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Former Toronto mayor David Miller joins anti-Argos at BMO crowd, making move less likely

Andrew Bucholtz

While last week's Toronto Sunreport of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment considering buying the Argonauts as a bridge to an NFL franchise seemed utterly improbable on many levels, at least part of it has received attention elsewhere, with MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke saying on a conference call last week that the organization would explore modifying Toronto FC's BMO Field to host Canadian football. There are huge obstacles in the way of that ever happening, though, most notably intense opposition from fans, players and executives with both TFC and Canada's national soccer teams to the idea of removing BMO Field's grass surface and replacing it with turf that could be used for both soccer and football. That opposition crowd picked up a notable backer Wednesday, with former Toronto mayor David Miller posting the text of a letter he'd sent to MLSE on his Facebook page. Here are the key parts of his comments:

I am writing because I believe that the recent management changes at TFC, and your president’s comments on football/artificial turf, have seriously jeopardized the future of this club. ...

Stabilize the experience. End the speculation about the Argonauts CFL team coming to BMO. Mr. Leiweke’s suggestion that they might, and the necessary implication that they would play on artificial turf, was the wrong thing to say, at this time in particular. You risk losing the most committed supporters of TFC if the venue is changed to accommodate Canadian football, particularly if turf returns.

As you know, I have been an ardent supporter of TFC since you and MLSE first had the vision to bring Major League Soccer to Toronto. I have supported the team through thick and thin, defended management, was one of the first season ticket holders, and, in my former capacity, was instrumental in building the stadium and supporting its conversion to grass.
I am so frustrated with the latest management missteps that I am returning the remainder of my season tickets to you: it is the only way I can emphasize how serious the situation is for those of us who support TFC. Please donate them to an appropriate cause.

There once was magic at BMO Field. The latest reshuffle has made the possibility of that magic returning almost certainly disappear.


Those are strong words from Miller (he also discusses TFC's various management missteps), but they're not unexpected given the support he's shown for TFC in the past and the role he played in building BMO Field as a soccer-specific stadium. He's also far from alone here, which demonstrates just how difficult it would be for the Argonauts to play at BMO Field (and just how unlikely it is that will happen). The idea of the Argonauts sharing that stadium was once considered, but it didn't work out when it was opened in 2007, and it's far more unlikely now. The main reason the Argos are on the hunt for a new home at all is thanks to the Blue Jays' desire to convert the Rogers Centre to grass, which isn't suitable for both football and baseball. (While football can be played on natural grass, it usually can't be done in a shared facility; football tends to tear the grass up enough that it's unsuitable for other sports.) BMO Field has already been converted to grass (in 2010), and that grass has been a tremendous boon for both Toronto FC and Canada's national soccer programs.

The latter may be especially important here. Some Argos' fans have suggested that because a large portion of the funding for BMO Field came from various levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal), MLSE shouldn't be able to keep the Argos out, and they would have a point if BMO was strictly being used for TFC. It isn't, though; it's become the primary national soccer stadium for Canada's various teams, and the all-grass surface is a crucial part of that. There will likely be strong opposition from the Canadian Soccer Association and from Canadian soccer fans to any plan to return turf to BMO, and that opposition will carry significant weight.

It's not particularly in dispute that the Argos need a new stadium. While they're expected to announce a new five-year extension with the Rogers Centre soon, Argos CEO Chris Rudge told The Toronto Star Tuesday that he hopes to have a new site pinpointed within the next six months. The Jays would like the Argos out of the Rogers Centre as soon as possible so they can convert it to grass, and the Argos would like to be out of there so they can find something with a better football environment and less scheduling conflicts (like the ones that prevented them from hosting a Labour Day Classic this season and have forced them into hosting two Tuesday and two Thursday regular-season games this year). The key point is that they're not going to get into BMO Field unless they have some magical way to overcome the tremendous opposition and convince people that leaving one stadium because of grass installation for another where they'll have to rip up the grass is logical.

There are allies out there for the Argos if they want to pursue building a football-specific stadium, including even current Toronto mayor Rob Ford. They might receive some backing from soccer fans to keep them away from BMO Field, too. Miller's letter here is further evidence of just how difficult it would be for the Argos to move into BMO. The team should take it and the rest of the opposition to that move as impetus to work on a stadium solution of their own rather than pushing forward with the doomed plan to share with TFC.