Rich

The larger issue is there is already a narrative out there that the stadium location sucks and the traffic in and out of games is horrendous because of how poorly it was planned in season 1. Getting in and out has improved by leaps and bounds but it isn't as easy as saying double the park n ride cost because there are already a contingent of fans looking for excuses to stay at home and not go to games. That is reality of that location right now Start putting a consistent winning product on the field again, and they can probably start to raise prices for the bus.

Parking costs us something like $200 for the season. 10 home games split 3 ways.

For sure the park n ride expense. Not sure on the transit subsidy. I could be way off here as I park, but I think it was transit the first season but the subsidy was way too much and they moved to school buses.

The extra 40 cents still won't cover it and cause more problems and time delays giving people change as they board the bus. These are school buses not transit buses. No PayGo cards.

Transit / city stopped helping out in 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/manitoba/bombers-fans-to-pay-bus-fare-to-stadium-but-rides-back-are-free-1.2666040

The $5 is for the school bus park and rides. First I don't think even transit fares cover the full cost of transit. Second they have a bunch of school buses shuttle in a bunch of people. Sit around for 3 - 4 hours (not generating any fare revenue but you still pay salaries and time of use for the buses). Then they shuttle people home. Lastly it isn't more than transit. It's $5 there and back. Two bus rides.

In the world of accounting though capital vs operating is quite different. http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/042415/what-difference-between-operating-expense-and-capital-expense.asp

$5 for round trip park & ride - http://www.bluebombers.com/park-and-ride/ Regular transit fares for transit buses - http://www.bluebombers.com/regular-transit-routes/ I wonder how much that $5 would have to go up so that they aren't subsidising the busses. Need to find that balance of how much people will pay vs. the inconvenience / cost of just deciding to not go to a game.

This is what I was wondering when I read that article. Good that we made a profit. Not good that we didn't make enough to cover the mortgage payment

I haven't seen the players say no we won't concede anything with scheduling, so that is pure conjecture. At the end of the day, they are in the business of selling entertainment. And they aren't giving their customers what they really want. It is the same with every lockout and strike, I blame both sides. Same old, same old .... billionaires arguing with millionaires ... and the average fan loses out.

How about going to stop alienating your current fan base. Is there any existing hockey fan out there that doesn’t want to watch the best players in the world compete with each other under their countries flag? What hockey fan out there has said, no … I don’t want a three week stoppage so I can watch Olympic hockey with NHL players! Give me the all-star game instead. I’ve usually been on the side of the owners when it comes down to CBA discussions, but tying CBA negotiations into the Olympics is wrong. The PA should be accommodating for scheduling reasons in the Olympic year (starting earlier, giving up mandated practice days off / mandatory breaks, or whatever) to accommodate the season stopping, but not re-negotiating other key issues of the CBA. Why should the NHL go to the Olympics? Because the vast majority of their existing fans … the ones who pay for the tickets, the ones who the sponsors need to keep generating television revenue, want it. The NHL can do it. They’ve done it before. This is just another slap in the face of the existing fans who support their game. Will they lose fans over this decision? Probably not. But at some point they need to realize who ultimately pays their bills. If you keep doing things that alienate your fans, at some point they won’t come back.

They were saying on the morning show today that even players who don't go to the Olympics enjoy the break because it gives them a rare opportunity for a mid winter vacation with the family. I also think this is short sided by the NHL. They've exhausted the North America market for growth.

I knew that, it was reported .... Might have been H&L. Could be ready for next season if all goes well. 4 months is August. 6 month is October.

Driving over to the guys house isn't necessary. A two minute phone call that basically says "We appreciate everything you've done for the Argos but we are now going in a new direction." is a much more professional way to run an organisation then sending this over a text. Then again, maybe I'm just old fashioned.

This is a great idea. Need to turn the younger generation into Bomber fans to convert them into life long fans.

Yes. 925 is the max. I believe the minimum is 650 next year

Vegas also can't buyout contracts for a full year for the players claimed on expansion. So if you take 6 goalies and can't trade them, you are stuck with them. Or send them down and hope someone claims them.

ELC contracts are 925k. No choice. Max signing bonus is 10%. The rest has to be in performance bonuses.

Smart move by the NHL / NHLPA (assume they would have got PA approval) Look at the discussion the expansion draft has generated so far. When those lists come out, it is going to give the NHL a whole bunch of media attention and fan discussion in their off season. I know the NHL doesn't officially support / supply the salaries, but look at the discussion and media attention the cap and salary websites have generated for the NHL. Expansion draft is similar, players probably won't be thrilled about it, but it is great for marketing and drumming up interest.

For the longest time all professional sports leagues stayed away from Vegas because they didn't want the appearance of their product associated with gambling. Now that the internet has proliferated gambling so that anyone can bet on sports from the comfort of their La-Z-Boy, it doesn't have the stigma it once had.

Don't like these NCAA contract rules. In regards to the signing bonus, not much of a difference getting it now or waiting 2 months and getting it in June from a team of his choosing.

I believe so.

Interesting. I thought ELC's were always 3 years. Apparently if you are 22 - 23 you can sign an ELC for 2 years. And if you are 24 you can sign an ELC for 1 year.

Poolman was hurt for their last game Is there a rule against signing a hurt player?