-Hammer-

And to be fair, there are always going to be image issues in these oversized venues.  Maybe not as bad as that particular snap, but they're be unflattering pics from every ground that is shared with a bigger partner.  

If you EVER threaten a Valour player again....

Here is the big thing, MLSE is owned by Bell and Rogers. At some point you will want to deal with them regarding a TV deal unless you are putting all your eggs in the live streaming basket, unless CBC decides to get back into sports. You want to keep that door open, but that said, you simply can't let the fox into the hen house. MLSE has a vested interest in making money and ensuring competition to TFC doesn't take off, as it will not only draw fans away from the big club, but potentially force a ticket price reduction and honestly reduce the ratings on their already lacklustre TV ratings. Nevermind that you suddenly have an owner who is privy to every deal the league may make, and has the potential to undermine the league itself.
If I'm the CanPL, I tell them for now, it is way too soon. When the league has enough stability where two rogue owners can't potentially spell doom for the league, it's a different conversation, but for now I would say it should be a hard no. Now, ten years down the road, with franchises across the country, and potential to break into the big markets, it's a much different conversation. Then that conversation becomes "Look, we'll let you in, but this league isn't a farm for MLS or TFC. Draconian and limited loaning and transfer options to your MLS club if you want in." 

Sure. I think we all know that the CPL project is high risk and needs to be done right or it will fail. So what does it have going for it? What will make it appeal to Joe Average Canadian sports fan? The fact that it is CANADIAN, that is what! It will be the Championship of Canada, and the place where we can watch promising Canadian youngsters develop. That is a major hook. To be seen as a development minor league for an American major league would besmirch the most important thing the CPL has going for it and the resulting apathy would be fatal.
What is the main difference between Man City and TFC? Only one of them is located in Canada! If you let TFC have even a hint of a "farm team" connection to CPL, you effectively establish MLS as the major league in Canada and CPL as a minor league and you are screwed. You do not have this perception problem with Man City.
Also, let us not downplay the way Canadians feel about the US. The fact of the matter is, even if MLS did not have any franchises located in Canada, CPL would still be significantly harmed by any perception of being subservient to an American league. Joe Average Canadian sports fan just would not like it. And in order to succeed, the league needs the support of Joe Average Canadian sports fan.

The reason has been discussed many times before.  An TFC-owned CPL club could easily give the league a farm team feel.  If TFC uses it as a B squad, it sends an absolutely clear message that CPL is subservient to MLS.  And make no mistake - it is absolutely in MLSE's interest to send that message to protect/enhance its most valuable footy propert - TFC.  Many on here think that the downsides of enabling that sort of farm league identity far outweigh the benefit of having one more stable (and likely well-funded) team in the league - especially if it is in a GTA market that will already have some solid CPL teams. 
Mu point is that an independently run club that is owned by MLSE and isn't allowed to just freely move players to/from TFC without limits might still work.  Not for sure - but might.  And I have a great deal of confidence that the folks in charge of the league are well aware of all the implications of letting that sort of club in the league, and will take appropriate measures to safeguard the league.

Sounds like the old narrative of trying to push their agenda into the league..  putting a team with young players under contract with TFC.
Oh well... the league won't accept that or should they

Sportsnet: The Ottawa Fury decided to stay in the USL this upcoming season, instead of joining the CPL. Subsequently, Concacaf threatened to not sanction them for the 2019 USL campaign. Eventually, the Fury received sanctioning from Concacaf to play in the USL, subject to approval by FIFA. Where do we stand at the moment in terms of Ottawa possibly joining the CPL in 2020?
David Clanachan: First of all, I love the guys in Ottawa. Mark Goudie (President and CEO at Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) is a quality guy. He and I get along very well. We were like brothers from a different mother when we first met. A very smart guy. We did everything we could in terms of making the Fury comfortable about coming into the CPL. Mark would tell you that we sat with him and give them some relief we had around the salary cap, and players transfers, and things like that. Where we couldn’t move from is that we wanted them in the CPL right away, in 2019.
We believe we will have a great CPL franchise in Ottawa at some point, one way or another. At the end of the day, they couldn’t [join the CPL in 2019], and I was as surprised as anybody when their decision came down. The people of Ottawa and the supporters there deserve a team competing in a Canadian league – I think the people of Ottawa would much rather see the Fury play other Canadian teams than teams from the United States in the USL.
Sometimes you can’t get a meeting of the minds on a specific issue. Mark Goudie said he admired our business plan, but he just wanted more time and that 2019 wasn’t possible. Giving him more time wasn’t something I could do. We’ll see what happens in the future, but I think having Ottawa in the CPL would be great, and I’m still hopeful.

I'll try to keep the date open and see if anyone else in the Battalion is interested in paying a visit.

I think your most mission critical market to get into is Quebec. Having a team Quebecer's can rally behind besides the Impact I think is certainly something you want to pursue. After that, I'd be setting my sites on Saskatoon and getting a presence there. Just make sure you schedule games there to not coincide with the Riders.

I think your most mission critical market to get into is Quebec. Having a team Quebecer's can rally behind besides the Impact I think is certainly something you want to pursue. After that, I'd be setting my sites on Saskatoon and getting a presence there. Just make sure you schedule games there to not coincide with the Riders.

I think your most mission critical market to get into is Quebec. Having a team Quebecer's can rally behind besides the Impact I think is certainly something you want to pursue. After that, I'd be setting my sites on Saskatoon and getting a presence there. Just make sure you schedule games there to not coincide with the Riders.

I think your most mission critical market to get into is Quebec. Having a team Quebecer's can rally behind besides the Impact I think is certainly something you want to pursue. After that, I'd be setting my sites on Saskatoon and getting a presence there. Just make sure you schedule games there to not coincide with the Riders.

I think your most mission critical market to get into is Quebec. Having a team Quebecer's can rally behind besides the Impact I think is certainly something you want to pursue. After that, I'd be setting my sites on Saskatoon and getting a presence there. Just make sure you schedule games there to not coincide with the Riders.

So pretty much this is going down how we expected, the Fury are getting sanctioned for 2019 with a giant question mark, and likely a push into the CanPL for 2020. Sure, there is some speculation there, but I suspect this is how this will play out.

You think that the USSF and MLS are going to jump in to save a Canadian USL club with ZERO American players and go against CONCACAF and FIFA?! ?? Yea that would be REALLY bright. 
This will not affect the MLS teams, thus they won’t want to wade into this.
You do realize VM is FIFA VP and the main reason the World Cup is coming?  Like honestly, try to keep up here.
USSF and MLS have more clout with FIFA than FIFA’s own VP... the things you read here sometimes.

I guess the third option could be to join the unsanctioned CSL

The worst part is, I dont think the USL really give a R#ts ass whether Ottawa in there or not.  They dont seem to want to have any new CDN USL teams and there is plenty of team turnover already.   They wont even notice 1 more team leaving.  

My hope is that both the Fury and CONCACAF get together and let calmer heads prevail and allow the Fury one last season in the USL for 2019 and then they jump to the CanPL. I'm pretty sure that's the consensus of the majority as to how we'd like to see things go down. That said, with how hard both sides appear to be digging in, this doesn't strike me as bluster from either side.

Hope things work out for all you guys in Ottawa.

My hope is that both the Fury and CONCACAF get together and let calmer heads prevail and allow the Fury one last season in the USL for 2019 and then they jump to the CanPL. I'm pretty sure that's the consensus of the majority as to how we'd like to see things go down. That said, with how hard both sides appear to be digging in, this doesn't strike me as bluster from either side.

Hope things work out for all you guys in Ottawa.

How far is she from breaking the goal record? Would love for her to have that record and since she can still play at high level can't why she should stop...

My hope is that both the Fury and CONCACAF get together and let calmer heads prevail and allow the Fury one last season in the USL for 2019 and then they jump to the CanPL. I'm pretty sure that's the consensus of the majority as to how we'd like to see things go down. That said, with how hard both sides appear to be digging in, this doesn't strike me as bluster from either side.

Hope things work out for all you guys in Ottawa.

My opinion on this is that there has to be a cap. Hamilton and Winnipeg will be clear have teams (as far as disposable income) with York and Pacific being clear have nots. If there's no cap, there won't be parity and that is something this league will need. My concern though is once you've laid down the cap, it is incredibly hard baring a major players strike or direct involvement from FIFA to shake that cap should the league take off.

As far as what the cap will be? I figure minimum 650,000 max 800,000. One of the things the Fury situation showed is that the CanPL is still in the ballpark of the USL but not going to start at the same level. That gives a decent payout, and wiggle room to work with.

What I'd like to see them adopt the fine system the CFL uses for going over the cap. It's pretty easy. Your first 100K, you pay a dollar fine for every dollar you are over the cap. When you break 100K you then pay a 2 dollar fine for every dollar you are over the cap and you lose a draft pick. When you break 200K you pay a 3 dollar fine for every dollar over the cap and lose another pick, and it keeps going.  You can do it, but your cost of overpaying quickly gets out of hand. Setup the same rule with every 25K and I don't think you'll see many teams spend 250,000 to spend an extra 100,000. You then throw revenue sharing into that equation, and suddenly the league moves towards financial stability.
 

My opinion on this is that there has to be a cap. Hamilton and Winnipeg will be clear have teams (as far as disposable income) with York and Pacific being clear have nots. If there's no cap, there won't be parity and that is something this league will need. My concern though is once you've laid down the cap, it is incredibly hard baring a major players strike or direct involvement from FIFA to shake that cap should the league take off.

As far as what the cap will be? I figure minimum 650,000 max 800,000. One of the things the Fury situation showed is that the CanPL is still in the ballpark of the USL but not going to start at the same level. That gives a decent payout, and wiggle room to work with.

What I'd like to see them adopt the fine system the CFL uses for going over the cap. It's pretty easy. Your first 100K, you pay a dollar fine for every dollar you are over the cap. When you break 100K you then pay a 2 dollar fine for every dollar you are over the cap and you lose a draft pick. When you break 200K you pay a 3 dollar fine for every dollar over the cap and lose another pick, and it keeps going.  You can do it, but your cost of overpaying quickly gets out of hand. Setup the same rule with every 25K and I don't think you'll see many teams spend 250,000 to spend an extra 100,000. You then throw revenue sharing into that equation, and suddenly the league moves towards financial stability.
 

First it was the CPL won't happen, now the CPL will have shitty wages. Why do you waste your time with him. He's always going to look at the negative side of things.

Yeah, me too. Early pioneers for the game in our country deserve to be rewarded in some fashion.