Just had a phone call from Rob our Argo ticket guy.

[Gill The Thrill]

It's disheartening that Peddle never wanted to buy the Argos. The team in their current state (neglected ) will lose 5 million per year. So only an owner prepared to rebuild take the short term loss and give this team the care it deserves will be successful. Short term short sighted won't cut it. Bell needs a strong Argos to keep CFL property relevant. Tannenbaum wants to see what football and the Argos mean in Toronto.

No surprise, as Peddie was always a basketball business guy who was initially hired by the Raptors under then owner Allan Slaight. MLSE inherited this guy when the Toronto Maple Leafs bought the Raptors and the deed to ACC as it was being built. Peddie was fortunate that they did as the Raptors could not have survived nor completed the building of the ACC had the Maple Leafs not bought them and formed MLSE. Peddie, initially as Raptors Pres was always like the kid at the back of the class, always sticking his head in press conferences reminding the media and emphasizing that the ACC was not just the new home of the Leafs, but of the Raptors as well, even when questions posed were strictly about the Leafs. I found this weasal so annoying to listen to and was dissapointed when they put this goof in charge of MLSE. He never gave a crap about fans, instituting Premium seat licenses, and forcing longtime Leaf season ticket subscribers to purchase Raptor season tickets in order to maintain their seat allocation at the ACC.

Seeing that Argo TV ratings were stronger than Raptor TV ratings, he sure had motive to not want to prop up the Argo brand under the MLSE umbrella.

[R.J]

I think the thing that everyone is overlooking is that Peddie admits to getting a call for Sokolowski and nixes any chance of the Argos getting into BMO before it was built.

[Scooter McCray]

I think the thing that everyone is overlooking is that Peddie admits to getting a call for Sokolowski and nixes any chance of the Argos getting into BMO before it was built.

For a league and a team so many dismiss as irrelevant why is there such a hate on for the Argos and the CFL in this city? What did the Argos ever do to these people? Exist?

[ArgoRavi]

Peddie also ran SkyDome in its first few years.

[AngeloV]

For a league and a team so many dismiss as irrelevant why is there such a hate on for the Argos and the CFL in this city? What did the Argos ever do to these people? Exist?

People still believe that the Argos existence is what is stopping the NFL from coming here. Very stupidly IMO, as the NFL is so big, if they really wanted to be in Toronto, they would have been here already.

[PullTogether73]

People still believe that the Argos existence is what is stopping the NFL from coming here. Very stupidly IMO, as the NFL is so big, if they really wanted to be in Toronto, they would have been here already.

But isn't the NFL on record as stating that they would not compete in a market with an existing CFL franchise? That they don't want to alienate football fans in that city (really, only Toronto) by potentially pushing that CFL team either out of market or causing them to fold?

I always thought that this was the reason that NFL in Toronto supporters want to see the Argonauts disappear.

[AngeloV]

But isn't the NFL on record as stating that they would not compete in a market with an existing CFL franchise? That they don't want to alienate football fans in that city (really, only Toronto) by potentially pushing that CFL team either out of market or causing them to fold?

I always thought that this was the reason that NFL in Toronto supporters want to see the Argonauts disappear.

It might be a convenient excuse, but I don't believe that to really be the case. I just believe that in terms of concession sales, they already have this market. They already have a TV deal up here, and looking at MLB and NBA, the Toronto teams just don't generate much in terms of ratings south of the border, and let's be honest, it's TV that makes the NFL what it is. I just believe that they don't see much of an upside to coming here.

[R.J]

I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone from the NFL has ever made that statement, actually they haven't even acknowledged it. Last thing I heard was Steve Simmons on TSN drive stating that he had a conversation with Jerry Jones who told him that "we're not looking at Toronto anymore", in large part due to failure and embarassment of the Bills in Toronto Series.

[Argo57]

No surprise, as Peddie was always a basketball business guy who was initially hired by the Raptors under then owner Allan Slaight. MLSE inherited this guy when the Toronto Maple Leafs bought the Raptors and the deed to ACC as it was being built. Peddie was fortunate that they did as the Raptors could not have survived nor completed the building of the ACC had the Maple Leafs not bought them and formed MLSE. Peddie, initially as Raptors Pres was always like the kid at the back of the class, always sticking his head in press conferences reminding the media and emphasizing that the ACC was not just the new home of the Leafs, but of the Raptors as well, even when questions posed were strictly about the Leafs. I found this weasal so annoying to listen to and was dissapointed when they put this goof in charge of MLSE. He never gave a crap about fans, instituting Premium seat licenses, and forcing longtime Leaf season ticket subscribers to purchase Raptor season tickets in order to maintain their seat allocation at the ACC.

Seeing that Argo TV ratings were stronger than Raptor TV ratings, he sure had motive to not want to prop up the Argo brand under the MLSE umbrella.

DICK Peddie ran MLSE as a business and didn't give a shit about the fans, all about profit dollars to which he did a good job, hired cheap but unqualified hockey men such as John Ferguson Jr because he knew the stands would be full no matter how crap the on ice product is (by the way nothing has changed in that department).
As a fan I wouldn't want that arrogant prick within 10 miles of the Argonauts or the CFL.

[argolio]

I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone from the NFL has ever made that statement, actually they haven't even acknowledged it. Last thing I heard was Steve Simmons on TSN drive stating that he had a conversation with Jerry Jones who told him that "we're not looking at Toronto anymore", in large part due to failure and embarassment of the Bills in Toronto Series.

The NFL never publicly rules out a specific market. That's just smart business. But I think Toronto is about as far off the NFL radar as it has ever been.

[D-Gap-Willie]

I think the thing that everyone is overlooking is that Peddie admits to getting a call for Sokolowski and nixes any chance of the Argos getting into BMO before it was built.

Can you supply a few more details about this knowledge, and the source of this information. I presume that you mean a "call" from Sokolowski, and not "for" Sokolowski - if so when and for what purpose ? I'm quite curious how this would have anything to do with nixing any chance of Argos at BMO. Yes, Peddie was at the time head of the MLSE (from 1998 to 2011) and ground was broken for BMO in 2006. and a long-time advocate of the NFL in Toronto, but you are describing a malicious act - love to know the details.

[1argoholic]

There would be a team in England before TO. They keep playing games at Wembley. Wonder how the field is holding up as isn't that the field to be used at BMO?

The US hates having the Jays so I'm pretty sure fans don't want to be in Canada. How many more teams does this league want. There are already about 10 to 15 too many.

[R.J]

The NFL never publicly rules out a specific market. That's just smart business. But I think Toronto is about as far off the NFL radar as it has ever been.

I was replying to this post.

But isn't the NFL on record as stating that they would not compete in a market with an existing CFL franchise? That they don't want to alienate football fans in that city (really, only Toronto) by potentially pushing that CFL team either out of market or causing them to fold?

I always thought that this was the reason that NFL in Toronto supporters want to see the Argonauts disappear.