Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2 - Page 58

cjones2451 · #**1141** Posted **May 25, 2015, 5:18 PM**

I know all the fuss and Hot Air from the TFC Fans and RPB recently, but under 24K for the TFC game on the weekend has to be a concern. It is only the 2nd game there since the reno, TFC is playing better with possibly the best player in MLS with Giovionco and its not sold out, wow! And they are bashing the Argos saying they won't sell out etc.

caltrane74 · #**1142** Posted **May 25, 2015, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

I know all the fuss and Hot Air from the TFC Fans and RPB recently, but under 24K for the TFC game on the weekend has to be a concern. It is only the 2nd game there since the reno, TFC is playing better with possibly the best player in MLS with Giovionco and its not sold out, wow! And they are bashing the Argos saying they won't sell out etc.

People were scared of getting fired from their $100,000 jobs.

esquire · #**1143** Posted **May 25, 2015, 5:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

People were scared of getting fired from their $100,000 jobs.

Watching on their smartphones instead, maybe?

WhipperSnapper · #**1144** Posted **May 25, 2015, 5:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

People were scared of getting fired from their $100,000 jobs.

The dude probably has been rehired or is working elsewhere for even more.

king10 · #**1145** Posted **May 25, 2015, 5:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

I know all the fuss and Hot Air from the TFC Fans and RPB recently, but under 24K for the TFC game on the weekend has to be a concern. It is only the 2nd game there since the reno, TFC is playing better with possibly the best player in MLS with Giovionco and its not sold out, wow! And they are bashing the Argos saying they won't sell out etc.

TFC never projected to sell out every game in the newly expanded stadium. Their management projected 25K to 27K average this year.

If the team keeps winning they'll hit that.

Ps. its not like 24K is a disaster, its their 2nd highest ever attendance.

Oilkountry · #**1146** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:17 PM**

I doubt Hamilton will ever need to expand THF past what the end zones can deliver. By the time the Ticats need a 40,000 seat stadium THF will be up for replacement. I also agree the horseshoe configuration is perfect for the CFL. You will see that with BMO and Mosaic it will be a really great atmosphere. TD place also has a great opportunity to add this feature but I will imagine they will wait for a grey Cup to add anything like that.

Oilkountry · #**1147** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:22 PM**

BMO will seat close to 27K next year with the loss of seating after the argos move in. So that will really work out great for TFC

king10 · #**1148** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

BMO will seat close to 27K next year with the loss of seating after the argos move in. So that will really work out great for TFC

source?

I don't believe that is the case at all. Most recent interview Leiweke gave said the North Stand would be preserved/ a terrace built in its place and the first couple rows of the North and South stand will be made retractable.

Capacity is to remain 30 000 plus.

Argo Capacity would probably be in the 25 000. Not TFC.

CHANGES COMING TO BMO
With the Argonauts now officially in the fold, a few changes are coming to BMO Field.

The north stand – currently around 800 seats – will be demolished. For soccer games, retractable terraces will be placed behind the north goal.

For CFL games, those terraces will retract to reveal an all-turf endzone

A small portion of seats — approximately the first 5-7 rows — in the south end of the venue will be retractable to help make room for the south endzone.

There’s talk of the south endzone being half turf, half grass.

CFL locker rooms will be constructed in the northeast corner of the venue.

Approximate seating for CFL games at BMO Field will be 25,000, while soccer will remain 31,000.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/20/mls...enue-for-toronto-fc-following-argos-move

esquire · #**1149** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:34 PM**

30000 for TFC and 26000ish for the Argos is OK in terms of capacity, but neither team will sell out regularly at the outset. A couple of winning seasons could change that, though.

king10 · #**1150** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

30000 for TFC and 26000ish for the Argos is OK in terms of capacity, but neither team will sell out regularly at the outset. A couple of winning seasons could change that, though.

Argos were drawing almost 30 000 for a couple seasons in the 2000's. I think 25 000 is an attainable number from the outset with MLSE marketing.

esquire · #**1151** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by king10

Argos were drawing almost 30 000 for a couple seasons in the 2000's. I think 25 000 is an attainable number from the outset with MLSE marketing.

They can get back up there, but they have dropped off the radar a bit in the past couple of years... it will take a bit of success to get the fans back. But yeah, given that there is a willing base of ticket buyers, I'd say the fans will turn out sooner or later as long as the team doesn't become a basketcase. After all, it happened in Montreal and the Alouettes were even more of a box-office basketcase in the mid-90s before moving to Molson Stadium than the Argos have ever been.

That said, I'm pretty sure that the last couple of years have seen inflated numbers for the Argos due to giveaways and deeply discounted group tickets ... I doubt they were selling much more than about 10,000 tickets a game last year.

Oilkountry · #**1152** Posted **May 25, 2015, 6:54 PM**

yikes. I though the north end had close to 2000 seats or somthing. The thought of a half grass half turf end zone makes me cringe.

esquire · #**1153** Posted **May 25, 2015, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

yikes. I though the north end had close to 2000 seats or somthing. The thought of a half grass half turf end zone makes me cringe.

Meh. Right up until the 90s it was common for football fields in multipurpose stadiums to include dirt baseball infields (Oakland still has it) and other weird combos...everybody survived. This kind of setup at BMO with the back 10 yards of the endzone in fieldturf is nothing.

Acajack · #**1154** Posted **May 25, 2015, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Meh. Right up until the 90s it was common for football fields in multipurpose stadiums to include dirt baseball infields (Oakland still has it) and other weird combos...everybody survived. This kind of setup at BMO with the back 10 yards of the endzone in fieldturf is nothing.

I believe this was only during the first month of the NFL season (Sept) when it overlaps with the baseball season. After that they lay down turf over the dirt areas for the rest of the football season.

It also was not an issue in stadiums with artificial surfaces where patches could be easily laid down for football games.

esquire · #**1155** Posted **May 25, 2015, 7:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I believe this was only during the first month of the NFL season (Sept) when it overlaps with the baseball season. After that they lay down turf over the dirt areas for the rest of the football season.

It also was not an issue in stadiums with artificial surfaces where patches could be easily laid down for football games.

Yes, but the point is that football has been played on a lot of non-standard, non-uniform services so it's not really a huge deal if the back of the Argo endzones are field turf. It's simply not as big of a deal in football as it is in soccer...players are less sensitive to those types of differences.

Oilkountry · #**1156** Posted **May 25, 2015, 7:27 PM**

I'm talking from a strictly estetics standpoint . Can they paint the end zones a black or blue? or is the end zone going to be part of the TFC pitch? It's not ideal but I guess it will have to do

FrankieFlowerpot · #**1157** Posted **May 25, 2015, 7:36 PM**

Not sure where that 800 number for the north end seats comes from - it's more or less 1,400 seats up there

Riise · #**1158** Posted **May 25, 2015, 8:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Once they figure out the seating in the north end, it could rival any of the better MLS/CFL stadiums/ that are currently built or under construction.

You must be joking. Simply adding a roof is going to give it the same appeal as BBVA Compass Stadium or Sporting Park? It's going to look as permanent as BC Place?

caltrane74 · #**1159** Posted **May 25, 2015, 8:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riise

You must be joking. Simply adding a roof is going to give it the same appeal as BBVA Compass Stadium or Sporting Park? It's going to look as permanent as BC Place?

Sporting Park?

https://www.turnerconstruction.com

BMO Post-Reno?

http://www.mlssoccer.com

Remember the North Stands hasn't been figured out yet, and the Argos will have to kick in construction money for that. With one of the biggest companies in the country part of the ownership now, the $10 million dollars of input might get upped.

esquire · #**1160** Posted **May 25, 2015, 8:52 PM**

^ BMO will be the biggest SSS in MLS once the expansion is complete, so it will be in the upper echelon of that league for sure.

Interestingly, many of the MLS SSSes look like they could pass for CFL eastern division stadiums. If you took Rio Tinto Stadium and added a few thousand seats, it would make an awesome venue for the CFL in Halifax or Quebec.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Soccer_stadiums