While I'm sure this will be considered as disrespectful to the people of Saskatoon, it is not meant to be that way and if you take it as such, I do apologize in advance. However, I have just one question to ask of those who are still pursuing a CFL franchise for your city. That question is "Why are you trying to destroy the Riders?"
Saskatchewan simply can't support two CFL teams. We may be able to at some point in the future, but that time is a long ways away as far as I'm concerned. In fact, I think your chance of being home to an NHL team is greater than that of being a CFL city.
What makes the Riders great and unique is the fan base. People come from all over this fine province of ours to watch the football team do their thing. Yes, I would say over 75 percent of that group is from within a 100 kilometer radius of Regina, but are you going to tell me that people from Saskatoon, the Battlefords, Prince Albert, Nipawin, etc. etc. etc would make that trek to Mosaic Stadium or whatever the new stadium is called the way they do now. Do you think those in the southern half of the province would go to Saskatoon for games. No they wouldn't---unless it was a game between Saskatoon and Regina and yes, the first thing that would be done would be to change the name of the team to Regina, because they are no longer a Saskatchewan team.
While Regina is in the midst of getting its own stadium----one that will be costly, Saskatoon doesn't have a facility to house a team. Please don't tell me that PCS Park could be modified to CFL standards because you need a modern day stadium and not a university one to succeed. That would also cost money---money that simply isn't there.
The corporate support that the Riders get from places like Saskenergy and others would have to be split in two. Those dollars are the lifeblood of the football team and now you are asking to divide the pie? Lets be realistic here. Continuing this dream of having a CFL team will not only kill the popularity and the financial success of the Riders as we know it now and your team will also suffer. When you tell someone you are from Saskatchewan---they automatically associate it with the Riders. Its just like you say Yorkton and you think Terriers, you say Weyburn and you think Red Wings. The Riders are fine without any provincial competition, their bank account is fine and their future is fine and will be once ground is broken on the new stadium. If the truth is that you are jealous over the fact that Regina is getting a stadium and you're not, I say get over it and try to lure the NHL to Saskatoon with the building you already have and the building that won't be coming to Regina anytime soon.
This dream is just a pipedream. The chances of me having an affair with Jennifer Aniston are about as remote as this happening sometime over the next 25 years. Please move on to another idea, because this one is just not going to fly.
11 comments:
You are always going to have someone thinking they can pull off far fetched ideas like a CFL team in Saskatoon, a domed stadium in Regina, etc. There is nothing wrong with looking at ideas like these as long as people have the sense to know when something is not going to happen and move onto something else that is attainable.
Unfortunately the media (and in these days bloggers, etc) grabs onto these ideas and won't let them die their natural death. So for the next month or two this will keep coming up and some of the more outspoken people in each city will be cursing at each other's city for being jealous, greedy and other wonderful things. And then the media and bloggers will drag that out some more just for the fun of it.
Just makes life interesting in this province :)
Murray
Good post!
I don't quite get it either, Do they actualy think there could be 2 viable franchises in Sask? Or do they not care. just as long as their side comes ahead? When I say they, I mean the people "planning" or looking into it. If it were to happen the outcome would be 2 struggling franchises, or one going titts up having wasted tons of inferstructure dollars...
And I disagree with you Aniston comment, I think it's more likley you could land her, her track record suggests she only dates losers.....jk
DR
Its mind boggling as to how and why Saskatoon keeps having this pipedream. I agree this might happen someday, but that day is a lonnnnnng ways away.
Well said Scruffy.
Allison
I'm doing this in 2 parts.
1) What have the Roughriders seriously done beyond token gestures to make Saskatoon feel like the 2nd home of the SASKATCHEWAN Roughriders? Answer: Very little.
A few hundred thousand dollars to local amature/development football programs. The same grant they give local Regina programs. With one big exception. You don't see the UofS Huskies getting part of any Rider 50/50 pot at any home game that goes purely to the Rams.
One day each year they come up here to run a camp session and an autograph session (that typically starts 10-15 minutes late every time) and let's be honest 90% of the kids who seek out autographs never get everyone because the time given for the session is so disgustingly short.
So Big deal, you open a Rider Store, (which btw all Rider stores are a pure cash grab, shop around and you can get the exact same product for 10-20% less very easily) you come up here one day a year, and you give Saskatoon programs the same money as your Regina programs get. Yet at least a 1/3rd of the asses in the seats at Taylor Field for every game are from areas closer to Saskatoon than Regina. You'll forgive me if I don't start jumping for joy at what the Saskatoon half of the province contributes to the Riders and how little we get back in return.
2) I'd love to see someone step up and build a new CFL-size football stadium up here in Saskatoon. Then the Riders can move up to a much more provincially central location that just so happens to also the province's largest city and lets be honest, the city with much more upside from a population and economic growth standpoint. I'm quite certain PotashCorp, Cameco, BHP Biliton, Federated Co-Op would very easily be able to pickup the corporate support slack that might be lost moving out of Regina.
For at least the next decade, there is no way Saskatchewan could support 2 CFL teams. That said, the Roughriders need to do significantly more to "give back" to the upper half of the province because we are getting short changed and the "Saskatchewan" Roughriders certainly behave more like the Regina Roughriders.
I would also suggest there would be much more to gain should a nice big stadium be built in Saskatoon as opposed to Regina. Regina is a government city that survives off crown corp money. I don't like your odds of continued success when the government over the next 4 years will be spending it's time undermining and trying to get rid of said corporations.
Tach in the Skatch
A saskatoon team would not hurt the Riders at all. That's because it would be impossible for Rider fans in saskatoon to just start cheering for another team. That's why it wouldn't work. The CUC people should concentrate on the NHL. I think saskatoon could support an NHL team. Look at winnipeg.
Darryl
Does Saskatoon have an inferiority complex? Tach in the Skatch is somewhat typical of the attitude towards Regina. When the pot was split Saskatoon got the University, Regina got the Government.Fair enough but to complain about "how little" you get from the Riders in return is laughable. Did the Huskies ever approach the Riders and say they would like a day or more to sell their 50/50 tickets. I don't think so because they understand the venue is in Regina. The Rams don't come to S'toon and cry they don't get any money from the concerts at Credit Union Place, do they? Funny, I have never heard anyone from Regina complain about Saskatoon. I guess we are more classy and mature.
Saskatoon could not support an NHL team, they can't even get 5000 fans our regularly for the WHL Blades. Winnipeg has a population base of 600K, Stoon only 230K.
How is it laughable to compare what Saskatoon gets versus Regina from the SASKATCHEWAN Roughriders? Last time I checked, they are not called the Regina Roughriders. If you claim to represent the entire province, then your actions/efforts should try to be balanced across both large centers of the province. Especially given that AT LEAST 1/3rd of the asses in the seats at Taylor field for every home game come from the Northern part of the province.
The Univ of REGINA Rams don't ask for 50/50 money out of Saskatoon because Regina is in their name. The REGINA Rams don't ask for Saskatoon concert revenue because they have their own area and their own stadium that hosts concerts.
It's not about Saskatoon is better or Regina is worse. It's about the name. If you are a pro team and name yourself SASKATCHEWAN anything, represent and try to share benefits with the entire province. Otherwise call yourself what you really seem to be... the Regina Roughriders.
This lack of balance in exactly why people in Saskatoon entertain the idea of their own team. If you can't be bothered to make both cities feel a part of it, don't be surprised when one city starts having thoughts for something of their own.
Tach in the Skatch
I'm from Saskatoon, and personally, I believe that one football team in Saskatchewan is enough. The Roughriders have been around forever, and I love them with all my heart. If Saskatoon were to start another team, I don't think I would even cheer for them. Green is the colour, I've been saying it forever, and I won't stop just because there may possibly be another team in Saskatchewan.
The reason the Rams get a 50/50 at the Rider's games is simply because the Rams collect it.......not the Roughriders. Should the Rams collect a 50/50 and split it with the Hilltops ????? If Saskatoon Hilltops want a 50/50, then shut up and collect one and quit your whining.
I have seriously never seen as much whining as i do whenever someone from Saskatoon opens their mouths.............give me a break!!!
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