Toronto Argos Survey Ticket Holders on Swapping Stadiums

The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League are asking their fans what they think of potentially moving from the Rogers Centre to BMO Field.

"It's an exploration to see if our fans and our future fans want us in that stadium," Argos co-owner David Cynamon said. "It needs to grow [BMO Field has only 20,000 seats], so that's a project in itself. But first things first, let's make sure our fans want to move before we even talk about moving."

The Argos believe they could increase their season-ticket base by at least 3,000 (from about 13,500) by moving to BMO field. And their interest has been piqued of late by buzz that the city, which owns the stadium, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which operates it, have discussed adding 10,000 additional seats to accommodate demand for Toronto FC.

Source: Globe and Mail

Manchester United Youth Footballer Wins Case over Career Ending Tackle

A former member of Manchester United's youth squad was awarded a large compensation package by a court on Monday over a tackle that ended his career.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had told an earlier hearing that Ben Collett had an "outstanding chance" of succeeding in football, but he was never able to return from a 2003 tackle by Middlesbrough's Gary Smith which broke his right leg in two places during a reserve match.

Middlesbrough and Smith admitted liability for the "negligent" tackle and Collett, who is now 23, was awarded C$8.7 million in damages by London's High Court. The amount will be paid by the Premier League club's insurers.

Source: Canadian Press

JumpTV Reports $11.5m Q2 Loss

Internet-based television provider JumpTV reported Monday a second-quarter loss of $11.5 million or 23 cents per share, widened from its year-ago loss of $6.5 million or 13 cents per share as revenues more than doubled.

The Toronto-based company, which in June rejected overtures from MySpace founder Brad Greenspan to instead complete a planned merger with U.S. online TV service NeuLion Inc, said its revenue moved up to US$3.6 million from a year-ago $1.2 million.

JumpTV’s subscribers increased 128 per cent to 68,500 at June 30 from 30,000 in the second quarter a year ago.

“In our sports business, we broadened our client base by adding new teams and leagues as partners and, at the same time, we increased the depth of many of our existing relationships by adding incremental functionality and other technology solutions to their online offerings,” chairman Scott Paterson said in a statement.

“In our international business, we took steps with respect to people and other resources to position our strongest areas of content aggregation — Arabic, South Asian, Hispanic and Caribbean — to be re-energized in the context of our new business plan which will unfold as a result of our planned merger with NeuLion.”

The merger is on track to close on Oct. 1, the company said.

JumpTV is focused on soccer, cycling and U.S. college sports, while NeuLion has rights to National Hockey League games and the International Fight League.

NeuLion is headed by billionaire software developer Charles Wang, who co-founded Computer Associates Inc. in the 1970s and owns various New York sports franchises.

Source: Canadian Press

Budweiser and Reebok Sponsoring Bills in Toronto

Budweiser has been named the title sponsor of the pre-game tailgate parties for the eight-game Bills Toronto Series this month, outside the Rogers Centre at the corner of Blue Jays Way and Front Street. And Canton, MA-based Reebok has become the official apparel and headwear supplier for the Bills Toronto Series.

The free pre-game tailgate parties will provide food and beverages, live music, interactive fan zones, merchandise kiosks and a contest to win one of hundreds of free tickets to that day's game for participants over 19.

As part of its deal, Reebok will produce an exclusive line of NFL-licensed gear - featuring the Bills Toronto Series logo - that will be sold in various Sport Chek locations across the GTA.

The series' first game will see the Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a pre-season contest at Toronto's Rogers Centre. Broadcasting nationally in Canada on Citytv and Rogers Sportsnet, the first regular season NFL game in Canada kicks off when the Bills play host to the Miami Dolphins on December 7 at 4 pm.

Toronto-based Insight Sports is the official sponsorship agency of the Bills Toronto Series.

Source: Media in Canada

NHL 2008-09 Pre-Season Schedule Released

The National Hockey League has released the 2008-09 pre-season schedule, which runs from Saturday, September 20 through Monday, October 6. The 110-game pre-season slate features the four NHL clubs that will open the regular season in Europe -- the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning -- playing five games in four European cities.


On September 28, the Lightning play German league champion Eisbaren Berlin in the German capital at the new 02 World Arena.


The Rangers face Russian club Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Bern, Switzerland on October 1 in competition for the Victoria Cup, a trophy slated to be awarded each year to the winner of a match between an NHL team and the winner of Europe's IIHF-sanctioned Champions Hockey League. The night before the Victoria Cup, the Rangers will face 11-time Swiss league champion SC Bern.

Uniform Change for Brazil

Brazil will not wear its regular official Nike uniform for the remainder of the Beijing Games because of concerns it could affect Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Olympics, the country's soccer confederation said yesterday.

International Olympic Committee rules say that nations should not wear confederations' emblems on uniforms during the Games, and Brazil's Nike jersey has the soccer confederation emblem on it.

Brazil's emblem is made up of five stars, which reflect the country's five world titles in men's soccer. Neither the Brazilian men's nor women's teams have won Olympic gold.

UFC Targets Canada

The UFC plans to turn its attention on opening up mixed martial arts throughout Canada after it sorts out the sanctioning in Massachusetts and New York, UFC president Dana White said yesterday.

MMA shows take place in parts of Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, B.C., and some other pockets.

But Ontario resists the sport.

"Believe me, when we get things straightened out in Toronto, we'll be there as soon as we do," White told a question-and-answer session with fans at the Target Center in advance of UFC 87.

White said convincing the authorities that MMA was safe and desirable was an "education process that takes time. You've just got to get in there and get it done and we will."

Once Massachusetts and New York approve the sport, "then we're focusing 100% on Canada. Canada is very important to us," White said to wild cheers from a crowd filled with Canadians who made the trip to see Montreal's Georges St. Pierre defend his welterweight title against Jon Fitch.

"Crazy-ass Canadians. Everywhere we go, it doesn't matter. There's always Canadians," White said admiringly.

"I don't care if I'm in the U.K., Northern Ireland, Vegas. You guys are awesome, man. We care about Canada. We're coming."

The UFC says 12 more U.S. states approved MMA in 2007.

Sources: Canadian Press