The Blue Team and BMO Field?

[oski-oui-oui]

Argos interested in BMO move?

September 11, 2007

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By Perry Lefko, Sportsnet.ca

"The owners of the Argonauts are committed to remain custodians of the team for a long period of time.

But Sportsnet.ca has learned Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon have begun initial research into possibly moving the team from the Rogers Centre to the newly-built BMO Field, if it could be retrofitted for football and expanded beyond the initial stadium size of 25,000 seats.

"We're here for the long haul," Cynamon told the media on Tuesday to diffuse rumours he and Sokolowski are looking to sell the team, which they bought after the 2003 season. "We made that clear from day one. We're in our fourth season. We have accomplished a lot with this team, but not everything. We enjoy operating and owning this team and we have absolutely no plans to depart our current situation whatsover.

"That's why I laugh at those rumours," Cynamon added. "Find me one person that we've had any discussions with and I'll admit it. It just doesn't exist. We don't even discuss it."

The Argo ownership reportedly has an option to play host to the Grey Cup in the next four years and sources suggest the target year is 2012. The Argos play host to the game this year for the first time in 15 years and it's expected to be a sellout that will reap a profit of $4 million to $5 million."

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[url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/article.jsp?content=20070911_173611_4792]http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/ar ... 73611_4792[/url]

It will be quite the retrofit if they can pull it off. It would require one stand being moved at least and additional boxes, I would imagine.

Stephen Brunt wrote about the problem in a December 7 article in The Globe and Mail:

"To that end, here's a fact that some might find surprising. They won't be able to play Canadian football in the new park.

The stands at the south end, built on permanent foundations, sit right in the middle of where the end zone would be. Length-wise, the field simply won't fit."

http://tinyurl.com/2juxud

It would be nice for the governments to also get involved in deeper talks with the Cats regarding their stadium situation in the medium-to-long term, but I digress.

Oski Wee Wee,

[Dust]

I doubt it happens since the Argo's were a big part of the initial plans for the stadium and then proceeded to bail out at the last minute leaving the stadium in jeopardy.

[oski-oui-oui]

@"Dust"

I doubt it happens since the Argo's were a big part of the initial plans for the stadium and then proceeded to bail out at the last minute leaving the stadium in jeopardy.

Well, an additional tenant IS a tenant. If the Blue Team can leverage stadium upgrades that allow for other football-related events -- future Vanier Cups, local football championships for example -- it will add to the economics of the place.

Oski Wee Wee,

[Dust]

@"oski-oui-oui"

@"Dust"

I doubt it happens since the Argo's were a big part of the initial plans for the stadium and then proceeded to bail out at the last minute leaving the stadium in jeopardy.

Well, an additional tenant IS a tenant. If the Blue Team can leverage stadium upgrades that allow for other football-related events -- future Vanier Cups, local football championships for example -- it will add to the economics of the place.

Oski Wee Wee,

I think it would be a much much better venue and atmosphere, it just always creeps into my mind that perhaps the owners of BMO ( MLSE? ) are slightly angry at the Argo's still.

[Vinsanity]

I thnk I saw a similar rummor on the Toronto FC fan forum. Basically, the stadium is "soccer-specific" and can't easily (if at all) be transformed to fit Canadian football.

I've gone to see a soccer game there, and the atmosphere was great, the fans are right ontop of the field of play... hey wait a minute, could they have tried to borrow that idea from IWS??

[bulldog57]

it can't fit a cfl feild

[rocket25]

i doubt it happens, first of all they would spend millions to move otu that beer garden and east/west walls to make room for the cfl size endzones, and they are already complaining about the field turf, so i dont think they would cfl football there, it seems to me wanna limit the use only to toronto fc, and national team games, also its just a mess in exhibition, they dont want any more traffic.

Anyways, the Argos Owners need to put their money where the mouth is and stop pretending to be so flashy, these guys try to piggyback for stadiums at u of t, york, and now bmo, these guys need to pipe down and put down money and land for their own stadium, im sick of these guys

[amesk]

@"rocket25"

i doubt it happens, first of all they would spend millions to move otu that beer garden and east/west walls to make room for the cfl size endzones, and they are already complaining about the field turf, so i dont think they would cfl football there, it seems to me wanna limit the use only to toronto fc, and national team games, also its just a mess in exhibition, they dont want any more traffic.

Anyways, the Argos Owners need to put their money where the mouth is and stop pretending to be so flashy, these guys try to piggyback for stadiums at u of t, york, and now bmo, these guys need to pipe down and put down money and land for their own stadium, im sick of these guys

BMO Field is a cheap aluminum blight on the landscape. The Dome, however, is a over-priced, concrete blight on the landscape. Pick your poison, but remember if the argos do move to BMO field, which will never happen, imagine all the argo fans stomping on those aluminum stands! The first word that comes to mind is 'obnoxious'. Besides, the TOFC will fold in a couple of years and that stadium will be home to nothing more important than important than local Junior soccer leagues. I don't care if the argos play on a high school Football field, lets just beat them for a change.

Regards, Ken