Tag Archives: Impact

Impact games move back to TSN 690

In news that will surprise precisely nobody, TSN and the Impact announced today that TSN Radio 690 will pick up English-language radio broadcast rights to Montreal Impact games for the next three years.

For the past two seasons, Impact games have aired on CJAD 800, which picked up the rights to home games to help fill the gap left by the loss of the Canadiens to TSN 690 in 2011. Now that CJAD and TSN are sister stations with the Bell purchase of Astral, the two don’t need to fight over such rights, and sports is being consolidated on TSN.

The new deal calls for all regular season and playoff games to air on the radio, which marks the first time that we have all away games on radio.

Rick Moffat, the former CJAD sports guy who has since moved to TSN, and Brian Wilde, CTV Montreal reporter who sidelines as an Impact fan, will “share play-by-play duties”, and former Impact player Grant Needham will do colour commentary during the broadcasts. Program director Chris Bury confirms to me that the broadcast team will travel with the Impact.

The press release says that TSN and CJAD will share broadcasts of the games, which likely means that when an Impact game conflicts with a Canadiens or Alouettes game, it’ll move to CJAD. The Alouettes haven’t released their 2014 schedule yet, and the Impact schedule is incomplete, but we already know that the first two Impact games of the season, on March 8 and 15, will conflict with Canadiens games, so expect those two Impact games to be on CJAD.

Alouettes broadcast rights in English still belong to CJAD, but it’s a formality at this point that most of the games will move back as well to TSN, with only those that conflict with Canadiens games airing on CJAD.

In the unlikely event of a three-way schedule conflict, there’s always CHOM, which has been used during CJAD’s conflicts in the past.

The announcement is good news for Impact fans, who will now be able to access all the games on the radio instead of just the home games and a few marquee away ones. The fact that Bell is sending a broadcast team to those away games — no small expense — is also a strong indication that it believes it’s worth investing in this franchise.

This news has already annoyed some francophone Impact fans because the team does not have a French-language radio partner. CKAC Sports used to air some Impact games before it became an all-traffic station. News-talk station 98.5 FM, which carries Canadiens and Alouettes games, doesn’t seem to be as interested in Impact broadcasts.

CJAD to broadcast Impact home games

There were rumours for a while that Astral’s CJAD would take over broadcast rights for Montreal Impact games – as kind of a consolation prize for losing rights to the Canadiens. A few journalists came out with the news before it was announced, although nobody got it exactly right.

The announcement came Monday morning on Andrew Carter’s show: CJAD will be carrying all Impact home games this season, as well as the season opener this coming Saturday in Vancouver. They even got some players to pretend they care about a radio broadcasting agreement say hi to their fans listening on CJAD.

The broadcast team will consist of CJAD Sports Director Rick Moffat doing play by play, and former Impact player Grant Needham doing analysis. The station will also cover the team outside of games, notably with interviews during Abe Hefter’s Locker Room show.

The press release is here, but it’s a bit short on details. So here’s what I got out of CJAD brand director Chris Bury:

  • CJAD will broadcast all home games during the season, plus the season opener. (You can see which games on the Impact’s website)
  • CJAD will broadcast all home playoff games (if the Impact reaches the playoffs), but road playoff games are still to be determined. “We’ll take a look at the possibility of broadcasting road playoff games when the opportunity presents itself,” Bury says.
  • There are no direct conflicts between home Impact games and Alouettes games, which CJAD still holds the radio rights to. (There are two Impact away games that conflict with Als games, on July 21 and Oct. 20.) But in the event that there might be conflicts during playoffs (which is during November for both leagues), “we will deal with that if it happens,” Bury says. Among the options Astral would have would be moving one of the games to CHOM (a workaround they have used in the past when Alouettes and Canadiens games conflicted).
  • Abe Hefter will act as a backup for Rick Moffat if he’s unavailable. (Since Moffat also does Alouettes play-by-play, this might happen a few times.)
  • The broadcasting agreement is for two years (the 2012 and 2013 seasons).

Other Impact broadcasters

All of the Impact’s 36 regular-season games will be televised this season, which is a big plus for fans. A third of them, including the season opener, the home opener, the first game at Saputo Stadium and all games involving Canadian opponents (Vancouver and Toronto) will be carried in French on RDS. The other two thirds will be on the new TVA Sports network.

In English, all games that RDS has rights to will be carried on TSN or TSN2.

You can see which games are on which networks on the schedule on the Impact’s website.

The big remaining question mark is French radio. The transformation of CKAC into Radio Circulation complicates matters immensely, because it leaves Cogeco with one talk station, and that station carries Alouettes and Canadiens games, making scheduling difficult. The station’s sports programming director told Métro that they’re working on something, but because of the conflicts it would cause (less than if the Canadiens would make the playoffs this season), it’s unlikely CHMP will air a full season of Impact games.

With the Impact’s season opener just days away, a deal on French radio rights should come soon.

Sights and sounds of 55,571 Impact fans*

Olympic Stadium - with fans!

Olympic Stadium - with fans!

The news came just after halftime last night: There were 55,571 tickets sold for the Impact’s CONCACAF quarterfinal game against Mexico’s Club Santos Laguna at Olympic Stadium. That’s more than four times the 13,000 capacity of nearby Saputo Stadium where the Impact play regular-season games. (Though they might want to consider increasing that after all the demand this game has sparked.)

The best part: Winning

The best part: Winning

Of course, all that came secondary to ending the 90 minutes (plus three minutes added time) with a 2-0 lead on Santos Laguna. Both teams play the second game in Mexico and whichever team has more goals at the end of both games advances to the semifinal. That means the Impact can lose by a goal in that second game and still advance. Good news.

Impact fans do the wave

Impact fans do the wave

To me, more interesting than the game itself (the first goal came in the first five minutes, the second at the 77th minute, so there was a lot of dead time in between) was seeing the Olympic Stadium filled with fans for a soccer game. Those familiar with its sorry history know that this kind of activity is the exception rather than the rule. It’s rare even that the top balcony is opened up. But this time it was nearly full, with only the very far corners having empty seats. To be sure, the Grey Cup last fall had more people, though those tickets weren’t sold for $10 apiece.

Press box at the Olympic Stadium. Bonus points if you spot The Gazette's Randy Phillips, who had to rush to make deadline.

Press box at the Olympic Stadium. Bonus points if you spot The Gazette's Randy Phillips, who had to rush to make deadline.

I spent $20 on my ticket in the 300 level, in a small room (about 100 seats) near the press box. It had the advantage of being able to see the whole field while not being too far away from it.

Hard-core Impact fans set off a flare

Hard-core Impact fans set off a flare

But I was a bit far away from the crazy fans, who emptied cans of blue smoke, set off flares and held their arms forward as if to bestow spiritual essence descended from Jesus himself onto the players on the pitch.

Ball kids (or whatever their title is) gather after the Impact game

Ball kids (or whatever their title is) gather after the Impact game

An ambulance stands ready during the game

An ambulance stands ready during the game

In the far corner, an ambulance (and its first responders) stood ready in case of any medical emergency. With that many fans in attendance, the stadium became the size of a small city. A small city that wants $4 for a coke or a hot dog.

And some people played soccer too

And some people played soccer too

I’ll spare you photos of the game itself. Professional photographers lining the pitch had a better angle and better cameras. Instead, I’ll give you an idea of what 55,571 people look like:

Impact fans at Berri-UQAM

Impact fans at Berri-UQAM

It was only when I got to the platform at Berri-UQAM that I remembered that tens of thousands of people heading to a soccer game causes a bit of a traffic jam. The STM added extra trains to and from the stadium, but even then I had to wait for the third train before I could get aboard.

Impact fans at Pie-IX metro

Impact fans at Pie-IX metro

After being crammed into a metro car from Berri to Pie-IX, getting a bit too familiar with random people around me, I got off and joined another sea of fans trying to get from the metro to the stadium. Pie-IX is specially designed to handle large crowds, but it was easily overwhemled during the hour before the game.

Five minutes to go, and the crowd inches forward

Five minutes to go, and the crowd inches forward

I found myself stuck in a giant crowd of people in the hall leading to the stadium, with only minutes to go until the scheduled kickoff, mentally berating myself for not having left earlier. In the end, the traffic cleared up a lot easier than I had anticipated, and there was no line at the ticket office, so minutes later I was searching for my seat (holding an Impact T-shirt that I’d just bought at the only slightly overpriced rate of $20).

I ended up missing the first five minutes, but catching the first goal as I was locating my seat.

Post-game chaos leads many to go outside

Post-game chaos leads many to go outside

After the game, the same thing in reverse. Many decided that taking the tunnel to the metro would take forever, and instead opted to go outside. I was one of those people.

Every man for himself!

Every man for himself!

Rather than take staircases to get to the footpath, lots of (young) people climbed walls and steep hills in the snow. I ended up freezing a couple of fingers trying to get my grip on the ice. They stung for a few hours but appear to have fully recovered.

Pie-IX traffic jam in reverse

Pie-IX traffic jam in reverse

Once I found my way to the metro, it was the same thing again. Fortunately the STM were out in full force along with local police, and the process was smooth.

Impact fans line the platforms at Pie-IX

Impact fans line the platforms at Pie-IX

Impact fans heading west at Pie-IX

Impact fans heading west at Pie-IX

Metro train filled to capacity at Pie-IX

Metro train filled to capacity at Pie-IX

*Of course, not all of the 55,571 people were Impact fans. Some were cheering Santos Laguna. And they got some good-natured ribbing from the local hooligans after the game.

Mexico fans after the Impact game

Mexico fans after the Impact game

Sounds of the game

My personal media player has recording capabilities, so I decided to test them out. It’s actually not all that bad. So here’s two minutes of the most cliché crowd sounds you can hear:

  1. Mindless “IM-PACT!” chant
  2. Disappointment after a near miss
  3. Boo at unfavourable call from an official
  4. Banging of chairs to create rhythmical percussion sound
  5. More boos
  6. Elation at a GOOOOOOAL!
  7. Uninteresting substitution announcement
  8. Surprise end of game with announcement of final score

Come to my party tonight; I’m expecting 50,000

The Montreal Impact got the word last night: the weather will not be an impediment to their hosting Mexico’s Club Santos Laguna at Olympic Stadium at 8 p.m. tonight.

Which is good, because there are already more than 50,000 tickets sold for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal game. (CONCACAF Champions League not to be confused with CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying, where Team Canada stunk up the joint by not winning any of its six games in the third round last fall)

There are still plenty of tickets available (the Big O’s capacity is about 65,000, depending on how many seats are added to the floor) at rates ranging from $10 to $50, from Admission or at the Olympic Stadium ticket office. Fans are asked to wear blue to support their team.

If you’re a wuss and can’t make it out, the game will be carried live at 8pm on:

The main CBC networks will carry it delayed: Radio-Canada at 11:30pm and CBC at midnight.

Gazette live-blogging Impact game

The Gazette is trying something new tonight, live-blogging the Impact vs. Toronto FC game at Saputo Stadium BMO Field in Toronto. The copy is a bit dirty (note to marketing dept.: “Pat Hickey RAW”), but at least you get the news of what’s going on.

La Presse is doing similarly with blogger Pascal Milano, as is Radio-Canada, with at least a half-time report from each.

Unless I’ve missed something, Le Devoir, Quebecor’s Canoe portal, CTV Sports and even the sports networks (TSN.ca, RDS.ca, Sportsnet.ca) have nothing on how this game is going.

The Impact is the unpopular little brother of the Alouettes and Canadiens, and the media tends to half-ass coverage of the team (in most cases, only covering home games so they don’t have to spring for airfare). Since this is a non-league game, it’s not on TV. RDS and TSN have Rogers Cup tennis, and CBC/Radio-Canada have regular non-sports programming. Fortunately, though, CBCsports.ca has a free live broadcast of the game online.

UPDATE: 1-1 draw gives a victory in the CONCACAF Canadian championships to the Montreal Impact. SUCK IT, TORONTO!

Rad-Can and Milano win the race for breaking news, having the result up within minutes (seconds?) of the game ending.

CBC Television is also replaying the game at midnight.