Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2

[thurmas]

Everyone knows it was a beautiful renovation however the debate is does Vancouver really need a 55,000 seat stadium that really hurts the game day atmosphere for Lions and Whitecaps games because of how vast and empty it can feel when the 2 clubs only need a stadium roughly half that size.

[thurmas]

Personally if I had a CFL time machine I would have kept the Lions at Empire Stadium in the early 80's and renovate it instead. I would have kept the Argos at old CNE stadium in 1989 where they would have an outdoor stadium where they would control the revenue streams and scheduling. I also would have had the the Alouettes move back to Autostade before it was torn down in the 80's. Autostade was a perfect size for the Alouettes and might have stopped the team from folding back in 1987 for 9 years.

[Denscity]

^^^ Its still pretty intimate as mentioned by several people. And we definitely needed it for this tournament.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Everyone knows it was a beautiful renovation however the debate is does Vancouver really need a 55,000 seat stadium that really hurts the game day atmosphere for Lions and Whitecaps games because of how vast and empty it can feel when the 2 clubs only need a stadium roughly half that size.

Whitecaps games never feel vast or empty. They close off the top portion, the awnings come down and it feels like a jam-packed stadium that is half the size as opposed to a half full stadium twice the size. It creates easily one of the best and most entertaining sports atmospheres in the country, at least compared to others that I have experienced. I don't know about the Lions, I still haven't been to a game, but to say that it hurts the atmosphere for the Whitecaps is ludicrous.

[Delirium]

they did do a pretty good job at making the stadium more intimate for games where its needed by having these tarps. solves the problem of a cavernous stadium. best in the country imo.
Great shots Klazu!

Photo by BC Place https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcplace/15242711310/sizes/l

[craner]

Originally Posted by king10

Well me personally being from hamilton, i am going to the canada brazil opener mens soccer game. Im also going to be following basketball because we're going to be sending a team with multiple nba players and it will be prep for olympic qualifying in september.

Im also going to be following the mens 100 4x100 metre and 200 metre as we have a young stud from canada. Andre De Grasse from usc via the GTA broke the ncaa 200 metre record and ran the 2nd fastest 100 metre time this year as well as running the fastest cdn time since bruny surin 15 years ago. He also ran a wind aided 100 metre time of 9.75 faster than ben johnson to win the ncaa championships. That was the fastest time ever by a cdn and 7th fastest all time. Kid is a stud and cant wait to see him at the olympics.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_De_Grasse

Sorry for going off topic. Pretty pumped about his future tho.

Nice !
I will now try and catch some of the track events that you mentioned now that you have informed me - thanks.
When do the games start ?

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Everyone knows it was a beautiful renovation however the debate is does Vancouver really need a 55,000 seat stadium that really hurts the game day atmosphere for Lions and Whitecaps games because of how vast and empty it can feel when the 2 clubs only need a stadium roughly half that size.

I dunno... judging by the half-empty World Cup game pictures above, it still feels pretty intimate and not cavernous at all.

And with the option to curtain off the upper section like they do for Whitecaps games, it definitely feels a lot more intimate:



EDIT: Delirium beat me to it, but another picture from a fans perspective couldn't hurt

[king10]

Originally Posted by craner

Nice !
I will now try and catch some of the track events that you mentioned now that you have informed me - thanks.
When do the games start ?

No problem. The major track events are july 21 to 25th. Pan ams run from the 10th to 26th.

[Oilkountry]

Picture BC place with no end zone seating for CFL games. 54k minus the end zone seats equals 35K ish? is that fair to say? either way they could tarp off all little more of the upper bowl to take off around 10000 seats on each end. They average 28k That's not bad in 35,000 seat CFL configuration with all sideline seats. The over priced endzone seats are garbage anyway. This way you end up with smaller more intimate version of commonwealth stadium. I didn't notice before but the white caps actually tarp off sections of the lower bowl the same way the sounders do the upper bowl.

this picture posted earlier gives you a good view of what it would look like if you draw a line from the corners of the field up to the upper bowl

[tomthumb2]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Personally if I had a CFL time machine I would have kept the Lions at Empire Stadium in the early 80's and renovate it instead. I would have kept the Argos at old CNE stadium in 1989 where they would have an outdoor stadium where they would control the revenue streams and scheduling. I also would have had the the Alouettes move back to Autostade before it was torn down in the 80's. Autostade was a perfect size for the Alouettes and might have stopped the team from folding back in 1987 for 9 years.

Dude, are you hammered? Empire maybe could have been renovated but CNE was hated ("The Mistake by the Lake") and having been to the Autostade as a kid I can tell you it was the worst stadium in history. In fact it wasn't even a real stadium, it was just temporary stands that they used for Expo 67. It was also right near the water and was bloody freezing.

CFL would be tits up if all 3 of those were still around, IMO...



... fyi, a pic of the Autostade after "renovations" (they attached each section together). I'm guessing by the Als logo that this was around 1973-1976

[tomthumb2]

Fun article and cool pics about "The Mistake by the Lake"
http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/04/what_exhibition_stadium_used_to_look_like_in_toronto/

[esquire]

Originally Posted by tomthumb2

Dude, are you hammered? Empire maybe could have been renovated but CNE was hated ("The Mistake by the Lake") and having been to the Autostade as a kid I can tell you it was the worst stadium in history. In fact it wasn't even a real stadium, it was just temporary stands that they used for Expo 67. It was also right near the water and was bloody freezing.

CFL would be tits up if all 3 of those were still around, IMO...



... fyi, a pic of the Autostade after "renovations" (they attached each section together). I'm guessing by the Als logo that this was around 1973-1976

Autostade was just the weirdest ever stadium. Built for Expo 1967 as a gift from Canada's automakers (hence the name) for some Expo-related reason, it became home to the Alouettes until after the 1976 Olympics, except for that one season they went back to Molson Stadium.

Kind of a shoddy location on the cold, windswept banks of the St. Lawrence, and an odd layout of separate prefab grandstands circling the field (the gaps were later filled in as tomthumb alluded).

But I just don't get what the point of the thing was... as a football stadium it looked crappy... as though it was designed by architects who had never seen a football stadium before. And there was no other use for it... once the Alouettes left, it was demolished after a decade of use.

Just a weird weird stadium. Montreal seems to have had a hard time getting stadiums right in the 60s and 70s.



What is this I don't even
Source: pinterest



Someone thought this was a good idea
Source: pinterest

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by tomthumb2

Fun article and cool pics about "The Mistake by the Lake"
http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/04/what_exhibition_stadium_used_to_look_like_in_toronto/

geez eh? what a disaster thanks for the read though!

[Oilkountry]

Start licking your lips Quebec

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-approves-opening-expansion-process-1.316896

[Steveston]

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

Picture BC place with no end zone seating for CFL games. 54k minus the end zone seats equals 35K ish? is that fair to say? either way they could tarp off all little more of the upper bowl to take off around 10000 seats on each end. They average 28k That's not bad in 35,000 seat CFL configuration with all sideline seats. The over priced endzone seats are garbage anyway. This way you end up with smaller more intimate version of commonwealth stadium. I didn't notice before but the white caps actually tarp off sections of the lower bowl the same way the sounders do the upper bowl.

this picture posted earlier gives you a good view of what it would look like if you draw a line from the corners of the field up to the upper bowl

The endzone seats are NOT garbage. Don't knock it till you've tried it. When the plays are the most exciting, 1st & Goal, the end zone seats are much closer to the action than the sideline/behind the benches sections. True, that when the play is at the OTHER end, you're very far from the action, but that can't be helped.

And because BCPlace's endzone seats are quite elevated, you get a decent view downfield. Then there's always the hi-def screen for catching replays.

And football purists like myself enjoy the "full field view" you get from the end zone seats, particularly of line play and receiving routes.

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by Steveston

The endzone seats are NOT garbage. Don't knock it till you've tried it. When the plays are the most exciting, 1st & Goal, the end zone seats are much closer to the action than the sideline/behind the benches sections. True, that when the play is at the OTHER end, you're very far from the action, but that can't be helped.

And because BCPlace's endzone seats are quite elevated, you get a decent view downfield. Then there's always the hi-def screen for catching replays.

And football purists like myself enjoy the "full field view" you get from the end zone seats, particularly of line play and receiving routes.

So you're not for my idea then?

[Denscity]

Judging by the pics BC Place needs to be the National Soccer Stadium of Canada if it doesn't have to be real grass. And the men's team should move in like the women did. Synergy and you can play outside year round.

[king10]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Judging by the pics BC Place needs to be the National Soccer Stadium of Canada if it doesn't have to be real grass. And the men's team should move in like the women did. Synergy and you can play outside year round.

Not this again. Its Not going to happen. Half of canadas team flys in from europe. Vancouver is too far and adds hours to the flights plus the national team coach wants important games played on grass. Plus the csa has a pretty favourable revenue agreement with Bmo. Not to mention the men are a much tougher sell than the women. Obviously the men would sell out a world cup game too. But go back to womens olympic qualifying at bc place. Crowds were only 15 000. Bc place is too big for what the men would draw to a friendly match.

What do you mean the men should move in like the women did? The women stil rotate their games across the country. If u mean the residency,thats not going to happen. THe men have club teams they play for 11 months of the year unlike the women. There are absolutely zero synergies by combining the mens training location and the womens. The men rarely even train in canada, they train in florida for camps before games. Or california like theyre doing for this gold cup.

Having said that bc place may get some games because bmo is unavailable for november and march fifa dates because of construction. Permanently at bc place no. But the csa is now open to rotating friendlies around the country to "grow the mens national team". Official qualifiers theyre sticking with bmo for the reasons stated above.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by Steveston

The endzone seats are NOT garbage. Don't knock it till you've tried it. When the plays are the most exciting, 1st & Goal, the end zone seats are much closer to the action than the sideline/behind the benches sections. True, that when the play is at the OTHER end, you're very far from the action, but that can't be helped.

And because BCPlace's endzone seats are quite elevated, you get a decent view downfield. Then there's always the hi-def screen for catching replays.

And football purists like myself enjoy the "full field view" you get from the end zone seats, particularly of line play and receiving routes.

I agree completely. End zone seats at the proper elevation provide an excellent vantage point for the game. You see running lanes open up and get a much different perspective on the game.

I had outstanding seasons tickets in Toronto for many years in the 200 level endzone.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

The over priced endzone seats are garbage anyway.

End Zones are definitely not garbage seats. If your team is playing in front of the end zone where you are seated in the 2nd and 4th quarters, the atmosphere during tight finishes smashes whatever is taking place at the centre line. However, they should be priced as the cheap seats.

Originally Posted by king10

Not this again. Its Not going to happen. Half of canadas team flys in from europe. Vancouver is too far and adds hours to the flights plus the national team coach wants important games played on grass.

Yup, grass and travel. I reckon we might even see the National squad play more friendlies during the season in London so they can gets matches against higher ranked nations.