Ok, when I get home from work I often turn on Prime Time Sports on Rogers Sportsnet and listen to what the boys have to say and who they interview. So last night was no different, got home, opened a brew and turned on the TV. And there was Bob and Stephen talking about next years Grey Cup in Toronto and how it can be successful. Anyways, and I have the utmost respect for these guys, both are very articulate, well read, intelligent and have a nice touch of humour about them. But then they go on and on about how Toronto isn't Regina and how things like pancake breakfasts aren't going to work in Toronto and how it is going to be so difficult to make the Grey Cup work in Toronto. And Bob says he is on a 60 member Grey Cup board that is in charge of organizing the events. But in the end, they had sullen faces and just weren't sure it could work. Well, wow, I was flabbergasted that these guys, as bright as they are, seemed to be really stumped as to how to make the Grey Cup something "world class" enough for Toronto to buy in.
Here's my two cents worth of advice Bob and Stephen. Why don't you simply go to the website below, the schedule of events for Super Bowl 2007 in Miami, and use this as a template for what to do next year in Toronto. It should work, adjusting a few things of course. For example you will see that there is a Billfish Tournament, not sure what that is, maybe something to do with fishing. So substitute that with a hockey tournament. Then I noticed the Super Bowl organizers have a Super Bowl Breakfast. Ok, have a Grey Cup Breakfast, just don't use the word pancake then, sounds easy enough. And finally I noticed a Volleypalooza something or other. Probably has to do with a volleyball tournament. If Toronto is too sophisticated for such an event, maybe have a Pokerooza tournament, maybe this will work there. And they do have some wine and cheese events, this will work in Toronto for sure. Here's the website fellows, go to it, I have faith that a 60 member committee can make it work with a little stealing from our neighbours to the south:
Is Toronto really that full of themselves that they're "above" such piddly things as pancake breakfasts????? They're still people, right? They still eat, right?
It's too bad there hasn't been a Super Bowl in New York in my recent memory, I'm sure they'd be able to follow NY's lead for events of the week. Besides, isn't the Vanier in TO that same weekend? What about all those poor university kids that will be in town spending all their hard earned money on booze? Don't they need a couple free pancake breakfasts to get through the week?
Ssssh there monkey, be careful, the word pancake will insult Bob and Stephen and maybe a few others, they are sensitive to such, how shall I say, out-in-the-sticks hick type words. But I'm sure billyfish will be quite ok for them. :lol:
You know what, in 1999 Vancouver was really bad like that. In 2005 while not quite up to speed as the Prairee hosts, Vancouver took a big step forward and probably did one of the better job of hosting Grey Cup events (Including pancake breaksfasts). It was a big improvement over previous years. Toronto just has to get the right people organizing it. Thats all.
Maybe we should call them flapjacks instead? That's less "hick-ish", isn't it?
Stephen Brunt is on the morning sports show here on Mondays and Fridays I think, he doesn't sound overly pretentious (sp?) while he's on that show...... but maybe I'm not listening for it.
Anyway, I have been to two Vancouver Cups--1990, and last year.
First, Vancouver is always a lot of fun, so entertaining oneself isn't that difficult.
But the Grey Cup festivities themselves were night and day. So it is indeed possible to market the Grey Cup in a big city.
Of course Toronto is Toronto.
They are a little uptight and a little full of themselves, and compared to Vancouver a little too buttoned down.
But there is no reason why the Grey Cup can't be a huge success in Toronto.
But I like the "let's steal from the Superbowl" concept.
In fact, let's get really sneaky.
Let's just tell the Torontonians it IS the Superbowl.
Then it will easily sellout, likely at double the price, the Superbowl Pancake Breakfast will be the hottest ticket in town, and Torontonians will rave for years about the best football game they ever saw and how "worldclass" they are.
Arius, good idea, instead of the Rogers Grey Cup, the Superbowl Grey Cup, should work, good idea.
Argos_Bills, well I guess if anyone knew what is irrelevant or not, it would have to be you, I’m sure you are called this all the time eh there bud. You are the master of irrelvancy, or perhaps more precisely, the perfect example of it. :lol: ah but we love ya, keep on posting, I enjoy your take on things. :lol:
Bob Macown and Stephen Brunt are both jokes. These guys are big baseball fans. They can talk baseball for hours on that show. But when it comes to hockey, or the CFL, its always in the negative. They symbolize the problem with the Canadian sports media. Too many bloody baseball fans.
And why are they always talking baseball? Because ol' Teddy Rogers is making sure that the Bob McCowans and Stephen Brunts of this world are, how do I say, taken care of with lots and lots of perks, that's how the business works from what I've been told, sort of like politics.
Something to consider about Toronto and its attitude towards the CFL, is that it is a Leaf town, right?
Despite that, you can find "fans" and I do use the term loosely, that think that NHL hockey isn't quite up to Toronto's image as a "world class" city either.
After all, hockey isn't really a major league sport. Not like NFL football....
Those guys are rare, but growing in numbers....
You lost me there Arius. I agree with most things you write. But hockey not a major league sport? If we're talking Canada, hockey, and the CFL are our major league sport. Baseball, basketball and the NFL aren't. I mean how can they be when we barely have any teams in thoses leagues? Hockey is also more a world sport. American football isn't. LIke, name me the last American football gold medalist at the Olympics? So the Americans don't consider hockey major league? I mean they think baseball is exciting. What does that tell you?
I would say that is a little far fetchted. T.O. is leaf crazy. The ONLY ppl who don’t like the leafs here are people (like me) who have moved from other parts of Canada and brought their hometown alliegances with them. Even newly landed immagrants in my part of downtown learn quick to like the leafs. Every game sold out, no other sports on the local pub TVs at all when the leafs are playing (even if the raptors are playing that night also). It’s very blue here.
Everyone understands the meaning of the word rare, correct?
The point I was making, is that for some people, it isn't about entertainment, it is about image/perception.
The NHL is after NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, College sports,and horse racing in America. I might be forgetting some.
To some, and I repeat they are rare, it becomes a case of, if it isn't good enough for the Americans, then somehow it is second rate. That doesn't even mean they are not Leaf fans, they just believe that until they get an NFL franchise and get rid of the CFL, the city will never be seen as the "great" sportstown and "worldclass" city that they want/think it is. Hockey might be fun to watch, but it doesn't get you "worldclass" recognition. I think by that we can use the American definition of "worldclass".
Well then Arius why don't you explain to me what the old adhege here that Toronto "isn't a sports town, it's a Leaf town" means? It's not rare, its next to non-existant. Have you been to Toronto?
