  Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 503 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.189.188.28 |
Curiosity. If the CFL Ottawa Renegades (who apparently are bankrupt and about to {maybe} be taken over by the league) were put up for sale, would there be enough interest in Windsor/Detroit to support a CFL franchise, or do the Lions hold presedent? And is there a stadium in the greater Windsor area that would hold 30,000+ and be suitable for football? | ||
The_aram Member Username: The_aram Post Number: 4734 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 141.213.175.233 |
Maybe if we all pool our money together, send a pile of emails to Rock Financial and Donald Trump, hold a bunch of meetings, and post a lot of Photoshopped renderings, have Skulker bitch about how it doesn't make financial sense, have Brian whine about how he doesn't want his tax dollars paying for it, have jjaba post about how he used to play CFL football on the westside and which bus he took to get there, then Danny chimes in about how Canadians are losing their control of their football... Oh, wait, we've already done all that crap. | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 1684 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 129.9.163.105 |
Canada has a football league? | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 384 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 207.200.116.139 |
Canada has a football league? Yeah, it's something like Arena Football. | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 246 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 198.103.184.76 |
Ray1936, vis-a-vis the American game, Canadian Football is less like Arena Football. The Canadian game is played on a larger field (yards are still used, the field isn't larger because it is metric), each team has one extra player on the field, and it is a 3 down not a 4 down game. Windsor does not have a suitable stadium. I think the new University of Windsor field is probably the largest the city has with respect to seating capacity. I think it only hold a couple thousand people in its permanent seats. I don't think Windsor could support a CFL team -- Windsorites already have the Lions -- without a lot of interest (and paying customsers) from North of Windsor. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 504 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.189.188.28 |
Ray1936.... .....in regards to Canadian football, The Grey Cup is (I believe) the oldest contested pro sports trophy in North America. And it was the Edmonton Eskimos who had the good sense to draft Warren Moon (from the University of Washington), when no NFL team would take him because he was a black quarterback who refused to be converted to wide receiver. The game's a great deal more fun to watch, too.... | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 8307 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.54.69.226 |
Never going to happen. Windsor barely has 1200 in attendance for a Spitfires game. Considering Ottawa has money and can't keep a team Windsor would sink. The Mayor had hinted at a team but I think he realized the reality of it all. | ||
Motorcitymayor2026 Member Username: Motorcitymayor2026 Post Number: 624 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 24.231.189.137 |
aram, a bit grumpy today?!? | ||
The_aram Member Username: The_aram Post Number: 4735 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 141.213.175.233 |
nope, just telling it like it is. a forecast for where this thread would surely go given the right provocations, if you will. | ||
Mountainman Member Username: Mountainman Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 69.144.81.143 |
Goat, as a former Spitfire season ticket holder, I can tell you they average closer to 2000-2400 per game. Consider it is in one of worst and most uncomfortable buildings in the entire CHL and that is a pretty impressive number. Add this to the fact that many Windsorites are staunchly pro-Canada, I think they could draw upwards of 15,000-20,000. This of course all hinges on a decent stadium. Knowing the ineptitude of the City Council over there, the chances of the stadium are incredibly slim. I think they've spend more of the years proposing a new hockey arena that would have cost them to build 3. | ||
Mountainman Member Username: Mountainman Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 69.144.81.143 |
Just a quick follow-up. According to Rink Rat.com (hockey website) the average attendance in 2003 for the Spitfires was 3103. Little old, but you get the drift. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 8308 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.54.69.226 |
I doubt building a new arena is going to translate into another 2,000+ people coming to a Spits game. Having a decent team would do far better (Glad the owner sold it finally). This isn't London with nothing within a 2 hour + drive to see. Sorry I was off the mark on attendance. I have to agree with ineptitude. | ||
Mountainman Member Username: Mountainman Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 69.144.81.143 |
No worries. Frankly I'm a little surprised by the attendance numbers. Proves what a little bit of Canadian beer will get people to sit through. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 436 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.218.79.163 |
and then of course there is that wonderful suburb of Windsor, called Detroit, that has the empty Briggs (Tiger) Stadium..(home to the Mighty Detroit Lions when they were the winningist team in NFC history). Now there's a win-win. | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 247 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 70.28.0.156 |
I friend of mine who is a big Ottawa football fan told me that the main problem with a pro football team in Ottawa is that there are only about 12,000 hardcore football fans in the city. Even with all those people having seasons tickets, the team still needs 8000 walk ups. Ottawa just cannot attractive those 8000 casual fans every home game. As far as a CFL in Windsor? Only if the Fords purchase the franchise and start Lion's promotions like "Buy one Lions' ticket, get a free ticket to see the Canadian Lions". Games could be played at Ford Field giving fans who cannot afford to buy Detroit Lions' tickets off of premium ticket websites a chance to sit in the stadium and watch football for a reasonable price (and may be even see the home team win).... | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 505 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.189.188.28 |
Irony. The Rough Riders....er, Renegades are owned by a Detroit area businessman, Bernie Gliberman. Anyone know who he is? | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 438 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.218.79.163 |
Briggs Field and Suburban Windsor Fans (re. Detroit). You will get a hell of lot more than 8,000 fans. Huge Win! OOoooh Cananada! | ||
Toolbox Member Username: Toolbox Post Number: 856 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.184.29.148 |
Crosswinds Communities owner. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 2050 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 69.47.100.44 |
I'm wondering if CFL footbal is a niche sport in Canada much like hockey is in most of the USA. Super rabid fans but only in certain pockets. | ||
Doctors Member Username: Doctors Post Number: 696 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.42.124.248 |
Don't forget about the upcomming US Passport requirements. Do you want to take friends and family to see the "Windsor Lions"? Sorry, $85.00+/ea. passports required. (Message edited by doctors on March 23, 2006) | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 248 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 198.103.184.76 |
The CFL is incredibly popular out west, especially in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Additionally, Montreal has really embraced its team. As a whole, Toronto only really cares about the Maple Leafs. | ||
220hendrie1910 Member Username: 220hendrie1910 Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 20.137.2.50 |
Well, the league did take over the Renegades, and the team is now up for sale. I would speculate that it is more likely to end up down east in Halifax, NS, which has had good university/college teams for years but has never had a sniff at the CFL. The city of Ottawa is also mulling the prospects of selling all or part of the stadium complex to current Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, a man with very deep pockets and an urge to run everything from team to building to concessions to tickets. That is, if he will agree to keep the team in the city. For those who don't follow the CFL, Ottawa has not had a winning football team since 1981. With that baggage, it's remarkable that there is yet anything left to save. In Ottawa, still cursing the refs for the 1981 Grey Cup loss. |
