The feeble argument that the Argos need a new stadium is completely misguided. There's nothing wrong with the Dome. In fact, the Argos have the best stadium in the CFL. Unfortunately, they also have the worst fans in the league to go along with it.
You couldn't get a more ideal location - - right in the heart of downtown, easy access by transit and unlimited parking available. In terms of amenities, if you've ever been to the other seven CFL stadiums you'd understand there's no comparison to what the Dome offers.
An outdoor stadium will do absolutely ZERO to help the Argos attendance figures and the overall game day atmosphere. If anything, there would be FEWER people in the stands. You're living in a dream world if you think Toronto fans are going to sit outside in the rain, snow or cold weather to watch football. I guarantee you, it will not happen.
Ironically, the Dome was built BECAUSE the Argo fans complained so bitterly about having to watch football in bad weather. It culminated with the Rain Bowl, after which Argo fans descended on City Hall staging a protest and demanding a Dome.
They are getting evicted from the RC because Rogers is putting in grass for the Jays. So they need a stadium to play in sooner than later. End of story.
I personally hate going to downtown Toronto, too much traffic, too many people, tacky sports bars and shops etc, CNE where BMO is better much better IMHO. Would love Vaughan though, taking the wife to McMichael before a game and conservation areas, my idea of where a stadium should be.
And I hate the design of the bowl dome especially for football, it's a baseball stadium first and foremost. That's how the seating was designed with the slopes and angles especially in the 100 level. Ex Stadium was so much better IMHO, loved going there for Argo and Jays games. Can't stand the dome and the location. :thdn:
Best thing Rogers did was decide to put grass in the bowl and evict the Argos! :thup:
haha, that's exactly it. The fact they'll get kicked out by 2018... that's far from a feeble argument, that's pretty much the best argument you can have I'd think.
But the dome is ideal.... HAHAHAHAHA. Not even
Maybe the stadium is in a good location, BUT IT"S NOT A GOOD STADIUM FOR FOOTBALL. It's not built for CFL football, viewing angles aren't great, it's over-sized for the Argos(and the Jays), it feels empty even with crowds of 30K
Add in that the Argos don't control the stadium, so they need to play on HORRIBLE dates/times, they have little ability to control their revenues, no naming rights, little if any parking $$, no ability to hold concerts/other events(outside a GC).
The Argos would be better off in a basic Football specific stadium like Hamilton is building then in Rogers center, although ideally they build something between IGF in Winnipeg and what OSEG is building in Ottawa. A 28K seat stadium, loaded with luxury seating(like 2K of the 28K seats), partially covered, that the Argos can control.
Bingo barnes, ideally anyways. BMO with MLSE as an owner, committed owner, would work excellently as well and some might suggest even better than the Argos with an individual owner In their own stadium. MLSE, and Rogers of course, does control much of the media in Toronto so the latter situation might still be problematic.
True. The best option would probably be for the Argos to buy the Skydome and renovate the stands to make them more football friendly. Rogers paid about $25 million, right? Braley should offer him $50 million. They couldn't say no to a 100% profit could they? It would be much cheaper than building their own stadium somewhere else.
And as a backup plan, there's always Tim Horton's Field opening up just down the road. They probably wouldn't mind another tenant.
Skydome is a good place to watch football if you have the right guys running the franchise! It has everything you would want in a stadium that the other cfl teams would dream about having except for some of the seating in the stadium is not the greatest. When c&s owned the team and had Keith pelley running as the CEO of the franchise those were great times to go watch football games at skydome, where they avg 30,000 fans a game covered up the empty seats with Argo banners. But since David "cheapskate"Braley and Chris "numnuts" rudge have taken over it is a terrible place to go watch a football game with no atmosphere at all with no fans in the stadium,you take your seat to watch a game and all you see is nothing but empty blue seats in the building.
How do you know that it’s because of Braley and Rudge? Could be the last few years since they took over, more people think the Bills are coming fulltime to Toronto so forget the Argos. Could simply be a timing issue.
The only thing Rogers has going for it is a roof and location. Everything else is a drag on the franchise.
Rogers as a landlord
Poor schedule
Too big
Poor angles
No ancillary revenues
Dangerous end zones
Terrible management and customer service, security...
The only thing Rogers has going for it is a roof and location. Everything else is a drag on the franchise.
Rogers as a landlord
Poor schedule
Too big
Poor angles
No ancillary revenues
Dangerous end zones
Terrible management and customer service, security...
It's one thing to have a dumb idea, but this is so ridiculous it borders on insanity. Doesn't matter that some pencil pusher calculated that grass will grow in the Dome - - "in theory" and "in reality" are two completely different things. Engineers are notorious for embracing the former and disregarding the latter. The rest of the world will have a good laugh at the expense of the Blue Jays playing on patchy dead grass.
There's going to be a massive expense to get the Dome retrofit before they can even try to install the grass. The current estimate is $250M. PNC Park is universally regarded as the best park in baseball. Cost to build it was just over $200M. Would it have made more sense for the Pirates to drop $250M to try and renovate Three Rivers? Of course not. Natural grass and some fresh paint will never change the overall feel of a 25yr old stadium.
Rogers will likely be smart enough to realize the cost doesn't make sense, and the foolish idea of natural grass will never even get started. But in the event that it does, they're going to realize pretty quickly that the Done still doesn't come close to measuring up to the rest of the MLB parks.
Bottom line - - Rogers will build a new stadium for the Jays and abandon the Done. The Argos aren't "getting kicked out". It'll be the Jays that leave. And once that happens, the Argos can pick up the Dome for next to nothing.
...I dont' disagree with your point on the Dome's location being ideal for a stadium, or that moving the Argos to a remote location would be a detriment to attendance, but I do disagree with the opinion above, I'd say BC Place is equal too, if not superior, to the Skydome as a sports venue, jsut my two cents worth...
...not to derail the topic either, but with all the new stadiums in place, or soon to be, and the Rider home on the horizon (2017?) it is clear that McMahon Stadium is next on the chopping block for a high orbit lance attack...being in the construction indsutry here, I heard an interesting rumour recently at a cocktail party that Ken King, president of the Flames (majority owners of the Stampeders now) was trying to publically diffuse, but not vigourously: the Flames would build a joint NHL/CFL sports facility on two city blocks north of the current Stampede grounds, with shared administration offices, training facilities, convention/meeting rooms, etc. A downtown urban sports mecca of sorts....could be cool...
When the ARGOS can have their own tails gates , sell beer out side , promote themselves at their own stadium , have a PROPER CFL SCHEDULE and better parking , things will change a lot for the better. While the R.C. is owned by ROGERS and they are playing at the awful , R.C. , they will never make money. PERIOD :thup:
Rogers is booting the Argos out of the Skydome (whether for real grass or not doesn't matter), that's why they have to find a new home. Most likely it will be BMO Field.
I suspect this had more to do with 'papering,' no? It's my understanding that Braley doesn't like to give away tickets to either a) upset existing season ticket holders and/or b) devalue the ticket itself (i.e. give them a freebie or steep discount now and they expect it all the time).
But this whole thread is moot. The Argos are being forced to move, regardless what you or I think of Rogers Centre. For the record, if the Argos could build a 33,000 seat stadium similar to Winnipeg's, install a tailgating area, and provide a stable, winning team for a few years, they will enjoy great crowds in a much improved atmosphere. :thup:
Agreed. Putting grass into Rogers Centre is an expensive, pipe dream that isn't going to workout. Besides, as you pointed out new grass will not solve the issue that the stadium is not baseball specific, but rather has a multipurpose design. The most logical solution would be for the Jays to build their own ballpark and leave Rogers for the Argos where it can be then made more football friendly.
i have no idea if tickets were given away in those days, but there were visibly more people there than now. and the banners made it feel like a smaller stadium than it is, which made the atmosphere better when 30,000 were in the seats.
Cool wrote:
One of the best stadiums in the league.
That's one of the best jokes I've ever heard on this board or anywhere for that matter! :lol:
I would say any new baseball specific stadium for the Jays is a long way off and no Argo owner in their right mind wil ever purchase the Rogers Centre for the Argos to call home. They would have to have about a tonne of loose screws in their head. Even if they got it for free. Well, ok, free might be a decent price but then there still is the problem of taxes to be paid, heat, hydro etc. Free is probably still too expensive for that place.
I disagree, here are my Advantages and Disadvantages of the Dome
Advantages
The roof of the dome prevents cold or rainy weather from ruining the experience.
The Concessions are very expansive
Bathrooms are well done and meet demand
The large size is a boon for the occasional big game the Argos play (typically vs Hamilton or Playoffs)
Rent is apparently low if not free
Access via transit is good being so close to Union and having the Skywalk
Disadvantages
Sightlines are poor, if only evidenced by how certain sections must be sectioned off
Roof of dome prevents cold, wind or rainy weather which can occasionally contribute to experience
Large size is ruins game experience when the Argos play a normal game (Hence "The Morgue" nickname)
Large size encourages fans to buy cheap and "upgrade" their seats
Concession revenue is rumored to be limited, going to Rogers
Access via automobile is awful and parking costs are ludicrous
The Blue Jays and the Bills are clearly prefered tennants for Rogers which causes problems with
Schedualing and picking more lucrative weekend dates
