Pawel Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jlb3CfAchI_mJZeufCwLghNg6_bQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Good luck. The fed's went to great lengths to make sure everyone understood that the dollars they're investing in the new Blue Bomber stadium at the University of Manitoba are actually being used for the UM athletic department infrastructure improvements (which are a part of the stadium scheme) and NOT the actual stadium itself. In no way, shape, or form did the <s>Reform/Alliance/</s> Conservatives want to be seen assigning public dollars toward a stadium enterprise for a private professional club. If funding for a pro sports club facility isn't to be had in Western Canada (and yes, Winnipeg is still part of Western Canada. Sort of.) no way will it be found for a pro sports club in what is now a Conservative wasteland like Quebec. I find it hard to imagine the provincial government standing in alone for stadium improvements without the feds on board. Great to hear Saputo & Co. are still targeting MLS, though. Vancouver getting in may have made Saputo give his strategy plan for MLS expansion another think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackTheBlizzard Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 If a direct subsidy of a pro sports team is off limits they can add fieldturf into the mix with a strong public access component. Far from ideal but it got the job done in Toronto in terms of MLS entry and they can always try to switch over to grass a few years down the road as MLSE are currently doing with BMO Field. The fact that the Tories can count on most of western Canada's support but need a big breakthrough in Quebec to get an outright majority also means that pushing a few pork barrel type projects towards the allophone demographic in the Montreal area (I know it wouldn't be exclusively in that direction in this instance), who tend to be strongly federalist but pro-Liberal, might be higher on the agenda of Harper and co than you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Saputo should have done this a long time ago though I am sure he had his reasons not to whether I understand them or not. It is too bad that now we are applying for this in tough economic times. Yet the Toronto MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars, the Vancouver MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars so there is no reason we should also not get a sh-itload of taxpayer dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I don't think that this is going anywhere. The various levels of government are a little bit tapped for cash right now. And there isn't really anything pressing about upgrading Saputo, it's a pretty good stadium, compared to the situations in Vancouver and Toronto with Swangard and Varsity. I am now convinced that Joey simply wants the words Saputo and MLS to appear in the media every four months, to keep an awareness up. I suspect that he doesn't want to get competitive for an expansion franchise, and instead thinks that he can scoop up a failing US team at some time in the next five years, at a good price, and relocate it. And then, once the MLS team is a done deal, ask for his share of taxpayer money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Keep in mind that government funding for BMO Field was linked to the FIFA U20s while BC Place improvements are linked to the Winter Olympics. Quite a different circumstance in Montreal currently. TFC & the 'Caps were/are also part of the formula for justifying those infrastructure expenditures. They helped make the argument for the long term viability of those stadia schemes simply as a rent paying tenant. Right place, right time sort of thing. No such luck for the Impact. I think Cyrus and others are right in that Saputo may be keeping an eye out for an existing club. Whether or not (with the expansion money that's rolling in the next few years) that's realistic, or if MLS will let a club relocate to Montreal, I don't know. But I'd wager it's a part of the plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly Saputo should have done this a long time ago though I am sure he had his reasons not to whether I understand them or not. It is too bad that now we are applying for this in tough economic times. Yet the Toronto MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars, the Vancouver MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars so there is no reason we should also not get a sh-itload of taxpayer dollars. This is exactly what puzzles me. Is Saputo trying to tell us that he only now became aware of the fact that other bids had the backing of the Governments for their stadiums? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Notice that this story surfaces at the same time when there is another story (in another thread)reporting that season ticket renewals are lower than expected. Coincidence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Free kick Notice that this story surfaces at the same time when there is another story (in another thread)reporting that season ticket renewals are lower than expected. Coincidence? No. Two huge attractions last season for casual season ticket buyers were A) sexy new stadium and MLS 2011 rumors. Neither are that much in play for casual fans anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john tv Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I just hope that these stubborn guys get their heads straighten out and live up to the promise that Montreal has to offer. That crowd at the Big O must be one of the biggest eye openers around and these fans need to see,feel and experience the best NA has to offer. So Garber and Joe get together and let's get going asap. These three cities Toronto,Vancouver and Montreal will for once ensure that soccer will be one of the biggies in North America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackTheBlizzard Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Free kick Coincidence? Another more upbeat way to frame that question would based on it being not long after Vancouver got in and just before the MLS I/Os are reported to be about to discuss further expansion:- http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=637087&sec=mls&root=mls&&cc=4716 quote:Originally posted by Cyrus I don't think that this is going anywhere. The various levels of government are a little bit tapped for cash right now. If they ran balanced budgets they would have very little cash but most are running large deficits at the moment. The potential source of the cash would clearly be as one of the "shovel ready" infrastructure projects that Stephen Harper has been talking about in recent months:- http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090126/national/fedbudget_infrastructure Nothing ventured nothing gained, basically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly Saputo should have done this a long time ago though I am sure he had his reasons not to whether I understand them or not. It is too bad that now we are applying for this in tough economic times. Yet the Toronto MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars, the Vancouver MLS bid got a sh-itload of taxpayers dollars so there is no reason we should also not get a sh-itload of taxpayer dollars. Just for the record, we have a chairman who wants to fund a stadium completely on his own dime and the civic/feds are giving it to him where the sun don't shine. Even the $360m on BC Place is a bit misleading because it will be funded by the sale of lands which, though a public asset, are not directly a cash outflow from widows and orphans. And, as our good friend Richard points out, BC Place will continue to be a public asset. We're growing a bit sensitive to this issue because it became a political pawn for the NDP in the latest election -at least until they realised it was actually hurting their campaign. Anyway, millions of spiral threads on the stadium, I just wanted to get my regional 2 cents in. Having said this, I would way rather have the BC Government give Saputo 15-20m for stadium upgrades and let Kerfoot build his freaking stadium already. 5 years in BC Place isn't the most exciting proposal. At least you guys have a proper ground. Maybe you can follow in Union Berlin's footsteps and help defray some construction costs. Or Saputo could just dip into his $1 billion bank account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveBeau Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Montreal to MLS as early as 2011?? http://www.24thminute.com/2009/04/update-mls-to-montreal-in-2011.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiral Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Is not the Quebec government spending big money to put a new metal roof on Olympic Stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTL_4_LIFE Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 It aint over yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedmonk42 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Saputo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squizz1402635577 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 quote:Originally posted by spiral Is not the Quebec government spending big money to put a new metal roof on Olympic Stadium? Completely off-topic, but am I the only one who finds it weird -- albeit completely correct -- to see "isn't" spelled out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiral Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Isn't Britney a bit of a goof for not being able to handle marijuana smoke at GM Place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegasAlexandros1555362277 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 ^^^ Is someone going to ban this guy already???? Seriously, hasn't he been given enough rope to hang himself a few times over already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedmonk42 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 quote:Originally posted by MegasAlexandros ^^^ Is someone going to ban this guy already???? Seriously, hasn't he been given enough rope to hang himself a few times over already? Why? What's this person done exactly? People seem to have a real bug up their ass about em but honestly I don't really get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I laughed a little laugh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegasAlexandros1555362277 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 quote:Originally posted by speedmonk42 Why? What's this person done exactly? People seem to have a real bug up their ass about em but honestly I don't really get it. Allow me to answer your question with a question: what exactly has this person contributed to the board? I mentioned it once before in another thread: I am a moderator on GreekSoccer.com, and a member posting the way he has would have been banned by now. Clearly, I shouldn't apply the standards we use at GS.com in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Is this topic on the right thread? Anyways I hope Saputo gets his 25M so Montreal can get in the league they should be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancouversoccerman Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Most topics spiral gets involved in quickly go off thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiral Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 My point was: one question started off with "Isn't", the other with "Is Not". Linguistically there's no difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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