(Quebec) Discussions are underway between Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and the Olympic Park for the football player to get involved in promoting Montreal’s bid to host games in the NFL International Series.
Both parties confirmed the information on Friday. A first meeting took place this week between the agent of “LDT”, Sasha Ghavami, and representatives of the Olympic Park.
“There is a mutual interest, but there is nothing concluded for the moment”, affirms the vice-president of the exploitation and the commercial development of the Olympic Park, Alain Larochelle, anxious not to burn the stages .
The idea of having Laurent as a spokesperson or as support on the file is interesting. Laurent has an excellent reputation in the NFL.
Alain Larochelle, Vice President of Operations and Commercial Development of the Olympic Park
Sasha Ghavami confirms Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s desire to get involved in the file. “Laurent is a proud Quebecer and has lived in Montreal for several years. He has represented Montreal, Quebec and Canada in the NFL since joining the league. So it sure is interesting. We want to explore the possibilities at this stage. It’s still early days to know what role he might play, but there’s interest in watching the whole thing. »
PHOTO BRYNN ANDERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76), in February 2020, during the week before Super Bowl LIV
The trigger will have been the column by Alexandre Pratt published in The Press on January 14 and revealing that Montreal is among the finalist cities to host NFL International Series games over the next few seasons.
When we saw the news, it piqued Laurent’s curiosity and mine. I contacted the people responsible for the project.
Sasha Ghavami, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s agent
Happy coincidence: the Olympic Park had already intended to call on Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as part of its strategy to seduce the NFL. “That’s how we scheduled a first discussion, which took place this week” with his agent, says Alain Larochelle.
A meeting is scheduled with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif next month. The New York Jets guard’s contract will expire in the coming weeks. He had one start this season, against the Seattle Seahawks on 1er January.
Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Duvernay-Tardif is a medical resident. He is the first active player in the NFL to have obtained a doctorate in this discipline, in 2018.
From next year?
The Olympic Park submitted its application to the NFL last year, following a call for proposals launched during the summer. His file was retained by the league. “Montreal is in the cities that are considered to host games. That doesn’t mean we’re going to have them, it’s not in our pocket, but we have a strategy to get there, ”says Alain Larochelle.
In recent years, three cities outside the United States have hosted NFL games: London, Mexico City and Munich (for the first time in 2022 in his case). Frankfurt will join this short list this year.
Montreal submitted its candidacy too late to hope to host a game next season. But for the next few years, the NFL is taking its file seriously, according to an email sent to the various players involved in the city’s candidacy, which The Press obtained.
Following the announcement of the International Series matches for the 2023 season, which took place on January 19, “we will move into discussions about our plans for 2024 and beyond, where we will continue conversations with you and your team. We thank you for your continued commitment and support as we work through the many details associated with these decisions and timelines. We will follow up with you shortly,” wrote Tom Rofe, consultant for The Sports Consultancy, which acts “on behalf of the NFL” on the International Series file.
The “event potential” of the Stadium
In the Government of Quebec, there is great optimism.
“Montréal’s position is very, very good,” said Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx.
We are told that Montreal tops the list of Canadian cities, ahead of Toronto and Vancouver.
Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism
According to her, this project is part of the government’s strategy aimed at making the most of the “event potential” of the Stadium. In 2020, the Minister passed a law transforming the Olympic Installations Board into a commercial company. The objective: to give the Olympic Park the necessary levers to facilitate the conclusion of partnerships for the holding of major events.
To polish its business case, the Olympic Park team visited two NFL stadiums during the season, those of the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “We were received by the staff of the two teams who gave us four-hour tours of all the facilities,” says Alain Larochelle. His team also visited the two London stadiums where NFL matches are played (Wembley and Tottenham). “For us, it’s research and development. We want to better understand what it means to host an NFL game. »
According to him, “the ingredients are there” to get matches in the metropolis. “We have a football tradition, and we are able to fill the stadium, that’s for sure. Montreal is the 20e largest urban agglomeration in North America, we must not forget that,” he says. “We tend to be very hard on the Olympic Stadium, but it’s a structure in good shape. Yes, we will have to upgrade things, but it is not inaccessible for us. The Olympic Stadium has what it takes, we have nothing to be ashamed of. »