MLSE interested in Argos with eye on NFL in Toronto

[UnitedRulz]

Interesting article: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/03...nfl-to-toronto

[shayman]

Hmm. That's a very confusing article. Sounds like it's all speculation and theories based merely on someone from MLSE spotted visiting the Argos. It could just be someone saying hello to a friend, who knows?

[294life]

Hmm. That's a very confusing article. Sounds like it's all speculation and theories based merely on someone from MLSE spotted visiting the Argos. It could just be someone saying hello to a friend, who knows?

could be. but it does state the obvious in that Braley will have to make decisions regarding his 2 franchises and that there is and always will be some driving force to have an nfl team in toronto. issues that will have to be dealt with one day or another.

[AngeloV]

Hmm. That's a very confusing article. Sounds like it's all speculation and theories based merely on someone from MLSE spotted visiting the Argos. It could just be someone saying hello to a friend, who knows?

Wait a minute...are you saying that Frank Zicarelli wrote a confusing article? I find that very hard to believe.

[mint83]

I am for any ownership group that gets the Argos a new stadium and gives them some credibility in the market. I cannot believe how much their profile has shrunk. It is looking pretty bleak right now, hopefully they can recover.

[matchuk]

i just read it and signed on here to see if anyone knew any more to this story...

[1argoholic]

Here we go again. I want a dollar for every NFL in TO wannabe article ever written. The NFL wouldn't be the issue, MLSE would sink the Argos well before a shovel hit the ground for a new NFL Stadium.

I've been a Viking fan for over 40 years and that would never change should the NFL ever have a TO team. I don't see it happening. I might just be bitter enough to tune out the NFL for good.

[Rocket]

There seems to be some postive and negative things with a sale to Mlse. Postive things the Argos will finally be able to have a professional look and feel to the team,something what mangement of this team right now is seriously lacking. (Crowd last night was pathetic 18,000 with 6,000 given to university schools for free and with more then half of them leaving at half time! Can't say it enough with Chris rudge he is failing in every aspect with regards to marketing this team)
Argos will finally get a new practice facilty something like what tfc has at downsview park! And more then likely they will finally get a new stadium for this team. Bringing in a guy like Tim leiweke as a CEO to the team would be a good thing, I could see him cleaning house with the current mangement of this team no more guys like rudge sitting around collecting a pay cheque for doing no work for the team. As well I could see them changing the perception of the cfl and the Argos in the city then what it is right now.

Negative things to a deal would be the fact that Mlse is always about the money. They don't care and know how to field a winning team. Don't know how serious they would be with owning the Argos if its just to try to get closer to an nfl team in the future, then I would say NO to this deal by all means and the cfl should step in to not allow this to happen!

[herrington2828]

There seems to be some postive and negative things with a sale to Mlse. Postive things the Argos will finally be able to have a professional look and feel to the team,something what mangement of this team right now is seriously lacking. (Crowd last night was pathetic 18,000 with 6,000 given to university schools for free and with more then half of them leaving at half time! Can't say it enough with Chris rudge he is failing in every aspect with regards to marketing this team)
Argos will finally get a new practice facilty something like what tfc has at downsview park! And more then likely they will finally get a new stadium for this team. Bringing in a guy like Tim leiweke as a CEO to the team would be a good thing, I could see him cleaning house with the current mangement of this team no more guys like rudge sitting around collecting a pay cheque for doing no work for the team. As well I could see them changing the perception of the cfl and the Argos in the city then what it is right now.

stay on topic - looking forward to when ur banned again

[Rocket]

stay on topic - looking forward to when ur banned again

Hey Harrington do you or any of your family or friends work for the Argos marketing team? I can probealy see why you might be scared of this deal then!

[Mulder]

Walking a fine line

[argonaut11xx]

stay on topic - looking forward to when ur banned again

Listen Herrington...his comments were ON TOPIC....and hoping for another Argofan to be banned is STUPID...

Your comments are no more important than anyone elses....(Rocket, your rudge "hate-on is over the top, BUT, folks do have the option to ignore you)

ALL that said......

I suspect the Toronto NFL folks have taken a "Horn Chen" approach...buy the CFL team "Argonauts"...own the name. POOF, they fail, but you still own the name, and apply it to your NEW NFL franchise.

Its quite possible

[Ballstothewall]

There seems to be some postive and negative things with a sale to Mlse. Postive things the Argos will finally be able to have a professional look and feel to the team,something what mangement of this team right now is seriously lacking. (Crowd last night was pathetic 18,000 with 6,000 given to university schools for free and with more then half of them leaving at half time! Can't say it enough with Chris rudge he is failing in every aspect with regards to marketing this team)
Argos will finally get a new practice facilty something like what tfc has at downsview park! And more then likely they will finally get a new stadium for this team. Bringing in a guy like Tim leiweke as a CEO to the team would be a good thing, I could see him cleaning house with the current mangement of this team no more guys like rudge sitting around collecting a pay cheque for doing no work for the team. As well I could see them changing the perception of the cfl and the Argos in the city then what it is right now.



Negative things to a deal would be the fact that Rogers is always about the money. They don't care and know how to field a winning team. Don't know how serious they would be with owning the Argos if its just to try to get closer to an nfl team in the future, then I would say NO to this deal by all means and the cfl should step in to not allow this to happen!

Rogers and MLSE are 2 different companys and Chris Rudge is oved by both

[paulwoods13]

Can't say it enough with Chris rudge he is failing in every aspect with regards to marketing this team)

Actually, you can say it enough.

[Rocket]

Actually, you can say it enough.

Yeah but other people should also express there disappointment with the owner and CEO of this team. Argos fans need to stand up and be Hurd and have a voice of opionon with this team. We can't just sit on the sidelines and think everything is going good with how this team is run. I am so sick and tired of all this media and people on toronto treating this team as a joke. This teams perception in this city has sunk to an all time low and it keeps getting lowered down with these fools who are working for the team right now.

[Argo57]

Yeah but other people should also express there disappointment with the owner and CEO of this team. Argos fans need to stand up and be Hurd and have a voice of opionon with this team. We can't just sit on the sidelines and think everything is going good with how this team is run. I am so sick and tired of all this media and people on toronto treating this team as a joke. This teams perception in this city has sunk to an all time low and it keeps getting lowered down with these fools who are working for the team right now.

Hard to be too down on Braley, maybe there is no Argonaut franchise if he didn't step up and buy the team!!
MLSE ownership doesn't exactly give me the warm and fuzzy feeling given their track for the last 45+ years.

[moeajram]

Lets be honest here, Football should be played and watched during the weekend any time from Friday evening to a no later start then 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. I have been to the night games during the week, and the sunday night game, and it sucks getting home so late, and having to go back downtown the next moring. It has been even harder to take the family because I have small children, so how do I get the children to fall in love with our game when it is hard to take them to a live event. I think we have to deal with the facts that we will get crap dates until we are able to find a long term solution, but we need to contiue to support this team which ever way we can. I do believe that the club is doing everything it can to put people in the seats, but as i always said maybe we need to look at the prices of the tickets to get more people into the seats, the only issues is the teams needs all the money they can get from the sales of the tickets, because they do not get access to food sales or parking. I hate how they are on the road for the next four weeks, but the good news is all their games are on Saturday and Sunday ovr the next four weeks.

[ArgoRavi]

Corporations, such as MLSE, can't own a majority share of an NFL team, correct?

[mac_davy]

i suspect this is more to do with the new TV contract rather than the MLSE wanting a NFL team. Bell has 50% of MLSE, why would BELL wish to Damage its 2nd largest Canadian sports package. They wouldn't, they might actually want to grow it in the area, and a move like this would ensure it. The NFL shit is just wishful thinking on the part of the reporter.

[Rich]

i suspect this is more to do with the new TV contract rather than the MLSE wanting a NFL team. Bell has 50% of MLSE, why would BELL wish to Damage its 2nd largest Canadian sports package. They wouldn't, they might actually want to grow it in the area, and a move like this would ensure it. The NFL shit is just wishful thinking on the part of the reporter.

For sure Bell would be a big part of something like this.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Leiweke was behind this idea. Don't forget, he got his start trying to sell soccer in football country, so he knows something about building smaller, unpopular sports properties into profitable businesses. And then weaving them into sports empires.

For sure the guy has seen the TV numbers and how well the Argos draw on TV. He was here for the Grey Cup last year. A guy like him sees that and he sees opportunity. He probably cannot fathom all the negativity towards the CFL at the boardroom level. Well if he hasn't already he will learn soon enough about Canadians' selective inferiority complex.

But I sure hope there is something real to this story. I've said for many years the only way the Argos survive in this town is if one of the big boys becomes their owner. Maybe it's finally turning that way.