Argos at BMO Field

[1argoholic]

So is that BS? Or are they copying this joint? If the Seats are covered that would be a good thing. If that is the way the field sits for football guys will be getting injured left and right with not much room when you get cranked along the sidelines.

Is there anything around the CNE grounds like restaurants or is it still pretty much a deadzone with a stadium stuck in the middle.

[Neely2005]

So is that BS? Or are they copying this joint? If the Seats are covered that would be a good thing. If that is the way the field sits for football guys will be getting injured left and right with not much room when you get cranked along the sidelines.

Is there anything around the CNE grounds like restaurants or is it still pretty much a deadzone with a stadium stuck in the middle.

There are restaurants around King and Dufferin but it's about a 15 minute walk from BMO Field. There's still nothing on the CNE grounds. Except when the CNE is on, then the Food Building is quite good.

[T-Bone]

So is that BS? Or are they copying this joint? If the Seats are covered that would be a good thing. If that is the way the field sits for football guys will be getting injured left and right with not much room when you get cranked along the sidelines.

These are still the only images that have been released for the BMO Field renovation project that I know of and they're early concept sketches. The roof that will partially cover the stands is part of the project still. I assume Qman posted that image as an example of a stadium with a roof that partially covers the stands.

[rdavies]

[Qman]

These are still the only images that have been released for the BMO Field renovation project that I know of and they're early concept sketches. The roof that will partially cover the stands is part of the project still. I assume Qman posted that image as an example of a stadium with a roof that partially covers the stands.

yeah, sorry that was the closest in could find to the drawing MLSE showed in the spring. New Exhibition stadium (old BMO) won't have second decks in the endzones. Double blue seats are also a coincidence.

If that is the way the field sits for football guys will be getting injured left and right with not much room when you get cranked along the sidelines.

Soccer pitch is 5yds wider on EACH sideline. 17 yds shorter in EACH endzone (thus, the need for fold out seats).
So narrower and longer than the picture above.

[ArgoRavi]

Here are some hopeful words from Mark Cohon:

While he shied away from using the word regret, Cohon admitted there’s still one major task he’d like to see taken care of before his term of office is done: getting the Toronto Argonauts into a smaller and more suitable long-term home — namely, BMO Field.


“This is not about ownership. This is a stadium opportunity, and (we’re) working with the City of Toronto, we’re working with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment,” said Cohon. “There is still an opportunity with (Argos owner) David Braley to work out a lease agreement for BMO and there’s other ways to help finance the expansion of BMO Field. So that is a conversation that continues to happen.”
__________________________________________________
I have bolded the part which especially caught my interest. The full article is available at the following link: http://www.thestar.com/sports/footba...missioner.html

[argolio]

So a definite maybe.

Meanwhile on Prime Time this week, Brunt continued the Rogers party line and said the Argos being owned by MLSE and playing at BMO were both dead.

[Ron]

As for Braley opening his yap? He's not going to open his yap (and ruin possible plans with MLSE) just to make a few fans happy for 5 seconds before they find something else to moan about.

[BATKINSON001]

Well this sucks for us. Leiweke is leaving MLSE & Cohon is leaving the CFL... both next year.

[T-Bone]

Well this sucks for us. Leiweke is leaving MLSE & Cohon is leaving the CFL... both next year.

I honestly doubt the Argos moving to BMO Field is a dead issue and if ArgoRavi's prediction comes true, things could get very interesting next year.

[ArgoRavi]

I posted this in the Leiweke thread in the other section but thought it was worth posting here as well: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/...wner_says.html

[larz-7]

I posted this in the Leiweke thread in the other section but thought it was worth posting here as well: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/...wner_says.html

to me it is still weird for anyone to invest money into a stadium that they don't own.living outside of Ontario, maybe there is something i missed.How long is MLSE contract to run the stadium?how much does the TFC pay to play there?Did they invest money in the stadium.to me This is a shell game as whom is spending money on upgrades . Brailey knows this.MSLE wont spend a dime of their own money on this
.

[Ron]

to me it is still weird for anyone to invest money into a stadium that they don't own.living outside of Ontario, maybe there is something i missed.How long is MLSE contract to run the stadium?how much does the TFC pay to play there?Did they invest money in the stadium.to me This is a shell game as whom is spending money on upgrades . Brailey knows this.MSLE wont spend a dime of their own money on this
.

MLSE is spending a crapload of their own dimes on this.

[BATKINSON001]

MLSE is spending a crapload of their own dimes on this.

90 million worth. they will probably spend the rest later on since the provincial and federal governments wont contribute.

[Invader]

90 million worth. they will probably spend the rest later on since the provincial and federal governments wont contribute.

MLSE might claim they'll spend $90 million in the first phase but their former CEO Anselmi said in 2009 he could build the 7000-seat upper deck and enlarge the endzone seating for $15 million (adding 8,000-seats in total). Under the new MLSE plan this will now cost $90 million plus improving the concessions (which is 150% of the original total cost to build BMO in 2007)...with $30 million more needed from governments in Phase 3 to rip out the endzone seating, adding removable seats, re-configuring the field to accommodate the CFL, adding a roof and installing hybrid natural grass. With MLSE have complete control over BMO building contracts, how do we know (or the city) MLSE will actually be spending $90 million for the upper deck?

[BATKINSON001]

MLSE might claim they'll spend $90 million in the first phase but their former CEO Anselmi said in 2009 he could build the 7000-seat upper deck and enlarge the endzone seating for $15 million (adding 8,000-seats in total). Under the new MLSE plan this will now cost $90 million plus improving the concessions (which is 150% of the original total cost to build BMO in 2007)...with $30 million more needed from governments in Phase 3 to rip out the endzone seating, adding removable seats, re-configuring the field to accommodate the CFL, adding a roof and installing hybrid natural grass. With MLSE have complete control over BMO building contracts, how do we know (or the city) MLSE will actually be spending $90 million for the upper deck?

never said the 90 mil was just for phase one, my understanding from all the posts on here and the cfl forums over the last 9 months regarding this is that its for the whole project, the extra 30 mil was to help with the remainder of the costs as the whole thing was projected to cost $120 million... 10 mil of that was to be just for the removal of the endzone seating and enlarging of the field to cfl length... I do hope the argos foot that part of the bill themselves and move in there asap.

[ArgoRavi]

never said the 90 mil was just for phase one, my understanding from all the posts on here and the cfl forums over the last 9 months regarding this is that its for the whole project, the extra 30 mil was to help with the remainder of the costs as the whole thing was projected to cost $120 million... 10 mil of that was to be just for the removal of the endzone seating and enlarging of the field to cfl length... I do hope the argos foot that part of the bill themselves and move in there asap.

I don't know if the Argos will foot that final $10 million on their own but I can see Cohon trying to convince all of the league's owners to chip in and help get the Argos to BMO because a strong Toronto franchise is good for everyone.

[Neely2005]

I went to my second TFC game last night (wore my Argonauts hat without any issues) and I thought that I'd share some thoughts on BMO Field.

First off the game was announced as a sellout but there were a Lot of empty seats.

The Stadium itself is very basic and the East Stands are a joke. They almost seem like temporary seating. It took us about 25 minutes longer to drive to BMO Field than it takes us to drive to the Rogers Centre.

The beer selection is worse than Rogers Centre and most of the beer stations only take Cash.

It was pretty warm last night but by the second half we had to put on jackets because of the cold wind blowing into the Stadium off the lake.

The atmosphere was good in a few sections but when we tried to get our section to stand up for the last 5 minutes of the game we were unsuccessful.

The stadium is intimate and the sight lines from the sidelines are good. The sight lines from the end zones are pretty bad.

Hopefully the renovations vastly improve BMO Field because you can definitely tell that it was made on the cheap.

[Argocister]

Sigh!........ Watching the Rouge et Noir..... That's a nice stadium ..... And nice ownership group. With good planning for long term stability.
Would MLSE make it successful and attractive like the R et N? Or will they just patch it together and treat the
Argos like a Marlies..... Second class citizen.

[rdavies]

treat the Argos like a Marlies..... Second class citizen.

Thanks for posting that. I was listening to some PTS today and that very thought came into my mind. If some think that MLSE buying the Argos, or playing at BMO will be the salvation, how does MLSE treat the Marlies who are in somewhat of a similar situation.

I'm asking, I don't know, how well do they run the Marlies?




What was it, we were saying earlier about people changing their tune when under the Rogers corporate jackboot. Stephen Brunt on Prime Time Sports, August 19, 6pm (12:23).

"The other thing that's left out there is BMO Field, which we haven't talked about... and that project, and I'm not sure, I don't think there is any way in hell that MLSE buys the Toronto Argonauts and I think it's getting less and less likely that they will ever play in BMO Field and if the Toronto bid for the NFL falls apart completely, then why would anyone do it. Why would you do anything for the Argonauts?"