Sports in Canadian culture

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Jesus christ, what a shit show the Winnipeg NFL pre-season game has turned out to be.

Watched a little bit.
Garbage football and the 80 yd field. Wowzer.

The NFL and Promoter wear this fiasco.

[logan5]

Lawsuit! lol. If I was one of those people who paid 300 bucks, and had to watch a game on a makeshift field, I would be mighty pissed.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Watched a little bit.
Garbage football and the 80 yd field. Wowzer.

The NFL and Promoter wear this fiasco.

The grounds crew should share equal blame. To just move the goal posts today when something like this could have even been a possibility is a huge mistake. If they were moved two days ago, or even yesterday, this likely could have been resolved.

But it's okay. It's not like there are people on both teams fighting to make the roster. Wait.....

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

The grounds crew should share equal blame. To just move the goal posts today when something like this could have even been a possibility is a huge mistake. If they were moved two days ago, or even yesterday, this likely could have been resolved.

But it's okay. It's not like there are people on both teams fighting to make the roster. Wait.....

Well they always say that the shorter field makes the NFL better, so this should make it even more better.

It reminds me of that CFL western playoff game that the Bombers played on a really short field, when they couldn't unfreeze enough of the snow-covered field. Or of the other IG Field fiasco with the Heritage Classic NHL game delayed by hours because the NHL didn't realize how blindingly bright the Sun is in the winter in snowy Winnipeg.

[megadude]

Let's not forget the Impact grounds crew painting the box too narrow in a playoff game delaying the kickoff significantly or the college game at Wrigley they had play with the offenses alternating going towards the only endzone they determined to be safe even though they approved the configuration on paper and then the day before in reality.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

The grounds crew should share equal blame. To just move the goal posts today when something like this could have even been a possibility is a huge mistake. If they were moved two days ago, or even yesterday, this likely could have been resolved.

But it's okay. It's not like there are people on both teams fighting to make the roster. Wait.....

They didn't just realize on game day they needed to move the goalposts. They had the excavate the footings for the goalposts, so this was something they had advance knowledge and planning for. I also read that they also had to buy new goalposts for the NFL game (didn't think there was a difference between NFL and CFL posts, so I don't know if that was true or not). It was just a matter of how they filled the hole where the CFL posts go. I don't know what other stadiums do when they switch fields between sports, so maybe someone should have made a call.

[VANRIDERFAN]

The Raiders and NFL officials cleared the field the day before. It was the Packers who complained.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

The Raiders and NFL officials cleared the field the day before. It was the Packers who complained.

Maybe they should have had a practice or a walkthrough at the stadium the day before instead of just setting foot on the field for the first time two hours before the game, when there was no time to do anything.

But that said, I hope the Bombers can fix the scar from the NFL goalposts so that they don't have to contend with that hazard on the field.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Originally Posted by esquire

Maybe they should have had a practice or a walkthrough at the stadium the day before instead of just setting foot on the field for the first time two hours before the game, when there was no time to do anything.

But that said, I hope the Bombers can fix the scar from the NFL goalposts so that they don't have to contend with that hazard on the field.

They did - https://www.packers.com/news/nfl-sta...me-in-winnipeg

Tonight's game is being played on a reconfigured field. The field met the mandatory practices for the maintenance of surfaces for NFL games based on an inspection yesterday. Concerns arose today surrounding the area where the Blue Bombers' goal posts were previously located. The 10-yard line will function as the goal line at this game. In lieu of kickoffs, the ball will be placed at the 15-yard line.

[megadude]

Pro sports is becoming more and more of a joke with each passing year for so many reasons. So many incidents over the years and so called big money, major professional sports leagues it seems aren't learning the value of preparation and dropping the ball more often than should be expected.

They need to double or triple check these things, especially when people are forking out outrageous sums of money to show up and watch the product on the field. And when TV contracts are in place, which highly depend on the game being played and started on time (see cancelled Raps exhibition game in St. John's, cancelled Indy race at Texas, F1 US GP that had 6 cars, or tragically the luge in Whistler, which I think the IOC or luge federation was mostly to blame).

I know the logistics of turning around playing surfaces between events in somewhat short time spans is complicated, but you often get the feeling things could have been completed in their final product in more advanced time and multiple inspections should have been completed by different parties and signed off on.

I also don't understand why Rodgers or Carr couldn't take some passing reps during the game. At least give the fans one drive and don't call for a QB draw if you happen to be on the goal line and want to avoid the bump. Or was the overall turf so bad they couldn't risk their ankles?

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by esquire

Maybe they should have had a practice or a walkthrough at the stadium the day before instead of just setting foot on the field for the first time two hours before the game, when there was no time to do anything.

But that said, I hope the Bombers can fix the scar from the NFL goalposts so that they don't have to contend with that hazard on the field.

You would have thought that they would have contemplated this WAY before when the game was announced and determined whether they needed to take extra steps to take care of the gaping hole where the posts were situated. I think both parties share the blame on this one- the ground crew and Wade Miller and the NFL/promoters.

The whole game was an embarrassment to the city and unfortunately, it makes Winnipeg, as a city, look amateurish.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by FrankieFlowerpot

They did - https://www.packers.com/news/nfl-sta...me-in-winnipeg

Some pointy heads from the NFL and NFLPA looked at it and deemed it acceptable. It wasn't until the players and coaches hit the field for the first time, right before kickoff, that the Packers said they had a problem. Obviously by that point it was too late to do anything about it.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Jammon

The whole game was an embarrassment to the city and unfortunately, it makes Winnipeg, as a city, look amateurish.

How is it Winnipeg's fault? If you're the NFL and the event promoter, your job is to get things ready for the event you're putting on.

If the teams had overlooked bringing the Gatorade for players to drink, would that have been Winnipeg's fault too?

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by esquire

How is it Winnipeg's fault? If you're the NFL and the event promoter, your job is to get things ready for the event you're putting on.

If the teams had overlooked bringing the Gatorade for players to drink, would that have been Winnipeg's fault too?

Miller and the board had a role to play to a) make sure the field is able to support the changes and b) make sure that the game is viable.

They take blame for allowing them to come in, charge outrageous prices knowing full well that it would likely price itself out of the Winnipeg market. Especially given you can go see a Vikings game in a 6 hour drive.

So, 21,000 people show up to see all the backups play, on a shortened field and all the while the news media outlets talk about how the Stadium couldn't support the NFL configurations. I would have rather we just passed up the opportunity. We come off looking bad in all of this.

[esquire]

^ Maybe the teams should have shown up more than just two hours before the game if it mattered so much. Spoiler alert: it didn't matter, it was a glorified scrimmage. The Packers didn't need a normal game with standard rules to assess players. It shows you how little they cared about the whole thing. Even the promoter didn't seem that concerned... I mean, he got paid either way.

It wouldn't have been a big deal if tickets were priced to reflect that, but with people paying up to $450 a pop it was borderline criminal.

It's not Miller's job to make the IGF field suitable for someone else's game.

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Maybe the teams should have shown up more than just two hours before the game if it mattered so much. Spoiler alert: it didn't matter, it was a glorified scrimmage. The Packers didn't need a normal game with standard rules to assess players. It shows you how little they cared about the whole thing. Even the promoter didn't seem that concerned... I mean, he got paid either way.

It wouldn't have been a big deal if tickets were priced to reflect that, but with people paying up to $450 a pop it was borderline criminal.

It's not Miller's job to make the IGF field suitable for someone else's game.

I disagree. It's your product. You should have some investment in how it's being used because it's a reflection of how your own organization is perceived.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Jammon

I disagree. It's your product.

But it wasn't Winnipeg's product, and it wasn't the Winnipeg Football Club's product.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Jammon

I disagree. It's your product. You should have some investment in how it's being used because it's a reflection of how your own organization is perceived.

I don't think the Bombers own the stadium correct? Even if that is true, if the NFL/Raiders/Packers cared one iota then they should of had people up in Winnipeg months ago to go over the plans for the event, check the installation of the goal posts (maybe do a test somewhere else to confirm the procedures) and make sure all was in order.
The promoter promised all sorts of extras, none of which happened. So blaming the City of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Wade Millar is just stupid. The NFL and the Promoter did not do due diligence. They wear this not Winnipeg.

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I don't think the Bombers own the stadium correct? Even if that is true, if the NFL/Raiders/Packers cared one iota then they should of had people up in Winnipeg months ago to go over the plans for the event, check the installation of the goal posts (maybe do a test somewhere else to confirm the procedures) and make sure all was in order.
The promoter promised all sorts of extras, none of which happened. So blaming the City of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Wade Millar is just stupid. The NFL and the Promoter did not do due diligence. They wear this not Winnipeg.

I agree this is on the promoters, but the stadium is your product. In all of the news media outlets, did they say "oh well, it's on the NFL promoters and the NFL for not getting it right"?? At the end of the day, the average person isn't going to look at this and say it was the promoters fault. Everyone I have spoken to about this has agreed that Winnipeg comes off looking badly.

That's my point. And that's why Miller should care.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Jammon

I agree this is on the promoters, but the stadium is your product. In all of the news media outlets, did they say "oh well, it's on the NFL promoters and the NFL for not getting it right"?? At the end of the day, the average person isn't going to look at this and say it was the promoters fault. Everyone I have spoken to about this has agreed that Winnipeg comes off looking badly.

That's my point. And that's why Miller should care.

The people I've interacted with today are the exact opposite. They say it is totally the NFL and the Promoters fault.
Millar should care I agree, that if this happens again that there is more involvement from the NFL on field conversion and that the promoter prices the game correctly.