Upon further reflection over the past month or so, Flames should've really stuck to an arena-only project, like I first heard, first hand, in 2006. A lot changed then with the Stamps purchase, the economy, up, then down, then up, now back down.
I think they hoped that the identified need for a field house, and a McMahon replacement would be the driving force behind the project, with the arena, though the main money maker, as not the focal point when it comes to the Mayor/public.
The arena concept was average, and the field house was certainly very underwhelming as a result of trying to shove both those complexes into one spot.
Don't get me wrong, very pro- new arena, and if the Flames pony up for the majority of it, which they plan on, it would certainly be a nice addition to the city, as the Saddledome was 33 years ago. But watering it down by trying to also push a tepid concept of a field house, in an already confined space, was a error in judgment, as they aren't getting the goodwill they thought out of providing the required field house option.
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