Flames to announce plans to announce arena plans in the... future...

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by korzym12

You're talking like Nenshi is Redford who barely managed to get more than majority of the votes.

Nenshi won with ONLY 39% - it's like you're admitting that this waste of taxpayer money has to quickly get approved before he gets voted out, because he's already developed a reputation as being a wasteful mayor.

The majority of Calgarians don't support Nenshi, and by a landslide. The sooner he's gone the better. As for the arena - it's part business deadlines and partially about creating media attention. Do you do it before or after the draft is the question?

It would be a huge miracle if Nenshi got less than 80% of the vote in the coming election, thank goodness.

[SebC]

I wonder if baseball/basketball would be a consideration at all. Basketball's pretty easy, as it's not too hard to use an NHL arena for basketball. Is pro baseball in Calgary just a total non-starter now? More than soccer?

[Resolute 14]

Yeah, The Northern League's incompetence and Peter Young pretty much murdered baseball in this city. But the greater problem is the lack of a viable league to play in. The only real option right now is the Pioneer League, but I'm not sure the city would go for rookie ball that is, frankly, of a lower calibre than the Okotoks Dawgs - even if some of the kids at that level are future MLBers.

And that assumes the PL would be interested in crossing the border again.

[TurnedTheCorner]

I like how this became a bull#### thread about soccer.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

I have it on good word that the Flames organization will announce something either today or next week.

A mod is welcome to PM me for my source. I would rather not reveal it here.

They are eyeing 4 possible locations: 2 within the city, 1 on Stampede Park and 1 outside the city.

That's all I got.

Appreciate you putting your neck out with specifics timelines. I'm sure the Flames will delay and make you look bad.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

I have it on good word that the Flames organization will announce something either today or next week.

A mod is welcome to PM me for my source. I would rather not reveal it here.

They are eyeing 4 possible locations: 2 within the city, 1 on Stampede Park and 1 outside the city.

That's all I got.

With all due respect, if after 7 years the Flames haven't at least narrowed down a site yet I don't imagine this announcement will be anything of consequence.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Cleveland - if you're building a new arena / stadium, any rational business or investor would almost certainly try and build something that can handle one-off big events that would fill the seats. I think it would be unlikely that Flames management, using them as an example, are ignoring the grandiose opportunities to host major world-class events when planning for large public spaces, particularly sports. I think the World Cup example, although highly unlikely, is just the catch event for things like this. However, aiming for major world-class sporting events is not out of question at all.

This city has a metro area of 1.2M people. That is actually a fairly small city in the grad scheme of things. This city will never have a need, at least not in the useable life time of the project currently being planned, for the type of facility you speak of. This city needs nothing more than a stadium that is large enough to facilitate the CFL, that is all. Calgary has no need to be the venue for huge stadium shows, or events like the World Cup. The population of our city is simply not large enough and won't be for decades upon decades. Those type of events target much larger spots, even the greater Vancouver area is boarder line big enough to attract those type of events.

That's not to say an updated facility primed to house CFL and maybe MLS wouldn't be beneficial, but that's all we need for anything we could possibly end up hosting over the next 30 years, such as a Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

This city has a metro area of 1.2M people. That is actually a fairly small city in the grad scheme of things. This city will never have a need, at least not in the useable life time of the project currently being planned, for the type of facility you speak of. This city needs nothing more than a stadium that is large enough to facilitate the CFL, that is all. Calgary has no need to be the venue for huge stadium shows, or events like the World Cup. The population of our city is simply not large enough and won't be for decades upon decades. Those type of events target much larger spots, even the greater Vancouver area is boarder line big enough to attract those type of events.

That's not to say an updated facility primed to house CFL and maybe MLS wouldn't be beneficial, but that's all we need for anything we could possibly end up hosting over the next 30 years, such as a Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Cleveland - why does a CFL stadium only have to be apprx. 30,000 seats, which is what Mcmahon is?

I bet that if the stadium is covered, even more people would go. I bet you could put 40,000 butts in the seats for each Stamps game. The ones that wouldn't go because of the slightest negative aspect of the weather... now would go.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Muta

Cleveland - why does a CFL stadium only have to be apprx. 30,000 seats, which is what Mcmahon is?

I bet that if the stadium is covered, even more people would go. I bet you could put 40,000 butts in the seats for each Stamps game. The ones that wouldn't go because of the slightest negative aspect of the weather... now would go.

Only speaking for me but...

I rarely go - primarily due to weather (along with metal benches). I would go regularly - and probably get season tickets - if it were a more comfortable experience

[metroneck]

The issue with a dome is 1/2 the time it's great, and the other half it sucks. In my teens I never missed a game at McMahon. Summer/ early fall aft or evening games were great.

Even with that stupid hole they cut in the roof at BC Place, it sucks to watch football inside when it is half decent out.

Not sure if a 35 000 seat stadium with a retractable roof is financially viable.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by metroneck

The issue with a dome is 1/2 the time it's great, and the other half it sucks. In my teens I never missed a game at McMahon. Summer/ early fall aft or evening games were great.

Even with that stupid hole they cut in the roof at BC Place, it sucks to watch football inside when it is half decent out.

Not sure if a 35 000 seat stadium with a retractable roof is financially viable.

I get what you mean, but for a league like the CFL in a city like this, it would be wise to make the game experience as comfortable as possible for the fans. Many in the crowd are casual fans that wouldn't be all the up to going to the games when it feels chilly in the evening or when it's freezing temperatures.

[868904]

With all the outdoor games the NHL is planning, they might as well make the new arena with a retractable roof.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The odds of Canada being awarded the FIFA World Cup in the next three decades are remote.

2026 - Europe
2030 - Asia/Americas
2034 - Americas/Asia
2038 - Europe
2042 - Misc

The U.S. will almost certainly get the Americas slot. If not, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile would all have better shots than Canada.

I just don't see it happening. Even on a competitive basis alone, Canada has to prove it belongs in the World Cup. Qualifying for the thing might be a good start.

Just to add to this, it's almost certain (wink/wink, nudge nudge) that Argentina/Uruguay will be the joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup to celebrate the World Cup Centenary.

almost certain that China will get a World Cup as well. Maybe 2034.

so yeah.. Canada is looking at.. never.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Joborule

I get what you mean, but for a league like the CFL in a city like this, it would be wise to make the game experience as comfortable as possible for the fans. Many in the crowd are casual fans that wouldn't be all the up to going to the games when it feels chilly in the evening or when it's freezing temperatures.

But a lot of those casual fans go to Stamps games to catch some rays on a nice day. For me, being outside is a big part of the experience.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

But a lot of those casual fans go to Stamps games to catch some rays on a nice day. For me, being outside is a big part of the experience.

Those are generally during the early part of the season though (and if the weather is cooperating that day), whereas when the team can make true money is during the cold climate period.

Perhaps the stadium can be built in a way that includes visuals of outside and a big enough open space in the roof that it can embrace the environment on nice days well. Vikings New Stadium, though it's a dome with no retractable roof, does it nicely.

[MoneyGuy]

Sorry, but the comment that people won't go because it gets chilly in the evenings made me laugh.

This is Canada and it's CFL football. I've never stayed home due to weather, but I'm a total diehard.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Sorry, but the comment that people won't go because it gets chilly in the evenings made me laugh.

This is Canada and it's CFL football. I've never stayed home due to weather, but I'm a total diehard.

Exactly. If you want to attract those that aren't diehards, and all that much of CFL fans as well, give them as much incentives as possible to make it out.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Sorry, but the comment that people won't go because it gets chilly in the evenings made me laugh.

This is Canada and it's CFL football. I've never stayed home due to weather, but I'm a total diehard.

And I'm a casual fan who occasionally gets tickets, and if I'm going with my fiancee and its ball-freezingly cold outside you can bet we either wont go or will leave very, very early.

Last year we had tickets, we showed up and left after the first quarter and watched the rest of the game from a nearby pub.

Catering exclusively to diehards isnt a solid business strategy.

[Table 5]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I'm a pretty casual Stamps fan... the only time I'll go to a game is when it's one of those beautiful summer afternoons. Maybe when I was younger I would've braved the cold weather you get during the late season or playoff games, but now, I don't care enough to make that sacrifice.

When you're a 2nd-tier sport league such as the CFL, you have to cater to the casual-fan crowd to fill those seats. You can make fun of people like me, or call us fair-weather (which is exactly what I am when it comes to football), but you do it at your own peril.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Those are generally during the early part of the season though (and if the weather is cooperating that day), whereas when the team can make true money is during the cold climate period.

Perhaps the stadium can be built in a way that includes visuals of outside and a big enough open space in the roof that it can embrace the environment on nice days well. Vikings New Stadium, though it's a dome with no retractable roof, does it nicely.

A dome stadium with a 30 to 60,000 seat capacity is never going to be affordable here.

Beyond the payrates for the trades in this city, it just doesn't make sense with the number of expected dates.

The technology in the Vikings new Stadium is hideously expensive.

The 33,000 dollar stadium in Regina would have been nearly 400 million dollars with another 50 or so to make the roof retractable.

We're going to have to accept an outdoor stadium here, like I said, a heated concourse would be a major improvement.