You've probably seen or heard the hysteria this week over the prospective relocation of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young sent a letter to the Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger this week indicating his intention to move the CFL club after their Ivor Wynne lease expires in 2011.
This is an excerpt from Young's letter regarding the city's wish for a downtown stadium...
"As owner of the Tiger-Cats, I cannot and will not be party to such an ill-advised concept.
I regret that over the course of the past year, you have not been sensitive to our concerns as your tenant. My major regret is the harsh reality that after next year, there will be no home for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the City where we shared so much success and positive experiences together."
Young goes on to state that the Cats will play out their lease and then consider their options.
As in every civil dispute, there are obviously two-sides to the issue.
The problem here is that the City of Hamilton has decided to play an ill-advised game of hardball.
Being rewarded an expansion franchise is one of the hardest things to achieve in modern-day sports. If anything, Hamilton should be familiar with the tediousness of the process thanks to their continued flirtation with the NHL.
Hamilton can pretend that they don't need the Ti-Cats, they can even exercise their leverage of public funding. The only one they'll be hurting is themselves.
If the Tiger-Cats leave after 2011, there will be a gaping hole in a city where the CFL has been for a century. It is even the home of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The football fans wouldn't stand for it, they would want a team to return.
However, to be awarded a franchise your city has to be deemed viable by the CFL?and it's governors.
Surely the money that will be required to entice an expansion team will come at a much greater price than keeping and maintaining their existing franchise.
Ottawa is in the process of securing a CFL franchise for a third time. How much money has the City of Ottawa sunk into making a CFL team a reality?
Hamilton's Mayor may not want to bargain with the Tiger-Cats now, but pushing them out of town is no way to save money.
Just ask Ottawa.
