Football (Canadian) comes out swinging

[FandesRens]

article in the Ottawa Sun

http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Football/2009/02/18/8429891-sun.html

[EstebanLugo]

At least they did better with the sunshine girl today.

[Sport Billy]

They are really starting to make Melnyk look like the 8 yr old who says "We play by my rules or I'm not playing."

If the press goes after him and makes this look like it's his fault for being selfish, it is going to be very difficult for the powers that be to back him.

[nick_b]

I wonder if the CFL will survive if the NFL gets a franchise in Toronto. Anyone know what the latest word is on the Bills moving to TO?

[SweetOwnGoal]

I wonder if the CFL will survive if the NFL gets a franchise in Toronto. Anyone know what the latest word is on the Bills moving to TO?

Don't hold your breath.

[Rick O'Shea]

I'm still having difficulty understanding why it has to be an either/or situation. Why can't MLS and CFL be joint tenants taking their respective revenues based on attendances? That way everyone should be happy. Incidentally, CFL in their statement say they are making an impact worldwide - I would be interested to know where, because I have never noticed anything.

[FandesRens]

I'm still having difficulty understanding why it has to be an either/or situation. Why can't MLS and CFL be joint tenants taking their respective revenues based on attendances? That way everyone should be happy. Incidentally, CFL in their statement say they are making an impact worldwide - I would be interested to know where, because I have never noticed anything.

What they are saying is that football (American/Canadian) is played in 52 countries by about 26 million players. The fact that the US dominate so much and Canada is second making everyone else look small is the reason why you hear so little of football played in Japan, Korea, France etc etc. This includes recognized flag and touch football.

This is still small compared to soccer. But to say that football would be dead in 25 years was ridiculous as football is a growing sport worlwide. If I was betting I would bet that both will be around 25 years from now.

[FandesRens]

I'm still having difficulty understanding why it has to be an either/or situation. Why can't MLS and CFL be joint tenants taking their respective revenues based on attendances? That way everyone should be happy. Incidentally, CFL in their statement say they are making an impact worldwide - I would be interested to know where, because I have never noticed anything.

Joint tennants? Great ideah! Where do they play, Lansdowne, Kanata or Lebreton Flats?

[Coup de boule]

I've said before that if Melnyk gets his stadium and the team is successful attendance-wise that I would expect him to bid for a CFL franchise in a few years. The fee would be a fraction of the MLS fee, he would get extra revenue for his stadium through 9 regular season CFL games, and he would eventually get to play host to a Grey Cup game. And we all know how he loves to host big events (2 NHL drafts, WHJC, future NHL all-star game).

I think Melnyk saying "no" to CFL for his stadium right now has got more to do with telling MLS everything they want to hear (given the strong competition for MLS expansion).

MLS wouldn't approve of a CFL team of course because of what football might do to the natural turf, but what are they going to say to Melnyk if he's successful at that point and selling out games? "If you bring in CFL we're taking away your franchise"? Not if other MLS teams aren't doing as well attendance-wise.

As for the Hunt group, if they get their way and get good attendance for football, I would expect them to make a play for USL if MLS isn't interested in Lansdowne. Same idea, it's extra revenue for their stadium.

[FandesRens]

I've said before that if Melnyk gets his stadium and the team is successful attendance-wise that I would expect him to bid for a CFL franchise in a few years. The fee would be a fraction of the MLS fee, he would get extra revenue for his stadium through 9 regular season CFL games, and he would eventually get to play host to a Grey Cup game. And we all know how he loves to host big events (2 NHL drafts, WHJC, future NHL all-star game).

I think Melnyk saying "no" to CFL for his stadium right now has got more to do with telling MLS everything they want to hear (given the strong competition for MLS expansion).

MLS wouldn't approve of a CFL team of course because of what football might do to the natural turf, but what are they going to say to Melnyk if he's successful at that point and selling out games? "If you bring in CFL we're taking away your franchise"? Not if other MLS teams aren't doing as well attendance-wise.

As for the Hunt group, if they get their way and get good attendance for football, I would expect them to make a play for USL if MLS isn't interested in Lansdowne. Same idea, it's extra revenue for their stadium.

Add field lacrosse and you get an extra 7 dates... In Major League Lacrosse.

[nick_b]

I'm still having difficulty understanding why it has to be an either/or situation. Why can't MLS and CFL be joint tenants taking their respective revenues based on attendances? That way everyone should be happy. Incidentally, CFL in their statement say they are making an impact worldwide - I would be interested to know where, because I have never noticed anything.

Just listening to the radio this afternoon and they had President of Senators operations and his explanation of why they can't come together is based around runoff revenue generated by parking, suites, concessions, concerts, and other events. To make either proposal viable the ownership groups would need the revenue from events other than sports. Sharing that revenue would be the major issue.

this is at least how I understand the issue.

[Clonester]

I've typically believed there are three general reasons someone with a lot of money would invest in a sports franchise:

1) They are sincerely sports fans.
2) The money to be made off real estate/retail/concessions/parking associated with the stadium
3) A marketing/advertising tool

Both ownership groups are looking at #2. A franchise doesn't hold a lot of value without ownership of the stadium. A good regional example is the Toronto Blue Jays. The franchise held little value until Rogers bought ownership of the Skydome.