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16 résultats trouvés

  1. CTV Montreal Published Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 11:42PM EST MONTREAL--The Matrix, the Royal, the Sasquatch and now the Montreal Jazz. This city just can’t seem to hold onto professional basketball teams, but players hope this new squad will stick around. “One of the big differences is the league. The league is so legit. When you play away games, you can tell the league is serious. So, it's a big difference,” said Jazz forward Louis-Patrick Levros The Jazz have replaced the Kebs as the province's only team in the National Basketball League, the current owners of the franchise until a proper ownership group is put in place. “Every game was played last year, you got the website, everything was very serious which is the first time that I saw a league at that level to be so serious. All the players have to be cleared through Basketball Canada which means our league is well respected,” said Jazz General Manager Pascal Jobin. “They put in hard work to get a team here in Montreal and hopefully we can continue doing it. So this year is very important for the city and the team,” said Jazz centre Sani Ibrahim. With the exception of two players, the team is comprised entirely of Quebecers, something the league surely hopes will finally attract a loyal following. “We are really happy with a group of hard charging Quebecois players,” said head coach Alejandro Hasbani “For me it's definitely just a blessing. After I left Concordia, it's been three or four years since I haven't gotten anything. I've just been working. I miss the game of basketball and to have this opportunity I’m just blessed and I work every day just to be in this position,” said point guard Damian Buckley. As for the product, fans will be pleasantly surprised, the Jazz have a good mix of speed, size and talent—something that will complement the team’s blue collar mentality. “I think we're going to come out and play hard,” said Ibrahim. “That’s the most important thing. We’re probably not the best talent in the league but for sure we're going to play hard and get some wins.” Read more: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/sports/montreal-s-newest-sports-franchise-the-jazz-1.1035875#ixzz2CADHMg7d
  2. Ramener à Montréal les Jeux olympiques et, tant qu'à y être, une équipe de baseball professionnelle? L'avocat Guy Bertrand en rêve. Pour ce faire, il voudrait faire construire, à Montréal, une Cité des sports qui pourrait en outre relancer la pratique sportive chez les jeunes. L'avocat de Québec tentait depuis 2008 de mettre en oeuvre un projet entièrement privé d'amphithéâtre et de complexe hôtelier dans la région de la capitale. Pris de vitesse par le maire Régis Labeaume et son nouveau Colisée de 400 millions, Me Bertrand se tourne maintenant vers Montréal. Son entreprise, Consortium GB, vient de s'inscrire au registre des lobbyistes pour la construction d'une «Cité des sports» dans la métropole. Ce projet prévoit la construction d'un stade avec toit amovible pour accueillir des événements tant sportifs que culturels, un anneau de glace, un complexe hôtelier et des espaces commerciaux. Tout comme son projet de Québec, celui-ci serait «entièrement privé». Me Guy Bertrand ne nous a pas rappelés hier, mais son inscription comme lobbyiste en dit long. On y précise que «tous les sports d'hiver de même que les sports d'été ont été considérés dans le projet visant l'érection des infrastructures de La Cité des sports afin de favoriser le développement optimum des disciplines olympiques». L'objectif est «de permettre à la ville de Montréal de poser éventuellement sa candidature aux Jeux olympiques d'hiver comme aux Jeux olympiques d'été», peut-on lire. Dans un deuxième temps, «Consortium GB entend aussi prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour que Montréal obtienne une franchise de la Ligue nationale ou de la Ligue américaine de baseball». Me Bertrand et ses partenaires disent vouloir obtenir le «soutien moral» du gouvernement pour l'obtention de cette franchise. L'objectif de ce projet n'est pas que sportif, selon la présentation du projet. On souhaite «assurer le maintien et la valorisation du Québec français. N'oublions jamais que le sport est l'une des pierres angulaires de notre édifice culturel et qu'il fait partie du mode de vie et des traditions québécoises». L'emplacement prévu de la Cité des sports n'est pas précisé, mais le document consulté par La Presse permet de comprendre qu'il se trouverait près de Longueuil. En effet, on y écrit que des travaux de décontamination des sols et un aménagement de la desserte de transports en commun seront nécessaires, d'où la nécessité de discuter du projet avec les administrations des maires Gérald Tremblay et Caroline St-Hilaire. «Des projets de nouveaux stades, on nous en présente régulièrement depuis des années pour accueillir une équipe de baseball professionnelle ou semi-pro. C'est un dossier qu'on suit de très près», assure Martine Painchaud, attachée de presse du maire Tremblay. Celle-ci précise que tous les projets présentés jusqu'à présent ont été minés par des problèmes de financement et par la difficulté à trouver un bon emplacement. À Longueuil, le cabinet de la mairesse disait tout ignorer du projet. Partenaire expérimenté Guy Bertrand n'est pas seul dans ce projet. Quatre autres personnes sont inscrites au registre des lobbyistes pour en faire la promotion auprès du gouvernement. Deux d'entre eux, Patrick Bergé et Normand-Pierre Bilodeau, sont des dirigeants de Scéno Plus. Cette entreprise de Montréal se spécialise dans la construction de salles de spectacles et théâtres. Celle-ci a notamment conçu un complexe hôtelier de 2,4 milliards inauguré en avril à Atlantic City, le Revel. Scéno Plus a également travaillé sur les deux salles exploitées par le Cirque du Soleil à Las Vegas, ainsi que sur la construction du Colosseum, la salle de spectacle de 4000 sièges du Caesars Palace à Las Vegas aménagée en 2003 pour Céline Dion. Pour son premier projet d'amphithéâtre privé à Québec, Me Guy Bertrand a toujours refusé de dévoiler l'identité des investisseurs prêts à financer ses projets. En plus du complexe sportif et hôtelier, l'avocat disait vouloir ramener à Québec une franchise de la Ligue nationale de hockey. Ne limitant pas ses ambitions, il évoquait également l'idée d'attirer une équipe de la Ligue canadienne de football et une autre de la Major League Soccer. N'ayant pas réussi à convaincre le maire Régis Labeaume, Consortium GB avait également sollicité la ville voisine de Saint-Augustin pour ériger son complexe. http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/montreal/201209/17/01-4574968-guy-bertrand-reve-du-retour-des-jo-et-des-expos.php
  3. (Courtesy of CNW) It should be open in the Spring of this year. I drove passed it, honestly it doesn't look at like it at all ready. They are setting up shop in the old Ferrari-Maserati dealership. At least now people don't have to go to Toronto or John Scotti to get their Rolls
  4. Un article intéressant sur portfolio.com que j'ai trouvé sur skyscraperpage.com. Selon cet article et selon les revenus personnels disponible (API), Montréal serait, avec Riverside, les deux seuls villes capables de faire vivre une nouvelle équipe de Baseball... Et Montréal se classerait 3ème en Amérique du Nord pour attirer une franchise de la NFL ... Extrait de l'article Just two markets currently outside of MLB have income bases sufficiently large to join its ranks: Riverside-San Bernardino, California, and Montreal. And the latter is tainted because it lost a baseball franchise, the Expos, to Washington five years ago (the Expos were renamed the Nationals). La charte pour tous les sports http://www.portfolio.com/resources/SportsChart.pdf L'article: http://www.portfolio.com/industry-news/sports/2009/12/04/how-cities-rank-for-potential-sports-expansion/index1.html
  5. Cyberpresse Les propriétaires des Argonauts de Toronto et la Ligue canadienne de football ont entamé des démarches afin d’acquérir une équipe de la NFL, selon l’édition de jeudi du Globe and mail. Le journal rapporte que David Cynamon et Howard Sokolowski, ainsi que des gouverneurs de la LCF souhaiteraient relocaliser une équipe à Toronto tout en s’assurant de ne pas affaiblir les Argos. Selon certaines données, le prix d’une franchise de la NFL avoisinerait le milliard de dollars. Les équipes ciblées seraient les Bills de Buffalo, les Vikings du Minnesota, les Jaguars de Jacksonville et les Saints de la Nouvelle-Orléans.
  6. Publié le 23 janvier 2009 à 09h15 | Mis à jour à 09h16 Bye bye les MAINEiacs? (Chicoutimi) Après les Fog Devils de Terre-Neuve, voilà maintenant que les MAINEiacs de Lewiston quitteraient le Maine la saison prochaine pour évoluer dans le secteur Blainville-Boisbriand, où un important centre d'excellence serait construit dans les prochains mois. Les gouverneurs de la LHJMQ, réunis à Montréal cette semaine, ont discuté de ce transfert possible. Gervais Munger des Sags s'est refusé à tout commentaire à ce sujet, n'ayant pas les permissions requises pour le faire. Ce qu'il a été possible d'apprendre, c'est que les gouverneurs doivent d'abord s'entendre sur une chose, le transfert ne peut se faire à l'intérieur d'un périmètre de 40 kilomètres d'une autre concession. Par exemple, Alma ne peut demander une franchise dans la LHJMQ selon cette clause. Par ailleurs, des investisseurs sérieux veulent obtenir cette franchise des MAINEiacs, dont Joël Bouchard et son partenaire Pierre Gendron. Munger, cependant, ne voit pas de problèmes à ce transfert pour quelques bonnes raisons. «J'ai toujours été en faveur d'une rivalité proche entre les villes. La venue d'une équipe à l'endroit que vous me citez créerait une bonne rivalité avec Montréal sans oublier que ça ferait une belle bagarre avec Shawinigan, Victoriaville et Drummondville», confie-t-il. Il y a quelques mois, dans le Courrier, un journal local, il était fait mention que Blainville et Boisbriand s'engagent dans le centre d'excellence sous forme de réservation d'heures de glace pour plusieurs années. Quant au financement du projet, en plus de la subvention gouvernementale de Québec de 7,1 M$ et d'une contribution non négligeable de la SODET-CLD de 500 000$, le journal ajoute les quelque douze autres millions nécessaires à la réalisation proviendront de prêts bancaires. La mairesse Sylvie St-Jean estime maintenant le coût du projet à 20 M$ et précise que ce prix n'inclut pas le coût du terrain nécessaire à l'implantation, un investissement de l'ordre de 1,8 M$ confirmé par la Ville de Boisbriand lors de la séance spéciale tenue quelques jours avant Noël seulement. Pour leur part, les promoteurs du projet, l'ex-hockeyeur de la LNH Joël Bouchard et son associé Pierre Gendron, ne voient pas de problème au virage actuel, affirmant que la dimension centre d'excellence en hockey peut très bien cohabiter avec une utilisation municipale des glaces par les associations sportives de Blainville et de Boisbriand. Pour obtenir une franchise dans la LHJMQ, il faut un centre sportif prêt à accueillir 3500 personnes et le nouveau centre de Boisbriand respecterait cette demande.
  7. Gretzky confirms Coyotes in trouble MATTHEW SEKERES January 16, 2009 VANCOUVER -- Phoenix Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky confirmed yesterday that the troubled NHL franchise requires financial assistance and is seeking an investor who could help keep the team in Arizona. The Coyotes could lose as much as $45-million (all currency U.S.) this season, including interest payments, and owner Jerry Moyes is looking for a partner. He also is speaking to city officials in Glendale about the lease arrangement at the community-owned Jobing.com Arena. Yesterday, when Gretzky was asked whether the owner could continue to operate the club, given its losses, he deferred queries to Moyes. But Gretzky, the club's coach and managing partner, also signalled that Moyes requires investment in the franchise and financial relief from the city of Glendale. "I don't think it is any big secret that Mr. Moyes has asked for new partners or investors," Gretzky said. "Mr. Moyes is doing the best he can in working with the city and city officials. Our responsibility is to come, show up and play, and play the best we can." Since The Globe and Mail began documenting the Coyotes' economic woes last month, no one from the club's management had confirmed that it was seeking financial help. A TSN report on Wednesday said that as much as 80 per cent of the team is expected to be sold in the next two months, and that Moyes would retain as much as 20 per cent. Barring a sale, the club could be forced into bankruptcy proceedings. It is possible the Coyotes could be disbanded or moved out of Phoenix before next season. The Coyotes entered a game against the Vancouver Canucks last night in seventh place, a playoff spot, in the Western Conference. The team is trying to snap a seven-year postseason drought behind a youth movement that features seven players who are 22 or younger. "The older players definitely don't let [the financial trouble] be a distraction, but the younger players don't understand it, maybe," said defenceman Derek Morris, the team's union representative. "We realize that things aren't good, but they are still treating us first-class here. They're allowing us to play hockey."
  8. Tout un coup dur pour le franchisé du restaurant Eggspectation du 201, rue Saint-Jacques, près de la place d'Armes, en cette période de joyeuses réunions des Fêtes. Un huissier vient de mettre ses meubles à la rue, sur ordre du tribunal. Pour en lire plus...
  9. MTY devient franchiseur pour Taco Time 17 septembre 2008 - 11h18 Presse Canadienne MTY Tiki Ming Enterprises, filiale du groupe montréalais MTY (MTY) vient de conclure une entente ayant force obligatoire afin de se porter acquéreur des actifs de Taco Time Canada. L'entente a été conclue avec Ken et Aarol Pattenden, de Taco Time Canada, une entreprise basée à Calgary. En vertu de cette entente, MTY reprendra les droits de franchise de la chaîne de restauration rapide de style mexicain au Canada conformément à un accord signé avec Kahala Franchise Corporation, de Scottsdale, en Arizona, détentrice du nom Taco Time. Le montant de l'opération n'a pas été précisé. Il y a actuellement 117 établissements Taco Time franchisés au Canada, dans les provinces de la Colombie-Britannique, de l'Alberta, de la Saskatchewan, du Manitoba et de l'Ontario. Les ventes du réseau Taco Time au Canada ont atteint 54 M$ au cours de la période de 12 mois terminée le 30 juin dernier. La transaction devrait être complétée d'ici 60 jours, a précisé MTY, mercredi, en annonçant cette nouvelle acquisition. MTY a l'intention de maintenir le siège de Taco Time Canada à Calgary une fois la transaction réalisée. Interrogé par La Presse Canadienne, un porte-parole de la compagnie, Jean-François Dubé, a indiqué, par ailleurs, que MTY envisage d'élargir le réseau de Taco Time en Ontario et de l'introduire éventuellement au Québec. L'acquisition de Taco Time Canada portera à 1000 le nombre d'établissements de restauration rapide de MTY, qui possède entre autres les bannières Sushi Shop, Tiki-Ming, Veggirama, La Crémière, cultures et Caférama. À la fin août, le groupe a annoncé qu'il achetait la chaîne Tutti Frutti spécialisée dans les petits-déjeuners.
  10. Federal cash could put CFL team in Quebec City RHEAL SEGUIN Globe and Mail Update September 3, 2008 at 3:31 PM EDT The federal government will announce today a multimillion dollar infrastructure program for Quebec that could pave the way for a Canadian Football league franchise in Quebec City. The federal funding includes the expansion and renovation of Quebec City's Laval University sports centre where local investors are offering to expand the football stadium in their bid for a CFL franchise. According to prominent Quebec City lawyer Marc Bellemare, local investors have already set aside half of the $40-million needed to expand the stadium with the other half expected to come from other potential investors once the project is approved. However the head of Laval University Denis Brière has been reluctant in giving his full support to the stadium's expansion for a CFL franchise. “It would be irresponsible to say no to the expansion of the football stadium.,” Mr. Bellemare said on behalf of the anonymous investors in an interview on Tuesday. “The investors need to settle the situation involving the stadium. And then we can move and show the rest of Canada that Quebec City is truly a city capable of attracting a CFL franchise.” According to a marketing conducted on behalf of the investors the marketing firm Impact Recherche, 71 per cent of Quebec City residents support a CFL franchise. The study obtained by the Globe and Mail showed that 43-per cent of the 1001 people polled would be interested in purchasing a season ticket and that 85-per cent believed that Laval University sports centre would be an appropriate location to hold CFL games. The investors worked closely with the Montreal Alouettes in preparing their project for a CFL franchise. Alouette's president Larry Smitth said in a recent local radio interview he embraced Quebec City as a potential CFL franchise location saying it would create a healthy rivalry between the two city that would boost interest for the league throughout Quebec. According to Mr. Bellemare, CFL director general Michael Copeland also indicated to him that Quebec City would be an ideal location for the league's proposed expansion project. Quebec City has one of the most popular university football teams where the Laval University Rouge et Or has attracted as many as 19,000 people to local games in a stadium that only has slightly more than 10,000 seats. The marketing study showed that the attraction of CFL franchise in the city would not have a negative impact on the popularity of local university foot ball games. “The university hold four local games per season. Most of the CFL local games could be scheduled in July and August and would no compete with the university games,” Mr. Bellemare said. “Now it's up to the government to urge the university to change their plans for a new sports centre to allow for the stadium's expansion. Laval University's current $85-million sports centre proposal includes the construction of an indoor soccer field on empty land next to the current football stadium. The city has announced it will inject $10-million in the project with the other $75-million coming from equal contributions from Ottawa and the province. The investors have proposed that the university modify the plan in order to move the soccer stadium further east and use the empty field for the expansion of the football field. Today federal Minister of Transport, Infrastruture and Communities Lawrence cannon will confirm Ottawa's contribution to the university's sport centre proposal. Mr. Cannon as well as Quebec Finance Minister Monique Jérôme-Forget are expected to respond to investors' proposal for changes to the University's plan that could pave the way for a CFL franchise in the city.
  11. entrevue du 17 décembre 2007 LeStudio1.com- Vous travaillez aussi sur un projet d'équipe de baseball à Montréal? Paul Delage Roberge Oui et le nom sera: "Les Royaux de Montréal" Mon partenaire Marc Griffin et moi, travaillons depuis 18 mois déjà à amener une nouvelle équipe de baseball à Montréal. Nous sommes à finaliser une entente avec la Ville de Montréal pour la construction d'un stade de baseball de 5000 sièges et faire revivre Les Royaux de Montréal. Nous avons acquis le nom Les Royaux de Montréal par l'entremise d'un grand amateur de baseball et partenaire dans le projet, Benoit Langevin. Les négociations pour le terrain sont commencées depuis plusieurs mois et le site de construction est choisi. Il est nécessaire de finaliser une entente prochainement afin de pouvoir commencer la construction du stade au cours de l'été 2008 en vue d'être prêt pour la saison 2009. Ensuite notre travail sera de faire l'acquisition d'une franchise de baseball dans la ligue Can-Am. Les Capitales de Québec font partie de la ligue Can-Am et la nouvelle franchise d'Ottawa sera la deuxième équipe canadienne. Cette ligue offre de l'excellent baseball à un niveau de jeu équivalent à du baseball double AA. Les négotiations sont très avancées avec le commissaire de la ligue, monsieur Myles Wolf. Avec la venue des Royaux de Montréal, une belle compétition va se créer entre les 3 équipes canadiennes. Une Société sans but lucratif sera établie afin de redistribuer les profits à Baseball Québec et aux différentes associations sportives dans le but de promouvoir le baseball et le sport chez les jeunes Québécois. Source: http://www.lestudio1.com/Roberge.html
  12. Bye bye les Sonics Seattle Supersonics Les fans des Sonics sont déçus (Reuters) Après 40 ans d’existence, les Sonics de Seattle disparaissent. Kevin Durant et ses partenaires déménagent à Oklahoma City dès cet été. par Guillaume Loisy, le 03-07-2008 Business is business La Key Arena va sonner bien creux cet hiver. Le parquet de la mythique salle de Seattle, construite en 1962 pour l’exposition universelle, vibrera toujours au son du ballon et des «sneakers» du Storm de Seattle (l’équipe WNBA) jusqu’à l’automne, mais les Sonics ne prendront pas le relais. Tel en ont décidé les propriétaires de la franchise et la ville de Seattle mercredi. «Business is business», vous diront les protagonistes de l’affaire. Les pontes des Sonics avec un sourire au coin de la bouche et des dollars dans les yeux, le maire de la ville avec un air de dépit. Car c’est bien pour une question de gros sous que les fans de Seattle sont aujourd’hui orphelins de leur équipe. Cette dernière ne rapportait plus assez d’argent pour Clay Bennett, le patron du Oklahoma City-based Professional Basketball Club, propriétaire des Sonics. Jackpot pour Oklahoma City Depuis sa prise de pouvoir en 2006, le dessein de Bennett était clair : construire à Seattle une nouvelle salle plus moderne selon le modèle d’un Staples Center (Los Angeles) ou d’un AT&T Center (San Antonio), ou déménager la franchise à Oklahoma City. Face à l’incapacité de la ville à financer en partie le projet d’un nouveau building, les propriétaires ont opté pour la seconde option. Contraints de jouer au Ford Center d’Oklahoma City après le passage de l’ouragan Katrina à la Nouvelle Orléans il y a trois ans, les Hornets y avaient rencontré un franc-succès et le bruit de la cash-machine avait alors résonné plus d’une fois dans la tête de Bennett, régulièrement présent lors de ces rencontres. Inutile de dire que prolonger l’aventure Sonics à Seattle n’était pas vraiment sa priorité… De beaux souvenirs Le boss de la franchise devra tout de même verser 45 millions de dollars de dédommagements à la ville qui conserve les droits du nom et des couleurs de l’équipe. Un atout selon David Stern, le commissionnaire de la Ligue, pour qui Seattle reste «une ville de premier plan pour accueillir une autre équipe de NBA.» Pas de quoi rassurer les fans des Sonics qui attendront sans doute longtemps avant de vibrer à nouveau. Kevin Durant et Mickaël Gelebale, eux, doivent rapidement se trouver une maison sur les bords de la mythique Route 66. De ces 40 ans de basket dans Rain City resteront tout de même de beaux souvenirs. Le titre de 1979 face à Washington, le All Star Game 1974 ou encore la formidable saison 1995-96 et la défaite de Shawn Kemp et Gary Payton face aux Bulls de Michael Jordan en finale. C’est sûr, on repensera avec beaucoup plus de nostalgie aux Seattle Supersonics qu’aux Vancouver Grizzlies ou aux Charlotte Hornets, autres victimes de la business rule NBA il y a quelques années. http://www.sport24.com/basket-nba/nba/actualites/bye-bye-les-sonics-168883/
  13. Le fournisseur d'accès Yahoo! a rejeté une nouvelle tentative de rachat de ses opérations de recherche en ligne par le géant du logiciel Microsoft, affirmant que cette offre aurait démantelé sa franchise Internet. Pour en lire plus...
  14. Quebec's influence on the wane TIM WHARNSBY From Monday's Globe and Mail June 22, 2008 at 7:53 PM EDT OTTAWA — In the end, 27 players from the QMJHL were selected in the seven rounds of the 2008 NHL entry draft, and that was in line with the average of 26.7 chosen in the seven previous drafts. But when the QMJHL was shut out in the first round on Friday, alarm bells went off in supposedly hockey-mad Quebec. This had happened before, with the most recent occurrence in 2000, but when a prime-time national television audience watches seven of the first 10 players, 11 in total, selected from the OHL and nine from the WHL, the QMJHL was left red-faced. The lack of production may signify that Quebec hockey is on the cusp of a crisis. The Montreal Canadiens are fashionable again, and the all-sport French television network RDS smashed all sorts of records with millions of viewers in the Habs' run to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey concedes the province needs to step back and study the situation. “We're usually under scrutiny to take kids from Quebec,” Gainey said. “But I think in the past two or three years there has been information that has surfaced that says there just aren't as many players coming from Quebec as comparative to the past or other places.” Related Articles Of the 27 players selected from the QMJHL, 19 are from Quebec, two are Europeans, five are from the Atlantic provinces and one from Ontario. When the Detroit Red Wings made Julien Cayer of Longueuil, Que., a fifth-round selection – he plays for Northwood Prep in New York – that gave La Belle province an even 20. “I think it's simple evidence that it's just the way it is,” Gainey said. “I don't have any hard-core facts as to why it's the way it is, but it's clear this needs to be looked at.” Off the top, there are several factors that may have contributed to Quebec's decline in top end talent. The QMJHL nearly doubled its size, to 18 teams in 2004 from 10 teams in 1969, and the minor hockey base couldn't keep up, even though the QMJHL opened its doors to the Atlantic provinces and that area has flourished with players such as Brad Richards of Murray Harbour, PEI, and Sidney Crosby of Cole Harbour, N.S. There also is the fact that Montreal, the province's most populated area, has been without a QMJHL franchise since the Montreal Rocket left in 2003, and the franchise was only there for four years. The absence of a stable junior franchise in Montreal, as well as the city's diverse ethnic makeup, has hindered minor-hockey enrolment in the area. QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau believes the transfer of the St. John's franchise, which will become the Montreal Junior Hockey Club in the fall, to the Montreal suburb of Verdun will help the cause. “That's going to help because every city where we have been, the amount of minor-hockey participation has increased,” Courteau said. “But there is no doubt that there are lots of people from different nations that don't play hockey [in Montreal]. We need work better hand in hand with the Quebec branch [of hockey].” Gainey would like to see an in-depth study done to identify issues that confront the province. He promised the Canadiens will perform a leading role. Already the NHL club administers the Learn, Respect and Fun program, in which thousands of minor-hockey players sign a contract with the Habs, pledging to learn the rules of the game, to abide by principles of sportsmanship, respect for teammates, opponents and officials and to have fun playing the game. “We are in a place that as part of a coalition or group to say, ‘Here's where we are and how do we need to get more kids playing and more ice available?'” Gainey said. “I don't really know what the problem is. I would hazard that the problem is multilayered. “Before you forge off in any direction, you need to get a solid idea of what the landscape looks like. That would be the first step, getting people together to look at this. The Montreal Canadiens could play a role. The sport ministries could play a role. Former players who grew up in Quebec could play a role. “There is no reason why the sport can't be reconfigured, and the Canadiens naturally should play an important and leading role.” http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080622.nhl-draft23/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
  15. Cutting to the chase Sean Fitz-Gerald, National Post Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 TORONTO -- If he had told the truth while walking into that south Florida bar that winter, in 1969, nobody would have stopped to listen. So Paul Godfrey lied, just a little, and introduced himself to the commissioner of Major League Baseball as a councillor from Toronto - and not from nearby North York, where he actually worked. Then he asked for a baseball team. "Son, where are we going to play?" Bowie Kuhn asked back. "Sir," Godfrey said, "you give us a team and we'll build you a stadium." Kuhn, with his imposing 6-foot-5 frame, put a hand on Godfrey's shoulder. "Son, let me tell you the way we do it in Major League Baseball," he said. "First, you build us a stadium, then we'll decide if we want to give you a team. Nice meeting you." After plenty of negotiation and a bit of luck, the Toronto Blue Jays staged their first regular-season game at Exhibition Stadium eight years later. And by the mid-80s, Godfrey had turned his attention to the NFL, shaking hands and making friends with the league's power brokers. Today, it is Godfrey's employers at Rogers Communications who have taken up the chase, and Godfrey's employers who are faced with the same stadium-related questions for football that the former councillor faced for baseball. Rogers Centre is too small for the National Football League. Its seating capacity has been set at about 54,000 for an upcoming eight-game series featuring the Buffalo Bills, placing it firmly behind each of the league's existing 31 stadiums in terms of size. Renovations are a possibility, but would not be executed without complication. If a new facility is deemed to be the answer, then where would it be built? And who would pay for it? Ted Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum had to navigate a number of obstacles just to secure the series, and the stadium issue is still only one in a line of hurdles stretched out between them and the finish line of their quest to land their own NFL team. There are politicians on both sides of the border who would want to be heard before the relocation of any team; there are the NFL owners who would have to be convinced the time is right to move beyond the U.S. borders; there are other, American billionaires who would likely join in the bidding for any available team; and then there is the Canadian Football League, which would loudly protest any further encroachment onto its turf. "Getting a franchise, it's like getting the games here," Rogers vice chairman Phil Lind said. "It's extraordinarily complicated." Rogers Communications will pay $78-million to lease eight games from the Bills over the next five NFL seasons. And there has been rampant speculation the move eventually could become permanent. Sports investment banker Sal Galatioto, president of Galatioto Sports Partners, was asked why Toronto does not already have its own NFL franchise, despite decades of lobbying. "There are a bunch of reasons," he said. "One is Toronto doesn't have a stadium that really is NFL-ready, that meets NFL specs. That's a big problem. And it's like the chicken and the egg - unless you have the building, it's difficult to entice an NFL team to move there, but you don't want to build a building not knowing if you're going to have a team." Rogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, opened in 1989 at a cost of $578-million. It was overshadowed just three years later when Camden Yards opened in Baltimore, unleashing a new wave of stadium architecture, which favoured the quaint and the retro over the futuristic feel of the concrete and steel dome. SkyDome was sold to Rogers four years ago for just $25-million. Some feel the stadium could be renovated to house an NFL team by, among other things, digging and lowering the floor. The obvious conflict that would arise, though, is how the construction schedule might interfere with the Blue Jays, the stadium's primary tenant - and another of Rogers' holdings. According to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, the league does not have a minimum size requirement for stadiums. But the smallest facility, Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, holds 61,500 fans, 7,500 more than Rogers Centre. Opinions vary about where a new stadium might be built. There would seem to be some potential along the water just east of downtown, but the lack of public transit and room for added traffic flow has ruled it out for some. Downsview Park, in the city's north end, has often been cited as prime real estate, but Liberal Member of Parliament Joe Volpe vaguely suggested there was "some maneuvering" that might rule out its candidacy. "Probably the best place - and it was the best place 30 years ago when they were talking about the SkyDome - is Downsview," Volpe said. "And the second-best place is just past Canada's Wonderland." Building a new stadium is not cheap, but some believe the Toronto group might be able to avoid asking for public money by selling personal seat licences. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is reportedly charging as much as US$150,000 for a PSL - which only really gives a fan the right to buy tickets - in his new, US$1.1-billion stadium. Private financing might be the only way to proceed in Toronto. "When SkyDome was built, Metro Toronto put in $30-million, because at that time, the municipality had felt there was a need for a major sports centre," Toronto Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone said. "There's no political will in this town, that I'm aware of, to basically subsidize an NFL team in Toronto by putting taxpayers' money in it." "It'd be tough," Volpe said. The same could be said of the competition to land an NFL team. Ralph Wilson founded the Bills for US$25,000 in 1959, and has indicated the franchise will be placed up for auction after his death. Wilson turns 90 this fall, and Forbes values the Bills at US$821-million. "When an NFL team comes on the market, Ted Rogers is great - he's a bidder, but not necessarily the winning bidder," Galatioto said. "There are other people just as wealthy as he is, if not wealthier, who want an NFL team." Galatioto suggested the Bills could have more than a half-dozen wealthy suitors, from those who might want to keep it in Western New York to those who might want to return the league to Los Angeles after an absence of more than a decade. "You're going to have a lot of interest around the Bills," he said. "Believe me, there are a lot of people who ask me that same question: Some people interested in keeping it in Buffalo; some people interested in the dream of L.A.; some people talking about Toronto. The Bills are a big, hot topic." Especially in Western New York, where the NFL acts as one of the region's final ties to the national spotlight. Senator Charles Schumer is reportedly scheduled to meet with Wilson and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at training camp this summer, seeking to ensure the team's future in Buffalo. Other politicians have made their voices heard, and only on the mere speculation the team might be in danger of moving. The Toronto consortium would face headaches at home, too, where B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles has pledged to make as much noise as possible in defence of the CFL. Senator Larry Campbell, a former Vancouver mayor, recently tabled a bill that would ban the NFL from playing regular-season games in Canada. "I do believe in the tradition of the Canadian Football League," Godfrey said. "And it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that there are ways that both can survive. I really believe that the CFL can not only survive, but I think with the co-operation between the two leagues, it can put teams in cities that they're not in today - possibly Quebec City, Halifax." According to Rogers Communications, though, the Southern Ontario market is NFL territory. "The NFL owners have to cross the threshold and decide whether they are international, or whether they are just American," Lind said. "And they lose a certain amount if, say, Toronto or Moose Jaw gets a franchise. They gain a lot, too, because there's a huge market in Canada that would be energized way more than it is right now." Godfrey, who started the chase more than 20 years ago, is admittedly not in the foreground of the most recent pursuit, focusing on his role as president of the Blue Jays while Rogers, Tanenbaum and Lind lead the hunt. But even from the background, he claims he can still see the finish line. "A team is coming here," Godfrey said. "Can I predict whether it will be two years, or six years, or 10 years? I can't. I have no inside information, but I do know the NFL wants to go global, and it's the only sport that has not gone North American - never mind global."
  16. Je me suis rendu compte que Montreal et San Diego sont les deux seul villes de plus de 3 millions d'habitant a ne pas posseder de franchsie nba... pire! des villes 2 fois moins importante que Montreal possede une franchise (Memphis, Sacramento, New Orleans... meme Vancouver a eu droit a son equipe il y a qq annees!) Pourtant, on devrait s'y interesser parce que ce championnat est en plein boom d'audience dans le monde (Europe, Chine, Amerique latine...) Les retombees mediatique pourrait etre tres importante pour Montreal (comme San Antonio ou Cleveland) En plus je vois pas pourquoi Toronto a droit a son equipe et pas nous! je pense que je suis pas le seul a y avoir penser... donc si quelqu'un a des infos ou des archives concernant ce sujet j'aimerais bien me renseigner un peu (j'adore le basket:D )
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