Ted Rogers gets statue outside Toronto Blue Jays stadium

Today, an act of misguided hubris will take shape in Toronto when a bronze statue of a local legend is unveiled outside the Rogers Centre (nee SkyDome) baseball stadium.

Toronto is far from the first city to post a statue outside a sports facility; the world of athletics is ripe with glossy heroes and local champions. But Toronto's sculpture is different in that it will be of a man who did not earn his stripes with a baseball bat or hockey stick, but with a pen and a pair of reading glasses.

Ted Rogers, the founder of Rogers Communications, will be memorialized in a 12-foot statue, set to be unveiled Tuesday evening.

Here is the announcement:

Rogers died in 2008 after building Rogers Communications into a dominant force in Canada's communication industry. He was the fifth richest person in the country at the time of his passing. A postscript to his legend is that his company happened to own a baseball team.

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Rogers Communications bought the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000 and renamed the stadium the Rogers Centre. Some people even call it that, although most locals stick to calling it the SkyDome.

It is not entirely clear why Rogers' statue will be placed outside the Rogers Centre instead of, say, the company's head office. Sure, Rogers Communications has paid billions to own the stadium, name the facility, and finance the team that plays inside.

Since Rogers assumed control of the Toronto baseball scene, the Blue Jays have meandered, never making it to the playoffs (after back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993). Yet somehow, this business tycoon is to be memorialized with a statue similar to Willie Mays, Babe Ruth or Ted Williams.

Remember that Rogers Communications is frequently jeered by fans for underfunding the Blue Jays (until this year), and it is damn near impossible to get decent cell phone reception inside the monolith, even if you are a paying Rogers customer.

So, while Ted Rogers has a history highlighted by dedication to the city, support of valuable charities and franchise ownership, it still doesn't make much sense why his statue should be posted where baseball fans will pass it every day.

Is he our Mickey Mantle? Is Ted Rogers the Blue Jays' answer to Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan? Or Edmonton Oilers champion Wayne Gretzky? Or the Los Angeles Kings’ Wayne Gretzky?

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Opposition to the statue's placement doesn't just come from being a baseball fan. I have nothing against Rogers. I don't even fault him personally for the enormity of my cell phone bill. But baseball fans don't hold his company in high esteem.

Two years ago, the Blue Jays retired Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar's number to its Level of Excellence. It was a celebratory day. A crowded SkyDome (err, Rogers Centre) cheered and hooted and when Alomar took the field the building was baseball heaven again.

When Rogers Communication President Nadir Mohamed stepped out to stand with him, however, the building erupted in a chorus of boos louder than I have heard since.

It is those same people – those people willing to boo a Rogers representative in the middle of a festive gala – who will be walking past the Ted Rogers statue every day.

Those same people will walk by the statue again as they leave the stadium, after hours of overpaying on beers from Rogers Centre concession stands.

Ted Rogers may be one of Canada’s most innovative business leaders. In fact, he probably is. And there are miles of roads and mountains of buildings where a statue would be appropriate. But the SkyDome is not among them.

When the Toronto Blue Jays finally have an actual sports legend worth memorializing in bronze, we are going to wish we had that spot back.

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