stevensandor

The issue isn't with the site per se, it's with the linking. If you simply go to the site, you won't have issues (and why we don't find any our end). It's a complex issue, we've looked at it. Because the issue actually happens BEFORE people get to the site. It's the link being intercepted and people being re-directed. It happens to a minority of people. It's a problem, but a real head-scratcher. I may actually stop sending links and simply post updates that will instruct people to go to the site manually. I'll put it frankly, The11.ca loses a lot of money. It was a labour of love that I subsidized with the broadcast money I would make from doing NASL games. Obviously, those don't happen anymore. Launched Plastic Pitch, that broke even in year one and two, but then it became too expensive to run (I was out of pocket nearly 10K on it in year three, so some hard decisions had to be made). I understand that the app world collapsed (as one industry insider once put it at a conference I was at, "apps are the eight-track tapes of our generation") so I'd eat that. I guess, I just want you all to understand that "fixing" an issue can be very, very expensive. Like, four or five digits. I leave the lights on simply because I'm hopeful that the CanPL will launch and that will create some new revenue lines so that the site can break even. But when I take on writing projects that pay the bills (writing about things that aren't soccer) to ones that are a massive financial wasteland (writing about soccer), I'd just like readers to understand that the site is more a labour of love than anything else at this point. "Fixing" issues is expensive.

David said "8-10" to me on Friday. So, with FCE already having its sanction in place, and IF Ottawa moves, that's eight. So, going on the word from the commissioner, there must be an ability to get the board together to vote on a sanction if need be.

There are issues for some who have ad blockers (remember, ads are how sites like mine generate revenue, turning on ad blockers takes that away from us!). Someone seems to have found a way to re-direct those who have them up... (If you're not running an ad blocker, let me know). The problem doesn't seem to be related to the site, we checked the back end and it's clean. The best thing to do is to go directly to the site's homepage. After all, you don't need new links – you all check it religiously, right?

Yes, that's Allan in there along with Nik. Should I be sad that more of you don't recognize Allan?

Actually, Kent, when I was at the event last night, Tom Fath said he prefers CanPL because it has the Canadian connotation, where CPL does not. The league's website is canpl.ca, not cpl.ca. And, maybe this is my "Alberta writer" showing, but CPL belongs to Calgary Public Library. If you put CPL into a Google search, Calgary Public Library comes up first.

Not at all. No looks from the Eskimos. I've asked the Oilers Ent. Group and there is no interest on their part. I asked Tom yesterday if he's ever thought about selling, and he said no one has ever even come forward with any kind of offer, so he kind of laughed it off. Basically, I find it frustrating when we sit back and say "find other investors" like that's easy. Soccer is an exceptionally bad investment. We all know that. Finding soccer investors in Canada who would be serious is like finding needles in a haystack. You need to find people worth hundreds of millions (at least) willing to lose tens of millions (at least). If you guys know of those people, maybe a guy at the bar who says he's got like $100 million to burn, please put their names out there for us. If we don't, we shouldn't say "find investors!" like it's easy.

Actually, Tom Fath IS indeed what we'd consider a big-money guy. Fath Industries, O'Hanlon Paving... In terms of finding deeper pocketed owners in Edmonton, you'd be hard pressed to find them.

One thing I see a lot of when people talk about a potential market is the size of the metro area. It's valid, of course. But the average income in an area is just as important. Who cares if a city has a million people if most of them don't have money to spend on things like soccer tickets? And, if you have a city of 100,000 where everyone has money to burn, well that's more attractive to sponsors than being in a place where no money is being spent. The average income (spending power, how much disposable income people have to spend on things like tickets, merch and streaming services) is very important. Here is the StatsCan list of Canadian metro areas by median household income. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil107a-eng.htm

Thanks!

Should be noted the Cosmos had a bunch of regulars out with injuries... they had to start a skeleton crew against Edmonton last week, as well.

They would have to pay a hefty exit fee. And likely get sued if they'd use the same team name and players in CanPL. No one in NASL thinks of the two seasons as different; remember that the 3 and 4 seeds are determined by overall records, spring and fall. If you start the season in April, you're obligated to finish it in November.

The team that wins the spring season gets a 1 or 2 seed in the NASL playoffs. So, if you win the spring season, you are obligated to play in the playoffs come November. So, there is no "playing the spring season and leaving"

Just wanted to reiterate what a good event it was last night in Regina. Outside of proprietary information about other owners — which, of course, needs to remain quiet — I thought Paul, Lee and Joe were very forthcoming with their answers. In a CanPL evolution that is plagued with rumours, it was great to have a chance to hear honest talk about where the league is at, and what the owners hope to achieve. Thanks to Rob and everyone who came out last night.

And, to be clear, Roserie says he was offered lots of deals from different Canadian elite clubs and academies. But he says he wanted the challenge of playing against men, and not boys his age. A big reason for him going to the Armada's tryout camp last year.

Now that Plastic Pitch is out (as a good magazine writer/editor, I sometimes have to sit on stories for a couple of weeks — or even months — till they come out)... Jacksonville is over the moon about this kid. Because his family did not move with him (his parents still live in Ontario), he can't be eligible to play in an NASL match till he's 18. Knowing that, the Armada signed him as a 16-yr-old anyway, because they believe his upside is massive. He was born in Brooklyn, but doesn't remember NY at all — he was that young when his family moved. But, I give him credit; he didn't make any vague promises or play the will-I-or-won't-I game. He's clear that he's not interested in playing for Canada. One thing we can't say is that he's led anyone on.