So as most of you probably know, the Aspers are making a bid to gain private ownership over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I was wondering what you guys believe the team should do?
aslong as the deal would get them a NEW ( not renovated ) stadium within 2 years, i say GO FOR IT!
Tough one, I'll defer since I don't know enough about the situation there.
I think if the Aspers want to pump money in, that will be good news for the Bombers.
....I'd say go for it, the Aspers are filthy rich and maybe it'll get the team going well....word of caution though, eventually a private owner gets out, will there be someone there to buy it afterwards?....depends on how the team is doing I guess but it is a risk, at least with a community owned team that risk is diminished....
....there was a question raised some time ago that I didn't see the answer for: If Asper buys the BBs for, say, 5 mil or so, where does that money actually go?...as in, who benefits from the profit?....
Papazoola and Piggy can retire to the Bahamas with the Asper money :lol: :lol: ....Aren't they major share holders? 
Having lived through the Stampeder journay from community owned club to privately owned club, I would adamently oppose such a move. Sice moving to private ownership the Stamps have faced bancrupcy 2 or 3 tmes, fortunately they have survived and have finally sound a solid group of owners, keep your fingers crossed. Privately owned teams usually don't get as involved in the community(this version of the Stamps is an exception).
When the Aspers get tired of their new toy (just like 3 wowners in Calgary have done and countless owners in other cities), what next.
I hope and pray Winnipeg resists the lure of greed and stays community owned.
the thing is tho, Asper is a Diehard bomber fan with deep pockets...i can't see him getting bored like a Glieberman would.
stay community owned unless the perfect buyer with a perfect plan comes along....
which may or may not be the case with Asper....but if his proposal is ever made public, then we'll know.
Question: is he well respected in the Winnipeg and Manitoba community apart from him being very wealthy?
Yes...apparently he's already bailed the bombers out of financial ruin a few times, and served on their grey cup board...so the guy is already involved with the team and trusted by the team.
...wonder if the league will require Asper to provide a walk-away bond?....
Hey red and white, this is a stadium thread about winnipeg, it does not belong here in the CFL forum according to your standards,lol
yes it does, as it realates to the CFL....stop acting like your 12.
a mod isn't a villian for putting threads in the sections they're supposed to be in from the start.
Expansion, marketing, stadiums , ect all pertain to this forum.
Sorry drummer, I have a sence of humour, but I was not the one that started making jokes about it.
Dont worry, I wont mention it again. LOL
The Aspers rule!!!
Seriously, the Aspers have always been charitable family.
In addition to helping out the Bombers, they have also played a huge part in many other projects throughout Manitoba.
If anyone can make the Bombers successful, its the blue bombers.
I will put my spin on it. This maybe the last kick at the can for the Aspers. Who in the past have bailed this team out. But I think if this does not happen there will be no further help coming from the Aspers. It is a must for them to make this deal. Once the GC money runs out then what?
Just like Frank D'Angelo, the CFL should be happy to attract wealthy Canadians who want to become involved with this "looney toones" run like league.
....Seeing as the Aspers have been Winnipeg Blue Bomber backers and foremost Winnipegers'...i would say this is the way to go....Privitization (with a few strings and gurantees attached) would be a GREAT STRIDE INTO THE FUTURE....I would like to see the whole proposal before signing the final agreement for the take-over....but the out-line of the deal sounds good at this time.... 
[url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2007/01/13/3342290-sun.html]http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/ ... 0-sun.html[/url]
David Asper has quite a sell job on his hands, and it begins tomorrow.
The executive vice-president of CanWest Global Communications will meet tomorrow with the full board of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to present his vision for the future of the club, the Sun has learned.
It's a vision that includes Asper taking over part, or all, of the CFL franchise, which has been community-owned for 76 years.
A former Bomber board chairman himself, Asper's proposal is expected to include an offer to contribute toward the construction of a new, partially covered stadium at the Polo Park site.
This will be the 11-person board's first look at the proposal, which Asper initially floated last May.
The stadium plan will be enticing. Asper will propose a 28,000- to 30,000-seat facility, complete with private luxury suites, indoor washrooms and concessions and covered seating areas, but a field open to the elements.
The estimated cost of the stadium: $100-$120 million, some of which would likely be public funds.
The Bombers desperately need the new facility to increase revenue.
But Asper faces a tough sell in convincing board members to privatize the team.
"At this point, the board is still committed to public ownership," chairman Ken Hildahl told the Sun in a recent interview. "But we've got to keep an open mind."
At this point, Asper's proposal is the only one on the table.
But the Bombers are preparing to put out a formal call for others, including proposals for commercial development on the existing stadium site, which the team controls.
Hildahl has previously said the ownership of the team may not even be on the table when all is said and done.
He also made it clear where he stands, personally, on the issue.
"I'm a die-hard Winnipeg Football Club fan who loves the tradition of public ownership," he said. "I also want to make sure whatever we decide on, there's football for my kids and grandkids.
"My preference, no question, is public ownership. But there may be a different model here that benefits the team."
Reached yesterday, Hildahl says Asper's proposal will be taken "under advisement." Previously, he's said he'd like a decision on the issue within six to 10 months.
He also promised, in an interview last week, not to make a back-room deal without input from the team's fan base.
"There's been a lot of volunteer effort put in over the years," Hildahl said. "We'll hold a fairly extensive consultation with the public and football fans. Just to get their input."
The final decision, though, will come from the board, made up of community leaders and business people, including former player Joe Poplawski and Red River Exhibition boss Paul Robson, a former player and GM.
Asper has long been a supporter of the franchise, through his family-owned media conglomerate. He was Bomber chairman during the club's restructuring six years ago, when it got on the road to financial recovery.
His stint as a board member, though, wasn't without controversy.
CONFRONTATION
During the 2005 season, Asper got into a heated confrontation with then-head coach Jim Daley after a loss to Saskatchewan that effectively ended the team's playoff hopes.
The incident led to Asper's resignation from the board.
This past season, he served as co-chairman of the Grey Cup committee, throwing a media party at his Wellington Crescent mansion to kick off the week.
There's little question Asper has deep enough pockets to run a team in the CFL.
What kind of owner would he make?
Bomber board members will begin mulling that over tomorrow.