Quote:
Originally Posted by osmo
Majority of fans who catch weekday Leafs and Raptors game a are mostly local from Toronto city proper. Argo fan travel patterns are more from the suburbs. You can see this in action yourself in October during the few dates both the Argos and Leafs play at the same time. Union Station has way more double blue Argo fans filing out to watch the game. Etobicoke and the suburbs are the base for the Argos and sticking a stadium anywhere that is accessible for 10 home games does not matter as much as you think. Football stadiums have shown to have next to no impact on downtowns.
80 arena home dates (NHL + NBA)
80 Blue Jays dates in the spring and summer
30 TFC games (including friendlies and non MLS)
10 Argo games.
It isn't close. Football is always a destination sport. We just don't understand it here in lowly football Toronto. Back in Sask people would drive 6hrs + to go catch a Rider game, you see similar travel in the USA. You are more willing to do that for a sport that only gives you 8-10 dates, because of that location isn't as important as you think. Nobody is driving 6hrs to catch a Wednesday night Leafs vs Wild game in December.
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But again, what's the source for that information? Other than anecdotal observations at Union Station I mean. The Jays, Leafs and Raptors play so many more games that people from farther away have the luxury of not going to weekday games. That said, there's a pretty big stampede to Union Station after Jays games too. But if so many Argo fans are taking the GO train to games, then a location away from a GO hub doesn't make much sense. And if football fans drive six hours to see a game, then nobody's going to avoid going because of a half hour train ride.
As for location not being as important as you think, well yes and no. A move to the suburbs wouldn't accomplish anything. Football being downtown isn't about revitalizing downtown. Toronto doesn't need any help with that. It's about making the stadium as accessible and visible as possible to the most people in the city. Toronto is much more centralized than most American cities with suburban NFL stadiums and has a stronger regional rail system that's getting massively expanded. Moving the Argos to the suburbs would take them away from the action and growth potential. It might not necessarily hurt the team, but it sure wouldn't help it.