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A poll: small majority support MLS team for Ottawa


Luis_Rancagua

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American Football 400,000 players? Maybe if you include anyone who throws a football this year.

Exploding worldwide? Sell out a one time game in Europe and suddenly it's exploding.... NFL Europe too... :D hahaha

It's never been more popular in Canada? Then the league should have never bee started if it was any less popular haha. In my opinion the CFL is a dirty tread on the Canadian sports landscape and I can't wait until pointy ball is out of Canada.

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Minto, Trinity and Shenkman are land developers and have no interest in sport. Their bid that 100% demands developing a huge prime downtown gem or no deal screams it. Why would taxpayers throw that much money behind a SPORTS bid to a group with no interest in sport, to a dying sport which has died THREE times in the city in recent memory. The developers have a long history of connections and getting their way in Ottawa, and this is nothing but a playdown between old and new world - money, players and tactics. If the football group uses that power to swing council against reality, football will be gone in 3-5 years again, the city will have lost both a football and a soccer franchise, and the taxpayers are on the hook to pad the Greenbergs and Shenkmans banks accounts for tens of years. That would go down as one of the most destructive and abusive influences of power and greed in the history of the city. Every resident of the city, footie fan or not should cross their fingers and pray nightly.

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

Minto, Trinity and Shenkman are land developers and have no interest in sport. Their bid that 100% demands developing a huge prime downtown gem or no deal screams it. Why would taxpayers throw that much money behind a SPORTS bid to a group with no interest in sport, to a dying sport which has died THREE times in the city in recent memory. The developers have a long history of connections and getting their way in Ottawa, and this is nothing but a playdown between old and new world - money, players and tactics. If the football group uses that power to swing council against reality, football will be gone in 3-5 years again, the city will have lost both a football and a soccer franchise, and the taxpayers are on the hook to pad the Greenbergs and Shenkmans banks accounts for tens of years. That would go down as one of the most destructive and abusive influences of power and greed in the history of the city. Every resident of the city, footie fan or not should cross their fingers and pray nightly.

Bingo! Your dead on.

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quote:Originally posted by jonovision

I don't understand why it is necessary to crap on the CFL, Canada's most important and best supported national league in any sport, to be a supporter of soccer.

Agreed 100%. Can the two sports not coexist? As mentioned in earlier posts, the CFL is a piece of canadian history, and it isn't showing signs of recession. Here are some fun statistics that support that statement:

-The CFL set an all-time season attendance record of over 2.3 million in 2005 (this was with Ottawa in the league)

-As of 2006, the CFL averaged 29343 fans per game, which was behind only NFL and major league baseball in north america in per game attendance, and sixth worldwide (the other leagues being the EPL, Bundesliga, and Australian football league)

-This past year's grey cup attracted 66,308 spectators, making it the fifth-highest CFL attendance ever, and second-highest for a grey cup

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quote:Originally posted by jonovision

I don't understand why it is necessary to crap on the CFL, Canada's most important and best supported national league in any sport, to be a supporter of soccer.

Because soccer probably has the highest amount of jealous morons calling themselves fans. I've always wondered why they are so defensive. Obviously because other sports are more popular with the general public.

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

Minto, Trinity and Shenkman are land developers and have no interest in sport. Their bid that 100% demands developing a huge prime downtown gem or no deal screams it. Why would taxpayers throw that much money behind a SPORTS bid to a group with no interest in sport, to a dying sport which has died THREE times in the city in recent memory. The developers have a long history of connections and getting their way in Ottawa, and this is nothing but a playdown between old and new world - money, players and tactics. If the football group uses that power to swing council against reality, football will be gone in 3-5 years again, the city will have lost both a football and a soccer franchise, and the taxpayers are on the hook to pad the Greenbergs and Shenkmans banks accounts for tens of years. That would go down as one of the most destructive and abusive influences of power and greed in the history of the city. Every resident of the city, footie fan or not should cross their fingers and pray nightly.

I agree with everything in this, except that the group DOES have an interest in sport, even aside from Hunt. One of them (Ruddy) played football right through to University. And Greenberg has demonstrated a commitment to Ottawa (witness the Greenberg Theatre), as well as being the godson of a former Rough Riders president. All three grew up in Ottawa, and more importantly, make all of their money in Ottawa. It would not do for them to piss everyone off.

That being said, while I do think they lgitimately want to bring a CFL eam here and have it succeed, they are still developrs and businessmen and are pretty obviously doing thi so that their groups can develop Lansdowne.

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though i never watch it, i can appreciate the CFL for what it is. i would like to see a CFL team in ottawa, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF A PROPER STADIUM WITH A GRASS PITCH THAT OUR MNT CAN PLAY ON.

i know its not really about the grass, but if Melnyk's greed in shutting out out the CFL happens to land us a grass pitch, then so be it.

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quote:Originally posted by Keegan

American Football 400,000 players? Maybe if you include anyone who throws a football this year.

Exploding worldwide? Sell out a one time game in Europe and suddenly it's exploding.... NFL Europe too... :D hahaha

It's never been more popular in Canada? Then the league should have never bee started if it was any less popular haha. In my opinion the CFL is a dirty tread on the Canadian sports landscape and I can't wait until pointy ball is out of Canada.

If you include flag and touch football, which I'm sure they're doing, the numbers probably aren't too far off. There are A LOT of touch football players in Ottawa.

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quote:I don't understand why it is necessary to crap on the CFL, Canada's most important and best supported national league in any sport, to be a supporter of soccer.

Which part of that was crapping on the CFL? I'm kind of curious, was it:

- The part about it dying three times in recent memory?

- The part about it being proved that Ottawa has no interest in supporting a football team?

- The part about not wanting to see a municipally funded land deal wrapped in a nice pretty Tony Gabriel jacket?

Seems mostly fact and government policy to me, but if saying I don't want my land taxes going to a couple of developers pulling a con job is crapping on the CFL, that wasn't my intention but sign me up in technicolor.

Ottawa DOES NOT WANT A CFL TEAM, and in taxpayer financing, three strikes and you're out.

And anyone who believes the CFL is all-time strong, high, whatever.... there's really nowhere to even begin a conversation. It's like when you walk down the street and someone comes up and say's "gravity is a lie." You just nod your head and go "that's right, have a nice day."

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You know what is funny - With Football Canada weighing in, one has to notice that the CSA has not said a peep. You would think that they could promise a friendly? Say something anyways in support of getting a grass soccer stadium. Propose it as a home for the Women's team? Something? Anything?

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quote:Originally posted by ChrisB

You know what is funny - With Football Canada weighing in, one has to notice that the CSA has not said a peep. You would think that they could promise a friendly? Say something anyways in support of getting a grass soccer stadium. Propose it as a home for the Women's team? Something? Anything?

Absolutely! The CSA should try to get the Landsdowne Live group and the city to commit to a grass surface regardless of whether MLS comes to town. Give Ottawa some men's friendlies, make it the home of the WNT as you say, bring in the U20s or whatever.

MLS is a longshot and it is dubious that Mr. Melnyck will be interested if Landsdowne is selected as the site. Also, if MLS does not give Ottawa a provisional franchise for 2011 or later when they announce the successful bidders, the Kanata stadium is gone and so too is a grass surface unless the CSA jumps in now.

Is there any interest in USL1 from the Fury group?

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