[News] Calgary, Alberta, & CSEC agree in principle to $1.223bn Event Centre + infrastructure

[Redlan]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Yes - but they eat our money. It's the only thing they're good at...and for some (insane) reason, people think that's a wonderful accomplishment.

No, folks, it's just greed.

And many of these people donate a lot of money to charity, employ a lot of people and contribute to the community and the welfare of their employees, present Flames ownership included. I have had a personal experience with the generosity of one Flames owner who paid out of pocket for over $30,000 for my health expenses. This narrative either reeks of jealousy or is a complete lack of an knowledge - or both. Yes they make money, how would you be different if you could be as finacially successful? Give it all away?

[PepsiFree]

Having been to the new Edmonton arena, I can confidently say that the improved experience of the fringes around whatever event you’re attending (a concert is a concert and a hockey game is a hockey game, regardless of the age of the arena) is definitely not worth the increased cost and overall financial commitment.

If you’re paying $200 a ticket to check out the bathrooms at the RATM show, good for you I guess, but I think everyone else who views the periphery as an insignificant part of the overall experience is not going to feel much benefit. From the fan side at least. Definitely has a lot of benefits for people working in the building and owners.

[Bingo]

To me I guess it's a matter of convenience, and paying a bit more for it.

We've all been to the Dome and literally had to contemplate giving up an entire intermission for a bathroom break. Or looking for the red light at the penalty box signaling a commercial break and sprinting.

Is that worth double the ticket price?

Not for me.

But it's worth something.

Such a difference in newer arenas with food/bathrooms on multiple levels instead of essentially just one.

[the-rasta-masta]

I think a new arena will be nice, but I'll definitely miss the Dome experience. I've been to both Rexall and Rogers in Edmonton, and while some of the amenities were nice at Rogers, I agree that the cost increases aren't worth it to the average fan. I also found that Rogers felt cavernous and really drowned out the fan noise, felt a lot quieter.

Most of the issues that people complain about with the Saddledome don't affect my experience at all, mainly just due to familiarity of the building. Washroom Lines? No problem, use the washrooms at the goal ends of the ice and you can get in and out in 5 minutes even during a busy intermission. Quickest way down to Dutton's to beat the rush after a game? Quickest spot for a beer during intermission? I've got all the Saddledome hacks at this point and don't ever feel inconvenience. Going to miss that ole barn.

EDIT: I should also add that I hope the new arena tries to keep some form of main concourse, rather than a whole bunch of levels, separate entrances, etc.. It's nice to meet up with friends during the intermission, and some of the newer arenas I've been to make it pretty inconvenient to move around the building if you aren't sitting in similar areas.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by Redlan

And many of these people donate a lot of money to charity, employ a lot of people and contribute to the community and the welfare of their employees, present Flames ownership included. I have had a personal experience with the generosity of one Flames owner who paid out of pocket for over $30,000 for my health expenses. This narrative either reeks of jealousy or is a complete lack of an knowledge - or both. Yes they make money, how would you be different if you could be as finacially successful? Give it all away?

I don't care how generous rich people are when they exercise their power and influence to make everything worse for hundreds of thousands of people with ####tier public service, and, lower taxes to themselves.

The Flames owners were generous to you? How nice. The Flames ownership group are now going to take the city to the cleaners for hundreds of millions of dollars. That will result in worse services and worse outcomes for people who aren't wealthy like the Flames ownership and the double meat posters here who can fly to the US for private health care.

Are people this naïve? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

[puckbrain]

i got a question....

who won the alberta provincial elections?

did smith win? if she didn't, will this mean the arena proposal is dead?

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Slava

I’ve been to other arenas and sporting events and the extra bathrooms and concessions and concourses are an enormous difference. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is 62,000 people, and it’s entirely a better experience than the Saddledome because it’s properly designed for the number of patrons. Other NHL arenas are better because there are those design initiatives as well as adequate facilities overall.

as you know, i would love to go to Spurs stadium!; but i have found most new stadiums that i went to were comparable for bathrooms etc.

Oilers new rink was particularly atrocious.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Having been to the new Edmonton arena, I can confidently say that the improved experience of the fringes around whatever event you’re attending (a concert is a concert and a hockey game is a hockey game, regardless of the age of the arena) is definitely not worth the increased cost and overall financial commitment.

If you’re paying $200 a ticket to check out the bathrooms at the RATM show, good for you I guess, but I think everyone else who views the periphery as an insignificant part of the overall experience is not going to feel much benefit. From the fan side at least. Definitely has a lot of benefits for people working in the building and owners.

Yeah but Rogers still sucks. T-Mobil is 10x better for the entire experience, and that includes washrooms, food venues and everything else.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by puckbrain

i got a question....

who won the alberta provincial elections?

did smith win? if she didn't, will this mean the arena proposal is dead?

I have to assume you have access to the internet.

[Scornfire]

Originally Posted by Redlan

And many of these people donate a lot of money to charity, employ a lot of people and contribute to the community and the welfare of their employees, present Flames ownership included. I have had a personal experience with the generosity of one Flames owner who paid out of pocket for over $30,000 for my health expenses. This narrative either reeks of jealousy or is a complete lack of an knowledge - or both. Yes they make money, how would you be different if you could be as finacially successful? Give it all away?

Is your contention that any corporation willing to throw a few charity dollars around for tax writeoffs and public goodwill should be allowed to fund for profit projects with public dollars?

I'd love to leverage my modest personal charitable donations into 10000x value invested into my business by taxpayers. Maybe I will move back to Alberta after all!

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Redlan

And many of these people donate a lot of money to charity, employ a lot of people and contribute to the community and the welfare of their employees, present Flames ownership included. I have had a personal experience with the generosity of one Flames owner who paid out of pocket for over $30,000 for my health expenses. This narrative either reeks of jealousy or is a complete lack of an knowledge - or both. Yes they make money, how would you be different if you could be as finacially successful? Give it all away?

As a matter of fact: yes, I would. I worked in the Philanthropy field for over two decades and am highly familiar with the work of various named and anonymous donors. The ones who don't have their names attached to gifts are FAR more interesting in my books.

And that's nice that someone donated money for your health expenses (really, I do mean that). It still doesn't mean that the public should put more cash in his/her pocket so that they, as taxpayers, can't attend hockey games. Logically non-constructive.


You want the rock star of giving away money? Mackenzie Scott.

She's taken greedy Jeff's money and made him look like a total miser. $14 BILLION of her original net worth of $38 Billion post-divorce. Call it 1/3 of her settlement. I doubt that ANY current Flames owner comes anywhere vaguely close to that. In fact if they hit 10% I'd be surprised. (Harley and Doc well may have eclipsed that fraction.)

[CroFlames]

The benevolent billionaire. Now I've heard it all.

[Dx54]

Originally Posted by puckbrain

i got a question....

who won the alberta provincial elections?

did smith win? if she didn't, will this mean the arena proposal is dead?

Naw, Lord Buckethead won

[Locke]

Originally Posted by btimbit

"Anti-Climate Pledge Arena"

Lol! This is the darkest timeline so lets just lean into it!

We can have homeless people and orphans shoveling coal into boilers in the basement!

"Why are they shoveling coal into furnaces to create ice?"

It doesnt matter....

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Bingo

To me I guess it's a matter of convenience, and paying a bit more for it.

We've all been to the Dome and literally had to contemplate giving up an entire intermission for a bathroom break. Or looking for the red light at the penalty box signaling a commercial break and sprinting.

Is that worth double the ticket price?

Not for me.

But it's worth something.

Such a difference in newer arenas with food/bathrooms on multiple levels instead of essentially just one.

Over the years I have been in a whole lot of NFL, college, NBA, and NHL stadiums/arenas and while some are nicer than others, I wouldn't pay extra for the "fan experience" in one over the other. What is memorable is the game itself and the view from where we were sitting.

But the bathroom thing is kind of a big deal. Even more so if you're a STH.

[Redlan]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

Is your contention that any corporation willing to throw a few charity dollars around for tax writeoffs and public goodwill should be allowed to fund for profit projects with public dollars?

I'd love to leverage my modest personal charitable donations into 10000x value invested into my business by taxpayers. Maybe I will move back to Alberta after all!

The OP that I quoted insinuated that billionaires are fueled by greed and taking your money is all they are good at...they then gave me instances where that is not the case, funny thing is the instance they gave the person gave away money that someone else actually made...kind of confusing actually, maybe it was hyperbole and I missed it in the post. I am saying there are billionaires that are generous and do care about the community and the cities that they live and for some reason the narrative that the Flames ownership is in it to strictly to make money and screw the city of Calgary is false, they made their money in other business ventures. The fact that the Flames owners are millionaires and billionaires is mutual exclusive of the funding formula for the event center.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Redlan

The OP that I quoted insinuated that billionaires are fueled by greed and taking your money is all they are good at...they then gave me instances where that is not the case, funny thing is the instance they gave the person gave away money that someone else actually made...kind of confusing actually, maybe it was hyperbole and I missed it in the post. I am saying there are billionaires that are generous and do care about the community and the cities that they live and for some reason the narrative that the Flames ownership is in it to strictly to make money and screw the city of Calgary is false, they made their money in other business ventures. The fact that the Flames owners are millionaires and billionaires is mutual exclusive of the funding formula for the event center.

The point, yet unrefuted, is that those selfsame billionaires refuse to finance the entire thing themselves, which they can well afford, but want to suck up OPM (their usual model), in this case from us poor schlubs who will not only derive little benefit from it, but have to pay more to even use the sucker.

Greed and generosity CAN live in the same person; they're not mutually exclusive. But a LOT of "generosity" is about winning "acceptance", too.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Having been to the new Edmonton arena, I can confidently say that the improved experience of the fringes around whatever event you’re attending (a concert is a concert and a hockey game is a hockey game, regardless of the age of the arena) is definitely not worth the increased cost and overall financial commitment.

If you’re paying $200 a ticket to check out the bathrooms at the RATM show, good for you I guess, but I think everyone else who views the periphery as an insignificant part of the overall experience is not going to feel much benefit. From the fan side at least. Definitely has a lot of benefits for people working in the building and owners.

The sound at the dome is absolutely terrible for bands that play real shows with real instruments. For years I thought my favorite bands sucked live until I started having to go to Edmonton for shows.

Also, the dome won't just last forever...pay for some now or all later. We are saving money.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Over the years I have been in a whole lot of NFL, college, NBA, and NHL stadiums/arenas and while some are nicer than others, I wouldn't pay extra for the "fan experience" in one over the other. What is memorable is the game itself and the view from where we were sitting.

But the bathroom thing is kind of a big deal. Even more so if you're a STH.

I’ve been to games in Florida and Denver and the arenas are definitely way better as well as way more convenient in terms of facilities, getting food ect.

Also went to the Mullett in Pheonix this year. It’s almost better than the dome.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by btimbit

"Anti-Climate Pledge Arena"

"If Global Warming is Real, Why is it Cold in Here Centre"