Matthew Sekeres
Globe and Mail Update Published on Thursday, Dec. 03, 2009 11:40PM EST
Last updated on Friday, Dec. 04, 2009 2:12AM EST
In an open letter to Toronto Argonauts fans released yesterday, club president Bob Nicholson writes that the CFL team could play its home games at BMO Field as soon as next season.
Nicholson says a move to the 20,000-seat stadium is “far from certain,” but that any season-ticket holder who renews for Rogers Centre would have the option of a refund should the team change home venues.
“We at the Toronto Argonauts are preparing to play at Rogers Centre in 2010,” says the letter posted on the team's website. “At the same time, we are working with the CFL to conduct a feasibility study to see if it is even possible to play our games at BMO Field.” The Argos and the CFL launched the month-long study after club owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski presented the BMO Field proposal to league governors at the Grey Cup last week. The facility, home to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, cannot accommodate the dimensions of a CFL field, which is 150 yards long (including both end zones), by 65 yards wide.
“[The study] will help us determine if our fan experience can be enhanced with better sight-lines, closer proximity to the field and a more intimate facility, while upholding the standards of our league,” Nicholson writes. “We at the Argos will immediately advise our fans of any plans as they arise … Again, this is all speculative until the feasibility study is complete.”
Cynamon and Sokolowski, who have owned the team since 2003, have said they will weigh their options this off-season, but moving to BMO Field, which is owned by the city of Toronto, would increase the likelihood that the two businessmen remain as owners. If not, B.C. Lions owner David Braley, who has lent the Argos owners money in the past, is expected to look at buying the team, possibly in concert with his sons.
The CFL constitution does not forbid one person or family from owning more than one team.
Both Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns TFC and manages BMO Field, and the Canadian Soccer Association, which presides over international matches at the facility, have expressed concerns over football games at the soccer-specific stadium.
The CSA has said football could destroy the new $5-million natural grass surface being installed this year, and TFC fans levy many objections, including the additional field markings required for football.
source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle1388091/