The laughing stock owner of the NHL's maybe worst team has declared that the CFL is a dying league, and even more startingly has given it only 25 years before it miraculously disappears from this planet.
How this rocket scientist came up with the 25 year figure is anybodys guess. Maybe he coincides it with the next time his failure of a hockey team makes the playoffs?
But whats with these idiots like Melnyk, and Phil Lind, spouting these idiocies with actually no facts to back them up? And whats with the media printing what these morons spout like its actual fact?
Because here is the actual facts. The CFL averaged almost 30,000 fans per game this year. TV ratings on TSN averaged almost 400,000 viewers per game, with blackout games included. The playoffs on TSN averaged in the one million range. The Grey Cup drew almost 4 million viewers.
Compare that to Toronto FC. They drew a whopping 50,000 viewers nationally on CBC for each of their games. When the CFL was on CBC, they averaged close to 500,000 viewers for each game.
Here's the facts. Yet Melnyk spouts the exact opposite, and some actually beleive him? No wonder his hockey team is going down the drain. And if Ottawa picks soccer over the CFL, they'll have nothing within five years when this soccer team kicks the bucket. It'd look good on a guy like Melnyk.
And Ottawa will be stuck with an empty soccer only stadium that will be used by 8 year olds. And it only cost them 80 million to build it! While the CFL flourishes in new expansion cities of Quebec and Moncton. And we once and for all tell Ottawa where to stick it.
“If I was willing to make my bet – and I'm making a $50-million bet myself personally on this – what will be around 25 years from now?? Melnyk was quoted as saying in an Ottawa newspaper. “Will it be soccer or will it be CFL football? I'll lay my money on soccer. It is the sport of the world, and it is just a question of time of when it would reach our shores.?
Hey, soccer will be around somewhere in 25 years Mr. Melnyk, no question I agree. But will the MLS? That you didn't address. And in 25 years from now, I'll bet gridiron football is still the most popular football in North America from a spectator perspective. I'd bet my bottom dollar.
Of course his comments are absurd and complete lunacy on his part. But as mentionned his ignorance, for an intelligent fan will not be a detriment to Hunt’s CFL team at all. If anything it shows complete desperateness on his part.
On a realated note his hokcey team is the biggest joke in the NHL. Do they ever blow, and what’s worse is they don’t seem to realize that Bryan Murray is the problem, not the coaches or Ray Emery.
Well considering the other 3 pro soccer leagues before it averaged about five years a piece without facing competition from another league. If Melnyk has enough money to gamble 50 million of his money on an MLS franchise fee. Why is he asking us for 56 million dollars? Go ahead Melnyk build it and they shall come LOL! But please stop trying to kiss and f... me at the same time.
Is anyone else fed up with these bullshi....asking for public money? Banks, Car companies, Insurance companies, who's next? If we pay 56 million for a stadium and we own it. We should decide who can be tennants and in my books two tennants are better then one.
Jeff Hunt is a bigger man that I am. He’s remained classy throughout this whole thing and has resisted the temptation to take any shots back. I don’t know how he does it.
You guys have no reason to take my word for it, but…Hunt is the real deal. These guys crap money and Hunt nearly doubled the 67’s attendance since taking over despite the addition of the Senators to the sports scene. I know many of you have heard it all before but as an ownership group, this is what many of us here have been crying for for three decades. If at some point along the line it gets blown up, I’m as done as any and all of you. I’ll stick to the U. of O. and junior ball and leave you guys alone.
I live about a hour from ottawa and go to about 3 games a year. It is not much, but if melynk ruins this for the CFL ,I will never go back to another game and I hope others follow suit.
When you consider that there's a couple players on each team in the CFL that have been in the league longer than MLS has existed, I think you'd be a fool to not take Melnyk's bet. MLS played their first season in 1996.
Eugene Melynk is right about the CFL running out of time but it will around twenty five years from now even thirty betond that I can see the CFL folding unless they grow a set of balls to expand beyond Ottawa they are on borrowed time.
I don’t think that really matters considering the league currently is in better shape with 8 teams than it was with 9 teams. More teams does not equal better, just look at all the sketchy teams in the NHL that are struggling financially. You expand IF it makes sense financially for the league and the franchise, any other reason you’re just asking for trouble.
I don't think Melynk has a clue. He's spouting idiocies without any fact to back up his claims just to make his soccer bid look better. But he won't dare bring up TV ratings or attendance to prove his lame point. Because he knows it would make his statements look even more idiotic.
And the CFL doesn't have to expand to survive, but in my opinion if it wants to grow and flourish, it has to go coast to coast and to new growing cities in this country. Quebec, Halifax and Moncton are obvious. But then there's London, a goldmine, maybe Windor-Detroit, KW area, and what abotu Saskatoon out west?
The guy who compared expansion CFL franchises to problems the NHL has? Well if the NHL would have expanded to hockey markets in CAnada, it would be thriving. The CFL would be expanding to other Canadian ciites. Not to places where the game isn't known. IF the CFL expanded to 12 teams, you'd see the league explode in popularity.
