Off Off Topic: Cool Toronto People's Thread

[Fenxis 99]

Would governments continue to use tax dollars to Subsidize sports teams if they didn't think it was profitable and beneficial to their cities in the long run?

 

In theory citizens have a fixed budget for entertainment -- thus if they weren't spending their money for tickets and merchandise they would spend it elsewhere in the local economy. I suppose some teams are a tourist attraction in their own right and therefore bring money into the city but how common is that?

[Dubey 1,035]

In theory citizens have a fixed budget for entertainment -- thus if they weren't spending their money for tickets and merchandise they would spend it elsewhere in the local economy. I suppose some teams are a tourist attraction in their own right and therefore bring money into the city but how common is that?

 

I think an NFL team in Canada would be a tourist attraction.

[digitalmonkey 929]

I think an NFL team in Canada would be a tourist attraction.

 

Are the Leafs a tourist attraction?

[FCP Bob 1,312]

I think an NFL team in Canada would be a tourist attraction.

 

It would be but not worth 10's or 100's of millions in subsidies.

[Zach6668 513]

I think an NFL team in Canada would be a tourist attraction.

 

I think this is true too to an extent. So weigh out the tourism dollars, I guess, against the negative externalities of road congestion, further promotion of single user vehicle dependence, etc.

 

Are there other events that take place in football stadiums? I know there are a few huge acts that can sell them out, but I can't imagine a lot of non-football entities are clamoring to book 60,000 seat stadiums. The only thing, is that if it were an open air stadium, Toronto could finally host a Winter Classic. That's one event every 2-3 years tops. Hell, maybe they even make it once a year, lol.

[serge 904]

 

 

I think this is true too to an extent. So weigh out the tourism dollars, I guess, against the negative externalities of road congestion, further promotion of single user vehicle dependence, etc.

 

Are there other events that take place in football stadiums? I know there are a few huge acts that can sell them out, but I can't imagine a lot of non-football entities are clamoring to book 60,000 seat stadiums. The only thing, is that if it were an open air stadium, Toronto could finally host a Winter Classic. That's one event every 2-3 years tops. Hell, maybe they even make it once a year, lol.

 

Tons of events. Concerts, tractor pulls etc. I would propose the Jays move as well. The then Skydome used to be state of the art. Now it's bland, boring.

[Zach6668 513]

lmao the Jays aren't moving from a stadium they own.

 

I don't buy the "tons of events" either. Who is playing a 60k seat stadium when there are more intimate venues available. Barely anybody is selling that many tickets. Tractor pulls? One a year? Who the **** goes to tractor pulls? Monster trucks? Usually held in arenas.

[Zach6668 513]

Just the first stadium I can think of, Cowboy Stadium (AT&T Stadium, I guess?)...

 

http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/events/eventList.cfm

 

That's their event list... there actually is Monster Jam on there, but the rest of the events are football... college and high school... plus some Final Four basketball. None of that is happening in a stadium in Canada.

[digitalmonkey 929]

What would need to be done to the Skydome (I'll always call it that) to make it more modern and hip?

 

Real grass or starters would be nice, I guess.

[serge 904]

lmao the Jays aren't moving from a stadium they own.

 

I don't buy the "tons of events" either. Who is playing a 60k seat stadium when there are more intimate venues available. Barely anybody is selling that many tickets. Tractor pulls? One a year? Who the **** goes to tractor pulls? Monster trucks? Usually held in arenas.

 

Disney on ice is at the dome like for 14 days.

 

Why wouldn't the Jays move?

 

The Stadium is dated. There has been many many new stadiums since the sky dome was built.

 

Baseball tenant makes the most sense.

 

Justin Bieber. Taylor Swift. Jay Z. All played the Dome

 

 

 

[serge 904]

What would need to be done to the Skydome (I'll always call it that) to make it more modern and hip?

 

Real grass or starters would be nice, I guess.

 

Definetely grass. I don't know it's just a blaaaa atmosphere.

 

Back in 1989 it was fun. That's almost 25 years ago now

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Neither the NFL or MLB wants their teams sharing stadiums these days.

 

A football stadium could be in the suburbs, baseball needs to be downtown.

[Zach6668 513]

Neither the NFL or MLB wants their teams sharing stadiums these days.

 

A football stadium could be in the suburbs, baseball needs to be downtown.

 

Football actually lends itself well to the suburbs because of tailgating. People come out at different times too, so helps the traffic a little.

[Zach6668 513]

I would bet the Blue Jays rely a TON on walk up sales on game day, they'll get basically none of that in the suburbs.

[digitalmonkey 929]

I think it's the concrete. I hate the look of boring grey concrete.

 

1. Real grass

2. Paint concrete or cover it up with faux-brick panels, or similar.

3. Indoor plants

4. Give the outfield, top-deck section a nickname.

 

They should hire us.

[Zach6668 513]

Definetely grass. I don't know it's just a blaaaa atmosphere.

 

Back in 1989 it was fun. That's almost 25 years ago now

 

It opened in 1989.

[Zach6668 513]

I think it's the concrete. I hate the look of boring grey concrete.

 

1. Real grass

2. Paint concrete or cover it up with faux-brick panels, or similar.

3. Indoor plants

4. Give the outfield, top-deck section a nickname.

 

They should hire us.

Yeah, modernist/brutalist architecture is garbage.

[serge 904]

 

 

It opened in 1989.

 

Yes. That's what I said. It was awesome when it opened.

[Zach6668 513]

Disney on ice is at the dome like for 14 days.

 

Why wouldn't the Jays move?

 

The Stadium is dated. There has been many many new stadiums since the sky dome was built.

 

Baseball tenant makes the most sense.

 

Justin Bieber. Taylor Swift. Jay Z. All played the Dome

 

If your solution is that events will just move from the Dome to the NFL stadium, then it's not particularly helpful, and exacerbates my points about perpetuating car dependence and environmental concerns which is AGAINST the Official Plan of the City of Toronto, as well as against provincial interests.

 

Furthermore, the Dome is owned by Rogers Communications. They also own the Blue Jays. They are benefiting from all of these events they host in the Dome as well. Why would they want to move the Jays and lose their stadium?

[serge 904]

I would bet the Blue Jays rely a TON on walk up sales on game day, they'll get basically none of that in the suburbs.

 

I might be in the minority. But I doubt it.

 

It's a deterrent for me that it's downtown. If you like filling your games with Bay Street suits who are annoying then so be it.

 

 

[serge 904]

 

 

If your solution is that events will just move from the Dome to the NFL stadium, then it's not particularly helpful, and exacerbates my points about perpetuating car dependence and environmental concerns which is AGAINST the Official Plan of the City of Toronto, as well as against provincial interests.

 

Furthermore, the Dome is owned by Rogers Communications. They also own the Blue Jays. They are benefiting from all of these events they host in the Dome as well. Why would they want to move the Jays and lose their stadium?

 

We can disagree. It's all good. But I'm a real life suburban ticket buyer. There are millions like me who take their kids to sporting events.

 

We don't work or live downtown. Would prefer to avoid the headache of going downtown.

[Zach6668 513]

Yes. That's what I said. It was awesome when it opened.

 

That's 25 years old! That's the problem with mid 20th century to present architecture. It's built to last 30 years. It's all garbage.

[digitalmonkey 929]

It was awesome mostly because of the roof. Imagine if they built a ballpark in downtown Toronto like the one they built in Baltimore.

 

 

By the way, the cost of an NFL franchise is ridiculous, especially when it's Toronto. An NFL team in Toronto would sell out every game. It would create new NFL fans.

[Zach6668 513]

We can disagree. It's all good. But I'm a real life suburban ticket buyer. There are millions like me who take their kids to sporting events.

 

We don't work or live downtown. Would prefer to avoid the headache of going downtown.

Rather ignorant statement.

 

I might be in the minority. But I doubt it.

 

It's a deterrent for me that it's downtown. If you like filling your games with Bay Street suits who are annoying then so be it.

Your experience is not necessarily the baseline here. Getting downtown for a game will be easier and more convenient than it will be to get everyone from different suburbs AND from downtown to a game in the outskirts. And I'm sorry that you're a stubborn suburbanite, but your dreams are not the future of this country, and we're not going to plan a future 50 years down the road that suits your unsustainable pattern of development.

[Zach6668 513]

SkyDome might even fall under heritage protection soon.