Mobiiiiiiiilio Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 If you guys and girls...have a chance you may want to tune into Extra Time tonight....some breaking news on a couple of fronts that should make for some great conversation and headlines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 What time is the show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Schedule It looks like it's on at 6pm EST and then again at 9pm EST. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Well they've got Jamaica vs. the Bahamas on right now, half-time. Looks like the game started at 5pm rather than 4, so we'll have to wait for 9pm I guess. The Jamaica vs. Bahamas game is pretty brutal by the way, the Bahamas players are not athletes, certainly not professional ones. 5-0 Jamaica at the half, all 5 goals coming in a 12 minutes span. It is literally an achievement for the Bahamas to get the ball into the Jamaican half. There are rumours on usector that Edu is going to Sunderland. I wonder if this is what the breaking news is about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobe_z Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I saw the GolTV thing, so I'm quite sure I know what Mobiiiiiiilio is being so coy about. Am I allowed to spill the beans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnipeg Fury Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Give it to us.........I'm on the road and can't watch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSwede Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Basically, the MLS was in Ottawa to have talks with the owners of the Senators who may be interested in starting a team in Ottawa building a Soccer Specific Stadium next to Scotiabank place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 It was the MLS president (who's name temporarily eludes me) that was in Ottawa, rather than Don Garber. Nice to hear of so many people now interested in investing in soccer in Canada. One kind of wishes that they had been before, but better late than never. Though you have to figure Ottawa would be behind Vancouver & Montreal in the pecking order for the next Canadian MLS teams, I think it is still a good sign that another market is even being talked about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSwede Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Please get montreal in. Enough is enough quit the stalling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackTheBlizzard Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Think all of Ontario lies within TFC's exclusive franchise area after the initial territorial rights to all of Canada expire. With a metropolitan area of 1.1 million I suspect Ottawa would basically be viewed as a Canadian version of Rochester in MLS terms. Close but no cigar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnipeg Fury Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca It was the MLS president (who's name temporarily eludes me) that was in Ottawa, rather than Don Garber. Nice to hear of so many people now interested in investing in soccer in Canada. One kind of wishes that they had been before, but better late than never. Exactly ! If they want pro soccer, then start pro soccer. Don't just sit there waiting for MLS. Hopefully they are serious and will start a club in the USL First Division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibby Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Seriousily?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Ottawa? With roughly 1.2 million? I don't get it. USL-1 sure that would be great but MLS? It isn't even a big rivalry like Toronto - Montreal. Montreal with roughly 4 million and Vancouver with about 2.5 million to draw from and plus larger TV audience market size dwarf Ottawa. The only way that it makes sense is if the MLS is discussing the ownership of the Montreal franchise. Have a rich group from Ottawa parachute in to force Saputo to do what MLS dictates? Or to do a joint bid with finances spread around better. Maybe Gillette can't or doesn't want to be part of the Impact scene any more. Who knows but MLS in Ottawa I just don't get it. [?] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cashcleaner Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 MLS to Ottawa? I don't see it. So many other cities in the US and Canada that could easily support a team over Ottawa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An Observer Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 From my point of view, its great that people with deep pockets in Canada involved in other professional sports like hockey are beginning to take soccer seriously as an investment choice. With the success of TFC and hopefully, Vancouver and Montreal soon, I suspect this will continue as the sport will get a higher profile across Canada. Some of that interest may translate into USL-1 sides, but potentially some may translate into MLS sides one day. We know FIFA wants to cap top divisions at 18 sides. However, there is a case to me made that the MLS is actually for 2 countries so having around 30 is not prohibitive. Having more than 3 Canadian sides could make that case better. At the end of the day, i think its unlikey that Ottawa would be granted a franchise before Montreal or Vancouver. However, if those 2 make it, and they both pull in TFC like crowds, i can see a case being made in 4 or 5 years time for other Canadian cities like Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, etc. You could see the MLS going the way of the NHL in franchise distribution as soccer potentially has a greater following in Canada than the US on a per captia basis. Of course, the US Soccer may have something to say about it, but I think that is why its one step a time. First, toronto. Then successful franchises in Montreal and Vancouver, along with a dropping of the distinction between Canadians/Americans. Then we see for other cities. Also, I wonder whether Ottawa could be considering a soccer specific stadium that is expandable (like Montreal). Maybe they would start in the USL-1 but want to have preliminary discussions to see what would be the possibility of MLS down the road. Finally, this is just speculation on my part....but wouldn't it be great if the MLS could announce something vis-a-vis Montreal/Vancouver at the all-star game in Toronto on 24 July. I am obvioulsy in an optimistic mood today. But I think everything on the professional front in soccer in Canada these days is moving in the right direction (finally). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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