Stadiums and Arenas of Canada

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Also

http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/...hortons-field/

Founding Partnerships were struck with Scotiabank, Molson Coors and Pioneer Energy and the Cats also secured Premier Partnerships with Seagram and Nissan.

The Cats have said, since negotiations began to build a Pan Am stadium to replace Ivor Wynne, that their new home would need to be able to generate significantly more income than the old one could. A long-term naming-rights deal with Tim Hortons was the first public sign of that and the five new partnerships are indicators the business community is responding positively to the Cats' new surroundings.

Scotiabank, which is already the official bank of the Ticats, will have naming rights to one of the entry gates, a premier suite level and the media centre. The bank will also continue and extend its fan and community initiatives.

Molson Coors gets pouring rights for all events at Tim Hortons Field, including Ticat games, and the 10,000-square-foot double-tiered gathering space in the north end zone will be called the Coors Light Patio.

Pioneer Energy is the official fuel and convenience store partner of the Cats, and has title rights to the southeast entry gate, where Pioneer Bonus Bucks Card Holders will enter the stadium. The south end zone gathering area will be called the Pioneer Energy End Zone.

Seagrams has pouring rights for vodka and ready-to-drink Caesars, and will also sponsor the Seagram Touchdown Lounge, a hospitality area featuring sectional couches in the south end zone.

Nissan is the team's, and stadium's, official car retailer and will have its name on one of the Club Lounges on the 1,000-seat club level.

EDIT: In case it gets missed on the last page

Finally an aerial shot of Tim Horton's Field

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by elly63

Ok, great, then you stop the NFL trolling, which you pick your spots and do on purpose, and I'll not mention American wannabees. Fair enough?

I don't have to do sh*t. I joined in an ongoing discussion.
You can mentioned American wannabees all you want - no matter how ridiculous it is.

[elly63]

Ok my Yankee friend, troll on. Everybody knows you do it.

[isaidso]

I suppose we should be thankful that neither Hamilton or Ottawa will have an athletics track. It only seems to be a problem in the CIS and Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Nathan

It's kind of your classic David and Goliath story, except some of David's people are cheering for Goliath.

Precisely. It's no shock that immigrant rich Toronto is also a city with a profound lack of cultural identity to Canada. A lot of Torontonians have very little attachment to domestic institutions which results in cultural insecurity. To fill the cultural void that they created themselves, they attach their allegiances to whatever them deem most valuable. It's a classic case of brand association. Domestic culture is often the sacrificial lamb. Make no mistake, they'd boot the Leafs to the curb as well if it were part of a Canada only league. They'd quickly deem it not worthy of a great city like Toronto and it would wither within a decade or two.

Just look at every hockey team in the city. They're all in steep decline and/or re-locating to other cities that value hockey as part of their culture. Toronto supports the Leafs because it's deemed worthy of them, not because it's hockey. Toronto would rather have no hockey at all if they couldn't be in the NHL.

The problem is that many never developed a relationship with Toronto's/Canada's culture or history in the first place so they don't see it as a rejection of their own culture... even though it is. We're at the sad juncture where every Toronto/Canadian tradition is expendable if something bigger or cooler can be found internationally. It's typical behaviour in highly transient cities with massive foreign populations. Toronto's in rush to shed itself of qualities that make it Canadian and become culturally indistinguishable from a Chicago or Boston.

[kool maudit]

it is kind of difficult because english canadians speak the same language as americans, and don't even really (compared to brits, australians, or south africans etc.) have much of an accent. language is culture.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

it is kind of difficult because english canadians speak the same language as americans, and don't even really (compared to brits, australians, or south africans etc.) have much of an accent. language is culture.

Anglophone Canadians make the mistake in believing if something exists outside of Canada it can't be Canadian as well. By that definition, Austria has no culture because it's also to be found in Switzerland and Germany. It's a an absurdly high standard and negates anything that's become relevant internationally.

That said, when you go to smaller cities in Canada they have a keener sense of what's there's and what's not. Traditions and cultural norms run deep and long and they've been invested in them since birth. There's less of this searching beyond one's borders to fill a cultural void because they already have a well defined culture. That's missing in Toronto. The culture has always been there, but they never adopted it as their own. If you don't see something as your own culture, you're going to be quick to deem it has no value and discard it. That's what's happening in Toronto.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Precisely. It's no shock that immigrant rich Toronto is also a city with a profound lack of cultural identity to Canada. A lot of Torontonians have very little attachment to domestic institutions which results in cultural insecurity. To fill the cultural void that they created themselves, they attach their allegiances to whatever them deem most valuable. It's a classic case of brand association. Domestic culture is often the sacrificial lamb. Make no mistake, they'd boot the Leafs to the curb as well if it were part of a Canada only league. They'd quickly deem it not worthy of a great city like Toronto and it would wither within a decade or two.

Just look at every hockey team in the city. They're all in steep decline and/or re-locating to other cities that value hockey as part of their culture. Toronto supports the Leafs because it's deemed worthy of them, not because it's hockey. Toronto would rather have no hockey at all if they couldn't be in the NHL.

The problem is that many never developed a relationship with Toronto's/Canada's culture or history in the first place so they don't see it as a rejection of their own culture... even though it is. We're at the sad juncture where every Toronto/Canadian tradition is expendable if something bigger or cooler can be found internationally. It's typical behaviour in highly transient cities with massive foreign populations. Toronto's in rush to shed itself of qualities that make it Canadian and become culturally indistinguishable from a Chicago or Boston.

What's ironic is that Toronto can be (and may already be in many ways) a better city than Boston, Chicago and many other U.S. cities. And that part of what does and can make it great is the fact that it is Canadian.

[saffronleaf]

I disagree about the Leafs because, as someone living in the US, I can tell you that hockey is non-existent in the national scale in the US. Even in a regional scale, in a supposed hockey hotbed like Minnesota, hockey is small potatoes. Hockey and the NHL is pretty thoroughly Canadian.

If people from Toronto wanted to support a sports franchise that put them on the map internationally or gave them a foothold in the US, they'd support the Jays and Raptors. And while support for the Jays and Raptors are respectable, it is a little bit underwhelming for a comparable city of its size in the US.

Supporting a hockey team is one of the most insular domestic activities; to support the Leafs because the NHL has teams in the US is a joke because the NHL has virtually zero presence in the US. People don't support these teams in the US.

Torontonians aren't stupid (i.e., they don't think that hockey matters in the US when it doesn't); Canadian media does a good job of slandering the modest successes hockey occasionally has in the US.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

Supporting a hockey team is one of the most insular domestic activities; to support the Leafs because the NHL has teams in the US is a joke because the NHL has virtually zero presence in the US. People don't support these teams in the US.

So now you're starting to understand the psyche of Torontonians. Btw, the NHL has little presence in about half the US, but it's the other half Torontonians care about: New York, Chicago, Boston, Philly, Detroit, Washington, Minneapolis. They give the league relevancy in the eyes of people here. Toronto cares about status and brand coolness over anything else.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Acajack

What's ironic is that Toronto can be (and may already be in many ways) a better city than Boston, Chicago and many other U.S. cities. And that part of what does and can make it great is the fact that it is Canadian.

I know, but most here are too blind to recognize that. They're too busy trying to accumulate all the status symbols they think they need to be recognized as having 'made it'. It's a sign of cultural insecurity more than cultural maturity.

They reject anything that doesn't have high enough status in their eyes in an attempt to show they're sophisticated, but it really just drills home that the city has a long way to go. A mature city looks to itself, it doesn't perennially try to mimic others.

Toronto used to do that with its food culture: import what ever was hot somewhere else. Now Toronto is developing its own food culture; we even promote Niagara wine these days. Unfortunately, we still look to others when it comes to things like fashion, architecture, and sports. Hopefully as Toronto matures, it will stop looking down upon its long neglected football team and start nurturing it.

[kool maudit]

if austria did not have vienna, with its history as the intellectual centre of the germanic world, it would be a lot more like canada.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

I disagree about the Leafs because, as someone living in the US, I can tell you that hockey is non-existent in the national scale in the US. Even in a regional scale, in a supposed hockey hotbed like Minnesota, hockey is small potatoes. Hockey and the NHL is pretty thoroughly Canadian.

If people from Toronto wanted to support a sports franchise that put them on the map internationally or gave them a foothold in the US, they'd support the Jays and Raptors. And while support for the Jays and Raptors are respectable, it is a little bit underwhelming for a comparable city of its size in the US.

Supporting a hockey team is one of the most insular domestic activities; to support the Leafs because the NHL has teams in the US is a joke because the NHL has virtually zero presence in the US. People don't support these teams in the US.

Torontonians aren't stupid (i.e., they don't think that hockey matters in the US when it doesn't); Canadian media does a good job of slandering the modest successes hockey occasionally has in the US.

I think you are greatly underestimating the popularity of hockey in certain parts of the US.

Hockey is small potatoes in Minnesota? Are you serious?

In greater Detroit, the Red Wings are arguably the most popular pro sports team in the metro area.

And in many other US NHL cities (though far from all of them - we know the story), the local NHL clubs - though not the biggest ticket in town - are certainly every bit as popular as the Blue Jays are in Toronto. Which means they are hardly irrrelevant. I am thinking here of Buffalo, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, etc.

[kool maudit]

swtizerland is its own unique case.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

swtizerland is its own unique case.

Aren't they always.

Originally Posted by kool maudit

if austria did not have vienna, with its history as the intellectual centre of the germanic world, it would be a lot more like canada.

That almost makes my point though. Toronto needs to mature and become more confident in the indigenous culture before it will stop looking elsewhere for affirmation. If Toronto were more like Vienna, we'd be celebrating what's ours rather than being embarrassed of it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

swtizerland is its own unique case.

Scouring my brain to think of comparables to (English) Canada vs. the US...

Certainly, German Switzerland has many commonalities with Germany but it's fairly different all the same. I mean, the oral version of the German they speak is not easily intelligible with the language in Germany or Austria. Think Newfoundlanders compared to Americans!

French Swiss, though, in my experience, are quite culturally similar to the people in France from neighbouring areas. Francophone Belgians are like this as well. Whereas the Flemish seem a bit more distanced from the Dutch. More like Swiss Germans vs. Germans.

Obviously people who share a common language can have many cultural overlaps from other countries that share the same language. My kids were singing a pop song from France with their friends while walking to school this morning.

The nuances lie in the level of adoption of another country's culture. Does it serve as a complement to the local one or does it supplant it or supercede it?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I think you are greatly underestimating the popularity of hockey in certain parts of the US.

Hockey is small potatoes in Minnesota? Are you serious?

While hockey is widely played at the amateur level in Minnesota relative to nearly every other state, it's hard to deny that the NHL is definitely behind the NFL/Vikings and the MLB/Twins in the Minnesota sports pecking order.

I would equate them maybe with the Raptors' presence in Toronto... undeniably a presence in the pro sports firmament and by no means irrelevant, but definitely second fiddle to the big teams in town.

That said, the notion that the NHL is some huge deal in the US and elsewhere abroad is clearly a big selling point in Canada. It was certainly part of the excitement when the Jets came back to Winnipeg ("We're going to be on the ESPN ticker again!"), but it's not just a Winnipeg thing. I vividly recall coldrsx's photo threads from Japan where it seemed like every photo with him in it showed him wearing Edmonton Oilers gear, as though people on the streets of Osaka would be high-fiving him at every turn talking about how Taylor Hall was going to light it up next season. The reality is that most people in West Virginia wouldn't recognize the Oilers logo, let alone Japan.

We know that hardly anyone outside of Canada knows or cares about the CFL, for example, but we haven't collectively realized that the same is more or less true regarding the NHL, with the exception of a handful of US cities including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis.

[Barnard's Star]

Guys, I just started a new thread: Sports in Canadian culture. You'll find it in the Canada section.

I was thinking it's a little unfair to repeatedly hijack this thread for discussions that don't relate to stadiums and arenas.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

While hockey is widely played at the amateur level in Minnesota relative to nearly every other state, it's hard to deny that the NHL is definitely behind the NFL/Vikings and the MLB/Twins in the Minnesota sports pecking order.

I would equate them maybe with the Raptors' presence in Toronto... undeniably a presence in the pro sports firmament and by no means irrelevant, but definitely second fiddle to the big teams in town.

That said, the notion that the NHL is some huge deal in the US and elsewhere abroad is clearly a big selling point in Canada. It was certainly part of the excitement when the Jets came back to Winnipeg ("We're going to be on the ESPN ticker again!"), but it's not just a Winnipeg thing. I vividly recall coldrsx's photo threads from Japan where it seemed like every photo with him in it showed him wearing Edmonton Oilers gear, as though people on the streets of Osaka would be high-fiving him at every turn talking about how Taylor Hall was going to light it up next season. The reality is that most people in West Virginia wouldn't recognize the Oilers logo, let alone Japan.

We know that hardly anyone outside of Canada knows or cares about the CFL, for example, but we haven't collectively realized that the same is more or less true regarding the NHL, with the exception of a handful of US cities including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis.

Good post. The thing about the Oilers logo in Japan made me laugh!

As for Minnesota, I agree that the Vikings and Twins are more popular, but the Wild are more popular than the Timberwolves. But I also suspect that the NHL brand was damaged there by the departure of the North Stars to Dallas, and that it will take some time to heal completely. Had the North Stars been there uninterrupted for decades and been reasonably competitive most of the time, they'd be more able to give the other teams a run for their money and would be closer to them in popularity.

[The_Architect]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Just look at every hockey team in the city. They're all in steep decline and/or re-locating to other cities that value hockey as part of their culture. Toronto supports the Leafs because it's deemed worthy of them, not because it's hockey. Toronto would rather have no hockey at all if they couldn't be in the NHL.
.

Sorry but that's not true at all...

If you think of the hockey teams in Toronto/GTA other than the Leafs, the Marlies have had some of the highest attendance in the AHL the past few years, regularly filling the Ricoh, it has the largest minor hockey association in the world, and has 2 Junior A teams (formerly 3), including Mississauga and Oshawa. Brampton relocated because putting a hockey team in Brampton, in an arena 7km from another team was utterly stupid. Looking a bit further out you also have another AHL team in Hamilton (which still has nothing to do with Toronto), and a number of Junior B teams.

Compare that to the hockey hotbed of Montreal, which has an NHL team, but no AHL team and a grand total of 1 poorly-operating Junior A team, along with a huge list of failed hockey experiments.

The narrative that Toronto isn't a hockey city is overblown at best, and complete bullshit at worst.