Weird I've been hearing that for the past 15 years and it still isn't true.
Is there even a single statistic that indicates what you're claiming?
Calgary city council approves arena deal (UPD: new deal upcoming?)
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Weird I've been hearing that for the past 15 years and it still isn't true.
Is there even a single statistic that indicates what you're claiming?
I don't think it needs to be a caution to anybody.
For generations hockey has thrived despite immigration, and in a lot of the cases second generation immigrants that I grew up with are much more fond of hockey than soccer despite still being fans of the latter. Short of immigrant families isolating their children away from hockey exposure I'm not sure why that would change at all going forward.
A lot of immigrant families are working for below living wages and simply cannot afford the sport. Soccer is cheaper so don't be surprised if those youth programs quickly overtake hockey and that will affect the city's sports culture going forward.
This has already been true for the last 20 years at least.
Why hasn't it happened? They may not play, but they certainly enjoy watching hockey.
It's happening. Look around and ask around. I know one local church that's been sponsoring soccer camps each spring. How many organizations sponsor hockey camps?
DoyleG
Reality sucks, Princesses!
Yet that means nothing.
Soccer camps have been going on for decades and yet its still on the margins.
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Lol I would bet a lot more of them than soccer camps.
Who knew that a church funding a youth soccer team was an indicator of soccer upending the NHL as the dominant sport in the country.
It means everything if you know what you're looking at.
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I don't think I need to put thought into it, it's clear as day that soccer doesn't hold a candle to hockey in this country now, in 5 years, in 10 years, and very likely in 50 years +.
For someone so interested in protecting the taxpayer wallet, suggesting building a Wembly style stadium in Calgary of all places is definitely interesting.
It's the way of the future. It's also the way of the present. People here claim that they want Calgary to be a world class city - world class cities have these stadiums and not NHL teams.
It should also be noted that these outdoor soccer stadiums attract concerts and events that don't always fit into a standard size arena.
ponder719
Haute Couturier
So what you’re saying here is that there are no world class cities in the US or Canada. Most people would point to New York, Los Angeles, Toronto… but they can’t be world class, held back as they are by the poison that is the NHL.
You make no sense.
Mightygoose
Registered User
CSEC CEO John Bean and Mayor Gondek had parallel press conferences.
I only listened to Bean's says much of the same as their statement yesterday. Didn't address the question if the two sides we're going to re open talks or what's next (i.e. Saddledome renos). Said they have not formally withdrawn from the agreement. There's a process to go through.
Tidbits from the Mayor's presser via Ryan Pyke of Flames Nation's feed.
It always is about the money.
So this things is not really 'dead'....at least not at this time.
Memories of their spat in the fall of 2017.
I only listened to Bean's says much of the same as their statement yesterday. Didn't address the question if the two sides we're going to re open talks or what's next (i.e. Saddledome renos). Said they have not formally withdrawn from the agreement. There's a process to go through.
Tidbits from the Mayor's presser via Ryan Pyke of Flames Nation's feed.
It always is about the money.
So this things is not really 'dead'....at least not at this time.
Memories of their spat in the fall of 2017.
Why? Immigrants play cricket but their offsprings are watching hockey. Again, participation does not directly translate into spectatorship. There are a ton of Canadians that have never played ice hockey but are hardcore leafs fans. Indian people, particularly Punjabi, are super into hockey and basketball here especially first and second generation. No one is watching Canadian or US cricket on tv.
Same thing with Soccer there are fields and programs everywhere in the GTA - heck my family couldn't afford to put me in Baseball or hockey growing up so I played soccer up until I was in highschool. I don't watch the EPL or MLS (unless TFC is in a playoff game) - and judging by the TV numbers for MLS in Canada participation is not leading into more eyeballs to soccer. I'll definitely be all in on the world cup but once it's done - yep back to the NHL/NBA/MLB for me.
DoyleG
Reality sucks, Princesses!
Gondek is just doing the "I had a gun put to my head" routine that Sohi and Ivison played out in Edmonton. Neither of them embraced the new arena even though they voted for it.
DoyleG
Reality sucks, Princesses!
He's just edging on.
I remember "soccer clinics" being run growing up in rural Alberta in the 1980s. Race or ethnicity had nothing to do with it but the idea that it was accepted as a "egalitarian type of sport" rather than any other reason. Its failure to overtake was the lack of top level competition that would keep people in the sport. Hockey always outnumbers soccer when you get into the older youth categories.
Having a indoor arena that can host any type of event is part of building world class cities. Stadiums don't work as its built based on what the club and community need. It's why you have such a variation in designs and concepts, withe smaller one's getting much more of the attention.
I'm saying you don't need an NHL team to be a world class city. World class cities tend to have things like high end soccer programs more often than they do NHL franchises.
Calgary doesn't need an NHL team to be a world class city.
Massive outdoor stadiums that don't have an MLB team are much, much bigger white elephants than arenas. Not even close. How did the investment in world class Olympic stadium work for Montreal?
You can fill an arena 300+ days per year, you can fill a stadium at 60,000+ in this country maybe once or twice. Maybe. That's also with probably fewer than 50 events at the very most that would draw any kind of crowd.
There are other cities in the country with world class stadiums that don't get used, not sure what would make Calgary different. Agree that Calgary needs one because McMahon would be an embarrassment even for a 3rd world country, but there is no way its a better taxpayer investment than an arena.
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You're right, but I can tell you that the team leaving would be much more dire for that city than a shoulder shrug and a shift to some theoretical soccer team that doesn't exist yet.
Guarantee a year out of Calgary not having NHL hockey that everyone in the town would sign up for handing over $300M of taxpayer money to get them back again. Considering no individual taxpayer would even see the impact of that relatively small amount of money personally anyways, its kind of a moot point. It's a lot easier to get to the right answer when "subsidizing private business" ideology is taken out of the equation, and the question becomes "is it worth it for the city of Calgary to front $300M to keep this institution in the city?" answer is a no brainer yes at that point IMO.
Headshot77
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How ironic would that be if them bickering over ~6m would result in them spending like ~250m more
I seriously doubt that. We need more firefighters, police officers and the equipment they need to do their jobs. If the Flames want to stay and make money here they need to pay for their own toys.
Good thing is its possible to have both!
We have invested in all of that in Edmonton and got an arena. Who'd have thunk?
Headshot77
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I feel like Quebec fans probably don't care if they get the Yotes, Senators, or Flames. They just want a team at any cost.
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