This is absolutely brilliant.

Before I go completely off the deep end here, let’s review what we know:

1.  Miles Wolff was supposed to meet with the City today.

2. Yesterday, the City - through councillor Legendre, drops the news that there’s a proposal to put a roof on the stadium.

3.  Yesterday, the City called off their meeting with Wolff and said there would be no discussion today.

Does anybody else sense a little bit of payback here?  Is this actually what’s going on, or am I completely misreading the situation?  Because it seems to me that what’s happening is a direct result of the Lynx having the temerity - the absolute nerve, of taking the City to court for ABROGATING THE TERMS OF THEIR OWN DAMNED LEASE.

So now, instead of having a tenant lined up for the next 5 (FIVE) years - assuming the Lynx’s last year + 4 (FOUR) more, are we now faced with a proposal for a $40 MILLION DOLLAR retrofit and soccer?  And who’s footing the $40 MILLION.  Please, please, please tell me it’s not going to be the taxpayer.  And please tell me that you’ve got an airtight defense for the slam dunk case the Lynx have on the lease issue, ‘kay?  Because I know we’re footing the bill for that one when you lose.  Please tell me that THIS IS NOT WHAT IS GOING ON.

Because if it is, it’s an absolute, unadulterated, cruelly pathetic, needlessly expensive, time consuming joke.

And while I’m at it, here’s a few more questions:

1.) Why is Jacques Legendre doing the heavy lifting for the Ottawa Stadium Group?  Because in light of what we’re hearing today from Mr. Wolff (and despite my comment on Neate’s blog), yesterday’s interview with Mr. Legendre now looks like a barefaced sales pitch.

2.) Why (and when) was the Can-Am league asked “to keep quiet about its earlier proposals to the City”?

3.) Why must this City continuously do things the hard way and embarrass it’s electorate?

Word to the wise, Mr. Wolff.  I understand that you’ve been waiting to hear from the City since June.  Might I suggest you talk to Mr. Pecor? I’m sure he’s got lots to tell you about being jerked around by Ottawa.

Good Lord.  This is brutal.

*** UPDATE ***

The comments left by reader Dave warrant top billing:

Dave Says:
August 29th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Classic GUTLESS move by municipal politicians. A busy man makes time to travel here for a SCHEDULED meeting to discuss a long-term lease for use of a city-built asset in the manner
that the city built it for, and they kiss him off?

Why? Well, they have an agenda. The shuttle-bus business must be good. “How much? 40 million? Soccer? 6 mini-fields? Well, we best get rid of this Wolff fellow then, he has a proven track record of success both sides of the border, and we could be forced to continue collecting rent and taxes like we promised the taxpayers we would back in ‘93…….”

They don’t even have the guts to meet the guy and say “No thank you, and here’s why we don’t
want your fan-friendly brand of baseball in our BASEBALL park, even though we know you have a history of making improvements like full-colour video boards at other leased facilities across North America…….” Childish really, just ignore him and he’ll go away.

Never mind that you CAN’T fit 2 soccer fields on a baseball field or the complete incompatibility of the seating arrangement. I know this, I have designed, built and maintained a baseball field in the past.

This is not the time for a knee-jerk mega-project for the current “flavour-of-the-month” soccer. Here we have a man willing to put his money where his mouth is. He’ll put a team in here for 5 years, pay the rent, pay the taxes, AT NO COST TO ANYONE.

Build your $40 million soccer bubble anywhere, under the power lines, abandoned quarry, hell make it a submarine lexan bubble at the bottom of the river!

Wake up Mr. Legendre, no reason to be bitter or irresponsible with taxpayers money here. Yes, a baseball team is suing the city, and they damn well should, you as much as admit there’s no parking for more than a couple thousand people. That’s YOUR fault (city), YOU invested in baseball by building the stadium and then YOU killed it by submarining the viability of it. But it’s not the potential Can-Am team that’s suing you. It’s not “baseball” that’s suing you. You oughta be tickled pink some guy wants to bail you out of being stuck with an empty ballpark by leasing it long-term AS IS. We as baseball fans oughta get behind this Miles Wolff.

I had hoped to write something worthy of the editorial page, but it’s hot and well, I’m just really pissed to hear about this latest needless “crisis” the city is creating so they can waste more money. I’d just like to take the kids to the ballpark………

Dave? It’s worthy.

*** UPDATE II ***

Someone help a brother out.  CTV basically doesn’t update their website with local news.  I was watching the 6 p.m. news telecast when a power interruption knocked everything out.  All I heard Rick Chiarelli (Chiarelli, grrr….) say was that the soccer/retrofit bid wasn’t even addressed because of the lawsuit and the existence of the current lease - then it went dark… . Anyone got an update?  Anyone….

P.S. Biggest blog day yet with over 200 hits - but precious little commentary.

*** UPDATE III ***

Yeah.  Soccer.  That’s the winning ticket….

Money quotes for everyone who’ll throw the U20 tournament in our face:

“A month after millions of Canadians got swept up in the thrill of the most successful Under-20 Soccer World Cup ever staged, the association that organized it is in tatters.Canadian Soccer Association president Colin Linford quit yesterday, saying any improvement in soccer in this country is doomed unless we can get our act together. “And that won’t happen.”

Here’s the killer:

Mr. Linford said he could not blame Jonathan de Guzman, born and brought up in Toronto, for refusing to play for Canada, picking Portugal instead.

“I hope if a youngster has the opportunity to play for another country, I suggest they take it,” he said.

Emphasis added.