Raise the Hammer

Dear "Hamilton Fan" or should I say, TigerCat employee?

Wouldn't that be grand if the 'Cats would pry open the books -- I won't be holding my breath though. Facts and fiction are very different, and the TiCats have been spinning this issue out of control for months. Bob Young played the Hail Mary play back in May when he issued his "my way or the highway" letter to City Council and the media (bad form, by the way, but if it works, it works, right?). He's on record in the local newspaper and on countless radio interviews as saying "We'll play wherever the City builds a stadium." That's a fact. Why in heaven's name did he wait so long to give the ultimatum to the City, after Council not once, not twice but three different times confirm west harbour as the stadium site? These guys have played everyone and their mother with their "playing out the clock" tactics. Too bad everybody blinked, but I guess it is an election year isn't it?

And on Mr. Young whining about the Mayor's reaction of surprise: I would bet dollars to dingbats that EVERYONE was shocked by his throw-down-the-gauntlet letter saying "we will not play at the West Harbour" -- including the business community. Again, give me a break!

I'd be surprised if Mr. Young has ever bothered to invest any of his precious money in any third-party studies or analysis. His claims about West Harbour are based on nothing concrete. The Spectator (and Ryan McGreal I believe) both featured news of an urban study that came out earlier this year (by the Urban Canadian Institute?) which featured all kinds of wonderful ideas about urban renewal in the downtown and along the waterfront. That study was funded by the government and apparently outlines west harbor as a great area for a stadium, so long as other development would happen there. And isn't it most ironic that one of the biggest Sport/Entertainment operators in the World (AEG is it?) clearly sees the value of a stadium in the West Harbour but Mr. Young and his top-notch corporate football executives don't seem to get it? I don't even think they really care about Hamilton or what's best for those of us who will be footing the entire stadium bill in the long run. That's the real shame at the end of the day.