Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2

[FFX-ME]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

-Toronto FC has won the Canadian Championships a number of times, including last year.

-Toronto Rock have won multiple times including in 2011.

-Toronto Rush has also won a Championship in 2013.

What has Saskatchewan won, the national cow tipping championship??

And if you're going to talk smack about TFC's league record, remember the season is young, last year they started off with a worse record and ended up at the finals. MLS teams play around 40 games a year, not including playoffs, Canadian Championship or CONCACAF Champions League games.

MLSE has money, if they get a shot at an NFL franchise, don't doubt for a minute they'll drop down serious cash. Anything can happen in the future, the sense of fear in CFL land is pulpable so clearly there's some truth to it in your eyes too, but keep fronting like you're not worried .

And as far as all the big talk about the atmosphere at the Snot Riders, here's the atmosphere at a TFC game on a cold rainy winters day. The stadium literally shakes like an earthquake every time there's a goal, nonstop singing, stomping, chanting and action, I'd like to see someone post a Riders game where they top this:

• Video Link

I don't see why you thought it was necessary to insult the people of Saskatchewan in order to make your point.

Anyways, what you state is clearly in line with what everyone has been saying. Toronto supports its teams only when they win (appart from hockey). NFL football would fail, as has been demonstrated time and time again. There are more football fans in Saskatchewan, which you seem to like belittling for some reason.

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

I don't see why you thought it was necessary to insult the people of Saskatchewan in order to make your point.

Anyways, what you state is clearly in line with what everyone has been saying. Toronto supports its teams only when they win (appart from hockey). NFL football would fail, as has been demonstrated time and time again. There are more football fans in Saskatchewan, which you seem to like belittling for some reason.

And you conveniently ignore all the insults directed at Toronto in this thread? The first shots fired were from the Western Prairies and directed at Toronto, so it was bound to bring about a response.

Supports their teams only when they win? TFC sucked big time on the field till the last two years and yet the stadium was expanded several times to meet demand. It now has 30,000 seats (36,000 during playoffs), and will likely expand again as the fanbase is very passionate.

[drummer_god]

MLSE already HAD a shot at the Buffalo Bills, but balked at the price and their potential ownership group fell apart because they couldn't agree on what number to bid and how ownership would be structured.

That IS the end of any NFL to Toronto scenario.

If they couldn't come up with the money a couple years ago, they won't in the future when NFL franchise prices are even higher.

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by esquire

So when is the NFL coming to Toronto?

Apparently when the Canadian housing bubble bursts.

[king10]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

And you conveniently ignore all the insults directed at Toronto in this thread? The first shots fired were from the Western Prairies and directed at Toronto, so it was bound to bring about a response.

Supports their teams only when they win? TFC sucked big time on the field till the last two years and yet the stadium was expanded several times to meet demand. It now has 30,000 seats (36,000 during playoffs), and will likely expand again as the fanbase is very passionate.

30,000 seats is too large by a shade currently. TFC has averaged 23K and 26K since expanding to 30K. a 25K expansion would have been perfect. when they went to 30K tfc supporters were complaining the expansion was too large and was done to appease the argos. they complained it would ruin the atomoshphere of a packed house

they won't be expanding past 30K until they can consistently sell it out.

also the 36K capacity during playoffs isn't a regular thing. that was there for grey cup and NHL hockey and happened to coincide perfectly with a TFC MLS cup run.

not saying TFC don't have a great fanbase, they have great fans. just providing some grounded context

[FFX-ME]

Originally Posted by drummer_god

MLSE already HAD a shot at the Buffalo Bills, but balked at the price and their potential ownership group fell apart because they couldn't agree on what number to bid and how ownership would be structured.

That IS the end of any NFL to Toronto scenario.

If they couldn't come up with the money a couple years ago, they won't in the future when NFL franchise prices are even higher.

But...But...But, screw logic, Toronto is awesome. You can't tell me I can't have pudding, I want pudding and so someone will buy me pudding. I won't eat the pudding though, people in Toronto don't like pudding, but I want to show that I can get pudding.
-Mistercorcorate

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

And you conveniently ignore all the insults directed at Toronto in this thread? The first shots fired were from the Western Prairies and directed at Toronto, so it was bound to bring about a response.

Supports their teams only when they win? TFC sucked big time on the field till the last two years and yet the stadium was expanded several times to meet demand. It now has 30,000 seats (36,000 during playoffs), and will likely expand again as the fanbase is very passionate.

Toronto isn't a bad sports town overall but it's not really a standout one either.

The Blue Jays have had some low attendance years in the past (sub 20,000 average) and it wasn't that long ago that the Raptors weren't even close to selling out on average.

None of this is to the point where the teams would leave of course, but the sports mecca talk is very overdone.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, Toronto is a "shiny object" sports town. It so happens right now that a number of its teams are "shiny".

We'll see later this year if the Blue Jays for example are still packing them in if they continue to suck so badly.

[thoughtsandrobots]

Originally Posted by drummer_god

MLSE already HAD a shot at the Buffalo Bills, but balked at the price and their potential ownership group fell apart because they couldn't agree on what number to bid and how ownership would be structured.

That IS the end of any NFL to Toronto scenario.

If they couldn't come up with the money a couple years ago, they won't in the future when NFL franchise prices are even higher.

This just just another in an endless line of absolutes.

NEVER. WON'T. END. OVER.

I'm surprised Canadians still aren't moving about in horse and buggy. I have heard all this before. Basketball was NEVER supposed to amount to anything. Toronto FC will NEVER succeed. Those two clubs have spent most of their existence in mediocrity and worse yet...at the top of table in terms of league attendances and fanbases.

There are no absolutes. No one can say the NFL WILL NEVER come to Toronto. You can certainly argue against it. As we can for it.

That night at BMO was beyond any atmosphere I have seen in Canadian sport. Toronto doesn't support losing teams loses all credibility with Leafs, Raptors, TFC. Finally, to the person who questions if the Raptors had passed the Leafs? In Forbes valuation yes. At least temporarily.

Toronto Blue Jays (2017) 1.30 billion USD
Toronto Raptors (2017) 1.13 billion USD
Toronto Maple Leafs (2016) 1.10 billion USD

[FFX-ME]

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

This just just another in an endless line of absolutes.

NEVER. WON'T. END. OVER.

I'm surprised Canadians still aren't moving about in horse and buggy. I have heard all this before. Basketball was NEVER supposed to amount to anything. Toronto FC will NEVER succeed. Those two clubs have spent most of their existence in mediocrity and worse yet...at the top of table in terms of league attendances and fanbases.

There are no absolutes. No one can say the NFL WILL NEVER come to Toronto. You can certainly argue against it. As we can for it.

That night at BMO was beyond any atmosphere I have seen in Canadian sport. Toronto doesn't support losing teams loses all credibility with Leafs, Raptors, TFC. Finally, to the person who questions if the Raptors had passed the Leafs? In Forbes valuation yes. At least temporarily.

Toronto Blue Jays (2017) 1.30 billion USD
Toronto Raptors (20167) 1.13 billion USD
Toronto Maple Leafs (2016) 1.10 billion USD

Lol, yea but only in 18,150 years, jk jk

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by king10

30,000 seats is too large by a shade currently. TFC has averaged 23K and 26K since expanding to 30K. a 25K expansion would have been perfect. when they went to 30K tfc supporters were complaining the expansion was too large and was done to appease the argos. they complained it would ruin the atomoshphere of a packed house

they won't be expanding past 30K until they can consistently sell it out.

also the 36K capacity during playoffs isn't a regular thing. that was there for grey cup and NHL hockey and happened to coincide perfectly with a TFC MLS cup run.

not saying TFC don't have a great fanbase, they have great fans. just providing some grounded context

Which just goes to show you how quickly Toronto FC's popularity is increasing. Expansion from 22,000 to 30,000 seemed overly ambitious for a few months, but then attendance grew and sold out the stadium a number of times that year.

TFC's average attendance last year was 26,500 (not including playoffs when they sold out the 36,000 seats in days). Up several thousand from the year before, which was also up over a thousand from the year before that. It will likely hit capacity next year. It's definitely going to warrant another expansion in a few years, tops.

And expansion to 30,000 for the Argos? lol They can barely get 16,000 to their games. In MLSE's own words, Toronto FC is the main tenant, and frankly it's the fastest growing franchise in Canada, your "grounded context" is all wrong.

[FFX-ME]

Requirements for a successful NFL franchise:

-Large stadium
NOPE

-Large fan base
NOPE

-No existing NFL teams to object your obtensionf of a franchise
NOPE (BIlls would strongly object since they wanted a shared team)

Maybe Toronto can have an NFL team one day but this won't happen overnight. The elast they could do would be to support the Argos and prove they want it.

[thoughtsandrobots]

The true irony here is that passionate Toronto sports fans who love their teams are being bashed because Toronto sports fans aren't passionate enough and don't love their teams apparently. Nonetheless, saying the NFL coming to Toronto will make it a sports mecca shouldn't be cause for civil war.

Kinda fun tho. I wonder what would happen if I said what I also believe to be a massive truth...basketball and soccer will be the future of sports in this region.

[SaskScraper]

Saskatchewan people are use to having insults thrown their way by the ultra sophisticated Toronto elite, Its just probably how each of us grew up in each of our respective parts of the country. I'm just glad I've never resorted to name calling like some on this thread.

Where do I feel most at home partying at sporting events? Saskatchewan.. and I wouldn't change it for anything or anywhere else I have been to games..period.

Rider fans are diehard, down to earth but crazy, welcoming & don't jump on bandwagons like so many other teams fans I shall remain nameless.

Even in rebuilding years Rider fans have the best parties anywhere and don't denigrated female sports reporters before the games like some other sports leagues teams are prone to. We just like to be creative, have fun and be all-inclusive with everyone that comes to party.

Tailgate in Rider Nation in a rebuilding year..
• Video Link

[thoughtsandrobots]

Yeah but it's the CFL.

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

• Video Link

A still image video from multiple scenes, good job with the costumes but nothing else I see there matches what was displayed in the TFC video. I could easily post videos/pics of fan events, but I wanted to see/hear the atmosphere at games. Anyway, not surprised, if this is the best you've got then I rest my case.

[thoughtsandrobots]

You win Mister C.

[tomthumb2]

I don't think anyone can argue that Rider fans are passionate, loyal, crazy, etc. The problem is that they are an island in a sea of apathy for CFL football. Put it this way, when the Stamps won the Grey Cup a few years ago, I don't think there was even a rally let alone a parade. But if the Flames ever won the Stanley Cup (I know, a far fetched fantasy that will never happen in our lifetime, but still) there would be a massive parade with the entire city showing up for it. Edmonton would pretty much be the same I bet. Other cities like Vancouver and Toronto - the CFL is not even on the radar.

[Acajack]

So, just for fun I had a quick look at videos of the crowds at Maple Leaf Square/Jurassic Park. (For those who don't know, this is the public space outside the Air Canada Centre where Leafs and Raptors fans assemble in large crowds to watch their teams on giant screens.)

Totally unscientifically, I have the following observations:

The Leafs crowds are considerably "whiter" than the Raptors crowds. This is not to say that the Leafs crowd is all-white. It is far from it. But the Raptors crowd appears noticeably more diverse, racially anyway.

But the thing that surprised me the most is... females. There seem to be tons more women (well, girls and young women) in the Raptors crowd. I mean, way more. This is highly noticeable.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

You win Mister C.

Smartest thing you have said in all of your 31 posts. Now you should declare victory and then walk away.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by tomthumb2

I don't think anyone can argue that Rider fans are passionate, loyal, crazy, etc. The problem is that they are an island in a sea of apathy for CFL football. Put it this way, when the Stamps won the Grey Cup a few years ago, I don't think there was even a rally let alone a parade. But if the Flames ever won the Stanley Cup (I know, a far fetched fantasy that will never happen in our lifetime, but still) there would be a massive parade with pretty much the entire city showing up for it. Edmonton would pretty much be the same I bet. Other cities like Vancouver and Toronto - the CFL is not even on the radar.

Of course they had a victory parade and/or rally in Calgary when the Stamps won the Grey Cup. What are you talking about?

They even had one in Toronto () when the Argos won the Grey Cup a couple of years ago!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-JX01j7FYQ

And the CFL is pretty relevant in many parts of the country, including in Ottawa and Hamilton which are in Ontario last I checked.