Montreal situation

[Blue In BC]

Ownership transferred to the CFL. Here we go again. This is not good. Do we know how much money the Als lost in 2021 and 2022? An expedited sales effort is underway and it seems there are interested parties. Let's hope this works out quickly with new owners put in place.

An exodus of players won't help this problem either.

[the paw]

Let's hope they can find an owner under 80 years old, and has no idiot children or sons-in-law.  High bar, I know.

Seriously, why doesn't the league facilitate creation of a community ownership model like in the West.  Its the only model with proven long term stability.

[blue_gold_84]

Precarious situation for sure.

Hopefully this can all get sorted out in short order. Community ownership could be a possible solution.

[Jesse]

Well, we knew it wasn't great.

Obviously the wrong choice was made last time they sold the team. It's clear there wasn't a succession plan in place.

Hopefully a more long term option is available.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

The instability in Montreal isn't great for our league which already is struggling to maintain a foothold in the Canadian sports market.    A recent poll indicated that 2/3s of Canadians prefer the NFL to the CFL!
The CFL can ill afford to lose another franchise and Montreal has been unstable for awhile now....again.   
The tiny stadium doesn't help matters and restricts gate revenue even when they were doing well.    The CFL is a bums in seats driven league and can't rely on TV revenues to underpin the league as in the US who have more than 10 times the market size and marketing to back it up.
I'm also not very impressed with our current commissioner who imho has done a poor job of marketing our league hence the interest in the NFL versus the CFL.
Don't get me wrong, I can't watch the NFL just because of all the hype and  the inflated salaries.....and honestly I just can't stand 4 down football. What was the average cost of a ticket for the Superbowl?   In the previous game they were between $6000-$7000 a ticket!  Only the wealthy and nouveau riche' could afford to watch the game live.  Yet I was able to attend my very first ever Grey Cup in 2019 and my ticket was $300 and it was at midfield row 30!!   I met people from all across Canada and it was the best party I had ever been to,   The CFL truly is a unique Canadian sporting event.   I met two dudes from Seattle who travel to the Grey Cup every year because they love the camaraderie of the fans and love our game more than the overhyped NFL.   I was sitting at the bar at Big Ts between a couple from Saskatchewan and 3 people from Seattle.    We struck up a football conversation naturally and the couple from Saskatchewan were in their late 70s and this was their 50th consecutive Grey Cup....and incidentally,  they were cheering for us!   The people from Seattle were in their mid 30s and loved our game and said nothing like this could ever happen in the states.   They loved the atmosphere created by this game and said there was nothing like it party wise.   Being my first Grey Cup  ever, I couldn't have agreed more.
I'm worried about the survival of our league and hopefully some rich CFl aficionado can buy the team and keep the franchise afloat...

You don't know what you have til it's gone....
https://3downnation.com/2023/02/13/rock-legend-dave-grohl-thanks-canada-for-inventing-football-in-super-bowl-commerical/

[theaardvark]

I get Molson as a more intimate venue, but what is happening in the Big O? 

If they ever made the Big O available for football again (especially if they fix the corners), even for things like the Grey Cup, it could make Montreal a much stronger franchise...

[VictorRomano]

Montreal fans have been complaining about wanting community ownership for a few years.  Looks like they are going to get it.  Now everything is on the fans - show up to games, or this team will fold permanently in 2-3 years.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I get Molson as a more intimate venue, but what is happening in the Big O? 

If they ever made the Big O available for football again (especially if they fix the corners), even for things like the Grey Cup, it could make Montreal a much stronger franchise...

No idea what that stadium is used for anymore, it sits on valuable real estate, I'm surprised it hasn't already been torn down to make way for other projects.

[Horseman]

I get Molson as a more intimate venue, but what is happening in the Big O? 

If they ever made the Big O available for football again (especially if they fix the corners), even for things like the Grey Cup, it could make Montreal a much stronger franchise...

The Big O is falling apart, mostly from the shotty concrete that was used, there was corruption and fraud in the construction process at the time. Bottom line, it is not a safe venue to play in.

[blue_gold_84]

I get Molson as a more intimate venue, but what is happening in the Big O? 

If they ever made the Big O available for football again (especially if they fix the corners), even for things like the Grey Cup, it could make Montreal a much stronger franchise...

A 50-year old stadium that's falling apart wouldn't help the organization.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The Big O is falling apart, mostly from the shotty concrete that was used, there was corruption and fraud in the construction process at the time. Bottom line, it is not a safe venue to play in.

Looks like they still hold big concerts and trade shows in it, it's either safe or it's not, there's no in-between.

[wpg#1]

  A recent poll indicated that 2/3s of Canadians prefer the NFL to the CFL!

They ask the same stupid question every year JUST before the super duper Bowl. That's what people are thinking of, so that's the answer.

[DM83]

A shoddy ancient falling apart stadium....like the one they play in now at whatever University that is?  McGill.

Let's quit dicking around.  Move Toronto to Windsor
Move Montreal to Quebec City or Moncton/Halifax

Hey Ho!

[blue_gold_84]

Looks like they still hold big concerts and trade shows in it, it's either safe or it's not, there's no in-between.

Pretty sure it's safe. I just don't think there's any interest in using it as a CFL.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Pretty sure it's safe. I just don't think there's any interest in using it as a CFL.

Yah, I think it lacks a tenant and the Als prefer playing in Molson Stadium, probably way cheaper to rent.