Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2 - Page 13

Horus · #**241** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 3:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Their last 10 years in Montreal were a total disaster from an attendance standpoint. For the last 6 or 7 years they would have drawn more fans playing in Winnipeg's minor league ballpark.

I don't think it's fair to categorize that as a lack of baseball fandom in Montreal or Quebec/Eastern Ontario. The Expos were a basketcase in their final years of existence, being constantly threatened with contraction, relocation or other form of extinction. They had a lame-duck owner who bailed when offered a sweetheart deal to take over in Miami (and look what he did to that franchise) and were forced to play some of their "home" games in Puerto Rico for several seasons. Add this to a gutting of team operations due to cost-cutting and the steady exodus of top prospects to stardom on other teams, the Expos really never had a chance.

Even Leaf fans would stay away from their team if they were treated that way by their owner and league.

FrAnKs · #**242** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:08 PM**

The new Québec city arena will be called : Centre Vidéotron

esquire · #**243** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:09 PM**

^ The last 2-3 seasons were a total writeoff and yeah, it's hard to blame the fans in Montreal for how they responded. But the Expos were still a decent team through the 90s, and Loria didn't come on the scene until the 2000 season, yet they were already flatlining in terms of attendance and fan interest.

Acajack · #**244** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horus

I don't think it's fair to categorize that as a lack of baseball fandom in Montreal or Quebec/Eastern Ontario. The Expos were a basketcase in their final years of existence, being constantly threatened with contraction, relocation or other form of extinction. They had a lame-duck owner who bailed when offered a sweetheart deal to take over in Miami (and look what he did to that franchise) and were forced to play some of their "home" games in Puerto Rico for several seasons. Add this to a gutting of team operations due to cost-cutting and the steady exodus of top prospects to stardom on other teams, the Expos really never had a chance.

Even Leaf fans would stay away from their team if they were treated that way by their owner and league.

You're absolutely right but it still leaves us with the greatly weakened fanbase and baseball culture that we have at the moment.

Acajack · #**245** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

The new Québec city arena will be called : Centre Vidéotron

Confirmé à 100%?

esquire · #**246** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

The new Québec city arena will be called : Centre Vidéotron

Meh. Doesn't really roll off the tongue in English. "SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SEE GRAAAAAAAVE DIGGERRRRRRR AT THE VIDEOTRON CENTERRRRR!"

Acajack · #**247** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Meh. Doesn't really roll off the tongue in English. "SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SEE GRAAAAAAAVE DIGGERRRRRRR AT THE VIDEOTRON CENTERRRRR!"

It's Quebec. It doesn't matter how well it rolls off the tongue in English!

esquire · #**248** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's Quebec. It doesn't matter how well it rolls off the tongue in English!

Well, we will be mentioning the name. But I guess I can't give anyone any grief about the bilingual implications of a sports venue's name when I live in the city that is home to the MTS Centre.

Acajack · #**249** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Well, we will be mentioning the name. But I guess I can't give anyone any grief about the bilingual implications of a sports venue's name when I live in the city that is home to the MTS Centre.

Good one!

Acajack · #**250** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:31 PM**

It's official

http://www.tvasports.ca/2015/04/07/place-au

Acajack · #**251** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:40 PM**

So I guess if the NHL returns to Quebec City then Vidéotron's parent company Québecor is likely to own the team.

They have assets of 8-10 billion and annual revenue of 3 billion, so we can assume they can afford the price tag which would be what, in the 250 million range?

J.OT13 · #**252** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

The new Québec city arena will be called : Centre Vidéotron

I know Québecor owns the Ramparts and are involved with the arena's construction, but I thought they also owned the naming rights.

Berklon · #**253** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:48 PM**

Can't say I'm a fan of "Videotron Centre"

Videotron doesn't even sound good for a company name. To me it sounds like a 1980's videogame console. "Donkey Kong coming soon to the Videotron Gaming System!"

king10 · #**254** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I know precisely *one* kid in my entourage here who will be playing baseball this year. The little brother of one of my kids' best friends. Dad and son went to see the Jays at the Big O both last year and this weekend.

Kids who play soccer in my entourage are too numerous for me to count. My kids don't play soccer but in one of them's inner circle of friends five out of six BFFs play soccer.

Baseball still exists here of course but it seems like it and soccer have switched places compared to where they were in the 1980s.

I've played soccer my whole life but never once played baseball. I love going to watch baseball games though.

You don't have to have played or play the game to want to go see a pro game live.

Though I do agree, baseball and soccer have switched places in terms of youth sport participation.

Acajack · #**255** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

Can't say I'm a fan of "Videotron Centre"

Videotron doesn't even sound good for a company name. To me it sounds like a 1980's videogame console. "Donkey Kong coming soon to the Videotron Gaming System!"

Most arena and stadiums in Canada are nothing to write home about anyway.

BTW, the MTS Centre (esquire's joke that few people got) actually sounds like the STD Centre when you say it in French. MTS is the French acronym for STD.

Also, Vidéotron in French is often derisively referred to as Vidéo-Étron, which in French means Video-Turd.

esquire · #**256** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

Can't say I'm a fan of "Videotron Centre"

Videotron doesn't even sound good for a company name. To me it sounds like a 1980's videogame console. "Donkey Kong coming soon to the Videotron Gaming System!"

Ha ha, that's bang on.

king10 · #**257** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

Can't say I'm a fan of "Videotron Centre"

Videotron doesn't even sound good for a company name. To me it sounds like a 1980's videogame console. "Donkey Kong coming soon to the Videotron Gaming System!"

Acajack · #**258** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by king10

I've played soccer my whole life but never once played baseball. I love going to watch baseball games though.

You don't have to have played or play the game to want to go see a pro game live.

Though I do agree, baseball and soccer have switched places in terms of youth sport participation.

I suppose but in all my circle of male friends (late 30s - early 40s) I know exactly one person who follows baseball these days.

And all of us grew up with the Expos.

Expect that the generations younger than us are even more tuned out.

king10 · #**259** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I suppose but in all my circle of male friends (late 30s - early 40s) I know exactly one person who follows baseball these days.

And all of us grew up with the Expos.

Expect that the generations younger than us are even more tuned out.

Interesting, I live in Hamilton and tons of my friends in their mid 20's love the blue jays. We've already planned to catch two games this spring and made it a social outing with dinner before and hitting the bar after.

Females in their early to mid 20's LOVE posting photos to their instagram of them at the Jays game sipping on their Somersby in a jays hat. lol

Acajack · #**260** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 4:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by king10

Interesting, I live in Hamilton and tons of my friends in their mid 20's love the blue jays. We've already planned to catch two games this spring and made it a social outing with dinner before and hitting the bar after.

I believe you. That might explain at least in part why you have a team in your vicinity and we don't.