Why only “non CFL fans” would have a fit? I don’t think that governments (we taxpayers) should be funding sports teams and I’m a CFL fan.
Most CFL teams have survived with no taxpayers help.
Wasn’t the ACC built without any public money?
I’m pretty sure that TFC announced that they were switching to a Hybrid Turf (Desoto GrassMaster) even before it was announced that the Argonauts were moving in.
That’s fair but I still wouldn’t have a problem with it. Of course, I am not being objective.
Yup. ACC was built without government money. :thup:
Well, sort of, all the corporate money of MLSE and corporate friends I would say and the tax breaks they may get and received over the years could be interpreted as some gov't money involved. 
That’s nit-picking, my friend. In this world of government handouts, we have to give credit where credit is due. :lol:
True enough, the corporate sponsors for the Leafs are like no other in Canada that I will admit. Does Rogers and the Blue Jays compete with that? I don't know to be honest. We know most corporate head offices for Canadian/American companies with sites in Canada work out of Toronto but what do they like most, the Leafs, Jays etc.?
We know the Argos aren't in that mix because only us as special Canadians understand their mystique and uniqueness.
My guess right now, the Blue Jays out-compete the Leafs but MLSE makes money off the Leafs in the worst of times. Even in the best of times is Rogers making money, finally, off the Jays? I have my doubts. The mainstream media will never go into this conversation though, mark my words, way too scared of this one.
:thup:
No question about it, no overpaid bums/athletes.
Great to have a grass field back in the CFL :rockin:
I wonder if rogers will ever admit to why they wanted the Argonauts out ?
Or even admit as to why they didn't want to become involved with the Argonauts current ownership group and why they slowed down the whole sale process by making it hard for TanenBELL to secure a lease agreement for BMO.
I doubt we'll ever find out from them, but I think we all know why.
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Rogers wants to bring in the NFL, then I think it's time they lost their government protection and we get more media provider competition with Verizon. Only fair.
Blue Jays planning to install dirt infield for 2016
Mackenzie Liddell Sportsnet.ca December 20, 2015
It appears the Toronto Blue Jays are moving forward with their plan to install a dirt infield at Rogers Centre in time for the 2016 season.
When responding to a tweet about the installation of a dirt infield on Saturday, Blue Jays vice-president of business operations Steven Brooks said the plan is to start in February. John Lott of the National Post confirmed the planned start date with a source in a report on Saturday.
Brooks has previously stated that installing a dirt infield was a possibility for 2016, and team president Mark Shapiro had a similar response when speaking to reporters on Thursday. The Blue Jays have dirt cutouts around the bases and pitcher’s mound but remain the only team in MLB without dirt basepaths.
The installation of a dirt infield is just one of many renovations the team is planning for Rogers Centre in the upcoming years.
Shapiro said Thursday the team is working on a “comprehensive plan? of building needs, which includes retrofitting the Rogers Centre with a natural grass playing surface, fortifying the dome’s concrete and updating the scoreboard, among other items.
NFL ain't coming to Canada for a long, long time, so I'm not sure I buy that answer anymore.
Rogers certainly did invoke the thinly veiled ruse that the Argos were served an eviction notice because they were to install grass at the RC.
that was the “official” reason given to the public and the team a couple years ago.
and yet coincidentally, once the Argos were out of the equation so was the natural grass.
The fact that Rogers signed two 5 year deals with the Bills to play in Toronto, attempted the purchase of an NFL team, and dismissed any and all opportunities to be a CFL partner, broadcaster, Argos shareholder or even club sponsor says it all.
If I recall, they got a piece of prime downtown, GoC real estate on some sort of sweet deal (99 yr lease for $1.00??). A several million dollar “contribution”.
Yup, tangle says it all. Only thing I would add is that Rogers tried to dance the dance with NFL along with pretending to sort of like the CFL with keeping the Argos in RC but they screwed up with the logistics/ratio on this as evident with the disaster more or less with the Bills-in-Toronto experiment and then not knowing what to do with the Argos ie keeping them in the RC or out of the RC and talking about grass with this with the Blue Jays. In the end their dancing failed for the NFL thing in Toronto for the RC and the rest is history. Rogers was just confused in the end and couldn't get the Bills when they were up for sale and then the NFL really realized Rogers was too messed up with a stadium like the RC that was mainly all about baseball and the Jays and the NFL and Bills wanted out of there asap unless Rogers could put up insane money for the Bills. Which they couldn't/didn't.
Bell and Larry Tanenbaum now control football in Toronto, CFL, Argos and potentially NFL down the road if that opportunity presents itself. Rogers - out unless they come in with some solid big-time money but Bell and LT will make sure Rogers is only a minor partner.
We only have Rogers to thank for that. The Bills relocation to Toronto was a foregone conclusion at one time, a mere formality once Ralph Wilson past on. Rogers waited and waited, then finally when the big day arrived to show them the money, the Toronto bid was so low it was rejected outright. Rogers group was requested to either submit a higher opening bid (reportedly in the 800M's with the C near par) or withdraw from the process. Rogers came up with more cash (after 'sis gave the go ahead) but were quickly overbid in the next round. The end. No team. No stadium. No hope.
At least Tannenbaum saw the light and bought the Argos instead, which is North America’s oldest football franchise (using the same name, sorry Hamilton) right here in Toronto!
Rogers was left with only sour grapes and decided to take their stadium and go home. Now they’ll miss out on the annual $1M Argo stadium rental (plus concessions) and now the 2016 Grey Cup. Nothing like advertising your products to 10 million Canadians! Ptewwy…instead the sound of backhoe’s will be heard in Skydome, burying the hated Argos banners deep under the baselines with real dirt!
At one point Rogers was interested in the CFL televisions rights, that changed obviously, but I don’t think it’s about the NFL or the NFL coming to Toronto anymore. More so because of their falters with the NFL and the competition the CFL presents against the Jays. I could be wrong though, but the way I see, it would make more sense for Rogers to own the Argonauts and make them a success to show the NFL that football works in Toronto. I’ve heard far too often that “the NFL wouldn’t do anything that would negatively impact the Argos or CFL”, yet I’ve never read nor heard anyone from the NFL confirming this, just Canadian media bringing this up.
Ed (Ted’s son) and the Rogers Family don’t have the money to buy it themselves (most of their money is tied up into the company) and companies are not allowed to be majority shareholders in the NFL. While there’s little doubt that Rogers would love for the NFL to come, it should also be noted that only a couple of days after the Argonauts sale announcement Larry Tanenbaum was asked about the NFL and he stated that he still felt the NFL would come to Toronto. It should also be noted that it was Tanenbaum, who got Rogers and Wilson together. Tanenbaum has wanted to own the Argonauts for quite some time, it wasn’t one or the other time of deal, the NFL negotiations just pushed the Argonauts sale on the back burner, but Tannbaum has tried to bring the Argonauts into MLSE at least on four separate occasions.
Another thing to keep in mind, is Rogers still owns 37.5% of MLSE and will receive some money with the Argonauts playing out of BMO Field.