WHAT

The Toronto Blue Jays have enjoyed a renaissance over the last two years, with attendance, viewership, and revenue increasing exponentially. This is a direct reflection of the team's on-field success, status as the only MLB team in the country, and the relative misery that Toronto sports fans have experienced until recently.

The Blue Jays also have the distinction of being wholly-owned corporate subsidiary of Rogers Communications, one of two major communications companies in Canada that dominate all sports ownership in Toronto. With Bell Canada, Rogers owns the majority interest in MLSE, the corporation that controls the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, TFC, the sporting facilities these teams play in, and the rights to broadcast their events on corporate owned sports channels.

During recent play-off runs with both the NHL's Maple Leafs and NBA's Raptors, MLSE has opened up Maple Leaf Square, an area adjacent to the Air Canada Centre, to fans during play-off games to congregate in a liquor-licensed area to watch large video screens.

While the Rogers Centre, formerly Skydome, doesn't have a dedicated area to house this kind of watching party, it should be in the Toronto Blue Jays best interest to make a similar experience a priority.

WHY

The new success should be accompanied with increased ambition. While attendance and ratings are impressive, greater care in regards to fan experience would help ensure fans are feeling appreciated (by a sometimes hard to relate to ownership group). This goodwill, in marketing terms, will lead to increased customer loyalty and brand equity and mitigate the negative connotations that have come with the recent move to dynamic game pricing.

Keeping up with their sports cousins (both in the city and south of the border) with an outdoor fan viewing experience and creating new corporate partnerships with surrounding businesses would go a long way towards building the public's trust. Emphatically important in regards a corporation that renamed a Toronto landmark and erected a statue of their corporate founder in front of it.

HOW

In accordance with Ontario's liquor and event permit laws, create a fenced in area stretching from Gate 7 across to Steam Whistle Brewery, closing down Bremner Blvd, creating a pedestrian accessible, liquor-licensed outdoor viewing area with food truck vendors, picnic tables, and portable washrooms for the month of September and for the duration of the play-offs.

Rogers Centre, as Skydome is now known, is infamous for having alchohol contracts with major brewing conglomerates for sale inside the stadium. It would be beneficial for Rogers, the Blue Jays, and the community to foster relationships with local beer offerings from both a goodwill and fan experience standpoint. Seasoned baseball fans look at American parks with envy as local breweries and food are featured both inside and outside their stadiums.

A place for city food trucks that are not hot dog specific would be a boon for the licensees of those trucks and showcase the diverse food culture that exists.

This outdoor viewing area would serve as a hub for fans during home and away games and generate extra income for the Blue Jays and create a community atmosphere for not just Jays fans, but a solidarity with the other teams in the city.

THIS CITY AND FANBASE DESERVE AN AMBITIOUS APPROACH

This plan is not easy and has many moving parts, but I'm confident there are countless people who would work diligently to make this happen.

This petition asks Andrew Miller, Vice President of Business Operations at the Toronto Blue Jays to work with the fanbase to make this happen. The more receptive the Toronto Blue Jays are to the idea the more willing the community will be to assist in the logistics and planning of the event.

Please contact me here through Change.org or via my business email at mike@oldfielddigitalconsulting.com if you have food, beverages, or ideas you'd like to bring to the table.

Cheers and Go Jays!