Qwest/CenturyLink is soccer specific and it's double that. This term gets confused with "soccer exclusive" far too often. It was built to soccers specifications; the crown of the field is 6 inches instead of 12, the walls are lower to bring the fans in closer for a more intimate experience, the corners are squared for improved sight and the ability to have full run ups on corners, it's wider to accommodate all IFAB field sizes instead of the typical narrow American football field, the gate revenues and concessions go to the team -- and it was sold to taxpayers as a soccer field the Seahawks could play on, attract an MLS team and future International matches... It was never a football field only that the Sounders got thrown on like the Meadowlands or Gillette.
This is all being done to get an NFL franchise. Not just for a winter classic. As soon as the rumors about MLSE buying the Argos and moving them to BMO came out there was talk of it leading to an NFL bid.
The stadium is going to need to be a lot bigger than 30k for an NFL team. At any rate, NFL in Toronto is like Quebec separation, talk of it will never go away, but it'll never happen. Toronto should just accept the fact that it's in Canada and get on with life.
The concept seemed that the stadium upgrades are entirely separate from a future NFL bid. The way I read Lieweke's words is that maintaining a functioning and successful Argo's franchise was essential to a future NFL bid. So the stadium upgrades would indirectly help this. But ultimately a separate, NFL-ready stadium would be needed. I posted an article about that somewhere along those lines.
Apparently, the plans on what the city and MLSE to renovate BMO Field were announced: http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/05/is-this-the-future-of-bmo-field
This is exactly right. For perspective, the Rogers Center is considered too small for the NFL. BMO Field is definitely not the future home of an NFL team, simply a place for the Argos to have a better venue and chance for success which is conditional on any future NFL bid.
Based on conversations with my friend who works at MLSE - an NFL team is a goal for the organization to own. There was a whole exercise to come up with names too FWIW.
Perhaps, but there are two big things going against it: 1. The NFL has repeatedly said that they have no interest in becomign a cross border league (and perhaps they have some kind of agreement with the CFL to not do so) 2. Attendance for the Bills games in Toronto has not demonstrated that Toronto has the fan base to support an NFL club. I think MLSE would do better to spend their money on some counselling for the people of Toronto along the line of "It's okay, you're a real city even if you don't have every big American thing."
Don Peat @reporterdonpeat 14m BREAKING Executive committee votes in favour of BMO Field expansion. Mayor Rob Ford lone vote against approval #TOpoli
It is kind of surprising, seeing is that Ford is known for throwing his pennypinching ways out the window when it comes to his two pet issues, i.e. subways and gridiron football. Perhaps his hate for soccer (which to be fair I've never heard him say that he does, but given what we know about the man it is quite likely) outweighs his love of football. Or maybe he just hates the Argos for not being NFL.
Since council removed most of his powers, he has consistently voted against things....particularly where the things need city money....he is positioning himself as the one that votes against spending taxpayer money and trying to show that since he lost his powers council has returned to its overspending ways.
Interesting tweet from Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press: #torontoFC will not play home games until May 1 in 2015 and 2016 seasons due to construction if renovation plan goes thru.
I'm down. It never made any sense why we would play so many home games in March/April/May then go play Western conference games in the summer and have 1-2 home games a month in June/July.
It's because in cities with attendance issues, they get better attendance in the summer months, so they try to maximize those. TFC hasn't had attendance problems so they get most of their games during the poor-weather months.
You have to think the BMO field will be used for something during the pan-am games. That'll make for some bizarre scheduling during 2015.