Ottawa???????

[zark]

Can any one tell me or direct me to a site ? What gives ?

[Blue In BC]

Check with Solar Max. He's usually in the know about Ottawa.

[D]

there is a thread on 13thman .... here http://13thman.com/cheers/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33968

[Solar Max]

http://lansdownelive.ca/

[Bleddyn]

Thanks for the link Solar Max

excerpt for those too lazy to click

On March 25, 2008, the CFL Board of Governors awarded a conditional franchise to an Ottawa group that includes 67's owner Jeff Hunt. The franchise will be condition free when the Hunt group negotiates a stadium deal with the City of Ottawa.

[bclions16]

Anything new on this? It's almost been a year, and that lansdownelive.ca site is stale and doesn't tell us anything.
Is a proposal before council? Has a decision date for the future of the stadium been set?

[Solar Max]

Anything new on this? It's almost been a year, and that lansdownelive.ca site is stale and doesn't tell us anything.
Is a proposal before council? Has a decision date for the future of the stadium been set?

The only news is Sens owner Eugene Melnyck blindsiding Council and the Hunt Group with another Red Herring about building a soccer only facility in Kanata. (For those in the Lower Mainland, think about the oft mentioned future Venue for the BC Lions in Surrey; that's how far away Kanata is from Ottawa, more or less.) All this will do is delay construction at Landsdowne in the forlorn hopes of landing an MLS franchise for Kanata, which won't happen anyway.

This means that Council is now faced with the decision to fund either Frank Clair Stadium at Landsdowne, or the Red Herring Net in Kanata; the vote on Landsowne Live! is now delayed from this month until April at the earliest.

Since it's Melnyck doing this, and since my feelings on greedy NHL types are well known here, think about how deep the hatred for the wretched sport is in this house right about now....

So don't bother, NHL fans. Some things are worth going to jail for... :x

[OV - 54:40]

Anything new on this? It's almost been a year, and that lansdownelive.ca site is stale and doesn't tell us anything.
Is a proposal before council? Has a decision date for the future of the stadium been set?

The only news is Sens owner Eugene Melnyck blindsiding Council and the Hunt Group with another Red Herring about building a soccer only facility in Kanata. (For those in the Lower Mainland, think about the oft mentioned future Venue for the BC Lions in Surrey; that's how far away Kanata is from Ottawa, more or less.) All this will do is delay construction at Landsdowne in the forlorn hopes of landing an MLS franchise for Kanata, which won't happen anyway.

This means that Council is now faced with the decision to fund either Frank Clair Stadium at Landsdowne, or the Red Herring Net in Kanata; the vote on Landsowne Live! is now delayed from this month until April at the earliest.

Since it's Melnyck doing this, and since my feelings on greedy NHL types are well known here, think about how deep the hatred for the wretched sport is in this house right about now....

So don't bother, NHL fans. Some things are worth going to jail for... :x

Yep - Melnyk comes off as a total a$$-hat clown on this one (and not factoring the slide of the Sens under his watch); obvious the guy is no fan of Canadian football (which is fine, to each his own, but it is obvious). He's helping either wreck or hold-up the chance for Ottawa to have a good stadium that is suitable for both football & soccer and his PR propaganda on this one - that "soccer is such a great sport with so much support in Ottawa, which deserves a MLS team" is a lot of bull$h*t posturing from an ego-maniac rich clown - the type who, unfortunately IMO, often end up running pro sports teams badly.

A real shame that there couldn't be combined forces here in Bytown to re-do Lansdowne Park - a primo and historic site/ piece of real estate in Ottawa - for the good of many interests and citizens. Don't see why Melnyk couldn't have worked with the Hunt group (the seeming ideal ownership group that a CFL team in Ottawa was deprived of for so long) - both parties could have worked together to make for a great Lansdowne Park revitalization that could have included a refurbished stadium to accomade a CFL team and maybe also a pro soccer team (for Larry to run), plus all sorts of other good ideas could have been put forward to make Lansdowne a great civic place in Ottawa - the weight of these 2 groups working together might have been very appealing to get the necessary approval from the local politicians. But no - Larry-boy has to have his own little mission to add on to his empire in the farmer's fields way out in the burbs. Brutally bad/stupid - but hardly surprising. Might take months or years now for the City Council to weigh the separate stadium options and to entertain other ideas for Lansdowne Park and maybe there is no suitable stadium for CFL football in the near future or on the horizon at all - if Melnyk had his way, I'd bet he would do nothing to see a stadium that could house a CFL team, while babbling about how great the need is for a soccer stadium/team - dork shoulda stayed in the Bahamas.

[Bleddyn]

It really makes me angry to see the CFL suffer at the expense of the MLS. Seeing it suffer at the expense of any other league is bad, but to a joke league like that is simply galling. I am hoping Beckham going back to Europe full time now will really drive a nail in the coffin of the MLS. (For those that don't follow soccer, Beckham went back because it is impossible to stay in international form in a summer league as the MLS is. He has therefore stated, in an off-hand way, that if you wish to excel at the top rank of soccer you cannot do so in the MLS.)

and while I do agree with Solar Max that Melnyk is an *beep*, hockey didn't make him one.

[bclions16]

Wow, how frustrating. Thanks SM, OV, Bleddyn, and JH for your updates and comments.
This issue has seemed to have gone quiet in the media (but I'm not looking at local Ottawa info) and that itself seems to be the story. How on earth is it reasonable for Melnyk's soccer fancy to hijack the re-establishment of CFL in Ottawa? PAST bad ownership in Ottawa should not sour the powers-that-be on the legitimacy of the CFL. In fact compare the record of success of professional soccer in Canada vs professional football. It's clear which one is not only sustainable, but profitable and a benefit to the community when directed by good ownership.

The blue print for franchise success in the CFL exists, MLS is the risk.

By the way, I have no connection to Ottawa and I'd never cheer for the RRs or Renegades. I'm just looking at this from the preservative of a healthy league.


On a side rant... there is a ton of promotion for the Seattle Sounders in my area. They'll be playing in Qwest Field; a nice stadium, but not as great as some say, it's still just a lot of grey concrete. How are they going to fill that place? It's impressive when filled for football, but will be quite depressing with 45,000 empty seats. It wasn't long ago that the Seahawks couldn't sell out, and the Mariners struggled at the gate last year. After the advertising blitz and novelty wears off, where will they be?

Now this is a joke: They had a contest/try-out to fill one roster spot, kind of like Making the Cut but an actual roster spot. So not only does nobody recognize a single player, they have some local dude actually on the team because of a contest. Can you imagine if the CFL tired that? The cries of "bush league" would be deafening.

Oh ya, the biggest star associated with he team? Part-owner, renowned celebrity, and game show host Drew Carey. Wow, where do you sign me up?


Anyway, leaders in Ottawa better take a close look at the MLS gamble and wake up to reality.

[Rammer]

MLS will play ball if stadium built ; 'Almost inconceivable' Ottawa wouldn't get expansion team
The Ottawa Sun
Wed 11 Feb 2009
Page: 3
Section: News
Byline: BY SHANE ROSS, SUN MEDIA

There was a little something missing in the proposal to build $110-million soccer stadium in Kanata.

A team.

But now that problem appears to be solved.

"It's highly unlikely and almost inconceivable that with a stadium deal in place we would not grant an expansion team to Ottawa," Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said yesterday.

Eugene Melnyk's Senators Sports & Entertainment is competing with Ottawa Sports Entertainment -- a group of local businessmen that includes 67's owner Jeff Hunt -- to build the city's 20,000-seat outdoor concert stadium. OSE has been granted a conditional CFL franchise and wants to renovate Frank Clair Stadium as part of a redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.

Now that SS&E has effectively been granted a conditional MLS franchise, both stadium proposals have an anchor tenant to support the concerts, festivals and other events the city hopes to attract.

And a pro soccer franchise is the safer bet to be a long-term tenant, Melnyk said via conference call to a Sun editorial board yesterday.

$50M BET

"If I was willing to make my bet -- and I'm making a $50-million bet myself personally on this (the cost of purchasing the MLS franchise) -- what will be around 25 years from now?" Melnyk said.

"Will it be soccer, or will it be CFL football? I'll lay my money on soccer. It is the sport of the world, and it is just a question of time of when it would reach our shores."

Under the soccer proposal, the city would still own the land and the stadium, but Melnyk is looking for a 30-year agreement -- "Basically, I calculated my lifespan," he joked -- to manage the facility.

He promised to bring the same commitment to the soccer franchise that he's brought to the Senators.

"We're here to stay, we're going to make this thing work with whatever resources it takes to make it work," said Melnyk, who also pledged the Senators will never leave Ottawa as long as he owns the team.

The two teams would be linked in more ways than proximity. SS&E would leverage existing resources, such as staff, parking and other "synergies."

"What we have to be able to convince (council) is that our proposal is a win-win for the city," Melnyk said. "When I came to Ottawa, I never ever, ever appreciated the importance of the Ottawa Senators to the city. The Senators are now fully integrated into the community, we've made that happen.

"We went in with an attitude of success, and not an attitude of fear. For the fans, we made them passionate about the sport.

"We told them we would be around for a long, long time and I think that's what we need to convince the councillors -- we will make this a success, regardless."

[bclions16]

And a pro soccer franchise is the safer bet to be a long-term tenant, Melnyk said via conference call to a Sun editorial board yesterday.

$50M BET

"If I was willing to make my bet -- and I'm making a $50-million bet myself personally on this (the cost of purchasing the MLS franchise) -- what will be around 25 years from now?" Melnyk said.

What a crock. A couple of buffoons spoiled CFL teams in Ottawa, so they suggest the baby be thrown out with the bathwater?

As JohnHenry pointed out, nobody cares about MLS, and pro soccer has a miserable record in Canada and the US.

How is $50M a good bet on an unproven league that no one watches versus $7M on a century old Canadian tradition that has risen to great success and stability in the last number of years?

I'm guessing it would be asking too much for the city leaders to bring in both parties and instruct them to bring in a joint proposal?

[firstdown45]

a couple of interesting articles over here:

http://lionbackers.com/bc_lions/viewtop ... 10&t=16674

[Rammer]

COHON: HERE ARE THE FACTS
CFL Commissioner Issues an Open Letter to the People of Ottawa


To the people of Ottawa:



You and your elected representatives are engaged in an important discussion. It revolves around a new sports stadium, where it should be located, and who should play there. But it's really much bigger than that. This is about building a stronger Ottawa, by building a special place for you to gather as a community, and showcase what is best about your city.



You know what I want to see. I love Canadian football, and the Grey Cup, and I very much want to help bring both back to our nation's capital. So do the Governors who run our league.



But the purpose of this letter is not to detail the stadium proposal brought forward by our partners in Ottawa . It's to share with you some facts about our league, and to correct some of the misinformation that has made its way into the public discourse.



The decision you face is far too important to have it influenced by outdated perceptions or claims that simply do not hold water. It is my sincere hope that this information adds in a very positive way to the debate. And I thank you for considering this information, at this important time:



Claim: Canadian football might not be around 25 years from now.



Fact: Canadian football's signature event - the Grey Cup - has endured two World Wars, the Great Depression, and more than a few cynics who have predicted its demise only to be proven emphatically wrong time and again by Canadians. In fact, in a 2008 survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of the Dominion Institute and the federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration, Canadians identified the Grey Cup as number seven on their list of defining events for Canada, behind Confederation and Vimy Ridge. Last year's Grey Cup was played in front of 66,308 fans in Montreal , the second largest live audience in its history, which spans 96 Grey Cup Games. It was watched on TSN and RDS television by 3.65 million Canadians. The suggestion that the Grey Cup and Canadian football have somehow run their course is clearly not based on fact.




Claim: It would take six Grey Cups to generate $50 million in economic activity for the local economy.



Fact: According to a news release issued July 3, 2008 by the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance, the total economic activity ( GDP ) generated by the 2007 Grey Cup in Toronto was more than $80.1 million throughout the province, with $52.9 million occurring in Toronto. The Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance reported that these expenditures generated more than $25.6 million in wages and salaries, and supported nearly 624 jobs, of which 475 occurred in Toronto . These are their numbers, not the CFL's. Mayor Miller is eager to have the Grey Cup back in Toronto.





Claim: The CFL has lost its fan base over the years.



Fact: Today's CFL is strong and stable. In 2008, we averaged 28,914 fans per regular season game. By comparison, Toronto's BMO Field, home to Toronto FC of the MLS, seats 21,000 people. Our total regular season attendance last year exceeded two million fans for the seventh straight season. (In case you're wondering, this matches our attendance in what some consider the CFL's glory years, 1976 to 1982.) On TV, the CFL continues to experience great success. Last season on TSN, the CFL averaged 393,000* viewers per game, second only to hockey in Canada.



*Source: BBM Nielsen Media Research





Claim: CFL football in Ottawa failed before and today's Ottawa is not the city of the Riders glory days of the past.



Fact: Unlike some previous owners, Bill Shenkman, Roger Greenberg, John Ruddy and Jeff Hunt have deep roots in Ottawa, a commitment to local charitable and civic causes that has been proven over several years, deep financial resources, and a strong commitment to the success of the CFL in Ottawa. In that sense, they are an excellent match for a city that is bigger, more dynamic, and more successful than it was 20 years ago, yet still has a deep respect and affection for its roots and traditions.





Claim: The people of Ottawa must choose between football and soccer, and a Major League Soccer team playing between 19 and 23 games each year makes more sense than a CFL team with only nine home games.



Fact: The CFL has no objection to the proposed facility being shared with other major tenants, soccer or otherwise, as this is done in many of our existing stadiums already.



A CFL team plays 10 or 11 home dates, excluding Grey Cups, which are traditionally rotated among our teams. That means a Grey Cup in Ottawa approximately every eight years or so.