Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[elly63]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

It certainly doesn't sound promising for this stadium in Halifax. Underwhelming season ticket drive, broken promises from camp Leblanc, no concrete details of private contributions to this project which is not surprising. Overall, I expect this stadium project fizzle out by the summer.

That is just your interpretation, I wouldn't call the season ticket "drive" underwhelming. First, there was no actual "drive" with an actual marketed plan. There hasn't been any details at all because it is still early in the project. As I have said here many times, it takes about eight years from original serious conception to a final product. If it is the POG that is driving this too early then shame on them but if this is really going to happen we are hardly into it yet.

Having said all that, because of the lack of news I am trying to withhold judgement. Either they are quietly and diligently working behind the scenes (which I read early in the game) or nothing is happening.

What troubles me more is I see them on the same level as the old Renegades ownership group, but Ambrosie (a money man) has vetted them, so I just don't know. To all the haterz out there who think the league is small time, there is some serious ownership money for a league of that level. Wetenhall is probably the weakest link at 250 million, don't ask me where I got that number, I saw something years ago and it stayed with me.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by elly63

That is just your interpretation, I wouldn't call the season ticket "drive" underwhelming. First, there was no actual "drive" with an actual marketed plan. There hasn't been any details at all because it is still early in the project. As I have said here many times, it takes about eight years from original serious conception to a final product. If it is the POG that is driving this too early then shame on them but if this is really going to happen we are hardly into it yet.

Leblanc has given a drop-dead date of June on whether this project goes forward or not:

Originally Posted by TSN

“These next three or four months are critical,” said Anthony LeBlanc, one of Maritime Football Ltd.’s three principles. “We will have a go or no-go by the mid-point of this year, which is about two years since we first started meeting about this project.”

https://www.tsn.ca/schooners-plan-en...etch-1.1251888

At this point i'd take anything LeBlanc says with a dumptruck-sized grain of salt as he seems to put a deadline on everything before pushing back.

[esquire]

^ Failure to launch the Schooners would be a massive black eye for Ambrosie and the CFL. Ambrosie has sold himself as the action man who would get things done after drifting somewhat aimlessly under Jeff Orridge. He stormed in and presented maritime expansion as virtually a done deal, but after all that hype, having it fall apart at the stadium stage (i.e. no further ahead than any maritime expansion pitch over the last 40 years) would seriously undermine his credentials. I'm sure he will now backpedal with a hearty dose of "wellllll I never promised anything, it was all subject to and conditional upon blablabla" but the damage has been done.

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and don't say anything until the ducks are 100 per cent lined up in a row. See Chipman, Mark.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Failure to launch the Schooners would be a massive black eye for Ambrosie and the CFL. Ambrosie has sold himself as the action man who would get things done after drifting somewhat aimlessly under Jeff Orridge. He stormed in and presented maritime expansion as virtually a done deal, but after all that hype, having it fall apart at the stadium stage (i.e. no further ahead than any maritime expansion pitch over the last 40 years) would seriously undermine his credentials. I'm sure he will now backpedal with a hearty dose of "wellllll I never promised anything, it was all subject to and conditional upon blablabla" but the damage has been done.

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and don't say anything until the ducks are 100 per cent lined up in a row. See Chipman, Mark.

I think Ambrosie has played things pretty well and pretty cool - it's LeBlanc who is the one that's going to media every other week and saying things he probably shouldn't be saying. LeBlanc is the one that keeps setting deadlines and keeping people on their toes whereas Ambrosie has been sitting back and keeping his cards close to his chest.

[esquire]

^ It's not really for Ambrosie to throw down ultimatums and deadlines the way LeBlanc has been (which is not really helpful to his cause, but whatever), but he has certainly been playing the whole thing up and selling it as something approaching the finish line when at this point we can see it's not really even in the starting blocks.

[Berklon]

Getting a touch of Coyotes/Leblanc deja-vu.

I said this when his involvement was initially revealed, and I'll say it again - run long, hard and fast in the other direction of Leblanc. I think his next project will be selling Springfield a monorail system.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It's not really for Ambrosie to throw down ultimatums and deadlines the way LeBlanc has been (which is not really helpful to his cause, but whatever), but he has certainly been playing the whole thing up and selling it as something approaching the finish line when at this point we can see it's not really even in the starting blocks.

Ambrosie is a salesman. What else is he going to do?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Ambrosie is a salesman. What else is he going to do?

Being a good salesman is knowing your product and how to sell it. Maybe the used car salesman tactics are not the best approach to selling this particular product...

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by esquire

Being a good salesman is knowing your product and how to sell it. Maybe the used car salesman tactics are not the best approach to selling this particular product...

I'm just pointing out what he knows. He's a snake oil salesman and apparently really good at it given his credentials.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I think Ambrosie has played things pretty well and pretty cool - it's LeBlanc who is the one that's going to media every other week and saying things he probably shouldn't be saying. LeBlanc is the one that keeps setting deadlines and keeping people on their toes whereas Ambrosie has been sitting back and keeping his cards close to his chest.

A familiar refrain from Leblanc. On the HFBoards, some folks would post his tweets and public announcements on a regular basis - Season ticket sales and individual game sales have increased xxx percentage points! We are bringing more concerts then ever to Jobing.com arena, etc, etc. Guy never back up his bold claims as it seemed like the opposite actually happened. In actuality, ticket sales never really improved in Phoenix and concerts were few and far between.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I'm just pointing out what he knows. He's a snake oil salesman and apparently really good at it given his credentials.

Ambrosie is a snake oil salesman? Based on what history?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

A familiar refrain from Leblanc. On the HFBoards, some folks would post his tweets and public announcements on a regular basis - Season ticket sales and individual game sales have increased xxx percentage points! We are bringing more concerts then ever to Jobing.com arena, etc, etc. Guy never back up his bold claims as it seemed like the opposite actually happened. In actuality, ticket sales never really improved in Phoenix and concerts were few and far between.

This article from a few years ago also summarizes his frequent public claims:

Originally Posted by Fansided

It’s been a bit of a wait for news on the location of new arena for the Arizona Coyotes.

Earlier this year, President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc believed we would have the announcement before the 2015-16 season concluded. That turned out to be a bit too optimistic.

There was also the suggestion that we would hear details before summer ended, but that deadline also passed with no real update.

Last night in the midst of Auston Matthews-mania, LeBlanc tweeted out a tease regarding the arena situation and it’s resolution.

https://howlinhockey.com/2016/10/13/...ena-news-soon/

LeBlanc also made claims such as the Coyotes would move their AHL affiliate to Thunder Bay which never really materalized.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Sounds bad for Melnyk

@NCC_CCN

#LeBreton update: We’ve been advised by the mediator Mr. Warren Winkler that the parties have been unable to reach a settlement. Our Board will hold a teleconference on Feb. 28 to review this development. Another meeting will be held on March 7 to finalize a new process.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by JHikka

So that's it for Melnyk, then. I'm assuming that's his last bargaining chip for fighting off the NHL's BoG.

I don't think Melnyk is the owner come October.

[J.OT13]

Bad news from Ottawa, the downtown arena deal is officially dead. After a month of mediation, the parties could not come to an agreement. Some sources say there was an agreement, but in another brilliant move by the Sens owner, he changed his mind and backed-out. But don't worry! After decimating the team by dumping its 6 best best players over the last few months, killing the arena deal and getting back in the lawsuit battle royale with his former partners ($1.7 billion of suits and counter-suits), he's reassured fans that he is committed to keeping the team in Ottawa and finding a new central location for a new arena and winning a Stanley Cup!

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

The RFP for the Redevelopment of LeBreton Flats (2015-2019) is officially dead... will probably start a new thread next week when the details on the new process are released.
https://twitter.com/NCC_CCN/status/1101256632141524993

[esquire]

^ I get that a team can't exist without loyal fans supporting the team through thick and thin, but expecting people in Ottawa to shell out hard earned money to support this complete debacle... well, that is asking an awful lot.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I get that a team can't exist without loyal fans supporting the team through thick and thin, but expecting people in Ottawa to shell out hard earned money to support this complete debacle... well, that is asking an awful lot.

This is similar to the struggle that Columbus MLS fans faced last year. The owner was actively trying to scuttle the franchise to make Columbus look bad so he could move the team to Austin. Fans were stuck with two options: go to games and financially support an owner with ulterior motives or don't go and prove his point for him.

Fans in Ottawa face a similar dilemma: Melnyk is a genuinely awful owner and supporting him financially is tough but the less people go to games the worse the Ottawa market looks as a whole. The crowd last night for McDavid was always going to be good but I have no doubt crowds to end the year are going to be very small. The crowds don't crossover a lot but it's convenient timing that the 67s are the best they've been in 15 years.

[MonctonRad]

Good ice at the Ian Fowler Oval on the plaza in front of the Avenir Centre in downtown Moncton NB.


photo by me, earlier today

[esquire]

Looks like a beautiful place for a leisurely skate!

[isaidso]

Despite being completely devoid of people that's the most urban photo of Moncton I've ever seen.