CFL: Golden Opportunity for Unlimited Expansion

Since it is now the CFL's offseason and I have to dig for new articles to write and or use my vivid imagination, I decided to visit the CFL's official Web site to see what is new.

The one article that caught my eye was the one announcing that the B.C. Lions will play next year in a temporary outdoor stadium while a retractable roof is put on B.C. Place.

What's eye popping is that new stadium will seat 27,500, cost only $14 million, and can be erected in 10 weeks.  The builder is Nussli.

Now, I don't know much about building stadiums or the difference between what is "permanent" and what is "temporary," but in this age of $1 billion dollar stadiums, the above figures are enough to make me sit up and take note.

If I'm the CFL, I'm offering these guys a permanent position, and if I'm Commissioner Marc Cohon, I'm toting them around with me on a tour of every major Canadian city that doesn't have a CFL franchise or needs a new stadium, starting in Montreal, Ottawa, and Moncton.

Either the new B.C. stadium is the greatest sports bargain of all time or sports fans around North America and the world are the biggest suckers.

For example, how come the new Pan Am stadium in Hamilton will take five years to build, cost $150 million, and only seat 15,000?

Why does it take $400 million to build a new arena in Quebec?

These guys claim they can build a bigger stadium than the one being renovated in Lansdowne Park for a tidbit cost.  Why weren't they sent to Ottawa, which was supposed to rejoin the league this year, but now has to wait until 2012 because of stadium renovation?

And scrap the existing Moncton plans.  These call for a $17 million, "permanent" capacity of 10,000 with expansion of 10,000 "temporary" seats.  With the B.C. plans, you can build a CFL size stadium that's bigger, allow an investor to start a franchise instantly, and save $3 million.

Somebody in the stadium business please explain to me the difference between "temporary" and "permanent".  And also explain how much it would cost to convert the former to the latter.

And if it doesn't cost that much, my next action as self-appointed Commissioner of the CFL will be to contact every rich investor in Canada who is interested in becoming a sports franchise owner and tell them to step right up, starting with Quebecor in Quebec, and Jim Balsillie in London or Kitchener.

Heck, for such a price, I'd even consider challenging the Detroit Lions in Windsor, and the Buffalo Bills in St. Catharines or Niagara Falls, something I would have considered insane only a short time ago.

The main reason for lack of CFL expansion is no CFL-size stadiums that are cheap to build.

What is the CFL waiting for?