Mixed Feelings About School Finals at the Dome

There are mixed views surrounding the news that that two of the marquee high school championships in Ontario - the Prentice Cup in baseball and Metro Bowl in football - won't be played at Rogers Centre this year.

For the students, who will miss out on swinging the bat and fielding baseballs in June and running with a football in the fall, it might be a letdown of sorts. I guess there is something to be said about reaching "the big game" and then playing it at the Dome - even when the empty seats do out-number the fans often by 500 to 1 or more.

The flipside, based on what I hear from an increasing number of others, might be a better choice. That's taking the games to a more regionalized set-up and using facilities like universities to build awareness. Canadian university football coaches would have an easier time trying to convince some of the graduating players, still undecided, about playing in this country rather than rush south of the border to U.S. schools.

If marketed well by athletic associations, the localized games might also attract more fans and media coverage. It happens in other Ontario championships - like basketball.

And some people simply like the idea of having football played indoors. Same for baseball - in June.

I'm with the large number of fans who think both the Prentice Cup and Metro Bowl should be played outside. Last I looked, there aren't domes in all the major cities with pro teams. So, what's wrong with a bit of snow for football and sunshine for baseball?

For the Prentice Cup, it's only the second time in 31 years that the game will be outside the major league park. Tentative plans have it at Toronto's Connorvale Park with playdowns on June 7 and the final on June 8. The qualifying games are at local ball parks in Whitby and Windsor. If it rains, so what's another day. I know there are provisions for students to play games and then write exams.

The Buffalo Bills' announcement on Tuesday, having their NFL game in Toronto on Nov. 7 against Chicago, seemed to catch school organizers by surprise. From what I was told, no backup plans were in place. It looks like games will be spread out across Ontario and I see nothing wrong with the Metro Bowl at that great facility owned by the University of Toronto.

Then again, the Bills - or even the Argos - could pick up the rental fee at the Rogers Centre as a gift to the schools so they can continue the gridiron games indoors. Picking a day when the facility is available could be another issue.

Comments

[McCulloch]

Keep dreaming if you think the Argos or Bills pay for renting the stadium for high schools.

[Paul]

Those organizations are spoiled after so many years of playing inside. I agree with you and have the games played outside. I think this is Canada and a bit of cold won;t hurt football players.

[P. Morris]

There are bigger problems in sports and education than wondering if a bunch of kids play indoors. Good grief. They're lucky they are even playing. Great idea to have games in smaller cities because then maybe people will show up.

[Doug]

Someone tell me why are schools playing in the Rogers Centre in the first place? Are the regular fields so badly plugged with dog crap and broken bottles or are the municipal workers on another break?

[D. Evans]

Too bad the kids miss out on playing where there pros play. But, if we look at how those pros play - Blue Jays, Argos and Bills - maybe they're better off elsewhere.

[Retired Teacher Coach]

Reading some comments I have to say that you may be expecting a miracle first before some of those high school athletic associations do anything that works right.
As a former high school coach, I packed it in because of the ridiculous politics and egos.
There are some good people but many are pompous individuals who like to threaten to quit unless things are going their way. I often hear the ridiculous stuff about "we are volunteers". That doesn't give them excuses.

[Mr. McKee]

Maybe I hear some high schools whining or is it the teachers moreso than the students. It's a good move to send these games back where they should be played in municipal parks and at the universities who could recruitkids better. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

[Carl]

There is lots to be gained for having these games at the Rogers Centre and maybe some corporate sponsors who like to get rich on the backs of young people and their parents might want to step up and put their money and mouth in action.

[The Coach]

Where are the people who like to complain that in Canada it is too cold to play football outdoors in December and too warm to be playing baseball outdoors in June.

[Chuck]

Is it such a bad thing to have high school baseball kids playing a championship outdoors?

[B.J. Webster]

I understand that the Metro Bowl was once played in Hamilton at Ivor Wynne and in Toronto at Lamport Stadium. I have been to both and they are dumps. Having these as choices, the U of T sounds like a great idea and maybe the coaching staff can hand out free football uniforms to help get that university some credibility.

[Anonymous]

My vote is to farm out these two major events to a reputable communications agency and turn them both in to a spectacle with places like McDonald's or some other company and not the joke it is now.
As someone involved in community and high school baseball for many years, the Prentice Cup was run very well by the Blue Jays. When OFSAA got involved, there was concern and now it's a joke. It's a wonder the Blue Jays are still involved. If they were smart, they'd wash their hands.

[Mr. K.]

After examining the high school sports set-up in Ontario, I shake my head in disbelief. Maybe because I was born in Boston and we do things differently down there. School sports here in Oshawa are depressing.
In the U.S., there is more of a sense of highlighting games, schools and players. I don't get that feeling up here.
My son tells me that there is so much chaos in his secondary school and teachers don't really want to coach. The Principal is a woman who has her interests elsewhere and never shows up at games. Seems like the system is out of whack.

[Gus Tamin]

What is OFSAA and is there a need for that organization or maybe one that is more effective?

[David Grossman]

I called Silvio D'Addario, manager of the Bills Toronto Series and vice president of events for the Rogers Centre on Thursday afternoon. In fairness, I didn't know Silvio and was given his name thanks to my conversation earlier with Paul Beeston.
This came about after some school officials, refusing to speak to me, were angry with my story in the Wednesday paper - and took a day to reply to the Star.
Communication is important and D'Addario, to his credit, clearly articulated that the Bowl games will return to the Rogers Centre later this year. No date has been finalized or I would tell you.
With the NFL's Buffalo/Chicago game on Nov. 7, long before the high schools finish their playoffs, there was concern about whether the football games will still take place at the Rogers Centre.
D'Addario said a five-year commitment is in place and the school games will happen. Not sure when - late November or early December. Thanks, Silvio for taking the time to speak with me. It would be nice if the school staff on this event returned telephone voice mail messages and e-mail. Communication does help.

[chris starkey]

2 thoughts:

1) Why do the Argos or Bills need to pick up the rental fee? Doesn't Rogers itself have a line of products that have 14 to 18-year-olds in their target market?

2) If a university wants to recruit, they could have teams play just prior or after their own league playoff games. Laurier vs. McMaster game? See if a team from KW and a team from Hamilton have an off-week or give the spot in that game to the runners-up in CWOSSA and GHAC. I am sure there are really good HS teams in each of the university towns who would love to play in a big stadium AND have the opportunity for their fans to be able to come to a Saturday game.

[wf42]

I think it is ridiculous to take the prentice cup and metro bowl out of the rogers center. As a high school baseball player who has gone on to college in the states now, I know that making it to the prentice cup and the dome was the highlight of my grade 11 and grade 12 years of high school. Who cares if people show up to watch, it is not like anybody shows up to regular games anyways and media coverage is bull because it is pretty bad that a provincial championship game is not televised in the first place no matter where its at! If ofsaa thinks that it is going to attract athletes to go to Candian Universities instead of American universities you have something wrong with your mind because Americans love there sports and every sport is televised on T.V that is related to high school. Face it Canadians don't care about high school sports and no matter where you put the games it is not going to change that. But to take away the kids chances of playing in the dome is ridiculous, I can bet that if you ask anybody that has ever played a championship game in the dome even 40 years from now they would remember it. It's decisions like this that push Canadian athletes to run south to America.

[slavko Duric]

Hello David , I am a longtime fan of high school hoops and I just wanted to draw your attention to a young man from Dundas , Ontario at Parkside High School , his name is Kyle Giedraitis . First he is as good a studen/athletet as there is, posting an impressive 96 % avg in the advanced curriculum , as well as leading Parkside to the OFFSAA 'AA" title this year at the point guard position. Currently being heavily recruited by a good number of CIS schools , while considering a fifth year at a US prep school in order to expand his options which I feel could result in D 1 scholarship . Most important he is a true role model individual who strives to make his teammates better and on the path to being a Rhodes Scholar candidate in the near future. Google him !