Ralph Cantafio Gets a $8.5 million Soccer Upgrade

It is difficult to say why the Valour FC went out of business. A mediocre record over the years, an ownership base that meant well but was not dedicated beyond measure to the product, an oversized stadium, a TV deal that didn't get enough eyeballs on it and other things ganged up on the team and Bomber management put the lights out. It was sad given the mighty support of a group of fans and for Winnipeg's overall sports legacy.

A team must have a dedicated ownership, a facility to generate revenue, a TV deal and a stable league. In women's soccer, former professional and national women superstars are leading the charge of a league that is growing. The Northern Super League for women has done all those things. This was was the inaugurals year with six teams and Winnipeg had already been announced as the seventh team with Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex as home.

The women's national soccer team got its start back in 1986 at that facility and over the years, it has hosted a number of men's teams and still does. However, the two pitches have only 2,000 seats and 750 seats. Not nearly enough. It is curious that the University Stadium (formerly Pan Am Stadium) wasn't used which has 5,000 seats but it could have to do with how to monetize it. Too many teams suffer because they need to be able to extract every dime from a facility and the university is the one that owns the place now along with whatever concessions. It also has its own teams using the facility.

Built in 1991, the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex has been the go to for Winnipeg's soccer needs and been the place to act as FIFA training pitch and host to various sports events like the Canada Games. It fit the needs accordingly. In recent years it seemed like it was on a long list of city facilities in need of a purposed and an upgrade. The arrival of a professional national women's team was the right time to go to funders to do the job.

The new NSL team has no name yet. That will come later when the kit and marketing of tickets happens. In the mean time, the facility gets FIFA turf, lights and covered stand seating for 4,500. The federal government has been announcing spending on recreational facilities all over Canada and investing in athletes as well. It is part of generational spending on areas of the country that may have not seen investment between 30 and 50 years.

Soccer, despite thoughts to the contrary, is the most popular and accessible of sports in Canada. And yet we have only in recent years started to build indoor facilities so we can play year round. The outdoor facilities are usually small and shared with other sports such as football. Compared to the UK, Australia and the U.S., we have tiny facilities. That isn't an exaggeration. We may think we are big supporters of sports but compared to others, we are not.

The Valour FC really needed their own facility and revenue stream to succeed. How bad is it in Canada? Well, the Vancouver Whitecaps struggle with good crowds because they don't own their facility. In Toronto, the Toronto FC shared a football stadium with the Argonauts with Rogers owning the whole thing. It is a very small stadium for such a big city. Still, the federal government doesn't seem to be interested in helping Rogers, a massive corporation, from receiving a new building from the taxpayers.

Which brings us to Winnipeg. The expansion of women's soccer has exploded. The government sees it as an opportunity to get people active and a point of national unity. However, Winnipeg wasn't going to be ideal unless it could expands its misery small success complex. Moving yet another team, albeit female, into Princess Auto Stadium seemed a recipe for failure. That might one day be the future but it isn't there now. The right team for the right facility has to be the goal.

The Ralph Cantafio Success Complex is the right facility and getting the right pro team. By this time next year, the NSL should see success in Winnipeg. And soccer will continue to rise in the province as a result.

Don't Boo the Kids from UND at the Bomber Game

About five months ago, the Blue Bombers invited the University of North Dakota's Marching Band, the Pride of the North to perform at Princess Auto Stadium during the tilt against the Montreal Alouettes. Certainly, Canada and the U.S. have been at trade odds for more than a year but the relationship between UND and Manitoba is a long one.

Two of our present day players, one Canadian and one American, are alumni of UND. Despite the fact that we don't have a reciprocity agreement with North Dakota as we do with Minnesota, many Canadians (particularly from Manitoba) attend specialized programs such as speech pathology to sports programs like football and hockey. The owner of the Jets is a University of North Dakota alumni. Lots of people in Manitoba went there. It is the largest university in three state only two hours away from us and 

The management and players on the team have asked fans to be kind to the kids in the marching band and any North Dakota and Minnesota people attending. The social media outrage about the UND band was white hot. It isn't the kid's fault and nor are they responsible for the timing. Traditionally, around Grand Forks and Fargo where the universities are has been friendly territory for Canadians. It may be a Republican now state but it was once dominated by Democrats federally. Elections matter. And it is evidence of how things can change back and forth.

The uncivil behavior of fans on kids is misdirected. Thankfully, most of the heat might have been unleashed online. Bomber fans need to focus on the win against Alouettes. Appreciate the CF-18 flyovers, thank military in attendance and appreciate the kids who have come to entertain you in your barn. And if you can't watch, go to the Rum Hut and fill that trap so you are in a more cordial mood. 

Canada Day Celebration Princess Auto Stadium 2026

The Forks and Assiniboine Park don't do them anymore. Fireworks, that is. When evening comes on July 1st, most parks that we helped to build and pay for tell us, the citizenry, don't let the door hit you on the way out. We are told fireworks are bad. In the past few years celebrations have been somber. Lots of be ashamed about over 150 plus years. In Winnipeg, in particular, it has just turned into a shopping day. Not much free, not much to do, everything costing something.

But we are Canadian. We want to celebrate as Canadians. Trying to find our joy even when it isn't easy. This is why over the last few years, the Blue Bomber stadium has been a consistent place to get free Canada Day entertainment all day as well as fireworks at night. And the best part is that it is free. Unlike The Forks which stops programming at 5 PM, Bomber stadium is doing events right up to 10:30 PM. And yes, there are fireworks.

A mix of pop and country music will be on the mainstage and lots of activities for kids in the the tailgate area should keep people entertained. Parking is free where available at the University of Manitoba. There will be no park and ride for the event but there will be more city buses assigned for the event.

I'm not sure why The Forks and Assiniboine Park ends programming while the sun shines but they do. Hats off to the events they do plan but sending people off so early seems a missed opportunity. Part of it is the movement against fireworks. I know many want them banned but the government knows they would have to compensate businesses who operate in the province so they don't. However, many large public park areas have ended them forever. The days of 30 or 60 thousand people in Winnipeg gathering into the evening are over.

The Bomber stadium is one area in the city you can still have the full day event for the family. Good for Bombers.

TSN Signs Biggest Deal Ever for Broadcasting 2026

The new Commissioner of the CFL Stewart Johnston is a former TSN executive and it stands to reason the teams across the league were looking for a good TV deal to give them. The league got the highest price and the most game ever across TV, cable and streaming. The estimated amount of money paid out is $500 million over six years. The previous six years was $50 million season.

Bell Media does the most in broadcasts through TSN, CTV and Crave. They will carry 60 of 81 games on Thursday Night Football  and Friday Night Football games starting on next year. DAZN becomes the new streaming partner and will start a new Saturday Night Football program for CFL that has its own broadcast crew, play by play, colour and sideline staff. All CFL broadcasts will be available on DAZN internationally for free.

DAZN is a paid service premium versus watching on basic cable. All sports watching has a fee attached, it will just be curious what one game a week on DAZN ends up costing. Their basic service now is $29.00 Canadian a month. That might be steep for a month where your team only places once or twice on the channel.

As for YouTube, they will be covering pre-season games. Not clear on if they have their own broadcast team for that. They will also cover the CFL Combine which is exciting because it really is a fan experience when done right. There will also be a lot of CFL material on YouTube such as highlights and other features. An All Access behind the scenes show is planned.

To be sure there is a need for more clarity on exactly the costs and the coverage for this extended CFL coverage. It is doubtful Americans would pay that type of money for one NFL game a week for a subscription so why would DAZN think Canadians would? Hope the company clarifies this as there are sure to be questions. Two play-off games are to be on DAZN. Do you need a year subscription to get those?

Make no mistake this is a very good news story for the CFL. They money stabilizes the league finances for years to come. There may be more TV deals coming. The U.S. rights are currently held by CBS Sports for $1 million a year. It stands to reason there may be more coming, especially if there are more teams and more product. Could we see a CBS renewal and more term and money? Or are their other sports networks out there that might want the CFL?

There are a lot of rule changes this year so we'll see if the product on the field makes for exciting football. It is still unique compared to the NFL. That has always been a strength. Too much like the NFL though and there question might be: why a CFL at all? 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2019 Grey Cup Champions - And what's next?

Joy.

The players have had it the last number of games. And they had in the Grey Cup final in Calgary this past weekend. Play and play, they smiles, the laughter and sheer joy was seen on the faces of the players as well as the fans.

We've had teams with swagger, confidence. The Blue Bombers may not have won since 1990 but it had been to the show a number of times. They lost in 1992. They lost in 1993. They went a lot of years of bad football. They lost in 2001. They lost in 2007. They lost 2011.

They lost heartbreakers. They were outplayed. They blew it so many times that we almost expected to be kicked every year even when we looked like a good team. Even when we played like a good team. We were cursed.

Cursed.

Catastrophic injuries, penalties, missed plays, poor QBs, poor management, sometimes poor coaching and Bombers went year and year without winning and even missing play-offs.

In recent years, they added people here and there in coaching or players. A few free agents, a few good drafts, some development. Brought Winnipeg players on who really get what this is about in terms of commitment. Even with all that, the curse of injuries or encounters with teams that seemed unbeatable confounded the Blue Bombers. It is kind of crazy that 28 years just seemed to pile on.

As been mentioned, hard times have ebbed and flowed in Manitoba. By 1990, deep cuts were happening at all three levels of government. The early 1980s had been hard but we seemed to finish the decade a bit better. The 1990s hurt. People had been leaving in the 1980s. By the 1990s they were pouring out of the province. As bad as parts of Canada was cuts, Manitoba seemed to be worse.

And the football teams go to the show in the early part of the decade and then stopped. To top it off, the Jets left in 1996 and we were the arson/murder capital that was on its knees. In 1997, the whole province flooded and we nearly lost the city.

Slowly, we crawled out of recession, deficit and tried to find our economic footing. In 1999 we felt that pride again when we hosted the Pan Am Games and did a great job. We hosted World Junior Hockey and curling events but try as we might our football team couldn't win the big one nor could our AHL Moose team and we were a long way away from getting the Winnipeg Jets back in 2011.

In recent years the return of the Winnipeg Jets has stolen Bomber thunder. The Winnipeg Jets street parties showed just how much the city was craving to celebrate together. And boy did they ever with thousands upon thousands coming out.

This year's march to a Grey Cup was very much something that was won on the road. Signs across the city made the hashtag of For the W trend. Winnipeg fans almost feared to hope. Injured quarterback, young quarterback trying, a doping scandal, a record reflecting a good but hard to measure as great team.

The arrival of Collaros was promising but he too had suffered terrible injury and no one knew if he really was out of the woods. In the end, the team showed a level of collaboration and drive and joy of playing that wouldn't be denied.

We are already seeing some of the talented coaching staff being hired away. Some quarterbacks are likely to go as well and free agents. Still, the monkey is off the Bombers back, they had a great win and the resulting parade, social and family day showed just how much happiness the city felt for bringing home the Grey Cup.

It has been a tough number of years for Manitoba and not just in sports. For every bright spot we sometimes seem to be hit by setbacks. It isn't lost on anyone the desperate addiction and crime wave recently. And yet for a brief moment, we had joy and that brings out even the saltiest of us out to Portage and Main.

Summer of Sports

Wish this:

And this:

And this were all going on this week.

So amazing when baseball, football and hockey are on all the same time in Winnipeg. Alas, we will have to wait till fall to to get them all back together again.

Manitoba: 2016 Our Not So Horrible Year?

It was a depressing year for some people across Canada and the world. A lot of factors probably accounted for it. Elections don't bring out the best in some people. The economy remains mixed. War mars several areas of the world and refugees suffer for it. A number of beloved artists in literature, film and television have passed away. Many people have had personal family, work and other challenges this year that have left not at their best.

A recent poll asked Canadians how they felt about 2016 and the only place that had signs of positive belief was in Manitoba. So what would account for a annus mirabilis versus a annus horibillis? The poll didn't drill down into why Manitoba polled differently. Did Manitoba suddenly have a soaring economy? No. Did Manitoba have the best year ever for weather? No. We did have a good year in arts and sport. It was another solid year of festivals. But did this all contribute to us being more positive about things than others?

No one can really know all the factors of each individual person in the province. For some who lost a loved one, it could have been a truly terrible year. Lost a job, relationship problems, health issues can all have an affect.

In general though, let's speculate on why Manitoba might be feeling a little better about 2016 and positive about 2017.

1. Economic growth. The province has seen growth that is tangible in that people are seeing construction, new businesses open and more people working and seeing paychecks. RBC confirms they expect Manitoba to take lead on GDP growth in Canada.

2. Population growth. October to this past October was highest growth in Canada for population. People can see it in the streets. It's busy and busy attracts people.

3.Cultural Strength. Most festivals continue to show resilience from JazzFest to Country Fest and from Folklorama to Folk Festival. The organizers, programming, volunteers and attendance made the province attractive for things to do almost every weekend. And let's not forget theatre, ballet and dance.

4. Sports. Jets didn't make the play-offs but the draft produced one of those rare talents in Patrik Laine that excites everyone in the NHL. The Bombers did make the CFL play-offs and had a great final half of the season. We'll be still debating that last field goal attempt for years to come. The Goldeyes won the American Association Baseball championship in a very exciting season! Our curlers always make us proud as well. Lastly, the amateur athletes at every level and age and sport find support and interest from an abundance of Manitobans.

5. Politics. A new mayor of Winnipeg and a new premier of Manitoba took over the province and while there are inevitable criticisms, they remain relatively popular. An initial sense of renewal marks the the beginning of the mandate. It probably helped that there was no spring flooding or extreme forest fire season that would have represented major challenges to government. People seem patient within reason to let the leadership figure out a path in 2017. A new PM federally also seems to remain generally popular early into his mandate.

6. Family. Every year families go through life, death and change but anecdotally, it seemed more people were doing it together and coming together. For decades Manitobans have spread themselves across the continent for opportunities and employment but a lot seem to have been attracted back because of family. It helps fuel much of Manitoba's present optimism.

There are sore points to be sure. The Pas and Churchill had a horrible 2016. Glimmers of hope are there but it was a bad year. First Nations life remains the challenge of the province in terms of making concrete improvements. Deficits. The problems of service, spending and taxation never go away. Crime. Still too much of in Manitoba. Substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol plague the province and the county in general. De-criminalizing marijuana is coming but Manitoba still has basic issues with alcohol abuse and with fetal alcohol exposure. It is not difficult to see how some of the bad issues appear to be has linked together as the good issues.

What Manitoba does not appear to be is anxious or overly upset the way other jurisdictions are. That could change but for now 2016 was not bad and 2017 would look to okay so far to denizens of the province.

Happy New Year!

Blue Bomber Store Grand Opening Polo Park

Polo Park Store Near Starbucks

Seemed like a no brainer that with Grey Cup this year that the Blue Bombers should have a store beside what they have at Investor's Group Field. For a time before moving to the south of Winnipeg the Bombers had a fair sized store in St. Vital Centre. The ended with the team moving south.

It seemed natural that having a store in the Polo park area to replace the stadium store would happen. Alas, it didn't. As the Jets will tell you, marketing can help the bottom line and if merchandise is sold by the team it can be tied to all sorts of promotions.

The Winnipeg Jets used to have a good store in Polo Park in the 1990s. Sadly, the revenue earned there was no substitute for a salary cap and owning your own building. Not to mention a high Canadian dollar.

On May 23, the grand opening takes place for Polo Park Bomber store. It is set up to stay there until December upon which time they will re-evaluate.

Every year I get drawn in by the Blue Bombers. It has been a long time since we have been able to see them challenge for and win the Grey Cup. Hopefully a hometown team is all dressed in their best Bomber clothes to see a victory.

ESPN Attended Blue Bomber Game

Drew Willy Celebrate Wins Over Toronto

ESPN's Peter King was at the Winnipeg Blue Bomber game last Thursday as they faced off against the Toronto Argonauts. This is what he reported.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers hadn’t done a lot of winning the past two years. Last season’s record was a dismal 3-15. Now, they were starting over, with a defensive scheme no one seemed to know anything about, and a new starting quarterback, Drew Willy, who had only a smattering of spot starts to his name at any level of professional football.

But it’s the same thing we say about parents: They worry because they love you. And boy, do Winnipeggers love their Blue Bombers. That only deepened when the NHL skipped town for 15 years, leaving the Canadian Football League Bombers as this sports town’s pro team.

And of course we apologized about the weather as ESPN was here as well.

However, he was impressed with us even with a tepid turn out as people still stewed from last year's terrible performance.

So when Willy completed his first drive ever as a professional QB1 with a 27-yard touchdown pass—one of those fade routes that works so well in the vast 20-yard CFL end zones—there was a cavalcade of noises. Where were we, Seattle? The Bombers’ modern, U-shaped stadium looks like the Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field, and for being half the size—and far from full last night—it sounded a little like it, too.

They ring cowbells here (a crossover from the sport of curling, one of the locals said) and, after every score, a little bomber jet driven by “Captain Blue” takes a spin around the end zone printed with the University of Manitoba seal. The Bombers’ 7-0 lead over the Toronto Argonauts was cause enough for a “LET’S GO BOMBERS!” chant to reverberate off the tin roof.

Compared to noisy Seattle?

And ESPN's concluding remarks:

Sure, leads have a way of vanishing in the CFL. The game moves so quickly, and inside the three-minute warning, the clock stops after every play. But this wasn’t a tease, not for those fans in the stands who have had season tickets in their family for more than 50 years, dating back to the dynasty years of Ken Ploen and Bud Grant. No, last night, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers knocked off the best quarterback in the league and the would-be favorite in the CFL’s Eastern Conference, and the score—45-21—wasn’t even close.

“The fans needed this win,” O’Shea said. “This community needed it. That’s important, too.”

After the game, Willy found out that his friends back in the States were able to watch him play on ESPN 3. Then, he picked up his game check from a staffer sitting on a folding chair in the hallway.

This is the charm of the CFL. As fans sing over the national anthem at Bombers games, God keeps their land glorious and blue.

Predictions for 2014 in Winnipeg Part 1

First: Let's do sports.

* My prediction in 2014 is that Winnipeg will land a Western League Hockey franchise with a start up in 2015. It will be owned by Jet's owner True North and will not be called the Winnipeg Warriors because the old Winnipeg team moved to Moosejaw in 1984 and retained the name. Expect a push for Victorias but it may not be as easily marketable.

* The Winnipeg Jets will just edge into the play-offs after a very good January through March where they move past Minnesota, Colorado and Dallas who suffer from a slump and injuries. They will be knocked out of first round in six games but more confidently retain coaches into 2015 season.

* The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will win the 2014 Grey Cup. Don't ask how. It just happens because...well because this is the CFL and that is how this league works, dawg.

* The Winnipeg Goldeyes will make the play-offs only to suffer at the hands of old rivals. However, it will be another fine summer in the sun.

* The The University of Manitoba Bisons Football team will also win in the upcoming year.

* Manitoba's athletes will do us proud in Olympics and provincial, national, world events.

Central Canada Comic Con 2013

Me and co-worker at Comic Con

Another Central Canada Comic Con (C4) in Winnipeg has gone by and once again it has surpassed the previous years.

Next years will be 20 years since the start of the trade show and fan exposition. Things could not have been more humble. In 1994, the convention was held in a smaller hotel ballroom and was shared with antiques and toys through Manitoba's Collector's Expo. Six years later, comics pushed to the fore and the convention was named Manitoba Toy and Comic Expo. Add another six years in 2006, the name became Manitoba Comic Con.

The addition of celebrities from TV, film and beyond came just a year later in 2007. It exploded attendance and there was no choice but to seek a larger venue.

In 2008, the Winnipeg Convention Centre became home to Comic Con and its present incarnation as Central Canada Comic Con. It is a non-profit organization and now hosts four events a year with the marquee event being C4.

 

Me and co-worker and friend at Comic Con

In 2012, attendance at Comic Con rose to a whopping 34,000. There are only two other comic and fan expos in Canada that pull in more people in Toronto and Calgary. It is uncertain what attendance for 2013 is but line-ups were even greater than years before. The three day event in November has become a huge media event.

Costumes have grown each year as well as make-up and the addition of wrestling and wrestling stars in recent years as brought more and more people downtown for the three day event. Cars like Back to the Future's DeLorean and Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine were displayed in the loading dock along with the wrestling ring. This was a brilliant and unothodox way to get more space on the floor and I can't believe the fire marshal didn't say: whoa!

As attendance moves past 35,000, the limitations of the RBC Winnipg Convention Centre begin to show itself plainly. Even with C4 moving to three floors next year, the space will be too small. 

The RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre is expanding and doubling its size. There are now several trade shows and conventions that challenge the present configuration with their attendance.

Here is something interesting to note: In addition to Comic Con, there was a football game with 30,000 plus people and a hockey game with 15,000 people going on...at the same time! In the afternoon, it seemed that all of the city had gotten into their cars to go out and take part in events. 

And what an amazing day it was. Sunny, warm and the downtown was filled with Jets uniforms and Jedi Warriors. Some wag said that all the losers were attending hockey, football and comic convention on Saturday. Well, that mouthy dude had his shirt pulled over his head, was taped to the uprights and was hit with phasers on fabulous for his troubles.

Winnipeg, you did yourself proud Saturday. Just one quibble: who set the time for all three events for Saturday afternoon! Yeek!

Tebow Cut.... Next Stop Winnipeg

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow has been cut from New England Patriots.

Next stop Winnipeg?

Montreal has the negotiating rights but they picked up their own former NFL quarterback Troy Smith to play in the last weeks because Anthony Calvillo is concussed. The 2006 Heisman Trophy winner has been signed for a 2 year contract.

And now Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner has been cut from his third NFL team in 18 months. It seems unlikely that Montreal could carry three quarterbacks this year so will they allow Winnipeg to negotiate a contract? I think the answer comes after tomorrow's game.

Winnipeg has four CFL quarterbacks right now. Someone is getting cut by the end of the weekend, maybe two somebodies.

Will Tim Tebow suddenly be in Winnipeg's future? A lot of things will have to happen but desperation could drive the bus.

So Winnipeg, take a knee. Prayers either way?

Investors Group Field: A Problem with NO Solution unless...

Investors Group Field, Southwood Gold Club just north

There is no solution for the logistical nightmare of Investors Group Field.

Blame the federal Conservative Party of Canada and the Stephen Harper government and particularly Vic Toews and Rod Bruinooge for this. When the predominantly female crowd at the Taylor Swift concert this Saturday have one very bad day getting to the venue...the heat will really rise.

Lost in all the recriminations is the fact that it was Vic Toews who rejected all other sites for the stadium in exchange for the $15 million federal dollars. The argument was he could justify it for university sports but not a CFL team. Of course it had nothing to do with it being a Conservative riding they were hoping to hold in the next election.

Anyway, let's set aside that for now. Stadium is built. By all accounts the building was accepted by fans if they actually got into it.

At the moment, there seems no way to alleviate impending doom of concerts, Friday games, university in the fall and carmageddon.

The screams will only get louder.

In short:

* It will take a lot of buses for the city to serve concert and football games. They need a clear route through for park and ride to the stadium and then out again.

* Bikes are a new aspect of concert and football attendance. They too need clear routes and enough stands to park. Even at the best of times they can be congested as it will probably take several minutes for a bike to be locked and unlocked and a group of people to enter and exit the site. Still, not a bad day if you have time and space. However, it won't be popular in snow in October or November.

* Walking. A mainstay of the old stadium. People used to park across the river and walk 30 minutes to Polo Park. People used to park in the industrial areas, the West End...all over for Canad Inn Stadium. The ability to park in neigbourhoods is limited in Fort Garry. There will be spots along Pembina. Some will become the favourites for fans. But you have to know where they are, how to get to them, be able to get to them and then have a clear way to walk to the stadium.

Bomber management and the city are left now to deal with the federal decision on the location and the provincial decision to fund that location at all costs.

It seems unlikely a solution can be found because the bottlenecks are almost too numerous to count.

As many have said, what is needed is a lot of parking nearby. 5000 spots that spread out over campus and a few thousand more spread out along Pembina are still too few.

I know University of Manitoba is loath to do but here is the solution:

Turn the entire Southwood Golf Club between Markham Road and Snow Street and University Crescent into a gravel parking lot beside the Investor's Group Field.

It is no secret that Markham Road has long been used by Victoria Hospital employees and University of Manitoba student to avoid paying for parking. Don't believe me. Look:

Markham at University Crescent...Student heaven

Markham cuts right through the old golf course.

The city and province already favour this route or something along this line as a transit corridor to the university. It is forecast that $18 million will be spent. I think that is lowballing it since major work needs to be done on Pembina to make it an effective rapid transit route. Nevertheless, the road is there now. How hard to run buses down and have a path to the stadium?

Oh my...stadium off Markham...so close

Markham is already a parking lot.

Cars, cars, car as far as the eye can see on Markham

Should not the golf course between Markham and the stadium be at at least considered for temporary parking?

Look at at all that space

Look at all those cars

It seems the province and city should work together, promise the University of Manitoba other logistical solutions regarding the transit corridor will be worked on but in the mean time: Pave that golf course! Or at the very least put gravel on it.

My personal bet is that you could put thousands of cars there and runs hundreds of buses down Markham.

I realize many people might not like this idea and the University probably fears the permanence of it. It need not be that way.

I still think at some point there will be parkades across from the stadium with overpass or underpasses.

Parkade me, please!

No doubt this could serve university interests and Bomber interests but the price tag for parkades on those two lots are probably a shade under $100 million.

It is going to be hard to stick to your guns on not using the golf course when disaster repeats itself over and over.

Well, there you have it. A solution. It has its own problems but one thing is certain: The Southwood Golf Course will be developed. Why not create this temporary measure on unused property now.

CFL on NBC Sports Network

It was announced today that the CFL has found a home on U.S. for some regular season games as well as all the play-offs including the Grey Cup.

Obviously, it is hard to get excited here in Winnipeg when the Blue Bombers are off to a poor start. However, it is good to have additional media coverage of our game in the U.S. market. Why? Well, we forget that we do have an audience down there of fans following the game for a variety of reasons. Plenty of Canadians are down in the U.S. for business and short and long term holidays. Now many will be able to enjoy the game.

The contract for 9 regular season games, East and West finals and the Grey Cup go to the newly dubbed NBC Sports Channel...formerly known as Versus...formerly known as Outdoor Life Network.

Comcast used to be the owner of OLN and it was a broadcaster of hunting and fishing shows. Later, the Tour de France gave the network huge appeal with massive coverage and a star...Lance Armstrong. For a time, the network was jokingly called the "Only Lance Network."

It proved to not be a joke when Armstrong was not racing. Ratings went down. OLN was presented with a unique opportunity to move away from cycling when the contract for NHL games came up. Comcast already owned the Philadelphia Flyers. It seemed a good way to build something beyond the sports that they already covered.

OLN became Versus the second year of the NHL contract in 2006. Due the poorer coverage of Versus over ESPN, ratings dropped. However, more money was offered as was the chance to build an audience.

Versus cast about for other sports that it could build an audience around like ultimate fighting, lacrosse and auto racing. College football was there as well. They teamed up with NBC Sports to do Olympic coverage and world events. Even Grey Cup games were broadcast on the network.

Everything changed in 2011 when Comcast bought a majority stake in NBC Universal. It was then that all disparate sports units of Comcast and NBC Sports were brought together. Hockey has played a big part and the cable network and the main network have shown hockey and watched the ratings climb. The Olympics will be a major boost too.

But the Olympics only last so long and the hockey loving owner of NBC now has to think about what to show in the late summer after Olympics and before hockey and college football. The answer is Canadian Football.

Now, this doesn't foreshadow the CFL's return to the U.S. with teams down there. But it could be another revenue stream for the league. We need to get a team back in Ottawa and possibly in Quebec City and Halifax and the way to do is a healthy bottom line and good audiences.

Toronto is still convinced that the less love it shows the CFL, the better chance they have in getting an NFL team. They are wrong.

If the NFL can say no to Los Angeles for an insufficient stadium, lack of a committed ownership group and undetermined fan base, you can can be sure they are looking at Canada'a largest city and wondering what compelling reason they would go there.

The CFL, not withstanding the Bombers icky play, has been on a bit of an upswing in ratings, with exciting games, new facilities and the like. It is a good thing to get more TV coverage.

Welcome to our U.S. audience.

Target to Abandon Polo Park Shopping Centre

Canad Inns Stadium


The rumour had always been that a large department store was going up on the site. Some hoped for Kohl's but the more likely candidate was always Target, a store that most certainly was going to find the Zeller's site at Polo Parking Shopping Centre too small to suit the needs of grocer and retail store.

Polo Park has been transforming itself in recent months. Target would drive traffic in the mall but but there might be a better match for the high fashion we are seeing now.

Cadillac Fairview and Shindico will partner up to develop the Canad Inns Stadium once the Blue Bombers decamp for University of Manitoba.

Just a guess but we could be seeing one of the first SuperTargets being constructed in Canada in early 2013.

As for the Zellers in the mall. It was scheduled to close once its stock was liquidated late in 2012.

What will happen to the old Zellers site? Can anyone say H&M Finally?

List Time - Sports and Recreation

Here are the top sports and recreation stories of 2010.

1. Adrenaline Adventures opens in December without one penny of government money and people enjoy snow tubing and in the future will enjoy wakeboarding.

2. The Chipman family with a large dollop of their own money and government money open their MTS Iceplex in Headlingley. Sports fans and moms and dads applaud.

3. Jonathan Toews wins a Stanley Cup in the NHL and then brings it home for a parade in July.

4. LPGA Golf played at the St. Charles Country Club. Best players in the world to watch right in the neighbourhood.

5. 2010 BDO Classic Canadian Open has curling giants of the world playing in January.

6. Winnipeg Goldeyes switch from Northern League to the American Association. They renew rivalries with some of old teams such as St. Paul who fled years earlier.

7. Mike Keane is finally retired as a pro player from the Manitoba Moose but becomes a key person in a high performance hockey training facility called The Rink.

8. The Phoenix Coyotes continue on with another owner in the desert of Arizona after a marathon Glendale council session. Winnipeg continues to wait in the wings as a potential owner with a ready rink and ownership group.

9. The Blue Bombers and the various levels of government minus David Asper announce the final stadium plans at the University of Manitoba.

10. The Under 17 World Hockey championships begin in Winnipeg December of this year and into January for the 2011 championship. They do it all over again next year in 2012. The first city ever to host it two years in a row.

New Stadium - Walk On, Fear the Boot

The stadium was approved by council using a method that the mayor says he disagrees with: the walk on. The vote ultimately was 14-2.

It is most likely that if the details of the price of this stadium were revealed before the election, that there might have been a lot more pressure on councillors to balk. Instead we have the traditional rush through council with the inevitable threats that things will only get more expensive if the decision is out off even one day.

The province is on the hook for the bulk of money. Some NDP supporters will say that this money well spent. Then problem is that there are a lot of these brilliant spending initiatives and few ones where the government is showing restraint. The city and province have limits to their liability. The province has none. There is no end to how much they are willing to spend.

The next provincial election will likely focus on fiscal responsibility. A big deficit and some huge projects and promises is going to give a number of people the jitters especially if interest rates are rising. The provincial NDP should fear the boot. Greg Selinger is showing little restraint and no matter how many times we hear that we need these projects, the question of how to control spending will not go away. So many worthy causes, none worth cutting leads to unimaginable deficits.

As far as city councillors and the mayor go, they should fear the nightmare at Polo Park from their development plans and realize it is likely to cost them a lot more to fix traffic problems than they think. Fear the boot. Sam Katz should be particularly ashamed by the last minute walk on for a critical vote.

To the federal Conservative government who made everyone dance to their tune by not approving any plan except one that put the stadium in a federal seat represented by their party, hope that no one notices just how bad the deficit is come election time next year. Fear the boot.

The New Winnipeg Stadium - Not

Work continues at the stadium this cold morning. I see a front end loader clearing earth and trucks hauling it out.

However, the deal that was supposed to be announced today appears to have hit a major roadblock according to the Free Press.

There has to be exasperation at this point. The private push for this is gone. It is a complete government financing deal for what will remain in all likelihood a community team.

The province looks to be on the hook for most of it and while supporters insist the deal pays for itself, this ignores the fact that it will be still taxes that end up paying for it all.

The fact that the total cost has still not been locked down or who will pay for what share is obviously the biggest point of contention.

A provincial election is less than a year away. Greg Selinger and the NDP know that whatever decision they make could end up hurting them.

I am starting to wonder if the government is beginning to think that no deal is the best deal.

The Angry and Fearful NDP

Increasingly, we are seeing more aggressive and nasty NDP attacks both on the official and unofficial levels. The TV and print ad campaigns have attacked Hugh McFadyen. This has been the official party response.

The unofficial response is to attack the media for not cheerleading their party. They lash out at the CBC, CJOB and Kick-FM. They fill the comments columns of Free Press and Sun with angry and fearful responses.

The bloggers of the NDP personalize and attack the Tory leader by calling him Hughie. They set up anonymous blogs to attack radio hosts and make accusations that could see them in court. I tried to pose a question on one of the blogs about whether the NDP planned on protesting any of the political shows on campus radio elsewhere across the country and within Winnipeg and was ignored. It would seem their concern was just for The Great Canadian Talk Show.

CBC reporters are referred to as:

individuals posing as reporters but are really just douche-bags

The NDP in Saskatchewan were thoroughly spanked for acting like spoiled brats for their fear and loathing campaign.

I believe some in the NDP are unaware of what a negative ad is. These ads fall into that category. I have explained before and will repeat again: contrast ads are negative ads.

There isn't anything wrong with negative ads but don't deny that you're doing them by referring to the truthiness of them. And don't pretend that that your unofficial campaign isn't making claims and namecalling in support of the NDP.

My guess is that this is likely to backfire if it continues to be over the top as it seems to have been over the last months.

No one is going to appreciate the claims that the NDP government will pay for a stadium no matter how far the cost will rise. Even a Blue Bomber fan is likely to have issues with that.

I suggest the official and unofficial campaigns cool it on the NDP front and maybe the party should come up with an exciting and perhaps, visionary policy platform.

CFRW Back to Sports

Back in 2001, CFRW became the Team sports radio station. The format lasted only a year before the station went back to oldies. The ratings were even more dismal than before their conversion to sports.

CFRW is now the only oldies radio station but has lingered near the bottom for years on the AM dial. The AM dial is now mostly talk.

Sports radio has been a successful formula in other cities. Toronto fans tune into their sports radio station is respectable numbers. The thing is that sports radio seems to succeed in cities with major league teams, specifically hockey when it comes to Canada.

CJOB remains firmly in control on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Manitoba Moose games in radio. CFRW has the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Unless CFRW is going to outbid CJOB for the rights to those games, they will be shut out of local coverage.

It would appear that CJOB knows that sports really helps their ratings. They have increased their sports talk shows with Hustler and Lawless which is a far ranging sports talk show hosted live in a Winnipeg sports bar.

The TEAM radio station that Winnipeg hosted was very much about syndicated sports talk shows like the Jim Rome Show. While that show was quite good, it was not a local program nor was it a live program hosted in the city.

It will be interesting to see if the re-emergence of sports radio will differ from what we saw in the past in Winnipeg. It may be that that CFRW is anticipating the come back of NHL to Winnipeg and if this is the case, it will be a real dogfight for broadcast rights. The station might be trying to get his sports chops in gear early.

Is it a coincidence that the MTS Centre is expanding their press box?



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