Gian-Luca
11-13-2005, 11:20 AM
Its actually a few days old but someone just posted this on bigsoccer. Never heard of the author before, but he's one to keep an eye on for the future. Great article, even (without naming names) rips apart Bob McCown.
Keep Ups: Stadium of dreams and nightmares
Gareth Wheeler
11/1/2005
Well, it's official. The proposed Toronto soccer stadium is set to become a reality, with Toronto City Council's 25-13 approval for the Exhibition Stadium site, finally giving the Canadian Soccer Association a stadium to call home. A new 20,000 seat facility in prime real estate with the potential for expansion … boy don't the Argos wish they were on board for this one!
It has been a long road for the CSA. Years of negotiation, partnerships, messy break-ups, and disappointment, the CSA should be commended for persevering and getting what they set out for. The process was sped up over the last couple weeks with Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment jumping on board. Its desire to bring an MLS team to the city of Toronto for 2007, combined with an October 31st deadline set by the MLS on whether or not Toronto would build a stadium, made the decision process a bit rushed. The stadium proposal was thrown in front of Toronto Council, where Mayor David Miller steadfastly supported the initiative and was able to obtain the desired votes to go forward with the project. An easy process, it was not.
Many tax-payers groups, councilors, and one out-spoken sports radio host vehemently opposed the use of tax dollars to fund the stadium, citing the monies should be used to support other more important expenditures. True, Toronto's roadways are, well, let's just say, have seen better days, and Toronto's police force could really use some more scratch to fund their ever more difficult fight against crime. But in the end, the offer on the table was just too good to ignore. For a measly $10 million of city monies, Toronto gets a stadium. In business terms, $10 million cannot even pay for half of Alex Rodriguez annual salary! For this $10 million, Toronto doesn't have to worry about A-Rod's lack of production in the post-season, but rather gets a product we will be able to see results from, not just in the city of Toronto, but nation wide.
After all the votes were cast and the project had the green-light to go-ahead, this one radio personality showed no restraint in voicing his complete displeasure of the stadium. Long opposed to public money being used to fund various other athletic endeavours, this stadium initiative was as easy of a target as any for criticism. It is not hard for critics to argue about where out tax dollars should go, but the argument becomes just that much easier when soccer is the culprit. Despite having the highest participation rate across Canada, despite our country's ethnic diversity and undying support for the game at all levels across the world, and despite the game's universal appeal, our media makes a point of pushing soccer to the periphery. Perhaps the lack of soccer coverage is not systematic, but instead may just be more convenient to ignore, or slander, a game many do not understand. Thus, the week-long of slandering by this individual, though not wholly inaccurate, goes a long way in highlighting the sheer ignorance of certain sectors of the sports media in their coverage of the game.
To be fair, he is not entirely off in his commentary. There are concerns about MLSE's role in the project, only contributing $8 million towards the $62.8 million project, but still receiving stadium revenues. The city will run the stadium but MLSE profits? This concern is well taken as the last thing the community wants to see is the stadium changed from a public initiative into one for private gain. Undoubtedly, MLSE got a ripe deal, putting minimal investment into the stadium they will profit from, if successful. However, it should not be overlooked that MLSE has a huge stake in the business of not only bringing a MLS franchise to Toronto, but making it a successful and profitable one. This means investment into the quality of the team, marketing of the product, and reaching out to the community. If done the right way, yes, they can rake in a nice little profit. But at the same time, this will benefit sports and particularly soccer fans across the country. The fact is MLSE, or another private investor, was entirely necessary to get this product off the ground. There was no way the CSA and public funding alone would be enough to get the stadium deal done. So the re-direction of profits to MLSE will have other tangible benefits, most importantly being the development of soccer in this nation.
First and foremost, there is a huge soccer following in this country, and more directly to the issue, in Toronto. It is a true urban sport that can be not only played, but enjoyed for an affordable price in North America. The problem with soccer development in this country has not been the numbers or interest, but rather the ceiling placed on our kids because of the lack of soccer infrastructure in place. At the heart of the matter has been no centre-piece, no one facility that the CSA can build around. Not only no centre-piece for our national program, but no top-level professional teams to boost general interest in major Canadian cities. Does this mean a professional soccer team cannot survive in such a market? At this point, the number of soccer-crazed fans and those active in and around the game seem to suggest that a MLS franchise can be a hit in a market like Toronto.
The mere presense of a national stadium speaks volumes to the commitment we are making to our soccer program. As the old saying goes, excellence breeds excellence. At the same time, mediocrity breeds mediocrity. When we start providing the facilities and financial commitment our players deserve, we will see benefits through their on-field performance. It is easy to say that our men's national side sits 88th in the FIFA rankings, and that hardly merits the finances to build a national soccer stadium. I would take an alternative approach, saying 88th in the world with no stadium and lack of public monies is quite remarkable. That being said, our women's program has done a fantastic job developing young players. Their collective success directly correlates with the lack of financial commitment other nations make to their women's national sides. Canada has gone above and beyond to provide the best they can to our young ladies, but up until this time, we have still fallen short, unable to beat the Germany's and USA's when it matters most. With young players like Lang and Sinclair, and now a re-affirmed commitment to soccer in this country, a bright future surely lies ahead. It is no coincidence the rise of the American national soccer program is connected with the rise in participation rates among youth, and the implementation of a successful domestic league. The MLS has done a fantastic job marketing their product, with the league featuring many members of the US National team. They have turned these players into stars, and the league and the national program have benefited accordingly. The same can be done in this country as well. We may not have quite the financial fire-power to pay for success, but we can at least put our players in a position to succeed. There are an abundance of up and coming star Canadian soccer players, just needing a platform to let their talent shine through.
A top-level professional team in Toronto will give our homebred players a chance to become household names in our sporting landscape. There is no reason every Canadian soccer fan shouldn't be familiar with Dwayne de Rosario. We should all have all heard about young Canadian Julien de Guzman's scoring against soccer powerhouse Real Madrid last week. But instead of hearing about de Rosario being short listed as MLS player of the year or de Guzman's success at Deportivo, we get to hear about a 4th line winger on some obscure NHL team south of the border sustaining a lower body injury Fair, not really, but that's the reality of the sports coverage in this country. The pending arrival of MLS in this country may go a long way to re-shaping the way we look at soccer from a domestic standpoint. Montreal has done a fantastic job promoting the Impact in the 'A' league. The same can be said of the Whitecaps in Vancouver. But a team in soccer's biggest league in North America in Canada's largest media market has the potential to turn a lot more heads.
More media coverage will also come via the FIFA World Youth Championship. How would it have seemed if Canada's largest sporting event, Olympics aside, did not include its largest city? Not only will it provide a bigger showcase for the game of soccer to our national audience, but will also give our young players an opportunity to make names for themselves. These are the very players who will benefit from having a MLS team, a national stadium, and the new national commitment to soccer. It is easy to lose sight of all the possible benefits of $10 million when you are solely looking at things from an economic perspective. You cannot put a price tag on everything in life, as intrinsic and generational benefits must be considered. That being said, the commentary by one radio personality speaks volumes about the short-sightedness used to view our soccer program. The stadium signals more than just an MLS franchise in Canada or a home for our national team. It signals a changing of the culture, the way the Canadian public sees the game of soccer.
CORNER KICKS
- MUTV did not allow Roy Keane's blunt assessment of United's performance on the weekend to go to air. Quite a pity, as we all know Keane had the gall to say what was on everyone else's mind. Apparently Keane's criticism towards some of the United players was a little too harsh. Well, it has never stopped him before and I am sure they will hear from Keano one way or another!
- Rio Ferdinand's poor form may have opened the door for Ledley King with the national side. The young Hotspur has been sheer class this campaign, and looks to force himself into the starting XI by Germany.
- Looks like Michael Owen is returning to form. Two textbook goals Monday showed flashes of the Owen of old.
- Staying in England, is their any team more of a surprise than Wigan Athletic? 2nd in the table with an unbelievable 7 wins from 10 games. It really goes to show that when a team actually plays to win, they get pick up the full 3 points.
- More surprises, how about Osasuna leading La Liga, 2 points clear of Barcelona?!?
- Our Canadian Youth team just wrapped up a tour of England with a 1-0 victory over Everton FC's U-18 side, with Gavin McCallum scoring the lone marker. Dale Mitchell should be very happy with the 3-1 record compiled on the tour, with Canada's only loss coming to Manchester United's Youth side.
- More Canadian news, British Columbian midfielder Keegan Ayre has started a two-week trial with Hibernian. The 17-year-old Canada youth international is also wanted by Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Dundee and West Ham United.
Happy November,
Gareth Wheeler, TSN.ca
Keep Ups: Stadium of dreams and nightmares
Gareth Wheeler
11/1/2005
Well, it's official. The proposed Toronto soccer stadium is set to become a reality, with Toronto City Council's 25-13 approval for the Exhibition Stadium site, finally giving the Canadian Soccer Association a stadium to call home. A new 20,000 seat facility in prime real estate with the potential for expansion … boy don't the Argos wish they were on board for this one!
It has been a long road for the CSA. Years of negotiation, partnerships, messy break-ups, and disappointment, the CSA should be commended for persevering and getting what they set out for. The process was sped up over the last couple weeks with Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment jumping on board. Its desire to bring an MLS team to the city of Toronto for 2007, combined with an October 31st deadline set by the MLS on whether or not Toronto would build a stadium, made the decision process a bit rushed. The stadium proposal was thrown in front of Toronto Council, where Mayor David Miller steadfastly supported the initiative and was able to obtain the desired votes to go forward with the project. An easy process, it was not.
Many tax-payers groups, councilors, and one out-spoken sports radio host vehemently opposed the use of tax dollars to fund the stadium, citing the monies should be used to support other more important expenditures. True, Toronto's roadways are, well, let's just say, have seen better days, and Toronto's police force could really use some more scratch to fund their ever more difficult fight against crime. But in the end, the offer on the table was just too good to ignore. For a measly $10 million of city monies, Toronto gets a stadium. In business terms, $10 million cannot even pay for half of Alex Rodriguez annual salary! For this $10 million, Toronto doesn't have to worry about A-Rod's lack of production in the post-season, but rather gets a product we will be able to see results from, not just in the city of Toronto, but nation wide.
After all the votes were cast and the project had the green-light to go-ahead, this one radio personality showed no restraint in voicing his complete displeasure of the stadium. Long opposed to public money being used to fund various other athletic endeavours, this stadium initiative was as easy of a target as any for criticism. It is not hard for critics to argue about where out tax dollars should go, but the argument becomes just that much easier when soccer is the culprit. Despite having the highest participation rate across Canada, despite our country's ethnic diversity and undying support for the game at all levels across the world, and despite the game's universal appeal, our media makes a point of pushing soccer to the periphery. Perhaps the lack of soccer coverage is not systematic, but instead may just be more convenient to ignore, or slander, a game many do not understand. Thus, the week-long of slandering by this individual, though not wholly inaccurate, goes a long way in highlighting the sheer ignorance of certain sectors of the sports media in their coverage of the game.
To be fair, he is not entirely off in his commentary. There are concerns about MLSE's role in the project, only contributing $8 million towards the $62.8 million project, but still receiving stadium revenues. The city will run the stadium but MLSE profits? This concern is well taken as the last thing the community wants to see is the stadium changed from a public initiative into one for private gain. Undoubtedly, MLSE got a ripe deal, putting minimal investment into the stadium they will profit from, if successful. However, it should not be overlooked that MLSE has a huge stake in the business of not only bringing a MLS franchise to Toronto, but making it a successful and profitable one. This means investment into the quality of the team, marketing of the product, and reaching out to the community. If done the right way, yes, they can rake in a nice little profit. But at the same time, this will benefit sports and particularly soccer fans across the country. The fact is MLSE, or another private investor, was entirely necessary to get this product off the ground. There was no way the CSA and public funding alone would be enough to get the stadium deal done. So the re-direction of profits to MLSE will have other tangible benefits, most importantly being the development of soccer in this nation.
First and foremost, there is a huge soccer following in this country, and more directly to the issue, in Toronto. It is a true urban sport that can be not only played, but enjoyed for an affordable price in North America. The problem with soccer development in this country has not been the numbers or interest, but rather the ceiling placed on our kids because of the lack of soccer infrastructure in place. At the heart of the matter has been no centre-piece, no one facility that the CSA can build around. Not only no centre-piece for our national program, but no top-level professional teams to boost general interest in major Canadian cities. Does this mean a professional soccer team cannot survive in such a market? At this point, the number of soccer-crazed fans and those active in and around the game seem to suggest that a MLS franchise can be a hit in a market like Toronto.
The mere presense of a national stadium speaks volumes to the commitment we are making to our soccer program. As the old saying goes, excellence breeds excellence. At the same time, mediocrity breeds mediocrity. When we start providing the facilities and financial commitment our players deserve, we will see benefits through their on-field performance. It is easy to say that our men's national side sits 88th in the FIFA rankings, and that hardly merits the finances to build a national soccer stadium. I would take an alternative approach, saying 88th in the world with no stadium and lack of public monies is quite remarkable. That being said, our women's program has done a fantastic job developing young players. Their collective success directly correlates with the lack of financial commitment other nations make to their women's national sides. Canada has gone above and beyond to provide the best they can to our young ladies, but up until this time, we have still fallen short, unable to beat the Germany's and USA's when it matters most. With young players like Lang and Sinclair, and now a re-affirmed commitment to soccer in this country, a bright future surely lies ahead. It is no coincidence the rise of the American national soccer program is connected with the rise in participation rates among youth, and the implementation of a successful domestic league. The MLS has done a fantastic job marketing their product, with the league featuring many members of the US National team. They have turned these players into stars, and the league and the national program have benefited accordingly. The same can be done in this country as well. We may not have quite the financial fire-power to pay for success, but we can at least put our players in a position to succeed. There are an abundance of up and coming star Canadian soccer players, just needing a platform to let their talent shine through.
A top-level professional team in Toronto will give our homebred players a chance to become household names in our sporting landscape. There is no reason every Canadian soccer fan shouldn't be familiar with Dwayne de Rosario. We should all have all heard about young Canadian Julien de Guzman's scoring against soccer powerhouse Real Madrid last week. But instead of hearing about de Rosario being short listed as MLS player of the year or de Guzman's success at Deportivo, we get to hear about a 4th line winger on some obscure NHL team south of the border sustaining a lower body injury Fair, not really, but that's the reality of the sports coverage in this country. The pending arrival of MLS in this country may go a long way to re-shaping the way we look at soccer from a domestic standpoint. Montreal has done a fantastic job promoting the Impact in the 'A' league. The same can be said of the Whitecaps in Vancouver. But a team in soccer's biggest league in North America in Canada's largest media market has the potential to turn a lot more heads.
More media coverage will also come via the FIFA World Youth Championship. How would it have seemed if Canada's largest sporting event, Olympics aside, did not include its largest city? Not only will it provide a bigger showcase for the game of soccer to our national audience, but will also give our young players an opportunity to make names for themselves. These are the very players who will benefit from having a MLS team, a national stadium, and the new national commitment to soccer. It is easy to lose sight of all the possible benefits of $10 million when you are solely looking at things from an economic perspective. You cannot put a price tag on everything in life, as intrinsic and generational benefits must be considered. That being said, the commentary by one radio personality speaks volumes about the short-sightedness used to view our soccer program. The stadium signals more than just an MLS franchise in Canada or a home for our national team. It signals a changing of the culture, the way the Canadian public sees the game of soccer.
CORNER KICKS
- MUTV did not allow Roy Keane's blunt assessment of United's performance on the weekend to go to air. Quite a pity, as we all know Keane had the gall to say what was on everyone else's mind. Apparently Keane's criticism towards some of the United players was a little too harsh. Well, it has never stopped him before and I am sure they will hear from Keano one way or another!
- Rio Ferdinand's poor form may have opened the door for Ledley King with the national side. The young Hotspur has been sheer class this campaign, and looks to force himself into the starting XI by Germany.
- Looks like Michael Owen is returning to form. Two textbook goals Monday showed flashes of the Owen of old.
- Staying in England, is their any team more of a surprise than Wigan Athletic? 2nd in the table with an unbelievable 7 wins from 10 games. It really goes to show that when a team actually plays to win, they get pick up the full 3 points.
- More surprises, how about Osasuna leading La Liga, 2 points clear of Barcelona?!?
- Our Canadian Youth team just wrapped up a tour of England with a 1-0 victory over Everton FC's U-18 side, with Gavin McCallum scoring the lone marker. Dale Mitchell should be very happy with the 3-1 record compiled on the tour, with Canada's only loss coming to Manchester United's Youth side.
- More Canadian news, British Columbian midfielder Keegan Ayre has started a two-week trial with Hibernian. The 17-year-old Canada youth international is also wanted by Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Dundee and West Ham United.
Happy November,
Gareth Wheeler, TSN.ca