Bill Manning Named New Argos President

[jerrym]

IMO soccer is only going to grow in popularity in North America. The English Premier League is becoming a mainstay on TV here, the World Cup is the only true worldwide best-on-best competition in team sports, and MLS continues on a growth trajectory. Yes, there are issues with its financial underpinnings, but there are also huge success stories in MLS. Its investors seem prepared to play the long game. And soccer is becoming the summer sport of choice for kids across much of the continent. MLS does not IMO pose a serious threat to the nice niche that the CFL has in Canada, but it seems pretty clear to me that MLS is not going away and will continue to grow.

I agree that soccer is going to grow in popularity, partly because 21% of Canada's population are immigrants, many of whom are coming from countries where soccer is one of the top sports, and partly because there are so many youth playing soccer, a much cheaper sport to sustain at that level. However, I personally find it boring to watch even though I played it when I was young. As to whether sports are called major or minor, I don't give a damn about labels, as my wife will testify when it comes to my wearing designer clothing labels, to her despair.

[rdavies]

To me the sport with the most potential for massive growth is Rugby 7s. It has almost no cons and if marketed properly could/would/should explode. And most importantly it mirrors the "Canadian character" if that still exists, and is definable as we once thought it might be. And both our men and women are fairly good at it, internationally, relatively speaking.

You owe it to yourself to hear this call... MOOOOOONLIGHT!



Interesting to note, you'll see Adam Zaruba congratulating John Moonlight. Zaruba is now with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ok, so this isn't 7s, but you get the point : )



Back to our regularly scheduled thread

[paulwoods13]

I saw Rugby 7s at Pan-Am Games and it was tremendously exciting and entertaining. Working against it breaking out here, IMO, is the lack of regularly televised matches from around the world, and the fact it is a contact, high-impact sport at a time when concussions are increasingly a worry to parents. I can't see a lot of youth rugby springing up in North America the way soccer has over the past three decades.

[rdavies]

I saw Rugby 7s at Pan-Am Games and it was tremendously exciting and entertaining. Working against it breaking out here, IMO, is the lack of regularly televised matches from around the world, and the fact it is a contact, high-impact sport at a time when concussions are increasingly a worry to parents. I can't see a lot of youth rugby springing up in North America the way soccer has over the past three decades.

I know no one will agree with me but the "snowflake" mentality is quickly reaching it's best before date. There are a lot of sociological things at play here and you're right about the infatuation with concussions. But we're mostly only seeing one side of that story, you never hear about the danger of gymnastics (the first time I saw stars) the heading of a soccer ball, all sorts of politics happening with this.

Societal attitudes will change regarding the "mollycoddling" of our youth, it's beginning already. Just a matter of time. Better stop here before I go on too much. : )

[paulwoods13]

Actually we are hearing about concussions in sports like soccer and gymnastics. I don't believe for a second that this is just a fad that will pass. Parents are becoming acutely conscious of the risks faced by their kids in sports, and are going to either hold them out or place them in a safe (or at least safer) environment.

[rdavies]

or place them in a safe (or at least safer) environment.

You couldn't have worded that better. I suggest bubble wrap for one of the "safer" environments. : )

[jerrym]

I know no one will agree with me but the "snowflake" mentality is quickly reaching it's best before date. There are a lot of sociological things at play here and you're right about the infatuation with concussions. But we're mostly only seeing one side of that story, you never hear about the danger of gymnastics (the first time I saw stars) the heading of a soccer ball, all sorts of politics happening with this.

Societal attitudes will change regarding the "mollycoddling" of our youth, it's beginning already. Just a matter of time. Better stop here before I go on too much. : )

"Mollycoddling" or not, a significant number of parents are choosing other sports for their children as concern over concussions grows. On the other hand, flag football is growing rapidly.

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the number of boys ages 6-17 playing tackle football fell 18 percent in a six-year span (2009-14), from 3.96 million to 3.25 million. The following year, the number was down again to 3.21 million.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...123-story.html

While participation in youth tackle football has been steadily falling, flag football is growing. USA Football, the organization that oversees youth football in America, reported that in 2016 there was an 8.7-percent increase of kids 6 to 14 playing flag.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...123-story.html

[jerrym]

Hockey is also facing a challenge when it comes to concussions and declining youth enrolment, although the losses are nowhere those of football.

While the high cost of outfitting a player and the time commitment involved are contributing factors in hockey's declining numbers, concern about head injury is eating away at hockey's core: One survey, conducted by Charlton Strategic Research, noted that 70 per cent of parents with kids playing at the midget age group (15 to 17) were worried about injuries. Three in 10 parents said they have a player who had suffered a concussion. In Ontario alone, researchers now believe as many as 36,000 players suffer concussions yearly.


Hockey Canada has just tallied its registration numbers and discovered it is lighter by more than 5,600 players in the 2013-14 season. Though girls' hockey has grown, the same can't be said for boy's hockey, which has been on the slide for three consecutive seasons.
Hockey executives are taking notice.

Don Fehr, executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association, gave the keynote address at a University of Toronto symposium focused on better understanding the effects of concussion on athletes.
Society as a whole, he said, allows and often applauds people for partaking in hyper-dangerous activities. "The question becomes what do we permit and under what regulations, and that's what I think we're now beginning to really re-examine," he said. "What we are engaged in I think, is the beginning – at least in connection with a couple of sports – of a fairly thorough re-evaluation of how things are going to be done."

The ultimate question, Fehr said, is who decides.
"Who gets to decide what activities that kid engages in and under what conditions? Some group, some organization, the government, or mom and dad? I don't think there's any clear answer and I think it changes with time, it changes with perception and it changes with circumstances."

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...ticle18930361/

[ArgoZ]

You expect that someone would purchase them for that?

$200 million, so you can take on the opportunity of losing $15 million a year. Something wrong there.

[AngeloV]

$200 million, so you can take on the opportunity of losing $15 million a year. Something wrong there.

I don't get how so many rich people are so not bright. I'm convinced its a status thing.

[Treblecharger1]

An NFL Team just sold for almost 2.3 BILLION (insane) Do I think TFC is worth 200 Million? nope. But if MLSE put them for sale I do think they would get 200 Million just simply based on what an expansion team goes for at the moment (150 Million USD was just paid by Nashville for example) not only are investors paying high expansion fees they are also paying for Soccer Specific Stadiums as well.

The CFL is a terrific purchase for an investor as the costs to run a team are relatively low compared to the other 5 sports leagues in North America. I do think the CFL will continue to grow and I do think MLSE sees the potential of having a money maker with the Argos in the next couple years

Anyways, I am happy it is Football Season and business season is over

[R.J]

Didn't think this needed it's own thread, but Glen Suitor brings up in this segment with Jim Tatti on 1150, that the CFL on TSN guys got a presentation on the Argos rebuild of the fanbase. Not much obviously, but thought it was interesting to hear. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/hamilton-11...tory-1.1099252
18:55 mark