Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonianSentinel01
So.....
- Would the league be willing to look at Moncton again? If so then,
- Would the city be willing to play along with a guarantee that we would get a team?
- Would there be enough corporate support/ownership group to run the team?
If all three can be met then I think we have an excellent chance.
I know that Moncton might have be used to get Halifax, but if Halifax gets off the table, then what choice would they have if they want a coast to coast league.
Thoughts?
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1) - The CFL wants a Maritime team. After four straight Touchdown Atlantic games in Moncton, the league turned their back on us and went all in on Halifax (which is really where they wanted to go in the first place). I firmly believe that the CFL was using the nascent intercity rivalry between Moncton and Halifax into goading the latter city into action. This succeeded (to a degree), but there is no real ownership group down there, and precious little civic interest (they can't afford a stadium). The prospects for a CFL team in Halifax are no greater now than they were 15 years ago. Meanwhile, the CFL has burned a lot of bridges in Moncton.
2) - I'm not sure the city would play along as actively this time around. The first two Touchdown Atlantics were great. The CFL was heavily invested, and it was a party like atmosphere for almost a week - a mini Grey Cup. The latter two Touchdown Atlantic games were a lot different. The CFL was disengaged and there was little hype. It was obvious the league was just going through the motions and was only holding the game here because there was no comparable stadium in Halifax. If the CFL came back to Moncton again with plans for another game, I imagine the city would want to explore the motives of the CFL this time quite carefully.
3) - There is no clear ownership group in Moncton for a CFL team. It would be an expensive venture. While the Blue Cross Stadium could be used in the short term, a proper professional stadium would ultimately be necessary, costing several hundred million dollars. Would Irving be interested in owning a CFL team? They do a great job with the Wildcats, but, a CFL team would be a whole order of magnitude of difference.
Given the problems in Halifax, the only real Atlantic option is Moncton, but, I think there are similar obstacles here. It really depends on what Irving would like to do........