2019 CFL Season

[esquire]

OK, you guys have convinced me. Maybe the Moncton stadium isn't the way to go after all. I saw it as an opportunity to get a team off the ground even if the venue is lacking, and have the stadium grow along with the team. But if the venue there lacks the most fundamental amenities to host a team then maybe it just can't work.

[esquire]

And oooof, this news about Andrew Harris. Just when I finally started getting over the loss to Toronto, along comes another body blow.

As much as I want to believe Harris when he says it's a contamination issue, it's hard to shake the idea that it's just so very unlikely that a running back already in his 30s would continue to get better the way he has. He has effectively become the face of the franchise... this is very ominous for the Bombers.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by esquire

OK, you guys have convinced me. Maybe the Moncton stadium isn't the way to go after all. I saw it as an opportunity to get a team off the ground even if the venue is lacking, and have the stadium grow along with the team. But if the venue there lacks the most fundamental amenities to host a team then maybe it just can't work.

As I quoted before, former Commissioner Cohon said it would take nearly one hundred million to bring it up to standards. Moncton is just too small and doesn't have the same level of history as does Regina and the vast majority of fans have to come from the metro area itself. Hoping that SJ and Freddy Beach will fill the breech just isn't good enough. Moncton would be well suited for the present day CPL but there hasn't been any tangible interest yet.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by esquire

And oooof, this news about Andrew Harris. Just when I finally started getting over the loss to Toronto, along comes another body blow.

As much as I want to believe Harris when he says it's a contamination issue, it's hard to shake the idea that it's just so very unlikely that a running back already in his 30s would continue to get better the way he has. He has effectively become the face of the franchise... this is very ominous for the Bombers.

Yes that does suck.
I really wanted to see the Bombers with Nicholls and Harris so I could get an honest assessment of the capabilities of the Riders. But then again everyone was writing off the Bombers last weekend as well.
I love it when Edmonton loses!

[Andy6]

He shouldn’t have accepted that unexpected lunch invite from Gainer.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Andy6

He shouldn’t have accepted that unexpected lunch invite from Gainer.

You mean the temporary new evil Gainer, not the kind, sweet Gainer of the past, who they had to resurrect.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by esquire

As much as I want to believe Harris when he says it's a contamination issue, it's hard to shake the idea that it's just so very unlikely that a running back already in his 30s would continue to get better the way he has. He has effectively become the face of the franchise... this is very ominous for the Bombers.

He got nailed with metandienone (Dianabol). Talk about old school, that's the crap that Ben Johnson did over 30 years ago. One would think he would use something more modern that could be masked easier, unless he truly is innocent.

From what little I saw at the newser, he talked about contamination but never mentioned taking the bottle of supplements in to be tested (maybe he used all the supplements and threw the bottle away) That was the first thing that came into my head, test the supplements.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by elly63

He got nailed with metandienone (Dianabol). Talk about old school, that's the crap that Ben Johnson did over 30 years ago. One would think he would use something more modern that could be masked easier, unless he truly is innocent.

From what little I saw at the newser, he talked about contamination but never mentioned taking the bottle of supplements in to be tested (maybe he used all the supplements and threw the bottle away) That was the first thing that came into my head, test the supplements.

Well if it can't be masked easily, then all his previous clean drug tests would at least suggest that he hasn't been using it all that much, whether on purpose or inadvertently.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by elly63

You mean the temporary new evil Gainer, not the kind, sweet Gainer of the past, who they had to resurrect.

Gainer has always been pure evil on the inside. They just accidentally let it slip with the new version and had to hurriedly restore his misleadingly cute exterior.

[25grapes]

Originally Posted by elly63

He got nailed with metandienone (Dianabol). Talk about old school, that's the crap that Ben Johnson did over 30 years ago. One would think he would use something more modern that could be masked easier, unless he truly is innocent.

If I were accused of taking drugs and I knew I was innocent I'd fight it tooth and nail, hell guys fight and are backed by the PA after an illegal and dangerous hit that has caused an concussion.

[esquire]

I admit I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to PEDs, but I would think there is some significance attached to the fact that the news articles have referenced the detection of "trace amounts" in Harris.

Harris said the frequent number of tests he was required to provide (and that he always passed until this most recent series) became something of a running joke with his teammates, so it's clear that he knew he was being watched like a hawk -- another factor that would suggest he wouldn't have done it deliberately.

[optimusREIM]

Well I was doing a bit of digging ^ and apparently Harris was taking supplements that were supposed to naturally stimulate testosterone production. That said, apparently steroids - which he tested positive for - mimic testosterone in some ways, so (if we want to give him the benefit of the doubt) it is possible that the supplement wasn't advertised correctly or something along those lines, or the manufacturer wanted to cut some corners or make it look like their product was better than it actually was.

What confuses me in all this is that if Harris was frequently drug tested, and had taken that supplement before, how come it never came up? The whole thing just seems bizarre. A real head scratcher. There just isn't enough information available to really know what the deal is and how culpable Harris really was in all of this.

[blueandgoldguy]

Like Fox Mulder said, "I want to believe" but I'm just not sure with this situation regarding Andrew Harris.

IF the Leblanc ownership group wants to lose $5 - $10 million a year in Moncton while waiting for a stadium to be built in Halifax, have at it. Slapping ten thousand temporary seats into the end zones of an already substandard professional facility will not provide the team with $25 million or so needed to break even.

Nor will it sell out consistently, if at all, at the prices necessary to allow the team to even come close to breaking even. Not with the lack of corporate sponsors, the low population base, and especially, the temporary nature of the team. People in Moncton are unlikely to show up in substantial numbers knowing the team will leave in a couple years for another city. There is no reason to become emotionally attached to a team that will pick up stakes and move several hours away...no matter how much these would-be owners try to promote the franchise as Atlantic Canada's team. The majority of support will have to come from Halifax and the immediate surrounding area.

See how well the Houston Oilers drew when they moved to Memphis for a few years while their stadium was being built in Nashville as an example.

[TimB09]

Sounds like both games are sold out in Saskatchewan & Hamilton for the Labour Day games.

Calgary, time to step up and sell out too!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Nor will it sell out consistently, if at all, at the prices necessary to allow the team to even come close to breaking even. Not with the lack of corporate sponsors, the low population base, and especially, the temporary nature of the team. People in Moncton are unlikely to show up in substantial numbers knowing the team will leave in a couple years for another city. There is no reason to become emotionally attached to a team that will pick up stakes and move several hours away...no matter how much these would-be owners try to promote the franchise as Atlantic Canada's team. The majority of support will have to come from Halifax and the immediate surrounding area.

I will likely purchase a couple of season's tickets for however long the Schooners call Moncton home, and several other contributors to the Moncton threads have said the same, but in general, I agree with your post.

It will be difficult for anyone other than die hard football fans in southeastern NB to become emotionally involved with a carpetbagger CFL team. I suspect they might get maybe 4,000 seasons ticket holders while here in Moncton. To fill the rest of the stadium they would have to rely on out of towners (but I doubt many more than a thousand fans would trek up to Moncton from Halifax regularly for games), and fair weather fans from NB. If it's rainy, or if it's cold (anything beyond the end of October), I imagine attendance will plummet, no matter how smart the marketing.

[q12]

Halifax CFL group submits plan to city

The Canadian Press



HALIFAX — A partner in the business group trying to land a CFL franchise and stadium in Halifax says the group's long-awaited business plan is now in the hands of the municipality.

Anthony LeBlanc, of Schooners Sports and Entertainment, confirmed a "voluminous" package of information was submitted to Halifax's chief administrative officer after business hours Friday.

In an earlier interview, LeBlanc said the submission to the municipality's chief administrative officer, Jacques Dube, includes a 40-page main proposal along with accompanying documents that amount to hundreds of pages.

"We will work very closely with Mr. Dube and his staff over the next series of weeks and months as they review," LeBlanc said.

He said it was a relief to finally submit a package that was first promised last December.

"I know we are taking our lumps from people saying, 'Why has it taken longer?' Well, it's taken longer because we want to ensure that when we submit, it's everything that we can envision that HRM senior staff is going to require," he said.

He said the schedules accompanying the main proposal are the work of third-party experts recruited by the business group and Canada Lands Company, which controls the land where the business group has said it would like to build a $130-million stadium.

They include a real estate market and stadium impact analysis, planning assumptions and site plan revisions, along with a list of prospective community events for the stadium.

There are also letters of support from outside organizations, a revised master plan from Canada Lands, infrastructure designs, a traffic impact study, and a survey of stadium financing plans in the U.S. and Canada from a public-private partnership perspective.

LeBlanc said a previous economic impact analysis that was commissioned from Deloitte in May 2018 was also included.

He said it would be left up to the municipality to release any details in the documents.

Meanwhile, LeBlanc confirmed the business group is formally trying to get approval for a stadium in Shannon Park, which sits on land on the Dartmouth side of Halifax Harbour near the MacKay Bridge.

"I know that there will be some questions that come up and there will be evolution over the next months and even years as we move forward," LeBlanc said.

He said he wants people in Halifax to know Schooners Sports and Entertainment is serious in its intent.

"Obviously there are going to be people who are against it, and all we ask is that they look at the information with an open mind."

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in an interview last week that a final decision by regional council is not imminent.

Savage said once submitted, the business plan would be studied by city planning staff before it would go to council for consideration.

https://www.tsn.ca/halifax-cfl-group...city-1.1358463

[thurmas]

Seems bizarre Ambrosie is negotiating with 3 different groups at once to own the Als? but hopefully it can be done by the end of sept. I am hoping it can be Clifford Starke and Larry Smith's group who own the Als as they seem to have the most resources and local business connections to revitalize the fan base. When a new CFL tv deal is done it will be interesting to see dollar wise how it plays out with streaming numbers way up but traditional tv numbers going down. I like TSN but personally I would prefer to see 2 networks broadcast the games and see either a Global or CBC carry playoffs and Grey Cup to the whole nation as CTV refuses to with their NFL deal on sundays.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/c...ason-1.5266595

[elly63]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Seems bizarre Ambrosie is negotiating with 3 different groups at once to own the Als? but hopefully it can be done by the end of sept. I am hoping it can be Clifford Starke and Larry Smith's group who own the Als as they seem to have the most resources and local business connections to revitalize the fan base. When a new CFL tv deal is done it will be interesting to see dollar wise how it plays out with streaming numbers way up but traditional tv numbers going down. I like TSN but personally I would prefer to see 2 networks broadcast the games and see either a Global or CBC carry playoffs and Grey Cup to the whole nation as CTV refuses to with their NFL deal on sundays.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/c...ason-1.5266595

I'm not thinking the CFL is leaning that way. I think they are more progressive thinking than people will give them credit. It is very probable the last vestiges of the old guard (Braley and Wetenhall) will be gone by this time next year, meaning both teams will have new owners in the off season. (I realize Wetenhall is already gone) I could be wrong but I don't think it will be the Starke/Smith group. I think the league wanted the Hollywood guys with Eric Lapointe and friends on board.

Pretty sure you won't see CFL on CBC or Global as CBC is out of the mainstream pro sports bidding wars.

One has to ask why CFL hating Rogers finally bought in to the Argos. There has been rumours of a "Game of the Week" for Sportsnet.

The league likes the idea of big corporate ownership and the synergies they provide so don't be surprised if Canucks Sports & Entertainment re-enter the bidding process for the Lions. Their off seasons compliment one another which can be a benefit.

[blueandgoldguy]

That render of the Halifax Stadium looks like the original BMO Field minus the larger end zone stands on the south side for the supporters group. It looks like a 17-18,000 seater instead of the proposed 24-26,000 seat stadium. The permanent side certainly does not fit 12,000 as they suggest - you can tell just by looking at it..probably closer to 10,000 if that.

That render probably has as much effort put into it as the original CalgaryNEXT proposal from a couple years ago I'm sure a more detailed render will have a larger permanent side with 5 levels similar to THF (first deck, suite level, club level, upper deck and press box) but maybe with a slightly larger capacity as I believe the one side of THF only seats 10,000. The opposite side would clearly have more than the lower deck seating in the render to bring the venue anywhere close to 26,000.

The big concern would be minimal seating in the end zones like THF. The stadium not being fully or partially enclosed probably means they were be several games with winds in the 50-80 km range (like in Hamilton) detracting from the level of play on the field. This is one of the major flaws with THF, and sadly, will likely be an issue with the Halifax Stadium as well due to an extremely tight budget.

[VANRIDERFAN]

If you are interested in what can be done on Facebook Live, the Rod Pedersen Show is doing a pregame show just outside of Mosaic Stadium.

https://www.facebook.com/TheRodPeder...video_explicit