Meanwhile, in non-Coyotes news... (LeBlanc's CFL Efforts)

Things tend to go over budget in Nova Scotia,...like the recent rebuild of the schooner" Bluenose "
A wooden boat original estimate was $10 mill to rebuild it ...when they finished it, cost tax payers $24-25 millon ...lol

Expect that stadium if built ,to go way over..if they say it will cost 190 million ...it prob really will cost $250 -280 - $325 million when finished... maybe more..lol ...

 

as of Dec 21st so far 6000 season tickets have been spoken for....

 

Source/link, please...

 

Here it is!

https://www.tsn.ca/schooners-have-sold-6-000-season-tickets-1.1229847

it's actually deposits since where they'll play is still a patch of dirt....plenty of room for lawn chairs

 

Shouldn’t it be snowcats???

 

Isn't there a temporary seasonal stadium being built on the Wanderers Grounds in the interim? Or is that only for the CPL?

 

That's correct, the CPL team will play there. It's a 3 year lease, I think if the CFL stadium gets approved, the city will want the soccer team to move into it.

If the Schooners launch early, they'll likely play in Moncton.

 

As historic as the Schooners name adds to the Franchise

Halifax Mooseheads just feels right

 

Good to see The CFL potentially grow, even if by only one team.

I don't follow The CFL anymore, but back in the day used to watch games at former CFL Quarterback Rick Cassata's Bistro just outside of Buffalo. (Tonawanda, where he attended High School)

Winnipeg 1969, Ottawa 1971 - 1974, BC 1976, and Hamilton in 1976.

Throw in a WFL stint in 1975 with The Hawaiians, and you have quite a well traveled player!

 

That's Grey Cup winner Rick Cassata to you,pal.

 

Afl players will be making less, in some cases ALOT (like 200-300%) less than CFL players. The CFL min salary is just a little less than AFL salary. So sure once you include exchange rate your making better in AFL than CFL min, but only really unknown rookies are making league minimum.

 

It should be noted that the AAFL see the CFL as a means to an end. They expect players that playin the AAFL to be scouted over by CFL teams as well.

The AAFL would see killing the CFL off the same as one cutting off the right hand with the left.

 

But the AAFL or AAF doesn't have a CFL out, only a NFL out. If that's what you mean...

 

LeBlanc and co. looking at a scaled back stadium plan that could be expanded at a later time.

Atlantic Schooners scale back CFL stadium plans - HalifaxToday.ca

To quote

Anthony LeBlanc with Atlantic Schooners Sports and Entertainment now says they are discussing the possibility of a $130 million stadium that could be expanded in the future.

He told NEWS 95.7's The Rick Howe Show they're taking inspiration from Toronto's BMO Field.
"That facility intrigued us because that was built back in the early 2000s and when it opened, it was much more standard. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but a very functional stadium," LeBlanc said. "It had the capacity, it had some premium spaces, very good team spaces, but then they added to it as time went along"

They expect to know by mid-year if this plan is realistic or not.

 

From the article:

""All of us, including from what I can tell HRM and the province, we want to figure out if this is going to happen or not sometime this year," he said. "What we have indicated is, we feel that June is a reasonable time frame that we should all be aiming for to have some kind of definitive answers of if this is a go or not.""

Never change, AL...never change...

 

And it begins...

Again I'm rooting for him, I'm a big CFL fan, but I'm surprised the CFL granted him team #10 after Phoenix.

He must be a great salesman.

 

They haven't yet... well, officially.

 

What Halifax councillors think about backing a stadium

To quote:

"Earlier this week, [Anthony] LeBlanc said he hoped the team would begin play for the 2020 season, but he said the franchise could play in Moncton until the stadium was ready here.

[Halifax Regional Municipality Coun. Richard] Zurawski said he's not impressed with the lobbying effort for the stadium, which he views as pressuring council.

"Already, they have broken those two promises. They have engaged in a public relations exercise, sold advance tickets, naming of the proposed CFL team, and decided without consultation with council that Shannon Park is the site.""

Source: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-council-cfl-stadium-1.5010173

Hmmm...this all seems so familiar...

 

^--- LeBlanc will never change.

 

Who could have seen this coming?!?!?!?!

oh. right. everyone should have.

 

Maybe third time's the charm.

Or a strike out.

(Believe LeBlanc tried to bring an AHL team to Thunder Bay)

 

LeBlanc announces they signed a letter of intent with Canada Lands for the site at Shannon Park for the stadium plan.

www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/group-behind-proposed-schooners-cfl-franchise-closer-land-deal/

Also announced a partnership with Sports Nova Scotia. A nonprofit organization that oversees 50 sports in the province to use the place over 300 dates a year....a key to get public $$$.

'Community' part of the stadium at 12K seats with SSE pitching in to increase another 10K permanent seats with an additional 4K temporary seats. 22-26K seats in total.

 

Shades of ASU!

 

Difficult to compare this to something that never had the complete details revealed to begin with.

 

Maritime Team and Quebec City should be plausible scenarios. That 12th team is the issue but I think London Ontario would be the best bet. Financially that region can support a team and they really get the cold shoulder despite the population glut in a 100km area.

The playoffs should stay at 6 teams even with a 10 team league and honestly even a 12 team league as those BYEs should be well deserved. The schedule has been structured for 9 teams except the Ottawa hiatuses. Having 4-5 team divisions however makes it awfully hard to keep an even schedule.

In a 10 team scenario where divisions are 5-5 it allows for an even schedule as so:

Option A: 8 in division games, 5 out of division games+1
Option B: 12 in division games, 5 out of division games+1

The 8-10 option seems counter-intuitive but would maintain the 18 game schedule. More to the point, with the playoff format as it is you need the cross-over seeing as how the East can't just be guaranteed 3 of 4 teams making playoffs however 3 of 5 doesn't sound as bad. I still think the cross-over has merit however. That said a 13 game schedule raises the importance of each game and for a 10 team league you should want that. This also means the total amount of games played is 16-17 depending on getting BYEs. For the amount the players make, this should be a foregone conclusion. I also think you get away with higher prices. Right now I'd say 4 if not 5 of the Argos home games can be had for embarrassingly low prices on resale. In the 8-6 format that takes away 2 games.