Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire
^ Suspending my doubts that Canada will get the WC for a moment, a renovated Big O would probably be a better bet than a temporary Toronto stadium. At least there would be a decent legacy in the form of a Olympic Stadium with another 50 year or so lease on life instead of a stadium that will be dismantled once the event ends.
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I think the big elephant in the room regarding a permanent megastadium in Toronto (for the WC or - until recently - the Olympics) really is the NFL.
Hear me out, folks...
What's ironic is that if look at things more closely, it could be at least in part Toronto's tepid support for Canadian-only sports that might cost it the chance to host the WC final if Canada ever hosted the event.
Let's put two and two and two and two together.
- A new stadium for the WC would need a lot of public money.
- That public money is easier to obtain if there is also a legacy facility left over after the event.
- But if the legacy facility's use is destined for something imported from another country like the NFL, and politically loaded for Canadian politicians, then that makes the funding harder to come by.
- It would likely be easier to get public money for a new stadium in Toronto if the Argos, or the Canadian men's national soccer team, or even the Vanier Cup, had some use for that size of stadium every once in a while.
- But alas, they dont. Apparently the only possible future long-term use for a 70-80,000 seat stadium in Canada's largest city of 6 million people is a team that doesn't even exist yet and that would play in the pro football league from the country next door.
So yeah, if Canada hosts the WC, my bet is on the final at the Big O, and Toronto will host a bunch of elimination round games and a semi-final at an expanded 40,000 seat BMO Field.