Argos unlikely to play at BMO Field in 2014

[Initial B]

Just curious, but what if the Argos move into BMO Field (with no renovations) and TFC put any saved renovation money towards building a new stadium out at Downsview along the University Subway line? I mean, you have that huge space between the Allan Expressway and Wilson Heights Blvd just south of Sheppard, within walking distance of Downsview station and right up the road from the 401. Nobody would be complaining about how to get there, there's ample parking in the area, and if TFC ever got glamourous enough they could fly a chartered Jet from the airport next door. (which reminds me, they could probably get a decent jersey deal from Bombardier - let Limpact have BMO as a sponsor)

[Fort York Redcoat]

Just curious, but what if the Argos move into BMO Field (with no renovations) and TFC put any saved renovation money towards building a new stadium out at Downsview along the University Subway line? I mean, you have that huge space between the Allan Expressway and Wilson Heights Blvd just south of Sheppard, within walking distance of Downsview station and right up the road from the 401. Nobody would be complaining about how to get there, there's ample parking in the area, and if TFC ever got glamourous enough they could fly a chartered Jet from the airport next door. (which reminds me, they could probably get a decent jersey deal from Bombardier - let Limpact have BMO as a sponsor)

fuck no.

I'm lobbying the opposite. Leave BMO the hell alone if it means the Argos move in and build a gridiron cookie cutter at Downsview that can expand for both leagues. There are more fans of the gridiron that drive from around the GTA and Downsview is fine for them. I want my house to be downtown.

[WestStandGeoff]

Just curious, but what if the Argos move into BMO Field (with no renovations) and TFC put any saved renovation money towards building a new stadium out at Downsview along the University Subway line? I mean, you have that huge space between the Allan Expressway and Wilson Heights Blvd just south of Sheppard, within walking distance of Downsview station and right up the road from the 401. Nobody would be complaining about how to get there, there's ample parking in the area, and if TFC ever got glamourous enough they could fly a chartered Jet from the airport next door. (which reminds me, they could probably get a decent jersey deal from Bombardier - let Limpact have BMO as a sponsor)

Major flaw with this proposal is Argos need to field to be about 50m longer than what is currently at BMO, so they would still either need to do some modifications, or play under some modified rules.

And anyway, the space you suggest isn't exactly prime for a soccer stadium... there are 2-story residential homes immediately to the north and east of that green space, so plunking a 25-seater stadium in their back yards isn't going to appeal to very many.

Also, logistics aren't as black-and-white as you present them either - I for one would be complaining about how to get there as it would turn my 15 minute streetcar ride into a much longer adventure to get to home games. I think same could be said for the many who ride the GO train on the east-west line who get off at the Exhibition stop, and would now be forced to either take that in and ride the subway north, or to abandon public transit and just drive to Downswiew, which in itself brings another issue of parking demand and stress on the local streets because of added volume.

And I also think this would take away a lot of what many of us enjoy about game day - a trip to the pub before and/or after the match to hang out with other supporters. Where at Downsview is that going to happen? Nowhere within walking distance of the stadium that's for sure... maybe we can all just show up early and enjoy the Budweiser party zone?

[Mulder]

I would really like it to be the end, but, "- The Argos would not move to another building where they are the 2nd tenant. The CFL will not allow it," is a problem. The CFL isn't in a position to "allow" very much. And they're still so thrilled to have the Als in McGill Stadium (where they are technically the #2 tenant after McGill, aren't they?) after losing the team completely and then having the same problems in the Big O that the Argos have in the Dome the CFL is a little desperate.

If being secondary tenants means you get your choice of dates from June to September, and are "Forced" to play your remaining schedule at home Sunday's at 1 oclock (Or Thanksgiving Monday). Oh no. The hardship of playing second fiddle at Mcgill Stadium! Argos would kill for that kind of consistency.

[Beach_Red]

If being secondary tenants means you get your choice of dates from June to September, and are "Forced" to play your remaining schedule at home Sunday's at 1 oclock (Or Thanksgiving Monday). Oh no. The hardship of playing second fiddle at Mcgill Stadium! Argos would kill for that kind of consistency.

You're not helping, I'm trying to see a way for TFC to remain the primary tenant at BMO...

[TFC07]

Argos lost their biggest ally in politics (Rob Ford), so I guess city of Toronto isn't going to force MLSE to buy Argos and move them into BMO field. Hopefully, Argos find a new home soon or else they might be relocated somewhere else (Atlantic Canada?).

[Haddy]

Grey Cup: Tim Leiweke, Mark Cohon and city choreograph Argo dance: Cox

TL - “Our first focus has been and continue to be how we fix BMO Field for soccer,” he said. “That has to be highest priority. We have to make it better than it is for soccer. We can’t ask our fans to sacrifice their views or their environment.
“Our soccer fans get mad at us when this football thing comes up, and we are not going to declare war on our fans.”

[SoccMan2]

Looks like TL is finally getting it after reading that quote, it did take him awhile to figure it out, he should be trying to make BMO field more soccer friendly as he can, have a look at Sporting KC's stadium, was watching their playoff game last night from K.C. versus Houston now that's a soccer stadium, I know we can't make BMO as soccer friendly as KC's but they should strive to make it come close.

[TFC07]

Grey Cup: Tim Leiweke, Mark Cohon and city choreograph Argo dance: Cox

Another interesting point is that Cohon is the one pushing the Argos to BMO field not Argos themselves who are open to playing in 905 region (905 cities showing serious interest to have Argos playing in their backyard).

[Haddy]

Report: Bon Jovi interested in buying Bills

After Ralph Wilson passes, Bills to Toronto isn't so cut and dry it seems. May not be a rock star who buys them, but there is interest.

[Pint]

Report: Bon Jovi interested in buying Bills


After Ralph Wilson passes, Bills to Toronto isn't so cut and dry it seems. May not be a rock star who buys them, but there is interest.

Well MLSE is planning on honoring him with a banner and also be the 1st person honored at the ACC's new wall of fame.

[Haddy]

Well MLSE is planning on honoring him with a banner and also be the 1st person honored at the ACC's new wall of fame.

Here is the original CBS article: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/...-buffalo-bills

Lots of tinfoil hat theories in there to feast on.

[ensco]

Leiweke is using the interests of the soccer fans as a trojan horse to get what he really wants, which is a hockey-friendly reno. He doesn't give a rat's ass about the CFL in BMO per se, if that's the price he has to pay to get BMO renovated so be it.

He just needs a story for us about grassmaster or some such, if he can pull this off.

[reggie]

so the leafs are moving to bmo??

[Areathrasher]

so the leafs are moving to bmo??

2017 Winter Classic for the Leafs 100 Anniversary

[ensco]

2017 Winter Classic for the Leafs 100 Anniversary

A lot more games than that. They'd put as many games as they could get away with there.

The ACC seats 19,000. The Leafs can make an incremental $2-3M for every game they play in front of 30,000 people.

Leiweke wants The Palace of Outdoor Hockey. But someone else has to be maneuvered into paying for it, so that's where Saving the Argos comes into it.

The taxpayers, and TFC, will get hosed.

[reggie]

that's crazy...1 game a year max,where did you hear that?
while yr at it....who really did shoot JFK?

[Haddy]

A lot more games than that. They'd put as many games as they could get away with there.

The ACC seats 19,000. The Leafs can make an incremental $2-3M for every game they play in front of 30,000 people.

Leiweke wants The Palace of Outdoor Hockey. But someone else has to be maneuvered into paying for it, so that's where Saving the Argos comes into it.

The taxpayers, and TFC, will get hosed.

The real issue there is that the ACC is too small for the Leafs. Forget about current Raps attendance for a sec, I still can't believe the Leafs didn't push for more seating in there when they moved in.

You are definitely correct about the possibility of outdoor Leafs games at BMO. Only MLSE knows how or when.

[Marc"2L"]

that's crazy...1 game a year max,where did you hear that?

it makes sense, believe it or not, the leafs are still making boat loads of money, but the boats move slower now.
Theres this general trend of TV ratings declining everywhere, because the kids have other things to do.

But if you can bring a kid to a hockey game and it doesn't cost thousands of dollars, you might hook somebody for life.

KJ did a score podcast a while ago describing his first Aston Villa game, really good but I doubt you can find it. That game is the reason he's so involved with soccer. "Hooked" as he said, "hooked for life" and I agree. Same thing happened at my first TFC game, a 1-0 win in the rain against the defending MLS cup champions is a pretty powerful experience, never mind getting to meet the keeper at the bar afterwards.

Im not saying they are seeing a loss now, not at all, but the fact is that a child who's gone to a hockey game is more likely to enjoy and follow the sport then one who's playing Call of duty all the time. Combine with Leiweke acknowledging that the atmosphere at the ACC is poor, you can see where he wants to take it.

I don't like using myself as an example, but I always wanted to go to a leafs game when I was a kid, and mom couldn't afford it.
I have spent zero dollars on the maple leafs as an adult. Lock outs don't help of course.

[OgtheDim]

No way the NHL would go for more then one or two games a year outside, and then only the Winter Classic and one other. Otherwise it would dilute the product of their biggest marketing tool right now - the Winter Classic. The Leafs are big, but not so important that the rest of the league will bend over and let MLSE kill off their biggest marketing success in 40 years.

And, no, MLSE doesn't care about getting kids hooked by going. They rely upon TV and the endless discussion about every little nose pick by any Leaf player to do that.

[Marc"2L"]

And, no, MLSE doesn't care about getting kids hooked by going. They rely upon TV and the endless discussion about every little nose pick by any Leaf player to do that.

With all due respect, nope, you're missing a huge fundamental about TV, they do very much care about getting people, to care.

If you don't care, why watch it on TV when you could be playing FIFA or watching Netflix

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle14324928/ How, declining market share

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/sports-junior/. Why, cost

http://www.businessinsider.com/cord-...-of-tv-2013-11. Why it matters, TV is dying

so, less people caring about hockey + less people watching TV...

[OgtheDim]

Ur missing my pont.

Going to the game is not how they want you to start caring. Otherwise, they'd put in a cheap family zone.

[Marc"2L"]

Ur missing my pont.

Going to the game is not how they want you to start caring. Otherwise, they'd put in a cheap family zone.

You mean like a reno at BMO and playing more games there? I think you're missing the part where Tim said he wanted to get more "real fans" at the game. He's not going to bump off the gold seats and the ACC isn't getting any bigger.

winning a Stanley cup renders all this moot. That should boost any club... As long as you still have people caring about hockey.... See link 1. It's still huge, but we're in an age of unprecedented rises and falls, snapchat turns down a billion, Kodak is no more. Things happen fast

[Areathrasher]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/footba...lls_kelly.html

Kelly pretty much regurgitated the CBS article posted further up the page.

[PopePouri]

A lot more games than that. They'd put as many games as they could get away with there.

The ACC seats 19,000. The Leafs can make an incremental $2-3M for every game they play in front of 30,000 people.

Leiweke wants The Palace of Outdoor Hockey. But someone else has to be maneuvered into paying for it, so that's where Saving the Argos comes into it.

The taxpayers, and TFC, will get hosed.

How do you host hockey on a grass or grassmaster pitch? Unless they can relay it every time there's an event, I seriously doubt this.

If this was truly possible, we're talking major renovations to BMO almost to the point of a rebuild. A removable pitch would be a must, then a stand or structure that would bring the pitch in and out. And then there's the expansion to 30 000+.

[ensco]

How do you host hockey on a grass or grassmaster pitch? Unless they can relay it every time there's an event, I seriously doubt this.

If this was truly possible, we're talking major renovations to BMO almost to the point of a rebuild. A removable pitch would be a must, then a stand or structure that would bring the pitch in and out. And then there's the expansion to 30 000+.

Yup.

Face it, BMO is ridiculous from the city's pov. That is a poor use of the real estate. It's a do-over. The "national soccer thingy" idea failed (thank you, Teachers, for allowing bureaucrats and incompetents to wreck any chance it had), so time to move on.

Two things in BMO 1.0 that you won't see in BMO 2.0: they won't design it to be used maybe 15 times a year max, and it won't be a god-awful meccano set ... you don't put up a Quonset hut on a piece of land in Rosedale.

I doubt they'd try to have the rink in while the football/soccer season is on. But they could do anything they want between December 1 and mid March.

[reggie]

now ive heard it all....mlse is going to screw us(TFC FANS) so that mlse can turn bmo into a rink for the leafs to play outdoor games in the winter...
COM ON MAN

[prizby]

A lot more games than that. They'd put as many games as they could get away with there.

The ACC seats 19,000. The Leafs can make an incremental $2-3M for every game they play in front of 30,000 people.

Leiweke wants The Palace of Outdoor Hockey. But someone else has to be maneuvered into paying for it, so that's where Saving the Argos comes into it.

The taxpayers, and TFC, will get hosed.

they'd need a hell of a lot more luxury boxes (about 24 + 2 vs. 64 + behind each net + gondolas)

[Marc"2L"]

now ive heard it all....mlse is going to screw us(TFC FANS) so that mlse can turn bmo into a rink for the leafs to play outdoor games in the winter...
COM ON MAN

I don't think they'll screw us. I'm not a fan of TL talk when it comes to players, too many variables to be so sure. Then again, there's a story about how BMO field came to be in its present form. Hopefully that story ends with it being shipped somewhere in need. *

I'm pretty sure a terrific stadium could be part of the plan to restore the brand that Leiweke mentions.
Congrats wizards.

*its still going to be a reno, not a do over. But I'm pretty sure the only thing left will be the west stand.

[ensco]

now ive heard it all....mlse is going to screw us(TFC FANS) so that mlse can turn bmo into a rink for the leafs to play outdoor games in the winter...
COM ON MAN

You need to ask yourself "What would PT Barnum do?" more often.....