Ottawa Makes a Bid for MLS Expansion Team - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Locke · 09-19-2008, 06:00 PM

Looks like Melnyk the Sens owner is putting in a bid for an MLS franchise.

Many expected Vancouver and montreal to bid, but this was news to me. Hes going to build a stadium right beside Scotiabank place apparently.

http://www.soccernews.com/ottawa-bid-for-mls/7580/

rubecube · 09-19-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Looks like Melnyk the Sens owner is putting in a bid for an MLS franchise.

Many expected Vancouver and montreal to bid, but this was news to me. Hes going to build a stadium right beside Scotiabank place apparently.

http://www.soccernews.com/ottawa-bid-for-mls/7580/

This has Renegade-scale failure written all over it.

"Hey you know that arena we have that nobody likes to go to, even when the most popular sport in the country is being palyed there? Yeah, let's build a field for one of the least popular sports in the country right beside it."

Locke · 09-19-2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubecube

This has Renegade-scale failure written all over it.

"Hey you know that arena we have that nobody likes to go to, even when the most popular sport in the country is being palyed there? Yeah, let's build a field for one of the least popular sports in the country right beside it."

Thats pretty much what first popped into my mind too. Whats more is that he wants it to be a 30,000 seat, soccer-specific stadium.

Thats some big bread, maybe scotiabank is willing to cough up some of that, but I guess it will all depend on how the financing pans out.

Toronto at least is owned by MLSE, and whether thats a curse or a blessing it still means that they've got money behind them. How much is Melnyk willing to throw?

Machiavelli · 09-19-2008, 07:03 PM

Boo....Kanata is a pain to get to, and there's nothing else in the 'burb besides houses, so you basically only go for the hockey.

GreenTeaFrapp · 09-23-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubecube

This has Renegade-scale failure written all over it.

"Hey you know that arena we have that nobody likes to go to, even when the most popular sport in the country is being palyed there? Yeah, let's build a field for one of the least popular sports in the country right beside it."

You mean the arena that had more people go to it last season for hockey then the Saddledome? And the sport that has the highest participation level in the city?

The Renegades failed because they had an ownership group with a buffoon like Bill Watters in it and then replaced that group with an even more unlikeable group.

GreenTeaFrapp · 09-23-2008, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Boo....Kanata is a pain to get to,

Yeah! Get on the Queensway, which is only an 8 lane highway, and get off at the Palladium Drive off-ramp. Such a pain!

pepper24 · 09-23-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

You mean the arena that had more people go to it last season for hockey then the Saddledome? And the sport that has the highest participation level in the city?

The Renegades failed because they had an ownership group with a buffoon like Bill Watters in it and then replaced that group with an even more unlikeable group.

Not relevant since the Calgary Flames are capped at 19,289 fans because that's capacity. They could get more fans with a bigger arena, so could the Senators. All major Canadian cities are big hockey cities.

I agree that ownership was the main culprit for the Renegades woes but it still doesn't look good when you lose the Roughriders after many years, get an expansion team to make up for your mistake, then lose that team. Tons of CFL teams, heck even the Stamps before the Forzani Group took over the team, have had bad ownership and have managed to survive.

I think their CFL record is a legitimate concern for bringing in an expansion team for a fringe league like the MLS.

rubecube · 09-23-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Yeah! Get on the Queensway, which is only an 8 lane highway, and get off at the Palladium Drive off-ramp. Such a pain!

Most Sens fans I talk to complain about the arena's location.

Table 5 · 09-23-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Yeah! Get on the Queensway, which is only an 8 lane highway, and get off at the Palladium Drive off-ramp. Such a pain!

Yeah, except you fail to mention it takes an hour to get back on said highway after the game is over.

Machiavelli · 09-23-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Yeah! Get on the Queensway, which is only an 8 lane highway, and get off at the Palladium Drive off-ramp. Such a pain!

Too bad it's actually a 4 line highway one-way (unless you're planning to jump the meridian).

Also, if you live in the East side of the city, or even centrally, it takes a while to get all the way to Kanata. And if the highway is congested (not uncommon with game-day traffic), it takes a very long time.

And then of course you have to get home after the game....

GreenTeaFrapp · 09-23-2008, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Too bad it's actually a 4 line highway one-way (unless you're planning to jump the meridian).

That's how most highways are. They have equal lanes on each side.

Quote:

Also, if you live in the East side of the city, or even centrally, it takes a while to get all the way to Kanata. And if the highway is congested (not uncommon with game-day traffic), it takes a very long time.

Only because of rush hour and that the Queensway used to be only four lanes at the 416. MLS games are mostly on Saturdays so both issues are resolved.

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And then of course you have to get home after the game....

Not an issue when there are double the lanes there used to be. The parking lot setup sucks but getting out of the parking lot at Landsdowne park sucked when the Sens played there too.

STeeLy · 09-26-2008, 01:23 PM

You could always take the back roads... Timm starts at Moodie, and Timm will turn into Katimavik and then into Palladium... so if you get onto Moodie... you can get in and out... quite easily.

Or Even Hazeldean and then north on Huntmar... that goes right there too.

Bagor · 09-29-2008, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

You mean the arena that had more people go to it last season for hockey then the Saddledome? And the sport that has the highest participation level in the city?

Yep, that's the one. The arena that is dotted with empty seats any time I visit ala the Joe Louis. The same arena that is dominated by Habs and Leafs fans anytime they play there. The same arena where I can easily score a pair of tickets on the afternoon of a Saturday evening game day against a divisional rival (Buffalo).

It'll last a year or 2, 3 max. The novelty will wear off, people will get bored and Kanata will have a white elephant.

GreenTeaFrapp · 09-30-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STeeLy

You could always take the back roads... Timm starts at Moodie, and Timm will turn into Katimavik and then into Palladium... so if you get onto Moodie... you can get in and out... quite easily.

Katimavik gets pretty backed up and with all the stop signs it can take some time to get there. Plus you have to watch out for deer on Timm. I've had one leap in front of me on the way to the building before.

Quote:

Or Even Hazeldean and then north on Huntmar... that goes right there too.

Huntmar is a new option. And Terry Fox isn't even that bad going north.

Coming from Barrhaven, Fallowfield to Eagleson to Terry Fox to Palladium is a breeze. Especially if you know how to avoid the Fallowfield & 416 off-ramp intersection.