Sports in Canadian culture

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

As said earlier, without a new stadium in Toronto - the World Cup is a non-starter.

Can still use the SkyDome. And if we want to showcase Canada ie scenery, Vancouver gets the final.

I'm not even from the west and this anti-west mentality is hilarious, you guys still haven't come up with one valid reason for any one city to be chosen over another.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by elly63

Oh my God the horror, it's so hideous I can't even look at it



Where's Debra Barone when you need her?

It's a nice stadium but it isn't anywhere near the realm of World Cup finals nice.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Can't believe people are seriously arguing that Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton could host a World Cup final. This is the biggest single game event in the world that we are talking about here.

And your point is what, you guys still haven't come up with one aside from you think you're entitled, which is the biggest joke in this thread.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

It's a nice stadium but it isn't anywhere near the realm of World Cup finals nice.

And that is what specifically, a green bird's nest around the outside? Enlighten me I'd like to know.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Capacity wise, Commonwealth is the only stadium other than the Big O that could make it happen but I am not sure FIFA would approve such configuration...

And that is supposed to mean what exactly?

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Once again, westerners do not understand the magnitude of a World Cup final. We're not talking about a Grey Cup here, we're talking about 1/7th of the planet Earth watching! As far as one time program, NOTHING comes close in terms of viewership and magnitude.

So, is 1/7th of the world coming to Edmonton looking for a hotel room? Try to make some sense with something that pertains to the argument.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by elly63

And your point is what, you guys still haven't come up with one aside from you think your entitled, which is the biggest joke in this thread.

Does there need to be more of an argument? What would you think of an Australian World Cup Final in Adelaide instead of Sydney or Melbourne? Most people would be scatching their heads. Very few people in the world know of Edmonton.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Berklon

It's not just about the stadium - it's about the city, location and demographics as well. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are the only cities that would be considered major enough to host a World Cup final. And Toronto needs to step up with a much better stadium - even if they don't host the finals since Toronto has to play a major part in the World Cup. Tacking on seats to BMO doesn't cut it.

FIFA wants to showcase the games using major cities, and Canada wants to showcase the country. Edmonton doesn't accomplish that.

Many out west mentioned in an older thread a year or two ago that when the World Cup is taking place, the cities out there barely take notice. Toronto is the total opposite. If you haven't been to Toronto when the World Cup is taking place - you need to experience it. It's a MAJOR event. The buzz is incredible - even to a non-soccer fan as myself. Hell, I know plenty of people who went to the 2014 WC in Brazil. If Toronto hosted some games, it would be nuts. This is what FIFA wants to take advantage of - something that helps sell the game even further in Canada/US. It's not just about having enough people to fill a stadium. Plus the amount of tourism dollars generated is MUCH larger in Toronto or Montreal - and Canada wants to take advantage.

As said earlier, without a new stadium in Toronto - the World Cup is a non-starter.

I find it amazing on a site like this that people are suggesting that there's not much difference between Edmonton and Toronto. What are you people smoking?

This was the scene on St. Clair when Italy won back in 1982. That's 300,000 people.



In 2006 the number was 500,000:



Toronto is an absolute madhouse during the World Cup. It's really the only city in Canada aside from Montreal with the pizzazz or international profile worthy enough to hold the world's preeminent sporting event. You may argue that Los Angeles hosted the final back in 1994, not New York, but Canada does not have a Los Angeles, much less a New York. We essentially have a couple of poor man's Chicagos,* a Seattle out there in left field, and then a whole bunch of bland, anonymous Des Moines.

So what cities have previously hosted the finals?

1930: Montevidea
1934: Rome
1938: Paris
1950: Rio de Janeiro
1954: Bern
1958: Stockholm
1962: Santiago
1966: London
1970: Mexico City
1974: Munich
1978: Buenos Aires
1982: Madrid
1986: Mexico CIty
1990: Rome
1994: Los Angeles
1998: Paris
2002: Yokohama (Tokyo, essentially)
2006: Berlin
2010: Johannesburg
2014: Rio de Janiero

That's quite a list. You don't even need to add the names of the countries. So: Edmonton? Seriously?

Nah. Ain't gonna happen.



*Speaking generally in terms of international profile, not specifically--our two "Chicago's" are otherwise far superior cities in most metrics to the actual Chicago.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Does there need to be more of an argument? What would you think of an Australian World Cup Final in Adelaide instead of Sydney or Melbourne? Most people would be scatching their heads. Very few people in the world know of Edmonton.

I've heard of Adelaide, I've heard of Durban, if Durban was a better place to host a final than Joburg why would I care where the hosts pick?

[elly63]

I'm sure the people of Montreal and Vancouver (sorry I assume it's Seattle) appreciate being compared to Chicago. Pizazz doesn't get you a World Cup or the best bids of the US and England wouldn't have lost to Russia and Qatar. Lot of pizazz in Russia and I know the Qatar nightlife is out of this world. All those FIFA prominenti can check out the local peelers in Qatar.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by elly63

I'm sure the people of Montreal and Vancouver (sorry I assume it's Seattle) appreciate being compared to Chicago. Pizazz doesn't get you a World Cup or the best bids of the US and England wouldn't have lost to Russia and Qatar. Lot of pizazz in Russia and I know the Qatar nightlife is out of this world. All those FIFA prominenti can check out the local peelers in Qatar.

Sochi and Grenoble are "small towns," and now Moscow isn't a flashy, epic, prominent world city?

Though I wasn't making international comparisons anyway. The focus was intranational. It's not about Moscow being chosen over London for the final, it's about Moscow getting the final instead of Novosibirsk. And just how many people in Novosibirsk do you figure resent that, and think it should be in Siberia? Approximately zero?

You clearly don't have a clue what you're talking about. Give it a rest.

(Though Qatar is a weird one, and is essentially proof positive that FIFA is corrupt to the core).

[elly63]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Give it a rest.

I'll give it a rest when you Central Canadians stop with the anti west bullshit and start giving some legitimate reasons why you should host. You might want to do some due diligence on the the bid process and what goes into one. And a false feeling of entitlement isn't a reason.

[Oilkountry]

Toronto and Montreal are dumps in comparison to Vancouver sorry to say it (great cities) but if a WC final is anywhere it should be BC place because that city will represent canada the best. You Toronto people need to get over yourselves. You're canada's biggest city. That's it, That's literally where it ends for you guys. "No city in canada will get another olympics untill toronto bids" "A world cup couldn't possibly happen without Toronto being the final match host...it's simply a non starter" HAHA shut up! WWC went just fine without you, Either way stop acting like the world owes you anything let alone the rest of canada, You're not entitled to anything

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

I've heard of Adelaide, I've heard of Durban, if Durban was a better place to host a final than Joburg why would I care where the hosts pick?

Except that they hosted the final in Joburg, not Durban. Second pick for the final would likely have been Cape Town, not Durban. It's just the way these things go.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

The Men's World Cup Soccer Final doesn't neccesarily end up being played in a countries #! or #2 largest city, Munich has held the Final before, Qatar's Final is set to be in a city that's one of the countries smaller cities I think..

:

In the Cold War West Germany of the day Munich was West Germany's second city (some would say it was the first). It hosted the Summer Olympics too.

Although German metro populations are bizarre and difficult to use as comparisons, even today inasmuch as such a comparison is possible, Munich is basically Germany's equivalent to Montreal.

[Acajack]

Guys, it's not an anti-west thing.

If Edmonton had 4-5 million people, was an international crossroads and a national media centre, no one would dispute its suitability to host the WC final.

But if Canada ended up with a bid that had Edmonton to host the final, the questions from abroad would be What about Toronto? What about Montreal? What about Vancouver?

As I said, it's not about the west. It wouldn't go to Ottawa either even if it's the capital. It wouldn't go to Quebec City either even if it's pretty and charming. It wouldn't go to to Hamilton even if it's close to Toronto.

Choosing the city that hosts the WC final is about the stadium of course but it's not just that.

Edmonton is just too small a city in the Canadian context.

[Acajack]

BTW Qatar is likely to be the last bogus WC host for a while. (Russia is not a bogus host country in spite of what people might think.)

In the post-Blatter era FIFA is going to see something of a clean-up and countries will begin seriously lining up to host again - not that they ever really stopped in the Blatter era.

So no one at FIFA is going to beg Canada to host a WC or be willing to accept anything we put on the table just because they need to put the tournament somewhere.

[Horus]

There's a lot of hand-wringing going on here over an event that hasn't even been bid on yet.

[Acajack]

Another thing is that a Canadian bid will likely have other ''leaps of faith'' required that will be intangible liabilities for it, like for example the fact we wouldn't be able to provide the 12 venues normally required for the tournament. Canada would likely ask FIFA if that number could be brought down to 10.

[mistercorporate]

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/12/06...ld-cup-in-2026

According to this were likely to propose using 8 stadiums in our bid, Qatar will be using 8. This will likely mean no new stadiums except the Calgary and Montreal stadiums and a refurbishment of some other existing stadiums.