WINNIPEG - Call it "Home Improvement, the CFL Edition." CFL stadiums are being replaced or refurbished at a pace probably unmatched in league history, starting this season with the opening of a new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 2014, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will move into a new facility while the expansion Ottawa Redblacks are projected to call a revamped Frank Clair Stadium home. And in 2017, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are scheduled to move into a new open-air venue to replace Mosaic Stadium. Existing facilities in Calgary and Edmonton get upgrades this season to make the game-day experience nicer for their fans. The big story this year is Investors Group Field in Winnipeg. A year behind schedule, a lot about the new facility drew rave reviews: the player areas, sightlines, comfortable seats and fancy suites and concessions. But there are kinks to be worked out. Cracks in the concrete are being repaired and then theres the small matter of getting 33,400 people on and off the campus of the University of Manitoba in time to actually watch football games. "I think it was great (but) I have a feeling people will have to figure out the traffic patterns," Bombers coach Tim Burke after the seasons first exhibition game at the stadium. That was a bit of an understatement. The pre-season game against the Toronto Argonauts had almost 5,000 empty seats by the time the official count was taken despite most having been sold. Bomber president Garth Buchko apologized the next day for the massive traffic congestion that stranded so many and promised better for the first regular-season game Thursday against Montreal. More buses and bus-only lanes, plus earlier access to parking spots, are among the cures the team is hoping will ease the pain. "Weve got a lot of work to do," said Buchko. "We have to get better and we will get better." Parking is scarce but, after two years of planning, they also werent prepared for the 60 per cent larger crowd than estimated who opted for public transit to reach the $200-million stadium. Even staff who man concessions were caught in the snarl, leaving fans who could get inside standing in long lines at those food and beverage outlets which were able to open. And, in a city often referred to as "Winterpeg," the open-air pressbox has already received a thumbs down from the CFL if the Bombers want to host a Grey Cup. They do and renovations are planned. This season, the Ticats will play their home games at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont., as a new $145.7-million facility is built where venerable Ivor Wynne Stadium used to stand. The Ticats are scheduled to move into the venue in 2014 with the facility slated to hold the 2015 Pan American Games soccer competition as well. Until then, the CFL team will spend a cosy year at Alumni, which even after expansion will seat about 13,000. The Ticats will practise at McMaster in Hamilton and also play a home game in Moncton, N.B. When the new stadium is complete, it will initially seat 22,500 with standing room for another 1,500. But it will also have 700 club seats and 30 VIP suites and the potential expanded capacity of 40,000 for special events like the Grey Cup. Ticats owner Bob Young says the new facility will generate more revenue that could go back into stadium improvements. "With more revenue you can do more things," he said. "With the money we can make in the new stadium its going to be interesting to see where, between ourselves and the city, we eventually take this stadium. "Were thrilled and very grateful at the way it has turned out." Hamilton quarterback Henry Burris said the players have quickly adopted Alumni Stadium as their home. "This is already home," he said. "Honestly, with this team that we have we really dont care where were playing but were so happy to be here at Guelph. "To be able to play in this atmosphere, were excited about it. Guys have come and made this home. Roughriders officials, meanwhile, have visited the new Winnipeg stadium and taken notes with their $278-million project in Regina following a similar pattern of covered seating over an open field. Riders president Jim Hopson has said he likes what he sees but suggests they will also learn from Winnipegs mistakes. The province, city and team are footing the bill in Regina, after a much more ambitious plan for a domed stadium failed to get federal money needed to proceed. In Ottawa, a $450-million, public-private redevelopment of Lansdowne Park is finally underway, including a 24,000-seat stadium set to open in 2014 when Redblacks are projected to join the CFL. The project had to clear legal and political hurdles for the CFL to return to the Canadian capital since indefinitely suspending the Ottawa Renegades franchise in 2006. "The facility is going to be second to none, thats not to say other cities dont have that, but its very important, said Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins. Calgarys McMahon Stadium escaped major damage sustained in recent flooding there. It will boast new seats in corner end zones with plans for new concessions, washrooms and VIP areas. "Weve covered up half the aluminum seats with customized inserts, so thats going to look a lot better and going to feel a lot better for the fans who are sitting there in those sections," said Gord Norrie, the Stampeders new president. Edmonton Eskimos fans are getting more comfortable places to rest their hopes as well in the upper bowl at Commonwealth Stadium, as it enters the final phase of a $12-million plan to replace all seats. Montreal and Vancouver football fans havent been left out of the picture as both Molson Stadium and B.C. Place have received recent facelifts. Tanner Lee Jersey . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. DJ Chark Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. http://www.cheapjacksonvillejaguarsjerseys.com/taven-bryan-jersey/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Authentic Jaguars Jerseys . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Jaguars T-shirts .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Old Dominion couldnt shoot. Fortunately for coach Jeff Jones, the Monarchs did just about everything else well enough to win their final game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.Ahmad Caver scored 15 points to help Old Dominion hold off St. Johns 63-55 on Friday night in the seventh-place game despite shooting 30 percent. But the Monarchs dominated the glass and played defense well enough to please Jones, who was irked by the way his team played in Thursdays loss to LSU.To win a game against a good opponent shooting 30 percent is tough, Jones said. But I thought our guys responded and the played with energy. We executed offensively even though we didnt finish. And then obviously our defense was terrific.That was much better than a night earlier, when Jones said his team had atrocious offensive execution.It felt better, Caver said of his teams energy. The whole day felt better, the game felt better.Trey Porter had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Monarchs (3-2), who blew much of a 16-point second-half lead but came up with a couple of key plays in the final 30 seconds to hang.Marcus LoVetts layup cut ODUs lead to 57-54 with 44.8 seconds left, but Caver responded by hitting two free throws with 29.9 seconds left. ODU also came up with a layup off a turnover.LoVett scored 16 points to lead the Red Storm (2-4), who shot 34 percent. ODU also took a 54-34 rebounding advantage, including 26-9 on the offensive glass.The bad thing is we played good defense, we really did, St. Johns coach Chris Mullin said. We just couldnt get thhe ball.dddddddddddd I mean, it was amazing. I never saw so many balls pop out of guys hands, hit guys in the head, it looked like a circus.BIG PICTUREODU: Jones said Thursday after the LSU loss: What we found out (about ourselves) wasnt very pretty. He had reason to feel a little better with the way his team closed its stay in the Bahamas.If we dont have that edge and play with that level of intensity, its just going to be really, really hard for us, he said.St. Johns: Mullin said it would take time for a group led by a young backcourt to figure out how to play together for a complete-game performance. The three games in Atlantis only reinforced that, with St. Johns trailing by double figures at some point in all three games.TIP-INSODU: Denzell Taylor had nine points and 16 rebounds. ... ODU shot just 9 of 36 (25 percent) in the first half but led 30-24. ... The Monarchs made 19 of 31 free throws (61 percent), capping a tournament that saw them miss 36 and shoot just 54 percent over three games.St. Johns: Shamorie Ponds had 10 points. ... St. Johns made 5 of 25 3-pointers (20 percent). ... The Red Storm blocked six shots.UP NEXTODU: The Monarchs host Dartmouth on Wednesday.St. Johns: The Red Storm return home to play Delaware State on Tuesday.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Stitched Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 ' ' '