2015 CFL Picks Week 1

Well the regular season is already starting. Here we go.

Ottawa at Montreal
I didn't think Alouette quarterback Jonathon Crompton looked good in the pre-season and I didn't think that he was really as great as some said last year. I felt his stats weren't fantastic and Montreal's defence was really good. I wonder if Dan LeFevour will eventually take over as starter from Crompton. Still Montreal is a fairly talented team, especially on offense and GM Jim Popp is usually good at finding import talent (although Michael Sam didn't work out great).

Ottawa has loaded up on receivers, but are still going with the rather ancient by CFL standards Henry Burris at quarterback. Ottawa to me still doesn't have a lot of depth and as a ways to go, although they should be better than last year. Probably not good enough to beat Montreal at home however.
Alouettes 22 REDBLACKS 16 

Hamilton at Calgary
Despite all Hamilton's injuries I still like the club, but they are missing some key parts like DE Eric Norwood and receiver Luke Tasker. They are in Calgary though and Calgary is still the class of the CFL, with most of their team from the Grey Cup winning squad last year around, plus they have Bo Levi Mitchell. The homer in me would like to take Hamilton, but they have historically played Calgary poorly in Calgary. Collaros could have a great game, but that's a lot to depend on.
Stampeders 29 Hamilton 23

Edmonton at Toronto
Technically this is a home game for Toronto but it is being played in Fort McMurray. That's obviously not that far from Edmonton which probably means a pro-Eskimos crowd. And Ricky Ray is still hurt from last year, meaning Toronto has to depend on quarterback Trevor Harris. The Argos have been bought by Bell and Larry Tanenbaum, but they are still probably suffering somewhat from the Braley era of cheap spending in terms of talent beyond Ray. Although they still have Chad Owens

Edmonton is a good team, but the wheels kind of fell off the bus at the end of the season with quarterback Mike Reilly being injured. I'm assuming Reilly is staying healthy to start the season (I'm not sure how long that will last) and thus the Eskimos should be good. And better than the Argos.
Eskimos 23 Argonauts 18

Winnipeg at Saskatchewan
I'm not sure exactly how good the Riders will be this year. Last year with Darian Durant in, they were good, without him they were terrible. This year they have Kevin Glenn in as a backup in case Durant goes down again which is something. The Bombers have Drew Willy, who isn't terrible although I'm not sure he's great either. I have to think for this game that home field advantage has to be the deciding factor. Plus the fact that Winnipeg didn't look very good at all in their last pre-season game versus Hamilton.
Riders 24 Bombers 20

Picture of Tim Horton'sd Field at Night January 2015

Here's a photo I took of the still unfinished Tim Horton's Field with the lights on last night. Hopefully it will be ready for the Ticats preseason game in June.

Fate of Ticats Labour Day Classic Won't Be Known Until August 28th

The Spec has a new article about the stadium with comments from city public works general manager Gerry Davis that the fate of hosting the Labour Day game won't be known until August 28th.

With Mac not able to host, that is definitely problematic for the Ticats. The uncertainty is also in itself a problem as the team isn't able to market itself properly. No doubt not having three home games plus the exhibition game at Tim Horton's Field has impacted merchandise sales severely. The Labour Day game likely has merchandise sales far surpassing any other regular season game.

What's more disturbing is what Ancaster councillor Lloyd Fergusion thinks: "Councillor Lloyd Ferguson told the CBC he thinks it's a "stretch" for the facility to be ready in time for the game."

Ferguson has considerable experience in the construction industry and pointed out well beforehand that the stadium wouldn't be ready when everyone connected to the stadium was saying that the stadium would be done.

Here's one possibility for the stadium to be partially ready for Labour Day: concentrate only on one side of the stadium for the Labour Day game and only have it open. Hopefully that would be the side where I have season tickets.

Possible Halifax Business Leaders for a CFL Team

Frank Magazine has a list of who might be involved in a Halifax CFL team. Frank Magazine has learned who Mayor Mike Savage and Canadian Football League bossman Mark Cohon were courting as potential business boosters for a possible HRM CFL expansion team and new stadium.

On February 10, Mayor Mike, along with city CAO Richard Butts, hosted several meetings around town with the creme de la creme of the municipality’s business elite.

User Stach27 then posted this on the CFL subreddit:

The leaders named are as follows:
Don Clow - Crombie; CEO
http://www.crombiereit.ca/en/default.aspx
Don Mills - Corp Research Associates; CEO
http://cra.ca
Francis Fares - Fares Real Estate; President
http://www.faresinc.com
Fred George - Gammon Gold (Now named AuRico Gold); Former CEO
http://www.auricogold.com
Jim Spatz - Southwest Properties; CEO
http://southwest.ca
Patrick & Sean O'Regan - O'Regan's; Co-Owners
http://www.oregans.com
Colin MacDonald - Clearwater Seafood; CEO
http://www.clearwater.ca/en/home/default.aspx

Stach27's commentary:
So just to round this up, we have multiple property tycoons, a market research company, a seafood giant, an automotive retail chain and the former CEO of a gold mining company leading the charge for a CFL team. That seems like a hell of an ownership group to me.

I think having property people on board is key as to make this work, it is going to have to be part of a larger property redevelopment deal, sort of like Lansdowne in Ottawa. With the CFL salary cap, making a team work financially, or at least come way closer to break even isn't that hard. The Gliebermanns could fuck it up sure, but a competent operator should be OK.

For the CFL, adding a tenth team leads to a balanced schedule, which should have significant upside for all teams. Because of that, the CFL should figure out what that is worth and possibly make a small contribution in relation to that sum for building a new stadium.

Tim Horton's Field Progress Pictures, Not Looking Good

Here's two photos I took yesterday of Tim Horton's Field (I had gone to donairs@gage for the first time, pretty good but not as good as Germany). Progress isn't looking particularly good. Considering that the Ottawa stadium already has some seats installed and from what I can see the Ticats has none, things are looking a bit grim for the opener which is basically four months away. 

Obviously it has been a bad winter by recent historical standards. However the silence from both the Ticats and quiescent local media is interesting. Certainly a lot could be accomplished in the last four months, however even the rest of March is looking colder than average with a possible storm tonight.

I'm less surprised the Ticats are staying quiet, but what is sadder is the lack of reporting from Hamilton media. So as a lowly blogger, don't be surprised if the stadium is severely late.

Bad Weather, Is Tim Horton's Field Even Farther Behind

In a post on January 22, I reacted to the news that the new Ticats stadium is behind schedule, for various reasons, including the weather and a bankrupt contractor.

It is now the 30th of January and the weather since the 22 has been really, really cold in Hamilton, probably the worst case scenario for stadium construction. No days of thaw have occurred in that time period either so the site is going to be snow and ice encrusted.

If February ends up being colder than normal, the stadium project could be really behind. In theory construction could be sped up with more workers, but with five months until July first, we are coming to crunch time. Missing the first few weeks of July can be accommodated by the schedule, two months becomes a major problem. Expect a delayed schedule this year as well.

Probably a media update will arrive some time in February.

Toronto Argonauts Must Move From Roger's Centre By 2018

Here's the definitive Globe and Mail article on the subject. The Blue Jays want to install natural grass in the Dome and that precludes the Argos from playing there. I assume that for Grey Cups, the grass is removed at the end of the baseball season and thus Grey Cups in November can be played there.

So the Argos have to find a new home. MLSE has already mulled buying them and having them play at BMO Field. The Argos could play their potentially 11 games a year there on the natural turf without too much damage (rugby is already played on it), however MLSE could put back in artificial turf. That could make CFL haters the Red Patch Boys and former Toronto mayor David Miller* crazy, however Toronto FC has sucked its entire existence, but with and without grass. As I already mentioned in another post, having the Argos play at BMO on national television would boost the value of the naming rights.

Potentially the Argos could try an ultra cheap bare bones stadium somewhere or other. Really the Argos need a small stadium around 20,000 seats they can fill and the CFL needs the television money. People will watch the Argos on television but they won't watch TFC. Maybe the Argos could partner with the rugby and cricket folks for a stadium.

One thing to consider with television is that the CFL needs the Argos. They may be willing to fund $5 million per year over 20 years to help with a new stadium. Perhaps the Argos could partner with a developer and have some condo towers integrated with the stadium and get some money that way. This issue will probably simmer for a few years and then heat up.

*At least current Toronto Rob Ford is a CFL supporter, even showing up at a game in Saskatchewan.

How Much Is Investor's Group Paying for Naming Rights in Winnipeg

I've been trying to figure out how much Investor's Group is paying for naming rights for the new CFL stadium. The best I can find is this article, which suggests maybe $500,000 a year.

"Back in 2001, the football club sold the naming rights to Winnipeg Stadium to Canad Inns, a Manitoba-based hotel chain, for $1.5 million over 10 years ($150,000 annually). The deal wasn't great for the Bombers, as they had little leverage with a crumbling stadium and a product that didn't enjoy the rabid fan base it does today.

Sources in the business community indicate the club was looking for at least $500,000 a year for the rights this time around, but Thompson wouldn't confirm that figure or expand on what Investors Group is on the hook for."

Probably with all the high MERs Investor's Group mutual funds charge, the company can afford half a million a year, plus a Grey Cup will be hosted there soon too. The price Canad Inns was paying seems like a steal.

What will the Ticats get for their new stadium? Is $500,000 possible for an Ivor Wynne site with minimal traffic going by?

Ticats Pan Am Stadium Plans

There's a city PDF document noting some zoning changes for the new stadium (hat tip to Hamilton Skyscraper Forumer Steeltown for pointing it out). There seems to be some interesting information in it, but I've only had a quick glance.

On page 28 there's a map of the site. I was surprised to see that the former (or soon to be former) Brian Timmis stadium ends up being only 220 parking spots. I thought it would have been more than that.

There's some mention of some retail, but I haven't looked into it too much. Some retail would be certainly good for the area. A Ticat themed sports bar incorporated into the stadium would be good too and the logical place to watch away games.

I'll go through it more on the weekend and will make another post if warranted.

Ticat PanAm Stadium More Expensive

As far as I can tell, two guys faxed Hamilton city hall and now the city has to pay millions of dollars extra per year. Mystifying? Sure, and now the weirdness is threatening to drive up the cost of the new stadium. PC leader Tim Hudak could help the city by promising to end this madness if elected.

From annoying to really annoying, I've noticed that Hockey Night in Canada is being festooned with a never ending series of ads for Cheetah Power Surge involving Frank D'Angelo and some motorcycle. Who is buying Cheetah Power Surge? Whoever you are, please stop. I think all the federal party leaders can agree that Canada needs less Frank D'Angelo on the television.

Diversity Required for Ivor Wynne Stadium Bidders

Considering how hard it has been to come together on a reasonably priced option for a Pan Am stadium, the news that the stadium will require bidders to have a diversity policy is concerning. For smaller projects, I have less problems with such requirements, however for something as large and possibly prone to cost overruns as a stadium it seems like something designed to drive up costs. I'm sure any competent large bidder will be able to do what it takes to comply, but there will be a needless cost of some provincial staff in Toronto to administer this.

The city wanted to administer the project itself, but the province said no and put it under Infrastructure Ontario, which while I haven't checked, I'm pretty sure is located in Toronto. Personally since this is a Hamilton project, I would prefer as much be spent in Hamilton as possible and as little as possible on fatcat provincial staffers located in Toronto.

McGuinty Saves the Day!

So the province has coughed up an extra $22.5 million for the Ivor Wynne rebuilding, according to this National Post article by Mark Masters. With Hamilton Mountain being a critical seat for the Liberals in October's election, Dalton was probably looking for something to help out MPP Sophia Aggelonitis. Interesting also that the province thinks the Cats should only miss season while Ivor Wynne is rebuilt. Certainly a string of early away games, plus maybe a home game in Moncton would free up a July for an extra month of building.

Hopefully now the stadium issue will be relatively settled and the Ticats can go back to trying to rebuild their brand.

Will the Province Help Out the Stadium?

Mayor Bob Bratina seems to think so, according to this Spec article. Certainly a possibility. One small issue I have with the narrative in the article is the contention the Cats are putting in nothing to the stadium. The stadium surcharge plus naming rights is something, although the city would obviously prefer something upfront.

I'm somewhat concerned about the two seasons the Cats will apparently miss while Ivor Wynne is rebuilt. I was hoping that a combination of a bunch of road games at the start of one season, plus maybe a home game or maybe two in Moncton would help bring it down to a single season.

More Ticats Stadium Stuff, Harper Cash?

Here's a National Post article from Mark Masters about today's council meeting. Certainly a lot of coverage on this issue from Masters of late, although if you're the CFL guy for the Post there's not a lot to do in January is there? West Harbour looks totally dead and Infrastructure Ontario overbudgets everything. An agency named Infrastructure Ontario doesn't leave me with a lot of confidence.

Weirdly convenient timing on a Globe and Mail article about the federal Conservatives having an extra billion lying around for funding stadiums. What's that, Hamilton has a stadium that needs funding? Hamilton has seats in play in the next federal election (and provincially too). Personally if Regina and Quebec got money and Hamilton didn't, I'd be up in arms, but if Hamilton gets a share then I'm quite willing to toss out my libertarian principles.

I'm actually getting tired of having to make so many posts in January. It just isn't right. There should be a smattering of weak posts, including my yearly one demanding that TSN broadcasts a preseason game (although I heard a rumour that a Rider one might actually got broadcast, so maybe my griping has paid off). Hopefully next year goes back to normal.

Ivor Wynne Funding Gap?

The National Post has an article that there is an a funding gap for Ivor Wynne: "The plan to build a new facility where Ivor Wynne Stadium is currently located will cost between $156.5-million to $174.5-million, according to a report by Hamilton city staff. The report indicates the project is facing a funding gap of between $36.5-million to $54.5-million."

This is a bit mystifying to be. Other sites requiring extra money wasn't a surprise, however Ivor Wynne doesn't need any new infrastructure. The roads, sewers, public transit etc. are already in place. Also with regards to the stadium itself, it seems that only cosmetic improvements will be made to the North side stands, so what's new is the 15,000 seat South side part, which isn't a lot of seats and why the costs would be so high for this when other jurisdictions have built 15,000 to 20,000 seat stadiums for reasonable costs is strange. I haven't seen the report, but it seems like interesting reading. Perhaps there was no possible way a stadium can be built for a reasonable amount of money. Also if it costs so much for Ivor Wynne, how much extra would it have cost at the West Harbour.

Ticats Staying at Ivor Wynne

As a fan who has always liked Ivor Wynne, I'm pretty pumped about the announcement to rebuild the stadium, especially the fact I can still go to the Prince Edward Tavern before or after games. The possibility of hosting a Grey Cup again in Hamilton is also exciting.

There's a lot of questions. I'm hoping that some stores or other commercial activity is included. Ward 3 can use the commercial activity and more choices for shopping. More parking spaces are certainly needed, but I wouldn't want to see a sea of them. Will Bob Young still bother with a soccer franchise?

Hopefully Hostco can be placated to release funding, but considering the organization ultimately answers to their provincial and federal masters I don't see this as a big problem.

When Did the Ticat Paletta Talks Start?

An interesting question is when exactly the talks with Paletta about the Aldershot land for a stadium began. I seem to remember Bob on CHML talking about alternative to West Harbour on CHML and mentioning the Hamilton side of Aldershot. I'm going to search for when that interview took place, but it would seem that initial discussion would have to have occurred before that date.

National Post Live Stadium Chat with Bob Bratina

The National Post is apparently hosting a live chat about the new stadium with Mayor Bob Bratina Tuesday at noon. The mayor is starting to look pretty isolated from council and is only a single vote. Should be interesting nevertheless.

Stadium to Cost Burlington $0

The Spec has an article with the consortium behind the Aldershot stadium claiming there will be no cost to the city of Burlington. I'm a bit skeptical, mainly because every Hamilton site proposed ended up with significant extra costs. This does seems like a bit of a Hail Mary, because support in Burlington seemed to be trending against the stadium. It will be interesting to see the amount that the Cats end up contributing.

Apparently Hamilton can still try for a 6000 seat stadium at West Harbour, which would preclude government funding for an Aldershot site. The concern I have about this is what the Ticats would do if the city effectively kiboshed their stadium.

Aldershot Already Stillborn?

Somewhat shockingly, the Aldershot stadium deal is already on thin ice. Crotchety Burlington taxpayers not on board? Who could have predicted that? I suppose my question after this fails, does Ticat president Scott Mitchell resign?