmed let them cover the $5M to replace it, that statement would pretty much say "bye-bye Argos". Instead they let the Argos issue a statement of not wanting to be at BMO. That could change at any time, when Roger's Centre starts charging them rent?

I think the Argos to BMO thing is dead for the next few years. The CFL is clear they do not back this move.

...

MSLE may very well have said something like that had it ever been a near reality the Argos would move. But you never play all your cards up front.

[scooter]

mornin d

[TFC_Junky]

I thought he still had a year.

So does that mean that his new team is paying us the $200k and change we were giving him per year to take him before the contract is done?

[CretanBull]

I'm guessing that TFC and Amado mutually agreed to tear up the contract...it allowed him to go home and allowed them to free up caps space - they both get what they want.

[Redcoe15]

Ryan Johnston has a questionable article in his latest blog:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/12/16/johnston_provisional/

[Lucky Strike]

Per Ives

Van den Bergh on trade block, This is interesting. This guy could be a perfect fit here
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/12/fc-dallas-puts-van-den-bergh-on-trade-block.html

Also, DCU tried to spring Yallop out of SJ
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/12/dccoachsearch.html#more

Guevara's salary could be used instead on him and we lack natural wing players (other than Brennan and Fellinga) so it makes a bit of sense. A case could be made that there are more pressing issues elsewhere though.

About DC, they also asked for and received permission to talk to Spencer, the current Houston assistant but he was not interested in the least. I wonder why the DC head coach position is unappealing right now...

[Lucky Strike]

Ryan Johnston has a questionable article in his latest blog:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/12/16/johnston_provisional/

How so?

[Carts]

How so?

For one:

"...Since then the CFL has gone through a renaissance of sorts in Southern Ontario..."

4-14, and 3-15 seasons have meant the inflation of attendance figures in Toronto... Free tickets, discounts, aggressive group sales marketing that are often 'lost leaders' in that they cost more than they bring in is hardly a renaissance... Then we have the host stadium bringing in the NFL for games in an attempt to eventually land a team - which would kill the Argos in Toronto...

And two:

"The Argos are back in a stadium built by taxpayers that is no longer suitable for football from an intimacy standpoint and can't move into an alternative publicly-built stadium that was never built to include the necessary room for football... "The question is how come taxpayers are paying for facilities that ultimately lack long-term and long-range usefulness?""

Even printing this quote is rediculous... Bitter Argos supporter is all that comes from this... He claims that both BMO & the Dome lack long-term usefulness? The Dome is 20-years old and has hosted Jays & World Series, FIFA friendly matches, WrestleMania twice, Argos, Grey Cups, Billy Graham (attendance record), countless huge concerts, the native Canadian festival, etc etc etc and still brings in big acts. If thats not long-term usefulnesss I don't know what is... It was even retro-fitted for a decent price to include the HSBC club (things that weren't as common in stadiums when built)...

This article is cry for attention more than anything properly thought out...

Carts...

[DOMIN8R]

It's questionable because RJ implies that the Argos failure to move to BMO was due to the seething hatred by fans and MLSE rather than on its merits.

I disagree. I believe, as many others do, that the main reasons were economic, grass maintenance constraints, field measurement, locker room sizes, etc. These are explicit challenges.

A more interesting angle might have been what have the Argos ownership done to incite such disdain from some footie fans. Instead, with 20/20 hindsight, RJ decided to write about an underutilized asset and the anger of a few footie fans. Not a very complete story but I guess he met his deadline.

[Lucky Strike]

For one:

"...Since then the CFL has gone through a renaissance of sorts in Southern Ontario..."

4-14, and 3-15 seasons have meant the inflation of attendance figures in Toronto... Free tickets, discounts, aggressive group sales marketing that are often 'lost leaders' in that they cost more than they bring in is hardly a renaissance... Then we have the host stadium bringing in the NFL for games in an attempt to eventually land a team - which would kill the Argos in Toronto...

And two:

"The Argos are back in a stadium built by taxpayers that is no longer suitable for football from an intimacy standpoint and can't move into an alternative publicly-built stadium that was never built to include the necessary room for football... "The question is how come taxpayers are paying for facilities that ultimately lack long-term and long-range usefulness?""

Even printing this quote is rediculous... Bitter Argos supporter is all that comes from this... He claims that both BMO & the Dome lack long-term usefulness? The Dome is 20-years old and has hosted Jays & World Series, FIFA friendly matches, WrestleMania twice, Argos, Grey Cups, Billy Graham (attendance record), countless huge concerts, the native Canadian festival, etc etc etc and still brings in big acts. If thats not long-term usefulnesss I don't know what is... It was even retro-fitted for a decent price to include the HSBC club (things that weren't as common in stadiums when built)...

This article is cry for attention more than anything properly thought out...

Carts...

I see. Wasn’t aware of the giveaways or anything like that – don’t follow CFL and don’t live in Toronto.


It's questionable because RJ implies that the Argos failure to move to BMO was due to the seething hatred by fans and MLSE rather than on it's merits.

I disagree. I believe, as many others do, that the main reasons were economic, grass maintenance constraints, field measurement, locker room sizes, etc. These are explicit challenges.

A more interesting angle might have been what have the Argos ownership done to incite such disdain from some footie fans. Instead, with 20/20 hindsight, RJ decided to write about an underutilized asset and the anger of a few footie fans. Not a very complete story but I guess he met his deadline.

I got a vibe from a bit of both in the article, but that’s maybe because I’m aware of the issues and happen to agree with them wholeheartedly. I suppose it’s conceivable that someone not in the know would assume we just don’t want to share our stadium.

[jloome]

For one:

"...Since then the CFL has gone through a renaissance of sorts in Southern Ontario..."

4-14, and 3-15 seasons have meant the inflation of attendance figures in Toronto... Free tickets, discounts, aggressive group sales marketing that are often 'lost leaders' in that they cost more than they bring in is hardly a renaissance... Then we have the host stadium bringing in the NFL for games in an attempt to eventually land a team - which would kill the Argos in Toronto...

And two:

"The Argos are back in a stadium built by taxpayers that is no longer suitable for football from an intimacy standpoint and can't move into an alternative publicly-built stadium that was never built to include the necessary room for football... "The question is how come taxpayers are paying for facilities that ultimately lack long-term and long-range usefulness?""

Even printing this quote is rediculous... Bitter Argos supporter is all that comes from this... He claims that both BMO & the Dome lack long-term usefulness? The Dome is 20-years old and has hosted Jays & World Series, FIFA friendly matches, WrestleMania twice, Argos, Grey Cups, Billy Graham (attendance record), countless huge concerts, the native Canadian festival, etc etc etc and still brings in big acts. If thats not long-term usefulnesss I don't know what is... It was even retro-fitted for a decent price to include the HSBC club (things that weren't as common in stadiums when built)...

This article is cry for attention more than anything properly thought out...

Carts...

Yeah, pretty much. It's the "take a controversial angle" blog because he can't think about anything else to write about in the off-season.

Regardless of the eventual use suggestion, no one in the public was clamouring for this to be multi-use. It was known nationally that this was to be the Nats' new home. There was never a serious hue-and-cry for the Argos to be involved, and in fact they backed out when they had a chance.

It's ridiculous, the entire debate. For a soccer writer to play devil's advocate on this one without any serious support for his positions seems a bit flaccid.

[[NBF]]

im surprised noone mentioned the hottie in the pink bikini:):hump:

[DOMIN8R]

Toronto FC Sold Out Of Season Seats For 2010



Toronto FC announced Thursday that the team has sold out its season seats for the 2010 Major League Soccer season. The team has capped season sales at 16,000 for the third straight season.
The team is also proud to announce that 95% of those season seats came in the form of renewals.


http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20091217&content_id=7824364&vkey=news_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280

[Yohan]

Also, DCU tried to spring Yallop out of SJ
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/12/dccoachsearch.html#more
but why? Yallop had 3 straight shitty seasons in MLS. though maybe, just maybe, bit more stable setting in DC might be better for Yallop



About DC, they also asked for and received permission to talk to Spencer, the current Houston assistant but he was not interested in the least. I wonder why the DC head coach position is unappealing right now...
the shitty no stadium situation maybe?

DCU needs a SSS big time...

[Roogsy]

Ryan Johnston has a questionable article in his latest blog:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/12/16/johnston_provisional/


The scheduling conflicts, field compatibility and torn-up turf are convenient and truthful excuses to keep the Argos out of BMO.

"Convenient and truthful excuses"...LOL! That's the dumbest thing RJ has said in some time. If they're truthful they're not excuses jackass.

[TFCRegina]

"Convenient and truthful excuses"...LOL! That's the dumbest thing RJ has said in some time. If they're truthful they're not excuses jackass.

Yeah, he's a jackass and apparently disappointed we didn't let the gridiron lines onto BMO...

[Toronto Ruffrider]

What exactly are we supposed to do, let the Argos come into BMO and play on Friday nights, while we get relegated to Tuesdays?!:facepalm: