Why do the Tiger-Cats Matter?

Mayoral candidate Edward Graydon made some interesting remarks to me to the tone that he really doesn't care for football.  Fair enough.  This is a democracy and just as we stand with the people who support us, we also need to look to the people who didn't.  After all, they vote too and conciliatory gestures go a long way for voters in general.  It shows that you stand for everyone and not just those who support you.

That being said, Mr. Graydon does question the need to support the Tiger-Cats and is wondering why it is that Hamilton hasn't gone full bore into building the stadium now, concerned that the lingering of this issue is only making things worse.  And yes, it's true.  The lingering of this issue is really making things worse, people are more tense than ever and there is a lot of despair when faced with the prospect of losing the Tiger-Cats. 

So why does this 141 year old institution matter?  It is a good question and I will answer it for one of my regular readers.

• Identity - Our city has embraced the Tiger as its symbol, because it is a part of our military and sporting history.  We had the Hamilton Tigers of the NHL in the 20's, which we lost in 1925 due to a labour dispute just before the playoffs began.  The irony of this one?  The team of that season had the best record in the NHL and was a major Stanley Cup contender.  Of course we had the Hamilton Tigers of football, which merged with the Hamilton Flying Wildcats to form, you guessed it, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  (if your NFL buddies want an equivalent, talk about the Steagles, a temporary merger between the Steelers and Eagles during WW II)   And speaking of World War II, our training squadron at Mount Hope was called the Hamilton Tiger Squadron, whose name has been carried to an Air Cadet corps 150, based at the James Street Armoury. 
• Community Services - Our players often go to hospitals to see children, sign autographs and encourage them to hang in there.  They participate in athletic events and fundraisers for charities.  They also make it possible to raise funds for other community groups through 50/50 draws at the stadiums.
• Jobs - The Tiger-Cats mean almost 300 jobs in the community.  From hawkers in the stands to the president, there are jobs for these people who may not have another job for a while.
• Diversion - The time you spend in the stands cheering our team to victory is time spent away from your own troubles.  Sometimes we need to forget about our troubles for a few hours so we can refresh, recalibrate and hopefully overcome that problem.
• Entertainment - A game isn't all gratification from a big touchdown or what not.  There's dancing, singing and sometimes a band playing.  The halftime show is a chance to watch our children in sport or even a moment to see something amazing like a magic show or concert.
• The Grey Cup - Hosting a Grey Cup game is big money.  Everybody from everywhere in the country comes to town to celebrate the sport and all other things Canadian.  It's our own Super Bowl and the one single annual event more people in Canada watch.  And above all, it means money for local businesses and tourism.
• Argos (Suck!) - Yes the Argos, who do suck (did I just mention that?), come to town every Labour Day.  It's the one great day in which Toronto bashing becomes a great pastime.  Our football season is never complete without a win over the Argos on labour day.
• Tradition - We have been doing this over the last 140 years.  Why not make it more special and see if we will have bicentennial to celebrate, after our sesquicentennial celebration, of course.  It's been a part of our city since early in its mutual establishment.

We all have our own reasons to enjoy the Tiger-Cats, but let's not delude ourselves from the fact that as much as some of us love the Tiger Cats and Tiger Cats football, there are people in Hamilton who don't and we have to understand that not everyone will be happy.  Live and let live.  We have our differences, but we can't dispute that despite the mixed feelings about football, the Tiger-Cats provide something just as tangible - civic pride and encouragement.

That takes care of one question and the other question is why the delay in breaking the ground?  The city hasn't received funding from the games hosting committee to begin the build and without that money, nothing's going to be built.  The city is still required to partner with an anchor tenant to get the mandate for a new stadium and the city was hoping that the Ti-Cats would get involved.  Because of their concerns, the Tiger-Cats have decided that they will not invest in a stadium that doesn't address their economic concerns and puts them in position that would make them dependent on the city to survive.

Mayor Fred is hoping Bob Young would sell the team before he officially moves.  But I don't think Bob Young is interested in selling a business that has the same problems it had before he bought them.  And that's where we are now.  If Mayor Fred wants Young back to the table, he will need to give him the means to break-even and it could mean the city and the Ti-Cats would have to share parking revenues.  It could mean Bob would get management rights to host events. 

Either way, he needs to get another revenue stream so he is not completely dependent on ticket sales and television royalties.  That's his economic concern.  And that's why the West Harbour doesn't work for him.  He wants to leave the franchise in better shape than when he got it in the first place.  Is that wrong?

And now do you understand why the Tiger-Cats are important to this city?