With just four dates left before the old Ivor Wynne facility is reduced to rubble, the Ticats’ quest for a temporary home field remains both pressing and unresolved. On Thursday, the CFL’s board of governors will gather for its fall session and get an update on what’s happening with the Ticats’ relocation plans.
Originally, it was thought the team would play its home games at nearby McMaster University while a new stadium was built on the Ivor Wynne site. McMaster officials scuttled that possibility in early June over a variety of issues, including increased traffic and noise levels. Since then, there has been next to no communication between the university and Ticats.
The most likely solution at this point in time is that the Ticats play their home games at Western University in London. TD Waterhouse Stadium is home to the Western Mustangs with 8,000 seats and space to add more, and talks between the university and Hamilton team officials are “heating up,? according to sources. The biggest drawback? Hamilton fans would have to drive two hours to London to watch their team play then another two hours to get home.
Ticats president Scott Mitchell declined comment Tuesday on anything to do with the team’s 2013 plans except to say the matter was being dealt with.
Yes you are right, I'm sure that the temp stadium details will coincide with the new stadium announcement.
They need to announce it before the annual season ticket renewals too.
I'm beginning to have the feeling that this won't be the last season in Ivor Wynne. The stadium issue for next year seems to be really unorganized (not surprising based on the unorganized product they are putting on the field this year). I think they'll play one more season at Ivor Wynne and hope that by 2014 they can have a better deal worked out with McMaster and Rogers Centre, and maybe even the stadium in Ottawa will be ready by late 2014.
I live in London and I can tell you that it is an absolutely terrible sports city. The city has a history of little to no support for local sporting events and people here only care about the NFL (split between the Lions and Bills). Also, good look in trying to find any more than an inch squared of CFL coverage in the London Free Press. I think the city could support 2 or 3 Ticats games, but I don't see a full season of 9 working out.
London is like any city though in southern Ontario, or Ontario, or Canada for that matter, they all want to pretend they live in a "major" league city. Case in point, my nieces husband, a total basketball fan, all he talk about is the NBA and going to the ACC for a Raptors game, he could care less about the city he works in and lives in, London in terms of sports and "water cooler" other than I'm sure he'll tell me how his kid is doing in elementary school or high school basketball and "come and see him in the championship". Like I'm going to go and he thinks the CFL is rinky dink, but I'm going to pay to drive from Hamilton to London to see your friggin kid. NO.
But that is southern Ontario, Ontario or some parts of Canada, some of these people think they actually LIVE in an NFL or NBA etc city and only want to, or have the ability to from their limited brain size, identify with this. Very weird but they are who they are. :? And not saying you can't enjoy the other leagues, by all means, but support what you have in your city. This guy never even goes to Mustang basketball games, like it's beneath him. Very sad.
So, when my nephews said Mike, we're going to a Blue Jay game, do you want to come? I said sure as long as you come to Hamilton for a Cat game. They didn't respond. So I said, you, I ain't going with you to a Blue Jay game, that's the way the game works boys. And I don't care if you like me with this response or not, irrelevant, I stand on my own with how the game works. I don't need at all any such "friends".
I will only fully associate with people who can identify with the "majors" and as well leagues like the CFL and amateur leagues likes the CIS or OHL.
You seriously told your friend to eff off because he likes baseball but not football?
You won't go watch your family member in a championship game because their FATHER doesn't like CFL?
You don't associate with people based on what they consider major league?
You've always come off as an eccentric person, but this seems unbelievable. I understand the elitism you show; I mean people kick the game you love so you feel the need to over compensate. I can only assume your trying to make a point in your usual round about extreme way.
If not, then it's too bad that you think people need to conform to your set of ideals.
What happened to all your praise for amateur sport and that whole thing where you thought amateur teams should be able to challenge for the Grey Cup? And you can't even support a family member because there FATHER doesn't like CFL????
You must be very lonely with no friends and family to be around.
Hey Earl know his relatives better than we do. I'm sure there's more to it than what he said. They must be adamantly against the CFL or he's offered to take them to multiple Ticat games and they declined. I don't know, I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt.
The thing that bothers me is that people don't realize this IS a major league and really the talent level is not much different than the NFL. It's a completely different game, different rules, different skill sets. It's apples and oranges. So many players have come and go from both leagues. Ask a defensive back what league he would find easier to play in. I bet he would say the NFL.
They must be adamantly against the CFL or he's offered to take them to multiple Ticat games and they declined
Exactly Allen. I'm not in the Blue Jays but would go with people in my family who would want to reciprocate with coming to Hamilton for a Cats game which I've offered but they decline conveniently. My brother in law has put down the CFL to me in person and I don't like that. Why then should I go out of my way to see his kid play basketball, a sport I don't like to watch anyways? I will conveniently decline in this case.
Take the high road, go to the games, and when you're there explain to him why he should go with you to a TiCat game.
I've won over two "non-fan" season ticket holders by promoting the social aspect of going to the game, and they get caught up in the atmosphere and fun of the game days. They've since become fans of the game and team, but I fear I'm losing one based soley on the product we've been getting.
Good point Captain. Maybe next year in London I'll try and get my brother in law to go to a Cat game if we play a few there which it looks like although I doubt he will. My brother, his father, there already likes the CFL so that won't be a problem. It would help though if we do win some more games, agree.
Yes, it's about getting people away from their TV sets and to the stadium. We know there are a lot of people watching on TV, the ratings have gone from an average of 300,000 five years ago when TSN and the CFL negotiated the TV contract to over 700,000 last year. So we know there is a lot of interest watching the CFL on TV, the challenge the team has is getting people to actually pay to watch the team live. It's not easy when you can watch the game on a huge flat screen TV in High Defintion, stereo in your comfy Lazy Boy.
Then people look at where the location of the stadium and say I'm not going to be able to park there, or its out of the way for a bus.
They have to promote things like, there is nothing like going to a live game, you can park anywhere around the stadium and if you are lucky to park on the grass at Scott Park there are tailgate parties, concerts at the stadium etc. You can sit in a comfortable individual seat (new stadium of course) and stare at the big screen at the stadium if you want.
Let's hope that they do find a home close by for next year, it's not fair on the loyal season ticket holders to expect them to travel 2 hours plus or have no chance of seeing them if they decide on a couple of game in Moncton or QC.
I won't be surprised if there are closed door meetings with McMaster, the Ticats, the City to iron out the McMaster concerns. I really don't think the Mayor would want to lose the benefits from the Ticats for one year.
8) You can forget Mac, completely. They are out of the equation for sure.
Scott Mitchell has had no further talks with Mac, and in his own words, that was 6 months of wasted time as far as that
subject goes !! That door is closed !!
Reports I hear, are that the Cats will not be going back to mac for training camp either now.
That's a $200,000 loss for mac right there !! Looks good on them. Tit for Tat.
guaranteed no alumni money will be going to Mac from this alum
Their loss
Suggest all Mac alumni who are Cat fans do likewise. If Mac cannot use the money the Cats would have provided, then they do not need the contributions. Donate your monies instead to more worthwhile recipients, such as the hospitals etc
And do not think for moment that the traffic issues etc, hospital acces etc were the reason for the rejections, as that would have been made evident 6 months ago at the outset of the negotiations as being the hurdle.
Methinks the Mac administration got greedy, thinking they had the Cats over the barrel with nowhere to go (kind of right I guess) and they played hardball, not thinking the Cats would say "see ya"
If they are concerned about traffic issues, hospital access, etc, they should realize that playing at Western will be way worse. Western only has a limited number of spots around the stadium, and traffic is ground to a halt around there when they draw a couple thousand for a CIS game. I can't imagine how bad it'll be if they plan on expanding temporary seating to get ~15 000.
I think it's all leading to 2013 at Ivor Wynne and a 2014 road warriors team, playing in Moncton, Laval, London, maybe Ottawa, maybe 1 or 2 Rogers Centre.
I wonder if they ever considered going the B.C. route of ordering one of those prefab simple stadiums that can easily be put up and taken down and find a plot of land near the city for approval.
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I think it's all leading to 2013 at Ivor Wynne and a 2014 road warriors team, playing in Moncton, Laval, London, maybe Ottawa, maybe 1 or 2 Rogers Centre.
8) How do you figure that the Cats can play the 2013 season at Ivor Wynne ???
Demolition of the stadium starts within days of the last game played there this season.
It will take the given 18 months to tear the old place down, and get the new stadium finished, barely in time for the
2014 season !!
Are you forgetting the new stadium has to be ready for the Pan Am Games in 2015 ??
As it is, I don't even believe the new stadium will be ready for the Cats home opener in 2014.
If it isn't, then watch the real fun begin !! <!-- s:roll: -->:roll:<!-- s:roll: -->
