Glad the government built that stadium in Toronto...

CFL Talk
#1

As the writer asks, couldn't someone have "predicted" this when they pitched hosting the tournament? What a waste of tax dollars...oh wait, unless your MLSE and Paul Godfrey. They killed the Varsity stadium, they killed the potential for CFL to be played in the stadium that tax dollars built and now the tournament that the stadium was supposedly built for needs to be postponed until before or after the Molson Indy and CNE. Jeesus, how about October guys???

By George Gross
Reports from Brazil suggest that Joao Havelange, honorary president of the Federation of International Football Association and former long-time president of FIFA, is quietly working behind the scenes to arrange a postponement of the under-20 World Cup scheduled for six Canadian cities this summer, including Toronto's new BMO Stadium at the CNE.

Havelange apparently is concerned that the July dates conflict with not only the July 8 Toronto Grand Prix, but the Pan American Games scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, as well.

Havelange is worried that most countries would send their most talented young players to the under-20s and use lesser talents for the Pan Ams.

Bruce Thomas, a prominent Toronto lawyer and chairman of the under-20 event, also is concerned, but more specifically with the auto race.

"How can our teams and fans get to the stadium when the CNE's race track with its concrete barriers will make access to the stadium almost impossible?" he said. "It would be better if Mr. Havelange could convince FIFA that the under-20 World Cup should be postponed either to August before the CNE opens, or to September, after the CNE closes."

Couldn't someone in the local organizing committee have raised this issue when the championship was first awarded to Canada and games were scheduled in Toronto? After all, it's not like this is the first time that the Grand Prix has been held in July.

#2

gotta agree, that's pretty stupid.

#3

Well, why would you send your best squad to the PanAms? I mean, the PanAms is for all ages and not under 20 only. I thought FIFA was the governing body of soccer around the world, surely a tournament organized by them would be considered more prestigous. I bet Brazil's still pissed about Canada beating them 3-1 in that U-20 "friendly" game.

#4

No doubt, Brazil should still be pissed off! That was a great game for Canadian soccer! Brazil's WORST team should be able to beat Canada's best ANY game. And, Brazil didn't exactly have their way with us in the other two games. But, maybe Canada isn't that bad! Actually, we've been reasonably successful in the past two U-20 tournaments.

#5

the city of toronto is a joke at hosting sports, im glad toronto never got the olympics, this city is not a sports town, walk around and nobody is talking sports, in fact i cant even understand what people are saying most of the time, there are so many cultures and ethnic groups in toronto, that the last thing they are worried about is some dumb sports stadium, you can create these threads and get angry at politicians and MLSE, but just realize that citizens of the GTA and toronto aren't gonna lose sleep over some CNE stadium, honestly most of these immigrants are more focused on their families and sponsoring relatives, and just trying to put food on the table, a useless stadium isnt gonna cause a riot in toronto, because people have other priorities. People need to stop comparing toronto to American cities, because toronto will be as passionate as your typical american town, just look at amateur sports in toronto, when was the last time you saw collegiate sports coverage on toronto tv?