Argos at BMO Field

[Argo57]

It certainly was not before my time - yes, traffic is worse now - but I still remember in the mid 50's, as a lad, all the moaning and groaning about having to go all the way to Exhibition Stadium, instead of just walking into the friendly confines of Varsity Stadium. Nothing ever changes that much.

It all depends on your level of commitment to the fan experience ( ie what price you will pay emotionally, physically and financially) that you will happily give to go to an Argos game. Meal before the game ? -- many times I have happily settled for 2 hotdogs at my seat so that I can see the opening kick off.

Exhibition Stadium was a great place to watch and play football, despite travel problems or weather. Why ? -- because it was the home of the Argos! Let's hope that BMO can generate that same feeling.

All great points, Argo fans back in those days made their way to the stadium come hell or high water, Exhibition Stadium wasn't the prettiest place but definitely had atmosphere!

[argolio]

Good point about the Labour Day Classic, so worst case scenario is that we'd probably only have a maximum of 2 home games during the CNE.

It was always one in the years before the move to the dome.

[ArgoZ]

It was always one in the years before the move to the dome.

An Argo game with free admission to the CNE would be a fun day I would enjoy. The atmosphere and excitement around the stadium that day would bring back good times. I have never had an issue parking for TFC games and a 1 minute walk from the Go station sure beats that skywalk from Union.

[ArgoRavi]

Here is more from the Toronto Star about the possible move of the Argos to BMO Field: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hal...bmo_field.html

[shayman]

Has SkyDome ever really felt like home for the Argos? I am not sure that it can be any worse than it has been for the last 25 years.

Well... In the first year of the Keith Pelley area, when the 500 level was suddenly filled with giant banners of all-time-Argos, and the north end zone seats were covered with giant Argo logos, it occurred to me "hey, this might actually be OUR stadium." It was a great look (which didn't last.)

[Midnight Blue]

Home is where the heart is.


Ka' Pla !

[argolio]

I think any chance of the Dome feeling like an Argo stadium for the long-term dissipated when Harry Ornest sold the right of first refusal for home dates to the Blue Jays.

[LLB997]

I think any chance of the Dome feeling like an Argo stadium for the long-term dissipated when Harry Ornest sold the right of first refusal for home dates to the Blue Jays.

Wow, thatts ridiculous. Where is the league in these matters?? Seems the way people talk in this city as far as the media Is concerned regarding the Argos future there Is no thought given to CFL approval in any regard. What power and leverage does the league have in matters like what Argolio mentioned and how will this affect te future at BMO. Will the league stand up and say anything about the teams say in gameday stadium matters or is the CFL that desperate to take whatever is given to them. I read an article few yrs back I wish I could find that said any future TO NFL team could seamlessly transition the Argonauts name to the new league without any mention of who actually owns the name (in the event that the Argos folded).

[ArgoRavi]

Wow, thatts ridiculous. Where is the league in these matters?? Seems the way people talk in this city as far as the media Is concerned regarding the Argos future there Is no thought given to CFL approval in any regard. What power and leverage does the league have in matters like what Argolio mentioned and how will this affect te future at BMO. Will the league stand up and say anything about the teams say in gameday stadium matters or is the CFL that desperate to take whatever is given to them. I read an article few yrs back I wish I could find that said any future TO NFL team could seamlessly transition the Argonauts name to the new league without any mention of who actually owns the name (in the event that the Argos folded).

The CFL definitely owns the Argonauts name so, as much as the NFL in Toronto folks would love to get that, it will not happen. Ornest had the right to do what he did, whether the league liked it or not - and, at the time, the league had many more worries than that particular issue - but Harry ultimately did the Argos no favours by giving that right up.

Years from now, what will the memories of SkyDome be for Argos fans? Many look back on Exhibition Stadium and Varsity Stadium before that fondly but what will fans say about SkyDome? I doubt that we will be hearing, "Oh yes, I miss seeing that roof open and close so much! Those were the good old days." As I have said many times before, ironically, the SkyDome was born out of the 1982 Grey Cup that the Argos lost to Edmonton. However, you would never know that if you only looked at the shabby, second-class citizen way that the Argos have been treated at that stadium from the outset.

[Neely2005]

I received a response from one of them:


Thank you for this feedback. I will be certain to keep this in mind. For my records, might you be able to share your address with me?

Yours,

Mike


Councillor Mike Layton
Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina
Phone: 416 392 4009
Fax:416 392 4100

If you have scheduled a meeting with anyone in Councillor Layton's Office, you may be required to register as a Lobbyist. The City of Toronto's definition of lobbying is quite broad. You are advised to check for more information online http://www.toronto.ca/lobbying/ or phone (416) 338-5858.

I asked about there only being 25,000 seats for Argonauts games. This is the response that I got:


Good Morning,

Thank you for the comments. I have passed them on to Councillor Grimes directly. Our understanding is that some of the issues with seat expansion relate to the physical foot print of the building.

Best Regards,

Colin Johnston

Councillor Mark Grimes' Office
Ward 6, Etobicoke Lakeshore
City Hall
100 Queen Street West, Suite C48
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Tel: 416-397-9273 Fax: 416-397-9279
www.markgrimes.ca


I was disappointed to see that there will only be 25,000 permanent seats for Argonauts games.

[Deerkeeper]

I was disappointed to see that there will only be 25,000 permanent seats for Argonauts games.

I've been kind of quiet about this whole MLSE/BMO thing because I am still looking for the positives, and I still don't see any. Sorry, but I just don't trust MLSE to have the best interests of the Argonauts in mind. Twenty-five thousand seats for football an 30k for soccer!!??. I think they have their numbers reversed. It won't take to long for them to wish they had 30k for footall and 25k for soccer.

[T-Bone]

I've been kind of quiet about this whole MLSE/BMO thing because I am still looking for the positives, and I still don't see any. Sorry, but I just don't trust MLSE to have the best interests of the Argonauts in mind. Twenty-five thousand seats for football an 30k for soccer!!??. I think they have their numbers reversed. It won't take to long for them to wish they had 30k for footall and 25k for soccer.

MLSE ownership and the Argos moving in to BMO Field originally seemed to be one and the same issue but now they do not. The Argos will play at BMO Field if the stadium expansion deal is approved by the city which looks extremely likely. Whether MLSE will buy the Argos is yet to be seen. The reason they can't make BMO Field 30K for the Argos is because apparently one of the Exhibition Place's conditions for expansion was that the stadiums existing footprint remain as close as possible to how it stands now. I assume they didn't want to tear down the Food Building on the northern end of the stadium or divert the street that runs behind the stadiums southern end.

[rdavies]

I've been kind of quiet about this whole MLSE/BMO thing because I am still looking for the positives, and I still don't see any. Sorry, but I just don't trust MLSE to have the best interests of the Argonauts in mind. Twenty-five thousand seats for football an 30k for soccer!!??. I think they have their numbers reversed. It won't take to long for them to wish they had 30k for footall and 25k for soccer.

I'd be more worried about the Argos consistently selling out 25k seats. If they can do that then people can complain but until then...

And the seating capacities having nothing to do with relative popularities of soccer or football, it's a matter of field size and configuration (CFL larger field, thus less space, thus less room for crowd in confined area)

TFC will have enough problems getting their numbers up but off season signings may have helped the team rebound.

As for MLSE, the Argos couldn't continue the way they were going with seemingly no direction and getting kicked out of their home. This at the very worst at least buys them some more time. And if all goes well there'll be some real positives coming out of it.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Though I am not from from the Toronto area, I cannot help but think that having a consistent schedule (this year there is 1 tuesday (WTF for I will never know) and 1 thursday home game all the rest are Friday night or Sat afternoon) will be a good tonic for them. If they could get rid of the Tues and Thursday games even better. Then if the team and the CFL could get some media on side who actually give a damn then the future looks pretty good for the team and the league.

[Neely2005]

We already had a Poll about the Stadium Location:

http://www.argofans.com/showthread.p...dium-Locations


So I was curious to see what everyone thinks the ideal Argonauts Stadium size would be.

Personally I think that 25,000 permanent seats for the Argonauts is to small. We had 3 games last season that had an attendance of over 25,000.

Here's last season's attendance for games at Rogers Centre:

29,852
18,211
20,064
19,656
21,157
18,863
28,467
18,478
22,589
35,418 (Playoff Game)

Average attendance: 23,276
Average regular season attendance: 21,926

[Mulder]

Though I am not from from the Toronto area, I cannot help but think that having a consistent schedule (this year there is 1 tuesday (WTF for I will never know) and 1 thursday home game all the rest are Friday night or Sat afternoon) will be a good tonic for them. If they could get rid of the Tues and Thursday games even better. Then if the team and the CFL could get some media on side who actually give a damn then the future looks pretty good for the team and the league.

This year is the Argo's best schedule in a few years. Even still. The Argos have been forced to take 2 long road trips and then finish the season with 5 of their last 6 at home.

In 2012 we played every day of the week at home. (same thing happened in 2004, so who are we to complain about those years!)
2013 was worse I think.

More than likely, in order to appease TFC fans.
There is going to be one of 2 scenarios,

1) Soccer would be played on Saturday & Argo's at home on Sundays.
2) Soccer played on Wednesday - Argos Friday night, with the weekend off.

However, some of the soccer jokers seem to think the Argos will continue their preseason games at varsity to "protect the turf" lol

[matthew]

27K in my mind strikes a not too much - not too little balance.

[Will]

All three above >25000 games were Ticats and was boosted by Ticat and not Argo fans.

[Argo57]

In a perfect world 27k seating seems ideal but if you remove the games involving the Ticats the planned seating capacity is just about right, until we actually prove that we can average 25k+ per game we have nothing to complain about!

[BATKINSON001]

This year is the Argo's best schedule in a few years. Even still. The Argos have been forced to take 2 long road trips and then finish the season with 5 of their last 6 at home.

In 2012 we played every day of the week at home. (same thing happened in 2004, so who are we to complain about those years!)
2013 was worse I think.

More than likely, in order to appease TFC fans.
There is going to be one of 2 scenarios,

1) Soccer would be played on Saturday & Argo's at home on Sundays.
2) Soccer played on Wednesday - Argos Friday night, with the weekend off.

However, some of the soccer jokers seem to think the Argos will continue their preseason games at varsity to "protect the turf" lol

I heard somewhere that the home games of the two teams will be staggered (as best as they can) to reduce the wear and tear on the field. So argos one week and tfc the next... should be a MUCH faster turnaround time for BMO than robbers centre.