HOPES HIGH FOR OTTAWA PRO SPORTS ACTION IN 2021
Soccer, baseball teams aim to play in front of fans if public health officials allow it
The launch of professional rugby in Ottawa won't happen in 2021, but the operators of the city's new pro soccer and baseball franchises remain confident they will be on the field next year.
“We're assuming there's going to be soccer, played in front of fans and that there's going to be a CPL (Canadian Premier League) season,” said Ottawa Atletico strategic partner Jeff Hunt.
“I was talking this morning to Madrid (Atletico's parent franchise) and said that we've got to plan as if we're going to play and continue to sign players.”
Sam Katz, the owner of the still unnamed baseball franchise that is expected to join the Frontier
League in 2021, offered up similar sentiments. He's in the midst of interviews to continue hiring staff. Next week, the organization will officially announce the team's nickname.
“COVID will still be a factor in 2021 and we've got to accept that,” said Katz. “By the same token, we strongly believe we will be able to play. At some point, the science will be there. We all hope that comes sooner rather than later, but there are many options (for spectators) that could be available.”
In some ways, Atletico and the new baseball franchise are in a similar situation to the Ottawa Aces, the rugby franchise that was unable to get started as planned in 2020. On Thursday, the Aces pulled the plug on a 2021 start, citing “the ongoing proliferation of COVID-19 cases across the U.K., and increasing numbers across Ontario.”
Earlier in the week, rugby's super league also refused to allow the Toronto Wolfpack to rejoin, which was likely an additional factor for the Aces.
“We certainly understand why the Aces have made the decision they made,” said Katz. “It's challenging enough to start a new franchise in a normal environment. I certainly get it. But we still see a situation where we can have a safe environment for everyone.
“We have a 10,000-seat stadium. If we're at 35 or 40 per cent capacity, that's fine for the time being.”
Katz, who also owns the Winnipeg Goldeyes of baseball's American Association, acknowledges that the closed border between Canada and the U.S. is a concern.
However, he said there are enough Canadian-based teams in the Frontier League to allow for a Canadian-only league, if necessary.
Hunt, meanwhile, said Atletico will get an indication of where they stand with regard to spectators by watching what happens with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's.
The OHL plans to restart in February, but the question of how many spectators will be allowed will ultimately be determined by public health officials.
“We're trying to predict where we'll be next April or May,” Hunt said. “Hopefully, we've graduated to a point by May where we can have thousands of people in a facility like TD Place. Those decisions will be made for us. That's not going to be our decision.”
Atletico, which was originally scheduled to make its debut in Ottawa last season, never played here. After COVID arrived, all the previously scheduled games at TD Place were cancelled.
They did, however, take part in the CPL's bubble tournament in Charlottetown, P.E.I., in August and September.
Hunt also recognizes there is a bigger-picture question about how the population in general will respond to huge public gatherings — whether it's a sporting event or a concert — without a vaccine in place.
“All we can do is prepare for business as usual,” he said. “In six months from now, we're hoping a lot of (positive) things have happened. We're staying optimistic.”