Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2

[king10]

I dont think the Rogers Centre spot has enough room for 80,000 seats plus a running track. Plus the building is privately owned (not the land though).

I think they should build a 40,000 seat stadium, with 30, 000 to 40,000 temporary seats. Downsize it afterwards back to 40,000. Use it for one of the Argos/ TFC. Let the other stay at BMO.

If an NFL team comes knocking get them to foot a good chunk of the bill and make it a 70,000 permanent venue, removing the running track after the games similar to Atlanta, Manchester.

As for the spot, what about either Woodbine or the Portlands?

[flipv]

Originally Posted by king10

I dont think the Rogers Centre spot has enough room for 80,000 seats plus a running track. Plus the building is privately owned (not the land though).

I think they should build a 40,000 seat stadium, with 30, 000 to 40,000 temporary seats. Downsize it afterwards back to 40,000. Use it for one of the Argos/ TFC. Let the other stay at BMO.

If an NFL team comes knocking get them to foot a good chunk of the bill and make it a 70,000 permanent venue, removing the running track after the games similar to Atlanta, Manchester.

As for the spot, what about either Woodbine or the Portlands?

The only place that should ever be considered for the Olympic Stadium and associated facilities are the Portlands.

Woodbine is a complete dump and shouldn't even be on the radar. Ditto for Downsview.

[Acajack]

Some people will accuse me of anti-NFL schadenfreude but I really can't see all three levels of government gifting a 70-80K stadium in Toronto to a new NFL club. I don't see it happening in a hypothetical scenario (build it and they will come) nor do I see it even if the NFL was all lined up and just waiting to take over the Olympic stadium.

Public funding for pro sports venues has been hit and miss in Canada and the feds have been generally the most skittish of all.

My guess is that the previous poster is right and that an outdoor stadium with permanent seating of 40-50K would be built with expandability to 70-80K.

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by FutureSmith

BOSTON isn't bidding. LA could still pick up the nomination from the US Olympic Committee

I doubt LA would. They are trying to deal with this drought that's only gonna get worse as more and more people move to LA

[HomeInMyShoes]

It's going to be interesting because USOC wants a bid and no city really wants it at this point. If Toronto wants the games this might be the one to bid on, even though the Europe contingent is very strong. Rome, Paris, Hamburg, Budapest are all big names.

[flipv]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

It's going to be interesting because USOC wants a bid and no city really wants it at this point. If Toronto wants the games this might be the one to bid on, even though the Europe contingent is very strong. Rome, Paris, Hamburg, Budapest are all big names.

Paris is the only one to worry about. Rome (lol), Hamburg (?), Budapest (lol x2)

IMO Toronto needs to sell itself as the global come as you are metropolis where Olympic ideals (international cooperation, etc) are embodied in the city's population.

Paris: come get shot in the banlieus and leave your burqas at the airport. How international of you.

Then again Rio 2016 will be the SOG of the favelas. I was in Madrid in 2009 when they lost their bid. I remember half the crowd yelling VAMOS A LAS FAVELAS!

[king10]

Ya I don't think the Rome bid is as strong as people think. Italy has a lot of issues to deal with, far more than Canada.

I think its a two horse race, Toronto and Paris.

Also could Canada be the next Russia/ Brazil.

Russia- 2012 Winter Olympics, 2016 World Cup

Brazil- 2014 World Cup, 2016 Summer Olympics

Canada- 2024 Summer Olympics, 2026 World Cup ???

Russia and Brazil used some of the same stadiums for both events, no doubt Canada would do the same.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by flipv

Paris is the only one to worry about. Rome (lol), Hamburg (?), Budapest (lol x2)

IMO Toronto needs to sell itself as the global come as you are metropolis where Olympic ideals (international cooperation, etc) are embodied in the city's population.

Paris: come get shot in the banlieus and leave your burqas at the airport. How international of you.

Then again Rio 2016 will be the SOG of the favelas. I was in Madrid in 2009 when they lost their bid. I remember half the crowd yelling VAMOS A LAS FAVELAS!

Hopefully the new committees of the IOC are a little more logical, but I don't know. If there is indeed a change in perspective for the IOC then Budapest might actually be the strongest of the Europe bids by advertising themselves as smaller and greener and more sustainable.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by flipv

Paris: come get shot in the banlieus and leave your burqas at the airport. How international of you.

Lol in Toronto innocent kids get shot in broad daylight on Yonge St. and the Eaton Centre and they also had a crackhead mayor. Paris' homicide rate is as lower or lower than Toronto's.

Regardless, Toronto is a front-runner for the Olympics if it makes a serious bid. It doesn't have to bring other cities down with such juvenile silliness in order to elevate itself.

[flipv]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Lol in Toronto innocent kids get shot in broad daylight on Yonge St. and the Eaton Centre and they also had a crackhead mayor. Paris' homicide rate is as lower or lower than Toronto's.

Regardless, Toronto is a front-runner for the Olympics if it makes a serious bid. It doesn't have to bring other cities down with such juvenile silliness in order to elevate itself.

Would you take a walk through Paris' banlieus? I wouldn't. I say this as someone who has been walking through Toronto's ghettos.

Shot would've been the wrong word. Mugged? Beaten? Much more likely in Paris.

Also, the Olympics are supposed to be about these international ideals of cooperation and cross-cultural communication. Paris (and France) is notoriously bad at the latter.

I love trolling gamesbids.com and the Paris boosters are your typical arrogant French. If they feel the need to put down Toronto (let's face it the two couldn't be more different) to be confident in their bid, then I don't see why I can't.

[esquire]

Other countries are starting to wise up to the fact that the Olympics, the summer games in particular, are not much more than a costly racket... why should the rest of Canada get dragged along for the expensive ride so that Toronto can feel good about itself?

[flipv]

Originally Posted by esquire

Other countries are starting to wise up to the fact that the Olympics, the summer games in particular, are not much more than a costly racket... why should the rest of Canada get dragged along for the expensive ride so that Toronto can feel good about itself?

Because we paid for numerous carnivals in the ROC.

Learn to share.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by flipv

Because we paid for numerous carnivals in the ROC.

Learn to share.

You just had a carnival.

[king10]

Originally Posted by esquire

Other countries are starting to wise up to the fact that the Olympics, the summer games in particular, are not much more than a costly racket... why should the rest of Canada get dragged along for the expensive ride so that Toronto can feel good about itself?

Well then that means Quebec City can't bid on the 2026 Winter Games with Fed funding.

That means no more international expos with federal funding.

That means no more federal funding to art galleries and public infastructure in Montreal because why should someone from Hamilton have to pay for that.

Why should the TTC get Fed dollars when people from Calgary dont use it daily.

......

The feds chipping in for a Toronto games is fine as long as the other parts of the country get their share of funding for services they need.


And the IOC is actually having difficulty securing bids for the Winter Olympics, the Summer olympics still have lots of bidders. The IOC recently realized their demands were far too costly and have since revised guidelines for Olympics allowing for less grand venues with legacy projects in mind in an effort to appease bid candidates.

[flipv]

Originally Posted by esquire

You just had a carnival.

Vancouver had the Olympics and Expo, Calgary had the Olympics, Montreal had the Olympics and Expo, Winnipeg had the Panams TWICE, Edmonton had the Commonwealth Games... Should I go on?

I don't know a single Torontonian who complained about funding the 2010 Games even though Ontario probably footed the majority of the Federal share of the bill.

I have zero tolerance for ROC folks complaining about funding anything in Toronto. Sorry.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Acajack

but I really can't see all three levels of government gifting a 70-80K stadium in Toronto to a new NFL club.

Finally, someone has confronted the elephant in the room. It would be political suicide for any federal funding to go to a scenario that could both damage a Canadian institution and gift funds to a money making corporate American juggernaut at the same time.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

Finally, someone has confronted the elephant in the room. It would be political suicide for any federal funding to go to a scenario that could both damage a Canadian institution and gift funds to a money making corporate American juggernaut at the same time.

So the feds won't fund a new CFL stadium in Halifax or renos to CFL stadiums in other cities, or NHL rinks in other cities, or CHL rinks, or... but they'll just hand over the keys to a billion-dollar NFL stadium in Toronto to a private owner? Really?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by flipv

Would you take a walk through Paris' banlieus? I wouldn't. I say this as someone who has been walking through Toronto's ghettos.

Shot would've been the wrong word. Mugged? Beaten? Much more likely in Paris.

Also, the Olympics are supposed to be about these international ideals of cooperation and cross-cultural communication. Paris (and France) is notoriously bad at the latter.

I love trolling gamesbids.com and the Paris boosters are your typical arrogant French. If they feel the need to put down Toronto (let's face it the two couldn't be more different) to be confident in their bid, then I don't see why I can't.

If this is going to be a common Toronto attitude it won't help the bid at all. Just like Mel Lastman complaining about chanting natives putting him in a boiling cauldron in Mombasa, Kenya.

Yes, I've been to Paris' banlieues. St-Denis, Aubervilliers, La Courneuve. A friend of mine lives about 2 km from what is allegedly the worst of the worst: Trappes.

Some people on here talk as if they are the only ones allowed to travel internationally.

BTW for all its problems Paris is one of the world's greatest cities with a prestige level light years ahead of any Canadian city.

I am pretty sure New Yorkers wouldn't diss Paris or London if they were their rivals for an Olympic bid or something else.

Since Torontonians like to take cues from NYC, perhaps this would be a classy example they might consider following.

[The Fisher Account]

Originally Posted by Acajack

So the feds won't fund a new CFL stadium in Halifax or renos to CFL stadiums in other cities, or NHL rinks in other cities, or CHL rinks, or... but they'll just hand over the keys to a billion-dollar NFL stadium in Toronto to a private owner? Really?

For a Summer Olympic bid? Absolutely.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by the fisher account

for a summer olympic bid? Absolutely.

lol