Cohon Already Talking TD Atlantic 2

CFL Talk
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Hamilton vs Calgary next year?

That’s the plan.

CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, according to two highly-placed CFL sources, is expected to ask Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young to give up a home game to make possible a Touchdown Atlantic II next year.

And it’s expected the team targeted to provide Western Conference opposition would be the Calgary Stampeders.

At what is expected to become his annual state of the Atlantic Canada expansion team press conference, Cohon admitted the intention is very much for there to be several editions of the game the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argos will play here Sunday.

“Our goal is to bring this back for many years,? said the commissioner of developing the connection to the fans in the Maritimes to the point where a suitable stadium will be built and ownership will be inspired to seek a 10th CFL franchise after Ottawa is back up and running again to create a true coast-to-coast league.

Cohon said they’ve called a time out on that for a few days while New Brunswick holds an election.

“In the next 60 days we hope to be able to announce we’ll bring this back,? he said of having the funding from three levels of government to make it happen similar to the roughly $750,000 put together for the game this year.

Cohon said he knew the No. 1 question at his press conference would be what the success of this event means for the future of a franchise in the area.

“I think it has a bright future,? he said. “I think this is a very viable market for us.?

He said just since the league announced it was coming here for the game the TV numbers are up 13% in the region.

And he pronounced Moncton as “having a leg up? on Halifax because of the success here in holding a mini Grey Cup with successful minor football events every night and a game that sold out in 32 hours.

He wouldn’t deny that Hamilton would likely be his first call to be the home team for the next one, the league buying out a Tiger-Cat home game to make it possible.

“We would be in conversation with several different teams but they would be in the running,? was how he chose to phrase it.

It’s believed the very visible presence of Calgary’s Grey Cup group to be part of this party without having the Stampeders in the game would result in the Stampeders getting the first option to be the “visiting team? in the game.

“We’d definitely like to keep the East-West format,? he said.

He also said it would be wonderful if they could have all eight teams play a game here as the league uses the game to create the desire to inspire a franchise.

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Interesting, if they continue to do this in consecutive years and plan to showcase all eight teams, the next match-ups would be BC-Winnipeg and Saskatchewan-Montreal (Can't be Sask-Win because of Labour day/Banjo Bowl). The league would have to pay a lot of money to buy out a Saskatchewan or Montreal home game!

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It seems to me that it would make more sense to buy out a Mtl game because of proximity to the “home” team and by the fact that it is a smaller stadium that would be displaced, but what do I know …

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I think some teams cannot give up a home game.

far as I'm concerned, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan should never give up a home game.

can you imagine the uproar in Regina if they were told they only had 8 home games that season?

they'd lose it! there would a manhunt on for Cohen!

the Fans in Saskatchewan would never stand for it!

same in Edmonton or Calgary.

do this for the weak teams in the east (aka Toronto, Hamilton) they don't really care all that much so it wouldn't do much difference whether they had 8 or 9 home games.

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Toronto yes. They may have even done better finicially than if they had played at the Skydome, but don’t kid yourself Hamilton and Montreal would not be happy to lose a home date.

I think they have to do a TD Atlantic 2 to make up for the lack of a football game for TD Atlantic 1.

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I can see als fans being pretty pissed off about only 8 home dates.

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Now I have a question of concern in regards to the Moncton stadium which is what part of it is permanent?
Now we all know that the side that is made out of concrete with the private rooms and media rooms is permanent but what else is permanent because they web sites state that Moncton stadium has 10 000 permanent seats which to me is not even close to what they actually have. The side that is made out of concrete with the luxery boxes only seats about 2000-2500 give or take.
So can someone help me here.
Thanks.

And in regards to a second regular season game there, I am all for it. The people of Moncton really showed support for two teams that were not even theirs which is awesome. They shown me that they can support a team if they expanded there stadium.

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I’ve been told when posting about the stadium before, that the other sideline grandstand is permanent as well. Although obviously it would need to have its innards upgraded to a solid concrete construction to ever accomodate the top deck/boxes needed for expansion down the road.

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It would be 1 home game every 8 years that would be lost, assuming the format keeps going forward. I think every team outside of the Argo’s this year would be upset at losing a home game. I think the Argo’s probably made more money in Moncton than they would in Skydome.

It would definitely be disappointing to lose a home game, but we’re talking 1 game every 8 years, it’s not that big of a deal and it’s for the betterment of the league.

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I happened to find myself out east for this weekend in PEI and watched the game everybody here was LOVIN it so much support in Atlantic Canada!!!!

I was so happy to watch on TV, couldnt imagine being there I wish!!!

Go Mark, keep doing what your doing!!

CFL, keeps getting bigger and better, amazing.