Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2

[Kokkei Mizu]

Nope. The line has been in service for almost a year now.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

We all know that they chose to install permanent football lines, but surely they wouldn't tarnish this new temple of football with permanent ugly yellow sooccer lines. As bad as field advertising is, nothing makes a CFL field look bush league more than an unsightly and distracting network of permanent yellow soccer lines superimposed on top of the football lines like they have in Montreal, Calgary and the old Mosaic.

It's absolutely assinine if it's their intention to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build this stadium only to ruin its field in such a cheap and unnecessary way. The enitre argument for permanent football lines was that soccer events would be extremely rare. So why would you create permanent lines for a sport that will almost never be played there and permanently make ugly the field of your primary tenant?

I realize that this is a matter of taste and opinion, but I think you're vastly overestimating the importance of the additional lines on the field. I doubt many fans will notice or care whether they're there or not.

[osmo]

The lines are easy to notice.

In 2016, especially with turf, you can easily have patches to roll out and replace if needed for certain sections. All the Riders would have to do is roll out a new end zone patch-sections with those lines for the 30 people in Regina who play Field Hockey.

This does not get done because in typical Canadian spirit we are just too cheap. The image of looking bush league does not factor in to many Canadian operations. Hence the crappy looking websites, and other stuff like this. "faking it till you make it" is not a Canadian ideal. Many American operations that don't have two cents to their name will invest to appear and look professional. You could argue the CFL has more traction than MLS Soccer but MLS soccer invests a ton of resources and money to appear "professional". They understand nobody will take them serious if they don't. Which is why they consistently get offers for owners wanting to get in with expansion or sponsors taking a leap of faith and investing in the league.

Imagine if the CFL put on some big boy pants, maybe it could lure better sponsors than The Brick and Swiss Chalet.

The optics do matter. CFL needs to get serious in putting itself out there as a legitimate professional league. The little things maybe don't matter on their own but when they add up it grows into a larger sum of silly issues that should not even exist.

[esquire]

^ When did this line issue become such a big deal? I remember back at the old Winnipeg Stadium in the 80s the local CSL team used to play some games there and I don't recall anyone griping about the football lines for soccer. Conversely I don't recall any football fans griping about soccer lines. Hell, the Goldeyes used to play baseball there on a field where the outfield had football lines on it and while it would elicit an occasional "that's odd" response it simply wasn't a big deal.

Now people get worked up about the slightest evidence of another team/sport using the same venue. Is Mosaic Stadium going to be less impressive because some yellow line that most people won't even consciously notice?

I don't see this detracting from the game experience at all. When I watch a football game from Calgary or Montreal, to be honest I don't even notice there are other lines on the field at all.

[esquire]

More on the freak accident involving falling speakers at Tim Hortons Field:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stadium-crushed-seats-1.3687543

The speaker — which at 68 kilograms (150 pounds) was about the size of a bar fridge — crushed three seats when it initially dropped 30 metres, D'Angelo said.

From there, it bounced through the upper level, damaging seats as it went. Then it dropped to the lower bowl, hitting more seats before it bounced to a halt.

If people had been sitting in those seats, it would have been disaster, D'Angelo said.

Big speakers suspended above the stands give me the heebie-jeebies, and news like this doesn't help!

[Riise]

Originally Posted by ZeDgE

Thats awesome. Edmonton is so much farther ahead than Calgary with regards to soccer. Its shameful on Calgary to be honest. I try to go to every Foothills FC game but they play at Glenmore Park with some bleachers ffs..

Considering the difference in fortunes of both clubs this week, the future is looking more promising for Calgary at the moment. Running a professional club in Edmonton and Alberta is a financial hole and the owners are running the club at a loss. Unless they can start to sell-out their ground, which may be easier now that the team is starting to do well on the pitch, the owners will have to eventually pull the plug.

In contrast, Foothills is taking the slow and steady approach. They are a self-sustaining club that develop their own players and field teams in the leagues that match the level of their academy products. In just their second season the PDL, Foothills FC have won their division and divisional playoff. A lot of the faces in the team picture for this year's squad were also in the U16 team photo four years back.

While Foothills are developing the cores of their first/senior team, they are also developing their fanbase. Foothills can break even at 1,000. Generating private and public funds to turn one of the local stadiums into a footy specific ground with a capacity of 1,000, or even 3,000, is much easier than selling out the 10,000 seats at Clarke Stadium which FC Edmonton needs to do before the City will pay for upgrades.

Nevertheless, I want FC Edmonton to survive and be successful. I just think they took a difficult path that is littered with the corpses of former Alberta-based professional teams (e.g. Aviators, Drillers, Mustangs and Storm).

Originally Posted by esquire

Now people get worked up about the slightest evidence of another team/sport using the same venue. Is Mosaic Stadium going to be less impressive because some yellow line that most people won't even consciously notice?

I don't see this detracting from the game experience at all. When I watch a football game from Calgary or Montreal, to be honest I don't even notice there are other lines on the field at all.

While the lines at McMahon aren't distracting to me during Stamps games, the same lines at Hellard Field were very distracting during Foothills FC matches. I think it depends on the sport.

[Migs]

New Mosaic Stadium today. The steel frame for videoboard is going up & there are still winged portions to be added tommorrow that makes board even wider.


Via RRI

[tomthumb2]

^^^ I don't recall seeing any renders for what New Mosaic would look like for Grey Cup configuration. Obviously they'd put bleachers in those corners but is that it? I wonder what that would bump capacity to. I can't imagine it would be very much.

Sure is looking nice though - I think the new scoreboard will be the largest in the CFL if not all of Canada?? (or is Jays one bigger?)

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by tomthumb2

^^^ I don't recall seeing any renders for what New Mosaic would look like for Grey Cup configuration. Obviously they'd put bleachers in those corners but is that it? I wonder what that would bump capacity to. I can't imagine it would be very much.

Sure is looking nice though - I think the new scoreboard will be the largest in the CFL if not all of Canada?? (or is Jays one bigger?)

If it's bigger then 10 m tall by 33.5 m wide it will be.

[Migs]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

If it's bigger then 10 m tall by 33.5 m wide it will be.

Mosaic Stadium videoboard will be approx 123' wide x 72' tall & the whole structure itself is 99' tall.

[TorontoDrew]

Hows this for a screen?
posted on: maxresdefault.jpg

[king10]

Originally Posted by osmo

The lines are easy to notice.

In 2016, especially with turf, you can easily have patches to roll out and replace if needed for certain sections. All the Riders would have to do is roll out a new end zone patch-sections with those lines for the 30 people in Regina who play Field Hockey.

This does not get done because in typical Canadian spirit we are just too cheap. The image of looking bush league does not factor in to many Canadian operations. Hence the crappy looking websites, and other stuff like this. "faking it till you make it" is not a Canadian ideal. Many American operations that don't have two cents to their name will invest to appear and look professional. You could argue the CFL has more traction than MLS Soccer but MLS soccer invests a ton of resources and money to appear "professional". They understand nobody will take them serious if they don't. Which is why they consistently get offers for owners wanting to get in with expansion or sponsors taking a leap of faith and investing in the league.

Imagine if the CFL put on some big boy pants, maybe it could lure better sponsors than The Brick and Swiss Chalet.

The optics do matter. CFL needs to get serious in putting itself out there as a legitimate professional league. The little things maybe don't matter on their own but when they add up it grows into a larger sum of silly issues that should not even exist.

The Brick (owned by Leon's) and Swiss Chalet (owned by Cara) are pretty big companies in Canada. Both have revenues of around $2 Billion. That would put them in the top 120 in terms of revenue in Canada. Nothing wrong with those sponsors.

[ZeDgE]

Originally Posted by Riise

Considering the difference in fortunes of both clubs this week, the future is looking more promising for Calgary at the moment. Running a professional club in Edmonton and Alberta is a financial hole and the owners are running the club at a loss. Unless they can start to sell-out their ground, which may be easier now that the team is starting to do well on the pitch, the owners will have to eventually pull the plug.

In contrast, Foothills is taking the slow and steady approach. They are a self-sustaining club that develop their own players and field teams in the leagues that match the level of their academy products. In just their second season the PDL, Foothills FC have won their division and divisional playoff. A lot of the faces in the team picture for this year's squad were also in the U16 team photo four years back.

While Foothills are developing the cores of their first/senior team, they are also developing their fanbase. Foothills can break even at 1,000. Generating private and public funds to turn one of the local stadiums into a footy specific ground with a capacity of 1,000, or even 3,000, is much easier than selling out the 10,000 seats at Clarke Stadium which FC Edmonton needs to do before the City will pay for upgrades.

Nevertheless, I want FC Edmonton to survive and be successful. I just think they took a difficult path that is littered with the corpses of former Alberta-based professional teams (e.g. Aviators, Drillers, Mustangs and Storm).




While the lines at McMahon aren't distracting to me during Stamps games, the same lines at Hellard Field were very distracting during Foothills FC matches. I think it depends on the sport.

I want to see both teams do well. I went to the division final for Foothills vs The sounders on Tuesday eve. Not sure why it was at a different field, there were not alot of seats. However, there were twice as many people there than the past games at glenmore park. Was nice too see. The Footsoldiers were stuck in the beer garden though lol. They went over to the stands during extra time though. Great game.

[bkd]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Hows this for a screen?
posted on: maxresdefault.jpg

I want it in my home.

[HomerSPC]

Originally Posted by king10

Nothing wrong with those sponsors.

But they're not American, so clearly they're awful like the rest of this country, its sports, its culture and its traditions. Man, I love being an American born in Canada!

/sarcasm

[Daveography]

Rogers Place - digital screen starting to go up on "Ford Hall" (formerly the better-naqmed Winter Garden), and framework for cladding underneath on 104 Ave. in place:



(More)

[blueandgoldguy]

Calgary and Edmonton recently blew their chances for having teams in a semi-decent pro-league when they barely turned out when they had teams in the Northern League. I think they averaged 300-500.

A few decent looking minor league baseball stadiums in Canada - Fort Mac, Edmonton, Ottawa and of course, Winnipeg, which happens to have the nicest facility in the country...quite easily actually.

That one in Calgary looks like a dump! Not even good enough for single A ball imo.

I doubt we will see affiliated baseball - outside of Vancouver - anywhere in Canada in the near future. Leagues will have to deal with the border and all the issues surrounding that; many cities are too isolated from cities in the US which is detrimental for what are bus leagues and most of the stadiums, outside of Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton and maybe Vancouver, would be suitable for double A ball.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by ZeDgE

I want to see both teams do well. I went to the division final for Foothills vs The sounders on Tuesday eve. Not sure why it was at a different field, there were not alot of seats. However, there were twice as many people there than the past games at glenmore park. Was nice too see. The Footsoldiers were stuck in the beer garden though lol. They went over to the stands during extra time though. Great game.

It sucks that I was up North this week and couldn't make it to Broadview, which was used due to scheduled maintenance at Glenmore. I've heard nothing but praise about Broadview Park as a venue, it's a bit of a gem. It has a very central and picturesque location. Unfortunately, it's smudge too far from the CTrain, has limited parking and is in NIMBY Central. As such, turning it into a small 3,000-5,000 capacity ground may be too difficult.

[osmo]

Originally Posted by HomerSPC

But they're not American, so clearly they're awful like the rest of this country, its sports, its culture and its traditions. Man, I love being an American born in Canada!

/sarcasm

Nothing wrong with Canadian Corps for sponsors, it is the type I am drawing attention to. End of the day CFL does not care who cuts a cheque, but if they want to lure younger fans they should establish partnerships with Canadian Corps/Brands that are tuned into those demographics.

Having a partnership with Goodlife Fitness for example would be great. Get some type of branding plan going where you can have exposure to their gyms full of younger folks all over the country.

[Migs]

180 view of New Mosaic Stadium.



Image via 28theGreat