Where, Oh Where, Will The Tiger-Cats Go?

Last week, Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young stated that his franchise were backing out of stadium talks with the City of Hamilton, and that if the city did not listen to the Ti-Cats input on which location to choose, he would move the team out.

Well, the city didn't listen. And Young hasn't backed down. Some are saying that it's just a bluff, but history has had a way of reminding us that despite our loyalty to sports franchises, they are still, nevertheless, a business, and that business could leave if things aren't working out (see Baltimore Colts overnight move to Indianapolis).

With that in mind, there has been a lot of speculation as to where the Tiger-Cats may move to. Here are the cities that you are talking about.

Quebec City, Quebec

The city of Quebec has been trying to get a CFL franchise for years, and the city has always been synonymous with CFL expansion. The Universite Laval already have a stadium which can seat up to 18,000 in the city, so minor expansion is necessary but very doable. The city's love and dedication to the Rouge et Or shows how passionate this city is about football, and local teams. They have been without a pro sports team since the Nordiques left, and with a proud city it's obvious a CFL team would flourish in Quebec.

Moncton, New Brunswick

Moncton's big sell is, of course, its brand new stadium. Not even a year old, Moncton Stadium seats up to 20,000 and played host to Scotiabank Touchdown Atlantic this past year, for a game between the Argos and Eskimos, which soldout in just 32 hours. An additional 5,000 seats would be needed, but there appears to be lots of room for the stadium to expand. The downfall for the city is its population. With a city population under 70,000 and a metro population of just 126,424, Moncton would be the smallest city in the league. While some say fans would travel from Saint John and even as far as Halifax, it would be a bit of a gamble from the league to make sure the city is big enough to support a pro football team.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is the exact opposite of Moncton in terms of Atlantic relocation. Despite a much larger population, the city is lacking an appropriate stadium. The main stadium in talk is St. Mary's University's Huskies Stadium, which has permanent seating of just 4,000, but can be expanded to 11,000. Still, that leaves a need for about 14,000 more seats before it is CFL acceptable. Regardless, Halifax has also proven itself by hosting the 2005 edition of Touchdown Atlantic, which was also a sell-out. Fans already have missed out on one franchise, when the city had been given a team which was supposed to come into play in 1984 but folded. Could the fans get a second-chance if the CFL leaves Hamilton?

Milton, Ontario

Now for this one, you may think that I'm talking crazy. Well don't my friends, this is a city that was named by Young himself during the Ti-Cats game this weekend. While Milton has a population of just 72,500, the city has seen tremendous growth in the past decade and looks as though it will continue to do  so. It was awarded its first professional sports team this past year, with the inaugural year of Milltown F.C. in the Canadian Soccer League. The key to Milton's success would be its proximity to many areas in the GTA, such as Mississauga (pop. 706,000), Burlington (pop. 164,000), Oakville (pop. 165,000), Guelph (pop. 115,000) and even Hamilton, meaning Ti-Cats fans could still support their team, they'd just have to drive an hour to do so. Of course, there is no stadium in Milton, so one being ready by 2012 is unlikely, meaning that this expansion, which could tap the western Toronto market, may not be feasible.

London, Ontario

Another city in southern Ontario, London's bid is similar to Quebec City's. The city boasts a metro population of about 400,000, and already has a well-built football community and stadium thanks to the local university team, the Western Mustangs. Their home, TD Waterhouse Stadium, can seat up to 15,000, as well as shows that their is some corporate support in the city with the naming rights being bought by a large Canadian bank. Expansion to the current stadium is necessary, but possible, and Young could keep some of his fans if the team moved to London. While it's about an hour and a half drive to London from Hamilton, some fans may just do it, and it's also a drive of about the same length from Windsor, another team who has spoken of interest in the CFL in the past.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Saskatoon is the biggest city in the province, and the province is one of the most football-crazy in Canada. The Rider Nation has proven that the province love its teams, but could also be the reason that Saskatoon isn't viable for an expansion team. While the only stadium possible to expand is the up-to 12,394 capacity Griffiths Stadium, there is lots of room to expand the stadium, should a team be granted. As noted, however, the already strong fanbase of the Riders may actually scare away Young and his group. With the city already proud and true fans of one franchise, there is no guarantee that they would change their loyalty to a new team, meaning I can't see Young taking his team to the Prairies.

Ottawa, Ontario

A lot of people are talking about moving the team to Ottawa, but this just isn't a realistic plan. The city has already been awarded an expansion team for the 2013 season, and already have an ownership group which has been approved by city council, while stadium talks are ongoing. What this means is that the current ownership group won't be abolished so that Young can come in. The city's come too far with Jeff Hunt and his group to just bail and start all over again with Young, so you can count the National Capital region out for a move.