Could Pan Am Games Bid Benefit NFL in Toronto?

[Brian in Boston]

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has agreed to throw federal support behind Toronto's bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games. The Ontario provincial government is looking for approximately $600 million of the games' $1.77 billion price-tag from Ottawa. It is projected that the event would lead to $2 billion in economic activity and create approximately 17,000 jobs.

Provincial officials are saying that one significant benefit of Toronto landing the Pan Am Games would be the construction of much-needed sports facilities in the region, which hasn't hosted a major international athletic event since the 1930s. One would think that a stadium to host track and field events, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, would be just such a facility.

Might Ted Rogers (Rogers Communications, the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre), Larry Tanenbaum (Kilmer Van Nostrand Co., Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Kilmer Sports, Inc.) and Paul Godfrey (Toronto Blue Jays) throw some of their money, business acumen and socio-political connections behind such a bid - and its accompanying major stadium - with an eye towards having a future Toronto-based NFL franchise call said stadium home?

[DEAD!]

Toronto did host the 1993 world indoor championships. Does that count as an major athletic meet?

To the main topic: It would help, but I think the NFL consortium must work with the government about financing. I doubt taxpayers would want to pay for the COMPLETE cost of building the stadium AND transformation to an NFL stadium (given the BMO Field issue). It's definitely possible if the location and style of the stadium are right.

[Brian in Boston]

Toronto did host the 1993 world indoor championships. Does that count as an major athletic meet?

I'd forgotten that Toronto hosted the '93 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

In any event, I personally don't see such a meet as being a "major" event on the scale I was referencing. I was referring to the Olympics... the Pan Am Games... the Commonwealth Games... the World Cup; the type of events that involve thousands of athletes and/or capture the attention and imagination of millions of people worldwide.

Ironically, the 1930 British Empire Games (later, the Commonwealth Games) in Hamilton, Ontario only involved 400 athletes representing Australia, Bermuda, British Guiana, Canada, England, Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. Yet, for the era, those games were considered a "major" event.

[dfwabel]

Toronto did host the 1993 world indoor championships. Does that count as an major athletic meet?

I'd forgotten that Toronto hosted the '93 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

In any event, I personally don't see such a meet as being a "major" event on the scale I was referencing. I was referring to the Olympics... the Pan Am Games... the Commonwealth Games... the World Cup; the type of events that involve thousands of athletes and/or capture the attention and imagination of millions of people worldwide.

Ironically, the 1930 British Empire Games (later, the Commonwealth Games) in Hamilton, Ontario only involved 400 athletes representing Australia, Bermuda, British Guiana, Canada, England, Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. Yet, for the era, those games were considered a "major" event.

The Pan Am Games are still "major"? I disagree. I never thought they were major when Indy had then in 1987 or wehen Caracas had them in 1983, Those games are know only for the fact that Denny Crum lost another international basketball tourney for USA Basketball. CBS covered both aformentioned games, but not to the point which captured the attention of most of the US. They have been lately in Havana, Santo Domingo, DR, and Rio. Rio needed to do work for the World Cup anyway. This, like the World University Games are basically afterthoughts. The construction of a NFL style stadium for this event would be a civic mistake especially since the franchise is not currently there.

[Brian in Boston]

The Pan Am Games are still "major"?

The 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro saw over 5,600 athletes from 42 nations contest 332 events in 38 sports. I'd deem that a "major" international athletic competition.

I disagree.

Which you are more than welcome to do.

The construction of a NFL style stadium for this event would be a civic mistake especially since the franchise is not currently there.

Only time will tell what is going to happen.

[Lee.]

Ask Winnipeg about the "everlasting legacy" left behind by the 1999 Pan-Am Games. They got a baseball stadium out of the deal, and that's about it. Everything else was temporary and left town with the athletes.

A lot of electronics left town, too, but that's another story altogether.