Bombers president and CEO says Grey Cup a success, helps get team out of debt

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This article was published 20/11/2006 (7227 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG (CP) – One day after Winnipeg played host to a successful Grey Cup party, dozens of workers spent the day Monday cleaning up and winterizing Canad Inns Stadium while inside, Blue Bomber executives counted the money.

The exact tally of the windfall won’t be clear until audited financial statements are prepared in March, but team president and CEO Lyle Bauer says the Bombers likely made between $2 million and $3 million. The rosy picture was a sharp contrast to the last time the team hosted the Canadian Football League championship in’98. A last-minute discount ticket blitz still resulted in 7,000 unsold seats and only added to the team’s debtload, which reached $5.5 million by’99.

“This city and the constituents of this city and province need to be extremely proud of what they’ve done,” said Bauer.

“I think that’s one of the things we may have underestimated the value of, in bringing a championship here, is the community pride and just how good this city feels about hosting a fabulous event.”

The B.C. Lions defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-14 in a game that was far from a nail-biter.

Bauer said the Grey Cup, which was a sellout of almost 45,000 fans, will allow the team to wipe out its $700,000 debt and build for the future.

“It will lay the foundation for the football club to start a new chapter in the book.”

Bauer would not reveal specifics about the money, such as how much would be used to sign free agents, but said he hoped to keep some of it in the bank for rising expenditures.

The team will also turn its attention to its next major undertaking – securing the funding for a new stadium.

“What we want to see is a facility that has the amenities our fans deserve,” said Bauer.

“We’ll deal with location and things that will be determined as a result of many, many discussions over many months of extremely hard work.”

Premier Gary Doer said the province is willing to discuss a new stadium and noted the washroom facilities are especially lacking.

The men’s washrooms, for example, consist of a few stalls and a large trough.

One feasibility study has proposed building a new stadium on the western outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile the Winnipeg airport was bustling Monday as thousands of fans who made the pilgrimage from across the country headed home.

The party started days before the game and included concerts, pancake breakfasts and team hospitality suites well-stocked with alcohol.