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racer2c
10-13-05, 11:21 AM
Canadian beer maker Molson is stepping down as the promoter of the Toronto Champ Car race, and wants the sanctioning body to “pull a Long Beach” and buy the event’s assets - or risk losing it to the Indy Racing League.

Link (http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/20144/)

JoeBob
10-13-05, 11:26 AM
Wow. Speed is running a story about a newspaper's story. And that newspaper is a tabloid. And the writer is a long standing ChampCar hater.

Here's the story that Speed's story is about: http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2005/10/13/1260648-sun.html

Here's the actual quotes from Molson about Toronto:


"What we have now is a memorandum of understanding that means if (Champ Car) wants to purchase the physical assets of the race -- which is the blocks, the fences and the bridges -- it has to do its due diligence now,


"Molson knows that this is one of its pillar events... It wants to keep it. It is important for the city."


If Molson is not going to run it then Champ Car will and that's the next best thing

Everything else is spin, by a writer with an agenda.

racer2c
10-13-05, 11:28 AM
Damn, good stuff JB. Reminds me of when AutoWeak would run anti-Champ Car stories based on internet gossip pages.

trauma1
10-13-05, 11:34 AM
just where in the hell is this"ultimatium" coming from Cortes and the toronto sun isn't exactly real creadible, CC is buying the race just like LB and just where in the hell they draw the conclusion EARL is going to get the races in Toronto and Montreal is beyound my comprehension. Cortes just cuts and pastes crap, i have yet to read anything original from the hack, and he jumps to his own conclusions which are always wrong, why does'nt speed just fire his ass :flame:

jonovision_man
10-13-05, 11:39 AM
Wow. Speed is running a story about a newspaper's story.

TSN did it too, but they stuck with the facts from the newspaper and took out the speculation...

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=139603

rabbit
10-13-05, 11:56 AM
Cortes just cuts and pastes crap, i have yet to read anything original from the hack, and he jumps to his own conclusions which are always wrong, why does'nt speed just fire his ass :flame:What, you don't like the constant updates about which Latin American driver is not headed to Formula One next year? :gomer:

trauma1
10-13-05, 12:04 PM
i'm waiting for the decade to come when he is right on the rumors on something he writes, for a speed employee he sucks, he has no credibilty no actual inside sources, to cut and paste from the Toronto Sun is pretty desprite for a urinalist :shakehead

TKGAngel
10-13-05, 12:10 PM
i'm waiting for the decade to come when he is right on the rumors on something he writes, for a speed employee he sucks, he has no credibilty no actual inside sources, to cut and paste from the Toronto Sun is pretty desprite for a urinalist :shakehead

Anyone bet that RM will have the real story, with actual quotes from real people by the end of the week?

Very cruddy journalism for this yahoo to basically plagiarize the Sun's story.

racer2c
10-13-05, 12:14 PM
Cortez is probably just Speeds 'web news' flunky. He's probably told to post stuff on a daily basis and give it some "life".

FRANKY
10-13-05, 12:43 PM
Anyone bet that RM will have the real story, with actual quotes from real people by the end of the week?

Very cruddy journalism for this yahoo to basically plagiarize the Sun's story.

"The Toronto Star reported they are negotiating to buy the Indy Toronto from Molson Sports & Entertainment. "Canada is a very important market for Champ Car and we're looking forward to keeping our relationship," said Kalkhoven, who is currently in Beijing, China meeting with government officials about the proposed race in 2007. Molson evidently wants out of the promoting business but would likely remain as title sponsor."

That's all so far.

nrc
10-13-05, 12:51 PM
Wow a Speed stooge doing a story on a McNutty story. How many iterations of idiocy can we put this story through?

Keep in mind, it's not Champ car that bought Long Beach, it's another company owned by the principals. I imagine they'll do the same here.

Cam
10-13-05, 01:18 PM
We need a "spin" emoticon. :rolleyes:

pchall
10-13-05, 02:05 PM
Damn, good stuff JB. Reminds me of when AutoWeak would run anti-Champ Car stories based on internet gossip pages.

Autoweak

That's what I used to call them way back when. In 2002 I called them four times to cancel my subscription and each phone call resulted in a one year renewal automatically billed to my credit card! It took a really pissy letter from the friendly neighborhood law firm to sort that out.

That rag has really gone downhill ever since they went from a newsprint tabloid to the glossy mag format.

If you have ever doubted the power of the ¥en just check the inside front and back of Autoweak when Tony George was busy hijacking CART's engine suppliers.

oddlycalm
10-13-05, 02:09 PM
Unidentified sources have said that Cassio Cortes of Speed is a syphlitic dwarf with an oedipal complex. OC News has not been able to confirm these allegations however we can confirm that Mr. Cortez has used a Canadian tabloid as a source for an article on at least one occasion. This is how it would look if we covered Cortez in the same manner he covered CCWS. :rolleyes:

oc

cart7
10-13-05, 02:12 PM
Here's what I've gathered so far. It doesn't seem to be much of a story.

1. Molson's getting out of sports.

2. Molson wants to get rid of their promotional involvement with Toronto.

3. Molson is giving CCWS first right to refuse.

4. CCWS will undoubtedly NOT refuse.

5. The earl, waiting in the wings with not enough cash on the table as usual, continues that slow swirling motion towards the bottom of the bowl?


Have I got it about right?

trauma1
10-13-05, 02:34 PM
6. Molson will now be just a sponsor of the race, better for both sides

cameraman
10-13-05, 02:41 PM
7. Some of the non-McNutty Canadian papers are saying that Molson wants to get rid of the TV production company too.

If so there are two bits to negotiate, the Toronto race and the season TV production package.

oddlycalm
10-13-05, 03:13 PM
Here's what I've gathered so far. It doesn't seem to be much of a story.... You've got the issues, such as they are, right IMO, and the conclusion as well. Not much of a story. No way CCWS will give up the race.

oc

Insomniac
10-13-05, 03:20 PM
Here's what I've gathered so far. It doesn't seem to be much of a story.

1. Molson's getting out of sports.

2. Molson wants to get rid of their promotional involvement with Toronto.

3. Molson is giving CCWS first right to refuse.

4. CCWS will undoubtedly NOT refuse.

5. The earl, waiting in the wings with not enough cash on the table as usual, continues that slow swirling motion towards the bottom of the bowl?


Have I got it about right?

I hope you do. And it isn't some ploy to get ChampCar or GF and KK to start promoting. They've already said ChampCar is not going to promote races and they don't need every promoter doing the same. Is the Toronto Race making good money? If so, why does Molson want out?

JoeBob
10-13-05, 03:34 PM
Here's what you missed:

Molson still wants Toronto to promote their beer. They just don't want to be race promoters. They still want to be the title sponsors. They still want pouring rights. They're willing to pay for both.

This is a better deal than LB. Toyota hadn't reupped yet when KK and Company took over.

NismoZ
10-13-05, 06:25 PM
"Why does Molson want out?"...I know nothing but I've heard as a company they are losing bucks big time and neeed to cut back. True? Think we'll see a Delphi car soon? :eek:

trish
10-13-05, 06:46 PM
I hope you do. And it isn't some ploy to get ChampCar or GF and KK to start promoting. They've already said ChampCar is not going to promote races and they don't need every promoter doing the same. Is the Toronto Race making good money? If so, why does Molson want out?
I don't understand why ChampCar doesn't want to promote their own product.

NismoZ
10-13-05, 08:54 PM
They will...anyway don't look for them to leave all the cement and chain-link behind like they did in st. Pete.

Cam
10-13-05, 10:04 PM
"Why does Molson want out?"...I know nothing but I've heard as a company they are losing bucks big time and neeed to cut back. True? Think we'll see a Delphi car soon? :eek:

A beer brewer losing money???? unpossible! :(

TorontoWorker
10-13-05, 11:05 PM
A beer brewer losing money???? unpossible! :(

This people - is a DIRECT result of the "Silver Buyout"... When I heard that Joanne was gone from Molsons, (again, another buyout/sell out victim) I just knew this would happen. "Listen ya'll hear little lady... the powder room is that a way. Huh? What's that you all say, this is your office? Is that so... Well the powder room is STILL that a way..."

FYI: Molson's makes more money per unit then it's *new* owner who is losing market share quicker then you can say Red Bull and Vodka.

NismoZ
10-14-05, 10:34 AM
THAT'S what I was referring too. Amazing how often the new guys screw things up. Happens all the time.

TKGAngel
10-14-05, 10:45 AM
This people - is a DIRECT result of the "Silver Buyout"... When I heard that Joanne was gone from Molsons, (again, another buyout/sell out victim) I just knew this would happen. "Listen ya'll hear little lady... the powder room is that a way. Huh? What's that you all say, this is your office? Is that so... Well the powder room is STILL that a way..."

FYI: Molson's makes more money per unit then it's *new* owner who is losing market share quicker then you can say Red Bull and Vodka.

By "Silver Buyout," I'm assuming you're referring to the Molson/Coors merger of earlier this year? Maybe TPTB on the Coors side didn't like the promotional aspect of the race, but still want to maintain the pouring rights?

JoeBob
10-14-05, 12:06 PM
"Why does Molson want out?"...I know nothing but I've heard as a company they are losing bucks big time and neeed to cut back. True? Think we'll see a Delphi car soon? :eek:

Molson is a beer company that also did a bunch of other stuff. They owned the Montreal Canadiens, and their arena. They serve as event promoters at arenas across Canada. They have a TV Production organization.

They're focusing on being a beer company, and selling off the other businesses. They sold the hockey team. They sold the arena (but kept their name on the building). They're selling the races. It wouldn't surprise me at all if TV is next.

Andrew Longman
10-14-05, 01:20 PM
Yes its called strategic focus.

They've gone from a company that created reasons and a lifestyle to drink beer (and specifically Molson) via commercials, events, television, etc. to a company that makes and sells beer.

That seems a fairly straightforward and obvious choice. Simpler is better. Stick to your knitting. Do only what you do best. The bean counters and strategy consultants will tell you all that.

But what may be missing is regard for Molson's competitive advantage. If you just make and sell beer, what makes your beer more compelling or better than anyone's else?

Not saying that what Molson is doing is wrong, I have not studied it. But it is commonly done and sometimes the first step of large fall into a commoditiy based business.

I am suspicious though. Molson and Coors are in cost cutting mode because they have to pay for the merger. The merger itself was necessary because people are drinking less and consolidation is needed to control cost or achieve any sort of growth. But if cutting costs eliminate the very thing that will take the Molson lifestyle/brand into new markets and bring real innovation and growth (after all, how many new types of dry/lite/octoberfest/handcrafted/pumpkin type beers can you introduce and how much incremental new sales will they produce?

Anyway, hugely off topic but close to my line of work. I'm just glad they will continue to sponsor the Canadian races.

Insomniac
10-14-05, 01:44 PM
I don't understand why ChampCar doesn't want to promote their own product.

I think they feel their is a difference between promoting themselves and races. Perhaps they don't want to be spread thin. Keep focus on running a series.