[News] CalgaryNEXT Announcement. New arena details emerge.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

All the G8 nations have hosted the World Cup, except Canada & Russia, but Russia is hosting the next one.

We don't have enough grass field stadiums. That's the barring factor.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Reaper

We don't have enough grass field stadiums. That's the barring factor.

True enough. But stadiums can be retrofitted.

Coincidentally, the stadium that will host the 2018 WC Final is an artificial turf stadium in Moscow.

In 2008, the stadium hosted the Champions League final and it would be absolutely unacceptable for the premier club team event to be played on turf. So they retrofitted it. Cost?

The new pitch has been laid at a cost of about £160,000 with imported grass from Slovakia after the usual synthetic pitch at the stadium was replaced for the final.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/230...l-Platini.html

So let's say there are about 8 stadiums in Canada that need grass for a WC. Let's call it $250k per stadium to retrofit with grass. I would hardly call that cost prohibitive.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Chingas

I need to dig into it further but I am pretty sure that the only one who makes money off of the world cup is FIFA.

Tell that to the two-star hotel in Rio that I stayed at for $400 a night!

[Bunk]

Report going to Council Monday on proposed approach to evaluating CalgaryNEXT

item 12.2.2

http://agendaminutes.calgary.ca/sire...octype=AGENDA#

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

All the G8 nations have hosted the World Cup, except Canada & Russia, but Russia is hosting the next one.

You neglected to say how long ago. I'm talking about what the World Cup has become, not what it used to be.

And don't kid yourself, Russia nowadays is merely the biggest Third World kleptocracy of them all.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Chingas

I need to dig into it further but I am pretty sure that the only one who makes money off of the world cup is FIFA.

The article I linked to (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle27136887/) shows that Canada generated $49.6 million in economic activity from this year's Women's World Cup, and the tournament cost $216 million to host. There is money to be made for nations who have the infrastructure in place already. Calgary is looking for a new stadium anyway, with or without a WC. McMahon puts up temp stands anyway for the Grey Cup, and the Grey Cup pales in comparison to the magnitude of the WC.

Originally Posted by Jay Random

You neglected to say how long ago. I'm talking about what the World Cup has become, not what it used to be.

And don't kid yourself, Russia nowadays is merely the biggest Third World kleptocracy of them all.

Ok well let's see:

Russia: 2018
(Brazil) 2014
(S Africa) 2010
Germany 2006
Japan 2002
France 1998
USA 1994
Italy 1990

So besides the last two World Cups, it's been G8 countries hosting the previous 5 in a row. What has the world cup "become" that is so bad from the 1990 to 2006 WCs?

I love the jab at Russia being third world. Yes, they are corrupt and there are vast inequalities. Do you think the USA is much better? Hint: they are not.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Reaper

We don't have enough grass field stadiums. That's the barring factor.

We really need to get our brightest minds working on this. Get all the best botanists, engineers, landscape architects, and scientists in a room, lock the door and they don't come out until we have a bullet proof plan of action to plant a lawn.

[Senator Clay Davis]

A World Cup will cost a minimum of $4 billion to host, so I'd love to see where the billions in profit will come from. Security alone in a country as vast as Canada will be a couple billion, plus we'll need at least 5 new stadiums. BC Place and Investors Field are the only two stadiums even remotely modern in Canada, Commonwealth is a dump, no way would the fieldhouse be in consideration with 20,000 bleacher seats. BMO Field is too small, the Big O is never happening. So 5 is the minimum and we're probably looking at 7 or 8. And then what do you do with those stadiums after? The 8-10 times a year the CFL would play in them does not justify the cost or anything close.

I'd advise anyone who wants to see a World Cup to simply travel to one and enjoy that instead. Canadians will never support the amount of money needed to go into a World Cup being hosted here. As I keep saying, best case scenario is a joint host with the US (or even a tri-host with the US, Canada and Mexico). Solo host would be a massive waste of money.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

A World Cup will cost a minimum of $4 billion to host, so I'd love to see where the billions in profit will come from. Security alone in a country as vast as Canada will be a couple billion, plus we'll need at least 5 new stadiums. BC Place and Investors Field are the only two stadiums even remotely modern in Canada, Commonwealth is a dump, no way would the fieldhouse be in consideration with 20,000 bleacher seats. BMO Field is too small, the Big O is never happening. So 5 is the minimum and we're probably looking at 7 or 8. And then what do you do with those stadiums after? The 8-10 times a year the CFL would play in them does not justify the cost or anything close.

I'd advise anyone who wants to see a World Cup to simply travel to one and enjoy that instead. Canadians will never support the amount of money needed to go into a World Cup being hosted here. As I keep saying, best case scenario is a joint host with the US (or even a tri-host with the US, Canada and Mexico). Solo host would be a massive waste of money.

Although you are probably right, you are a:



I wish Canadians loved sports (other than hockey) as much as their counterparts in other countries.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

The article I linked to (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle27136887/) shows that Canada generated $49.6 million in economic activity from this year's Women's World Cup, and the tournament cost $216 million to host. There is money to be made for nations who have the infrastructure in place already. Calgary is looking for a new stadium anyway, with or without a WC. McMahon puts up temp stands anyway for the Grey Cup, and the Grey Cup pales in comparison to the magnitude of the WC.

Your decimal is off or you missed a digit. I believe it is $493.6 million, not $49.6.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Barnes

We really need to get our brightest minds working on this. Get all the best botanists, engineers, landscape architects, and scientists in a room, lock the door and they don't come out until we have a bullet proof plan of action to plant a lawn.

Yeah, it's just about laying sod and watering it.

For the longest time Commonwealth in Edmonton was the only grass field large capacity stadium in Canada. They switched to field turf because it was cheaper and easier to maintain.

Now, try convincing 6 stadiums in Canada to convert their facilities to natural grass. When you can't, you'll need to build 6 stadiums to FIFA standards with natural grass complete with modern water management. Good luck with that.

Not having natural grass stadiums is the biggest barrier to hosting a FIFA Men's World Cup. FIFA jobbed the Women's World Cup in Canada by allowing it to be played on artificial turf. I don't think they would take that risk with the Men's World Cup. It would probably make bigger news than the FIFA corruption scandal.

[polak]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I wish Canadians loved sports (other than hockey) as much as their counterparts in other countries.

Canadians are lame when it comes to national pride besides Hockey and Tim ####ing Hortons.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Although you are probably right, you are a:



I wish Canadians loved sports (other than hockey) as much as their counterparts in other countries.

It is what it is. If you offered people in this country a choice of Calgary 2026 Olympics and Canada 2026 World Cup, the Olympics would win in a landslide. Probably because we'd get to at least see some winning at the Olympics versus an 0-3, -8 goal differential team in the World Cup.

Also lets not kid ourselves, the vast majority of soccer fans in this country would be cheering for other countries first (Italy, England, Germany in particular) over Canada. So it's almost more about hosting it to see other countries than it would be to see Canada.

[Flamenspiel]

I have to agree with you, SA and Brazil got so stiffed with regards to the world cup. The Brazilians payed all that money and got to see their team get whacked 8-0. SA 3 and done!

As much as i have enjoyed attending two world cups as a visitor, soccer generally tends to separate Canadians rather then bring them together. Whereas the Winter Olympics tends to pull us all together.

[TopChed]

Canada should focus on qualifying for the World Cup before trying to host it.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I wish Canadians loved sports (other than hockey) as much as their counterparts in other countries.

Is Canada really any different than other countries in that regard? The only difference is that in other countries, it's soccer that people care about more than all other sports.

It's not like hockey is a huge sport in England, or baseball in Germany.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by TopChed

Canada should focus on qualifying for the World Cup before trying to host it.

Hosting the World Cup is about the only way that Canada could qualify for it

[Finger Cookin]

The best case scenario I could see would be a joint USA-Canada hosted World Cup with two (at most) Canadian venues used before the finals. Even if a capable venue is built in Calgary, I doubt Calgary would be chosen to host games.

I'm glad there are others out there who dream bigger than me though.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

The best case scenario I could see would be a joint USA-Canada hosted World Cup with two (at most) Canadian venues used before the finals. Even if a capable venue is built in Calgary, I doubt Calgary would be chosen to host games.

I'm glad there are others out there who dream bigger than me though.

If I'm the USA, why would I ever co-host with Canada?

There are 31 NFL stadiums that could potentially host a WC match, not to mention the college stadiums that could host as well, not to mention places like the Rose Bowl that aren't a college stadium nor an NFL stadium. Oh, and I also forgot to mention the soccer specific stadiums the USA has like the one in Salt Lake City or Denver.

The USA could host a WC at a drop of a hat.

[Coach]

I think the only way the US-Can World Cup thing would come to fruition is of they wanted to keep it in a confined space (namely, the NE coast). You could have games in TO and MTL for Canada and NY/Philly/Boston/ etc.. for US.

But I agree, it wouldn't make sense to share, even ignoring the logistics of having a WC across 4 time-zones.