Riderville

Well, the big news in Riderville is not what happened regarding signings or cuts, but what will be announced this week regarding a new stadium.

The initial expectations for a new stadium was going for an domed stadium that could be used year round and attract concerts like U2, Rolling Stones (oh, we already got them, right…), AC/DC (Oh wait, they played a coupled years ago here…right…), Bon Jovi (I know, the haircut band played there last year, but seriously guys), and well, say a lot of indoor car shows.

The feds suggested we go for what they call a public, private partnership deal, but then refused to put money into the project, and even one in Quebec City, although they are getting money through backdoor means, like harmonizing their PST and GST into the HST.

The city and the Riders went back to the drawing board and apparently will be coming up with an idea for a new downtown stadium, and redeveloping the old Taylor Field site into low cost residential housing (A friend of mine saw her rent raised from $650 to $900 a month. I think the developers should pay for a new stadium).

The city is apparently looking to get buy in from private companies and one would argue with potash profits at an all time high, PCS could certainly thank the Saskatchewan people by putting money back into the one thing that unites all Saskatchewan people…but then again, Mosaic has paid for naming rights to the stadium and has another three years to run.

education

Auditor finds non-compliance with international trip, credit card and expense claims at Northlands College

2h ago

Court proceedings

Drugs and weapons bust in Stanley Mission, results in two year sentence

22h ago

health care

La Loche recipient of new portable blood analyzer, printer kit

23h ago

The Riders do need a new facility. For events like the Grey Cup, you would be wiser to invest in a pair of Depends because of the massive washroom lines. The food services are not that great either, and the league would prefer to have a showcase facility for its big game.

An indoor facility would be warmer when it gets colder. It would eliminate the factors like wind, rain, snow and power blackouts that make up Rider football history.

An indoor facility could be reconfigured for concerts, making them smaller. I went to an Arcade Fire concert in Saskatoon last year that used half the arena. But are there enough concerts to go around?

I will be interested in seeing what happens, especially as a season ticket holder. The new stadiums in the NFL cost so much that it has become impossible for long time season ticket holders or families to attend games, leaving the seats for corporations. And corporations don't have the same passion for the game that people who actually love the team do, and there are not enough corporations in Saskatchewan to make an NFL style stadium deal viable.

There are other issues, like parking and costs and the ability of someone other than the Riders to generate revenue. High school football, junior and university football will not be enough, and they would not be able to afford an increase in using the facility. This will be really interesting to watch this week because the issue is not whether the Riders need a new stadium. They do, but the issue is what kind and how much will it cost?

In other Rider news, or Rider related, Marcus Adams has signed a two year contract with the Edmonton Eskimos. This will allow Adams to leave on his own terms, provide some leadership to Edmonton, and make Edmonton a much easier team for us to run on.