Grey Cup at BMO Field in 2016

[SomeGuyDylan]

It was really only a matter of time...

http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/2015/09/30/toronto-to-host-grey-cup-in-2016-at-bmo-field.html

[Mateo1985]

Can MLS P******s go that deep into November? Is there a chance our game is at the same time?

[Pint]

Can MLS P******s go that deep into November? Is there a chance our game is at the same time?

MLS p******s usually end early Dec.

If the GC is the 27th, you will need to allow for 2 weeks of set up (see temp seating) which would push you back to the 13th. Nov 2016 fifa window is the 7-15th so we would wouldn't be playing during that time either. We essentially lose our stadium from the 6th to the 30th of Nov.

[akoto]

Can MLS P******s go that deep into November? Is there a chance our game is at the same time?

From the MLS website:


In the postseason, the Knockout Round matches will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29. The Conference Semifinals will take place over two consecutive weekends, Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and Nov. 7-8.
Following a FIFA break from Nov. 9 – 17, the Conference Championship matches will begin on Nov. 21-22 and close out Nov. 28-29. The Conference Semifinals and Conference Championship matches will again be 2-game aggregate goal series. Of the two clubs that reach MLS Cup, the team with the better regular season record will host the championship game, on Dec. 5-6 or Dec. 12-13. Full p****** schedule details will be announced at a later date.

[Wagner]

Bottom line...

MLSE lied to us. We are not the primary tenant.

it isn't your house, when the secondary tenant can kick you out when it would matter most.

[nfitz]

If the GC is the 27th, you will need to allow for 2 weeks of set up (see temp seating) which would push you back to the 13th. Nov 2016 fifa window is the 7-15th so we would wouldn't be playing during that time either. We essentially lose our stadium from the 6th to the 30th of Nov.2 weeks to set up temporary seating seems to be an overestimate. It's not like the temporary seating would be in front of the existing seating, except perhaps a handful along sidelines.


Bottom line...

MLSE lied to us. We are not the primary tenant.

it isn't your house, when the secondary tenant can kick you out when it would matter most.I'm scratching my head about what is new here. We knew back in January that the deal included at least 2 Grey Cups. We also had reports back in January the first one would be in 2016.

The situation sucks ... but there does seem to be exaggeration here.

Let's just hope that November 27, 2016 is -10C with heavy blowing snow coming off the lake. It was the incessant whining of Argos fans after the 1982 Grey Cup in the rain at the freezing mark that got them out of Exhibition in the first place.

[Pint]

2 weeks to set up temporary seating seems to be an overestimate. It's not like the temporary seating would be in front of the existing seating, except perhaps a handful along sidelines

I use 2 week because it would be the first time they are put up and i'm guessing that a fair amount of testing will need to be done. The ones going up above the southend seam like a logistical nightmare, they also likely need to go through inspection before being approved.

[nfitz]

I use 2 week because it would be the first time they are put up and i'm guessing that a fair amount of testing will need to be done. The ones going up above the southend seam like a logistical nightmare, they also likely need to go through inspection before being approved.I can see the seats wouldn't be available for an MLS game. But no reason stadium can't be used while seats are being assembled. They day before might be a challenge.

Oh well, Rogers Centre is warmer at that time of year ... if making the Conference finals means we are in Rogers, I can live with this.

They can leave the 40,000 seats in position, and we can play MLS cup there on December 4.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Bottom line...

MLSE lied to us. We are not the primary tenant.

it isn't your house, when the secondary tenant can kick you out when it would matter most.



I'm scratching my head about what is new here. We knew back in January that the deal included at least 2 Grey Cups. We also had reports back in January the first one would be in 2016.

The situation sucks ... but there does seem to be exaggeration here.

Well now its official and worth revisiting. And the January date was nothing official. Why wouldn't there be a bigger reaction to the official news than a proposal?

[Fort York Redcoat]

Oh well, Rogers Centre is warmer at that time of year ... if making the Conference finals means we are in Rogers, I can live with this.

The can leave the 40,000 seats in position, and we can play MLS cup there on December 4.

It's like a 3-way groundshare so the Argos can play somewhere new. Save our 'Go's

[nfitz]

Well now its official and worth revisiting. And the January date was nothing official. Why wouldn't there be a bigger reaction to the official news than a proposal?It wasn't quite official, but given that it was John Tory, our mayor and former CFL commissioner who let it slip in January 2015 that the Grey Cup would be at BMO in 2016. This was hardly a secret, even if not "official". I'd assume that MLSE was fully aware for 8 months now.

[Mateo1985]

Bottom line...

MLSE lied to us. We are not the primary tenant.

it isn't your house, when the secondary tenant can kick you out when it would matter most.


My point exactly.... Next thing is lines on the pitch

[BuSaPuNk]

Bottom line...

MLSE lied to us. We are not the primary tenant.

it isn't your house, when the secondary tenant can kick you out when it would matter most.

Lets not pump the narrative here. Its not like it cant be scheduled properly. And lets be honest with ourselfs a Grey Cup brings millions to a local economy in a week long party. It was always going to trump a possibility of a home game during the p******s in MLS.

And considering the scheduling isn't anywhere close to being made its a real possibility that it can and will be scheduled properly.

Jumping to conclusions just isn't right.

[Fort York Redcoat]

It wasn't quite official, but given that it was John Tory, our mayor and former CFL commissioner who let it slip in January 2015 that the Grey Cup would be at BMO in 2016. This was hardly a secret, even if not "official". I'd assume that MLSE was fully aware for 8 months now.

I'm glad we're in agreement. It wasn't official so the time of speculation about it has passed. This is the proper time to chime in opinion on fact.

[Pint]

Really an announcement like this should not be met with silence from MLSE.

They knew this was coming and should have a plan in place, tell your customers what is going on even if you know the plan isn't very good.

[Auzzy]

Is this now going to be discussed in this thread, in parallel with The Big Argos to BMO thread?

Yes we knew the Grey Cup would be coming to Toronto. We didn't know where it would be until now; many thought it would still be a Rogers Centre, especially in 2016.

And there are plenty of reasons to be pissed. Specific promises were made publicly when the Argos discussions started. E.g., hybrid turf; no CFL lines or ads visible on the soccer pitch; scheduling priority; some details on how the stadium would be reconfigured. Some of those things seem to have changed, but they're leaving us totally in the dark. Compared to most of MLS it's already late to start season ticket renewals, yet we know nothing about that. Meanwhile TFC is asking for deposits for new season tickets with actually no information at all (not just about the Argos reconfig; also about ticket pricing, location, or anything).

Yet this week, and also in the past few months, we've heard hard facts about the Argos, primarily through the media. E.g., that they're coming to BMO in 2016 (and not later); now that the 2016 Grey Cup will be held at BMO; and a few other things. In the other thread, somebody posted a graphic that the playing field, at least for the Argos, will be off-centre (shifted towards the south). Will the soccer pitch also be shifted, and our seats' location relative to the centre circle? WTF is happening to the North stand -- there have been various rumours.

And at the same time info is only leaking out that some of those earlier footy-specific promises may have changed.

So all the big Argos news contrasts with a total vacuum of specific news for TFC fans. Of course TFC supporters will be worried and pissed. They should be. The right way to do it would be: figure out all the Argos details, stadium & pitch impacts, scheduling etc. Then send some hard info to your existing customers at BMO Field (TFC fans) RE what will happen, impacts on us, etc. Before you do big Argo events in the media, where we can only guess at the impacts.

Tell us exactly how we are still the primary tenant at BMO Field, and how we still have scheduling priority. How will MLS p****** scheduling, footy pitch & stadium conditions, and all the rest, not be negatively impacted by having the 2016 Grey Cup at BMO Field? If you can't guarantee that, then don't have the 2016 Grey Cup at BMO Field. There is no need for that; Rogers Centre is still available; the change to a baseball-only grass configuration isn't happening until later.

It's all ass-backwards. (As Pint said above much more succinctly, after I started writing this lengthy piece...)

[Fort York Redcoat]

Is this now going to be discussed in this thread, in parallel with The Big Argos to BMO thread?

And there are plenty of reasons to be pissed. Specific promises were made publicly when the Argos discussions started. E.g., hybrid turf; no CFL lines or ads visible on the soccer pitch; scheduling priority; some details on how the stadium would be reconfigured. Some of those things seem to have changed, but they're leaving us totally in the dark. Compared to most of MLS it's already late to start season ticket renewals, yet we know nothing about that. Meanwhile TFC is asking for deposits for new season tickets with actually no information at all (not just about the Argos reconfig; also about ticket pricing, location, or anything).

Yet this week, and also in the past few months, we've heard hard facts about the Argos, primarily through the media. E.g., that they're coming to BMO in 2016 (and not later); now that the 2016 Grey Cup will be held at BMO; and a few other things. In the other thread, somebody posted a graphic that the playing field, at least for the Argos, will be off-centre (shifted towards the south). Will the soccer pitch also be shifted, and our seats' location relative to the centre circle? WTF is happening to the North stand -- there have been various rumours.

And at the same time info is only leaking out that some of those earlier footy-specific promises may have changed.

So all the big Argos news contrasts with a total vacuum of specific news for TFC fans. Of course TFC supporters will be worried and pissed. They should be. The right way to do it would be: figure out all the Argos details, stadium & pitch impacts, scheduling etc. Then send some hard info to your existing customers at BMO Field (TFC fans) RE what will happen, impacts on us, etc. Before you do big Argo events in the media, where we can only guess at the impacts.

Tell us exactly how we are still the primary tenant at BMO Field, and how we still have scheduling priority. How will MLS p****** scheduling, footy pitch & stadium conditions, and all the rest, not be negatively impacted by having the 2016 Grey Cup at BMO Field? If you can't guarantee that, then don't have the 2016 Grey Cup at BMO Field. There is no need for that; Rogers Centre is still available; the change to a baseball-only grass configuration isn't happening until later.

It's all ass-backwards. (As Pint said above much more succinctly, after I started writing this lengthy piece...)

The North will be taken down in the offseason and made a patio for TFC games.

This thread is about the Grey Cup. Let's keep it that way.

[Wagner]

i sincerely thought Larry's first Grey Cup would be at the SkyDome.
he can pack almost 60K in there.
it's ready to go.
the Jays grass is many years away.

oh well.

[BuSaPuNk]

Really an announcement like this should not be met with silence from MLSE.

They knew this was coming and should have a plan in place, tell your customers what is going on even if you know the plan isn't very good.

Now it would mean that Larry and Co would have to loop Rogers side of MLSE into details that don't involve MLSE. There really in no position to give any information to them until they completely have too.

All this behind the scenes issues and problems are because of the nature of the relationship between Bell/Larry and Rogers.

[Pint]

Now it would mean that Larry and Co would have to loop Rogers side of MLSE into details that don't involve MLSE. There really in no position to give any information to them until they completely have too.

All this behind the scenes issues and problems are because of the nature of the relationship between Bell/Larry and Rogers.

Well doesn't MLSE manage the stadium and would therefore have to signoff on allowing use of it for the GC? The current disfunctional setup at MLSE means that all 3 parties have to agree or the move isn't being done (just like the sale of the Argos that rogers blocked).

There is no way a company the size of MLSE wouldn't have a plan for the building they manage and have known that the GC was a possibility for 2016, really they should have had a facility plan and a communication plan ready to go a long time ago and now it should just be a matter of hitting send.

[BuSaPuNk]

Well doesn't MLSE manage the stadium and would therefore have to signoff on allowing use of it for the GC? The current disfunctional setup at MLSE means that all 3 parties have to agree or the move isn't being done (just like the sale of the Argos that rogers blocked).

There is no way a company the size of MLSE wouldn't have a plan for the building they manage and have known that the GC was a possibility for 2016, really they should have had a facility plan and a communication plan ready to go a long time ago and now it should just be a matter of hitting send.

You could be correct or something this large might actually being planned by the City and not MLSE? Or just the City and Bell /Larry?

Either way even if they released any details it would all be speculation as they don't know MLS schedule next year or if TFC will even go that deep ect.

Anything being said now would just be something to start a fire after if there wrong.

[Fort York Redcoat]

One thing we can take from this is we know their priority is Grey Cup before TFC. I assume they gave a date in the article? I didn't click it.

[SomeGuyDylan]

Just to be clear, we're talking about next year, not this year. And yes, the date mentioned is Nov 27, 2016

[Red CB Toronto]

Even have this website taking deposits for 2016 season tickets

http://argosatbmofield.ca/

[cubr]

Larry just said it was the plan all along for 2 years to get the Grey Cup after renovations. The whole way it's being presented makes it seem like the Argos are primary tenant, it's only a matter of time, Toronto has no respect for soccer.

[bman27]

Looking at that website, one thing of note

So be sure to reserve your seats to witness history; the triumphant return of football and the Argos to Exhibition Place to experience football the way it was meant to be enjoyed; watched live, played on grass and in the open air.


We'll see...

[eustacchio]

I hate this thread, too.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Looking at that website, one thing of note

So be sure to reserve your seats to witness history; the triumphant return of football and the Argos to Exhibition Place to experience football the way it was meant to be enjoyed; watched live, played on grass and in the open air.


We'll see...

That's been mentioned already. The story so far is they will play on grass next year until August and then replace it and hope for the best.

[Qman]

I can see the seats wouldn't be available for an MLS game. But no reason stadium can't be used while seats are being assembled. They day before might be a challenge.

Oh well, Rogers Centre is warmer at that time of year ... if making the Conference finals means we are in Rogers, I can live with this.

They can leave the 40,000 seats in position, and we can play MLS cup there on December 4.


my understanding is the the temporary seats are normally constructed when weather is good in september.
My guess is they might bring an MLS team with a big star and try to fill all 40,000 for soccer in October.
They will probably be up all winter for the January hockey game with the leafs 100th year is 2017.

[OgtheDim]

If they were doing this any other year then the year they put the roof on, I could see an enterprising company setting up those temp stands in March and just selling those seats as cheap overflow.

MLSE though tends to want to protect its price point in the rest of the stadium (thus the ridiculous SSH prices for the Upper East).

[Petor]

i sincerely thought Larry's first Grey Cup would be at the SkyDome.
he can pack almost 60K in there.
it's ready to go.
the Jays grass is many years away.

oh well.

By putting the temporary stands up for the Grey Cup they then can keep those temp seats up for a few weeks for the NHL outdoor game.

[nfitz]

Given that MLSE is reported to have said that November 27th (http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_14438058254599&key=40ca283ade7e55388a1bbb1a6f57b0e0&libId=if9w8lie010004ld000DAclkmqb4j&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fthreads%2F mls-2016-schedule-and-play-off-format.2025306%2F&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2Fsports%2Fargos% 2F2015%2F10%2F01%2F2016-grey-cup-latest-addition-to-busy-toronto-sports-calendar.html&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fforums%2Fm ls-general.8%2Fcreate-thread&title=MLS%202016%20Schedule%20and%20play-off%20format%20%7C%20BigSoccer%20Forum&txt=an%20article%20in%20yesterday%27s%20Toronto%20 Star)will be after the date of MLS Cup next season, is the Grey Cup scheduled for that date really a big issue?

There seems to be a change in the 2016 MLS schedule, based on MLSE's comments.

[spe18]

Given that MLSE is reported to have said that November 27th (http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_14438058254599&key=40ca283ade7e55388a1bbb1a6f57b0e0&libId=if9w8lie010004ld000DAclkmqb4j&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fthreads%2F mls-2016-schedule-and-play-off-format.2025306%2F&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2Fsports%2Fargos% 2F2015%2F10%2F01%2F2016-grey-cup-latest-addition-to-busy-toronto-sports-calendar.html&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fforums%2Fm ls-general.8%2Fcreate-thread&title=MLS%202016%20Schedule%20and%20play-off%20format%20%7C%20BigSoccer%20Forum&txt=an%20article%20in%20yesterday%27s%20Toronto%20 Star)will be after the date of MLS Cup next season, is the Grey Cup scheduled for that date really a big issue?

There seems to be a change in the 2016 MLS schedule, based on MLSE's comments.

Is there a link to this? I have not seen or heard of anything related to the 2016 season yet.

[ensco]

Am I allowed to say that this is a good use of the new stadium that makes total sense to me?

This primary tenant stuff is overwrought with respect to this. It's easy to see that any TFC home game that weekend can be played a day or two before the Grey Cup.

Frankly, the Grey Cup hoopla and travelling support could help make a TFC p***** game like that a bigger party than it might otherwise be. It would take the Saskatchewan Roughrider faithful about 30 seconds to see the TFC supporters as fellow travellers!

Only real issue is if we host the MLS Cup and the CFL have torn the field up during the Grey Cup. But seriously, the Grey Cup is a big deal, it's probably a risk worth taking.

This is a waste of energy. The things worth fighting about are lines on the turf, and making sure there is decent separation between regular season scheduled games, especially if we get into Concacaf, which I expect them to have considered in making both teams schedules.

I reserve the right to change my mind based on future facts, such as the possible revelation that the Leafs are playing at BMO that week as part of Grey Cup week (and if you don't think that's possible, you aren't thinking like someone who just spent $100M on something and needs to start getting something off that, like right now)

[Fort York Redcoat]

Seems like a dead issue now.

If they are sure about MLS Cup dates than they stood by their primary tenant statement for now.

[Cas87]

Given that MLSE is reported to have said that November 27th (http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_14438058254599&key=40ca283ade7e55388a1bbb1a6f57b0e0&libId=if9w8lie010004ld000DAclkmqb4j&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fthreads%2F mls-2016-schedule-and-play-off-format.2025306%2F&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2Fsports%2Fargos% 2F2015%2F10%2F01%2F2016-grey-cup-latest-addition-to-busy-toronto-sports-calendar.html&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.bigsoccer.com%2Fforums%2Fm ls-general.8%2Fcreate-thread&title=MLS%202016%20Schedule%20and%20play-off%20format%20%7C%20BigSoccer%20Forum&txt=an%20article%20in%20yesterday%27s%20Toronto%20 Star)will be after the date of MLS Cup next season, is the Grey Cup scheduled for that date really a big issue?

There seems to be a change in the 2016 MLS schedule, based on MLSE's comments.


Is there a link to this? I have not seen or heard of anything related to the 2016 season yet.

I remember the MLS insiders (Grant Wahl, Alexi Lalas and who ever ESPN is using) playing around with the idea that more mid-week games may be occurring earlier in the season in order to better fit around FIFA dates (whenever possible), to try to shorten the season so that MLS Cup won't happen in mid-November to early-December (remember 2010 here?), as well as fit in the extra total games with 2-3 more expansion teams coming in.

One idea i heard about during on of the FOX broadcasts was the thought of Making 'Monday Night Football' for MLS during the summer and having teams do doubles on Monday/Friday or Monday/Saturday within a week.

I couldn't find a link but its something that has apparently been talked about in the league all year, and seems to have traction as a viable idea next year.

Whether it happens or not is something completely different.

[Cashcleaner]

i sincerely thought Larry's first Grey Cup would be at the SkyDome.
he can pack almost 60K in there.
it's ready to go.
the Jays grass is many years away.

oh well.

Naw, they were always going to go all-in with BMO Field as soon as they could.

Write it down now; we're not just going to see the Grey Cup played at BMO Field in 2016, but they're going to keep the temporary stands up and host an NHL outdoor game a few weeks later. In a very short window of time, they are going to generate a hefty chuck of revenue from that stadium.

[nfitz]

Is there a link to this? I have not seen or heard of anything related to the 2016 season yet.In the article in yesterday's Star - http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/2015/10/01/2016-grey-cup-latest-addition-to-busy-toronto-sports-calendar.html

See the last 2 paragraphs, the comments from Dave Hopkinson at MLSE:



But MLSE exec Dave Hopkinson says TFC fans needn’t worry. Although Major League Soccer hasn’t yet scheduled its 2016 p******s Hopkinson says a hypothetical title game in Toronto would take place well before the Grey Cup.

“TFC is the primary tenant,” said Hopkinson, MLSE’s chief commercial officer. “You don’t get this far into the process without having done all your homework, and we’ve done all our homework.”

[ensco]

In the article in yesterday's Star - http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/2015/10/01/2016-grey-cup-latest-addition-to-busy-toronto-sports-calendar.html

See the last 2 paragraphs, the comments from Dave Hopkinson at MLSE:


But MLSE exec Dave Hopkinson says TFC fans needn’t worry. Although Major League Soccer hasn’t yet scheduled its 2016 p******s Hopkinson says a hypothetical title game in Toronto would take place well before the Grey Cup.

“TFC is the primary tenant,” said Hopkinson, MLSE’s chief commercial officer. “You don’t get this far into the process without having done all your homework, and we’ve done all our homework.”


Over/under bet - when will we see a quote from this Hopkinson guy that doesn't have some element of self-congratulation?

one year? five years? never?

[Red CB Toronto]

If they were doing this any other year then the year they put the roof on, I could see an enterprising company setting up those temp stands in March and just selling those seats as cheap overflow.

MLSE though tends to want to protect its price point in the rest of the stadium (thus the ridiculous SSH prices for the Upper East).

Yeh, the Upper East price structure is beyond me, when compared to west side and even the lower east. I wonder if they will learn the lesson that they did with the north stand when they slashed the price for those after one season, where it was often empty.

[Redcoe15]

Ya, because anybody from within ML$E has always been truthful to its fanbase. :facepalm: :frown2:

[GonfiaLaRete]

Yeh, the Upper East price structure is beyond me, when compared to west side and even the lower east. I wonder if they will learn the lesson that they did with the north stand when they slashed the price for those after one season, where it was often empty.

I just don't get the pricing for up there. Although for tomorrows game against Philly, there are plenty of cheap tickets up there for one of the first times all year but who would know after the way they have been gouging