football

L E T T E R S to the E D I T O R

Not a lot of Bob Young Hamilton Tiger Cat fans out there are happy with this cartoon. Apparently a few have even cancelled their Spectator subscriptions in protest.

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Portraying Bob Young as a first grader taking his ball home was totally uncalled for in my opinion. The man has invested tens of millions of dollars in a team that means so much to the community, his family has invested tens of millions into local charities, and he was prepared to invest tens of millions more into a stadium at a site he did not even prefer so long as it gave the opportunity for the Tiger-Cats and the stadium to be economically sustainable. If this is how Hamilton treats its self-sacrificing heroes, we shouldn’t expect to have too many of them in the future.

K. Browne , Hamilton

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The cartoon in the paper today is offensive, rude, and fundamentally wrong. Seven years ago, this city went begging to Bob Young to buy the Tiger Cats, a money losing operation. Mr. Young knew he would lose money but out of the goodness of his heart he bought the team. He has lost some thirty million dollars keeping the team operating and what does he get for his troubles and love for the city? A very personal attack by the local paper. While the Spec should be ashamed of itself, I’m sure your puppet masters at the Star are thrilled at your position and that York University will get their stadium.

D. Delville, Dundas

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I couldn’t help but think that the editorial cartoon should have been a picture of Mayor Fred and not Bob Young. Mr. Young has bent over backwards with offers of a lot of money toward the stadium, a professional soccer team, help in building an amphitheatre in west harbour, then adding additional parking spaces for the east mountain site while Mayor Fred has just crossed his arms like a first grader with his lip out and said, “no, no, no” to everything. He has not budged an inch on this issue.

Bob Young was a saviour to our beloved Tiger Cats, a team over 100 yrs. old. and he is being treated so unfairly. The thought of losing our team makes me feel sick to my stomach. Bring the Cats to Burlington Bob. We will welcome them with open arms!

I’d love to know what Hamilton city council is going to do with this nice, new, empty stadium once the Pan Am games are over?

P. Gilkes, Burlington

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Bob Young came back to Hamilton some years ago to purchase the TigerCats on a fantasy whim. By so doing he helped the CFL become a stronger. more enjoyable league. Now the Mayor, city councilors and even The Spec insist that Bob Young revitalize our down town by locating the TigerCats in West Harbour even though Young’s sharp business sense (he is after all a self made multi millionaire) tells him that the West Harbour is not a profitable location for HIS Tiger Cat team. Because of this he is maligned, called nasty names and is accused of being GREEDY. With this kind of treatment why are we surprised he finally called it quits and why do we think he is bluffing?

Off-the-record post script..I am not surprised the Spec chose to support the West Harbour location being pro-city. But I regret your poor treatment of Bob Young especially that mean cartoon by McKay this morning. Young owes Hamilton nothing and as usual we continue to shoot down our benefators

J. Mongeon, Hamilton

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The Spectator’s totally biased attitude with their slanted reporting and editorials favouring WH site has been disreputable. What is shameful is Specator’s treatment of Tiger-Cats, Bob Young and David Braley. Your editorial cartoon entitled “The Evolution of Bob Young” was disgraceful. How would such a portrait help in convincing Mr Young to return to the table to negotiate a solution.

We need a alternative paper in Hamilton to compete with the Spec and offer counterbalance of reporting. I personally subscribe to Sunday Toronto Sun for fbalance reporting.

A. Gay, Hamilton

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And then there are many, many more comments from outraged fans at this Ticat messageboard.