It'll be sad to see the end of Mosaic Stadium and Ivor Wynne Stadium as we currently know them.
With the news on Tuesday that Mosaic Stadium in Regina will be demolished and likely replaced by a new facility in 2015 and the news a couple months back that Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton will be renovated and re-opened again in 2014, two of the oldest facilities in the Canadian Football League will be gone.
Yes, stadiums have shelf lives that need to be addressed and clearly these two old ladies have had their better day. They are older than Phyllis Diller, albeit without nearly as many facelifts.
These two stadiums lack the amenities to create revenues to improve the bottom line. Luxury boxes/suites are desperately needed, along with other money-making properties, to attract corporate dollars. But both were built when people filled the stadiums without any regard to corporate cash for seating.
You'd be hardpressed to find two facilities in the CFL that are more charming for pure fan appeal, with no disrespect to Molson Stadium in Montreal which has undergone enough nip and tucks to make it beautiful. Both Ivor Wynne and Mosaic Stadium (gosh I used to like it when it was simply Taylor Field) are built in old neighborhoods. If you're looking for a parking space on game day in Hamilton, you can always use somebody's lawn for a minimal charge. We don't know if the new stadiums will offer the same money-making opportunities.
Both stadiums are products of a generation of sports in which comfort was not an issue. You came to the game, regardless of the weather, and you cheered for the home team, and if you happened to be sitting on the exposed side of the stadium with little protection from the elements, well, so be it. This is not Toronto or Vancouver where the roof is closed. If it rains, snows, hails or bags of sunflower seeds are flying from the upper decks like projectiles - I distinctly recalled that happening one time in a game in Regina between the Roughriders and Argos - and you're sitting in areas without cover, you can either brave the conditions or run for shelter.
Inside the stadiums, in particular the proximity of the seating to the sidelines, is what makes these two facilities so charming. The stands at Ivor Wynne are so close to the field, fans can hurl obscenities at the opposing players - or in some cases their own - without needing to scream at the top of their lungs. And if shouting isn't enough, there have been examples in both stadiums in which fans have been known to throw beer, non-alcoholic beverages or other liquid forms - some of which are bodily produced - at opposing players without needing to have the arm of Nolan Ryan.
Mosaic Stadium is one of the most hostile facilities for opposing teams. There was one noteworthy incident in 2008 when some fans threw beer cans at the B.C. Lions' bench. Again, the proximity of the stands to the opposing bench allowed for a short throw to connect to the target.
"This really hurts the label of 'the best fans in the world,"' Riders president/chief operating officer Jim Hopson was quoted in a paper two days after the game. "The best fans in the world don't throw cans of beer at anybody."
In Hamilton, there is a promo before the games in which legendary Ticat player Angelo Mosca, dressed up like Moses, provides commandments for patrons. Those who break the rules are banished from the premises and sent to wander the desert (okay, I couldn't resist the biblical analogy). Not that that has prevented fans from throwing batteries or balloons filled with urine.
One fan, clearly not interested with testing his arm strength, took a rather unusual liberty one time in Steeltown, when he ran on to the field, scaled up one of the uprights, descended down to the crossbar and then walked across it like he was a gymnast on a balance beam. He then hung from it like a koala bear, before the police literally wrestled him to the ground and led him away to spend some quiet time in jail. If you want to see the footage, click here. You'll split your sides laughing.
But that is the charm of Ivor Wynne. We're quite sure the new stadium will be built without the same footprint or easy access points.
The CFL is moving to a new generation where most of the current stadiums are undergoing partial or total facelifts or, in some cases, relocation with a totally new facility. That will happen in Winnipeg, where a new stadium is already under construction and scheduled to be unveiled for use in 2012. The current stadium, which is built in a commercial area near the downtown core, is known for its awful wind conditions, which has played into the home team's favour. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case in recent years. Maybe a new stadium will bring the Bombers and their faithful supporter's better luck.
It's an out with old and in with the new stadiums as the CFL moves forward and teams look for ways to make money, in particular building or fixing up their facilities to land the rights to future Grey Cup games, which could translate to a profit as little as $3 million and potentially double that. The key component is stadium size and the ability to retrofit or bring in temporary seating. Some of these old stadiums aren't really built for either anymore.
So enjoy these old stadiums while they are still here. What they lack in comfort they more than make up for in history and charm, none more so than in Hamilton and Regina.
