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Originally Posted by Haliguy
True but I would hate to see a team finally come to the Maritimes and then fail after a few years.
As for population what you say has merit, but you have to realize Sask fans are die hard and come from all over the province it would be hard pressed to have that type of support here. The CFL because we haven't had a team here is not that big in Atlantic Canada. It would take many years of having a team here to get that kind of support and even than its not a sure thing.
I'm not against a team in Moncton but I just don't think it makes a lot of business sense.
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Everything you're saying is valid, but the Maritimes needs to try. The CFL is very keen to gain a beach head in this region. It's obvious that a team in either Halifax or Moncton is a tricky proposition, but it's time for action. The relevant concerns have all been fleshed out in great length. What is clear is that there are enough positives to make a calculated and determined attempt at securing a CFL team worth while.
If this region can be cultivated into another football mad region like Saskatchewan, isn't it worth trying? The alternative is another few decades watching pro sports from the sidelines. Instead of debating endlessly about this, Maritimers need to adopt a 'yes we can' attitude. In all honesty, if you want this badly enough, you can have 2 teams in the Maritimes. The Riders draw from a province of 1,000,000. New Brunswick is at 800,000 and Nova Scotia is at 940,000. Honestly!
There's no reason why
both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia can't both evolve into another Saskatchewan in terms of passion for football. Halifax is half way there; SMU Football?
Stop bickering about where to put a team and convince the CFL that you can both do it. One team in Moncton, one team in Halifax and you can have a competition to see which city can post the highest average attendance each season. Not only will you both prosper, but you'll enrich the culture of both your provinces. Two Maritime teams would make the CFL a better league and a stronger league.
Enough talk. Get it done, and build something for the people of your respectively provinces to enjoy that they've never had before: pro sports. Neither Moncton or Halifax are too small, but you've convinced yourselves that you are.