The whistle stops, Randy Chevrier will readily acknowledge, had become something of a blur.

Big places, small places, exotic places and so-so places. Across the U.S., back home to Canada and even to Europe. From Jacksonville, Fla.; to Cincinnati, Ohio; to Dallas, Texas; to Barcelona, Spain; to Edmonton; and then to New York.

Seasons come and go. From week to week, let alone summer to summer, the nameplates on the back of those familiar red jerseys are in a constant state of flux. The only predictable aspect of professional sports, of course, is its utter unpredictability.

One variable, however, has been an unshakeable constant for the Calgary Stampeders dating all the way back to 1972: equipment manager George Hopkins, or Geo, as anyone who spends the slightest amount of time in or around McMahon Stadium calls him.

At the opening of training camp in June 2012, even though he was already five years into his tenure with the Calgary Stampeders, Rob Cote felt anything but secure.

"So, a very stressful time to be doing anything else but concentrating on football,'' said the Cochrane-born fullback. "Especially to be making a huge financial decision like buying a house.

After much speculation, the Calgary Flames have announced plans for a massive sports complex, including a new football stadium and field house. The plan would see replacements for the aging Scotiabank Saddledome and McMahon Stadium constructed on the west side of Calgary's downtown. Dubbed CalgaryNEXT, here's a breakdown of five things you need to know about the new Calgary arena project.

1. Location
Currently home to an assortment of car dealerships, empty lots and the GreyHound bus station, the proposed site for the project sits alongside the recently opened Sunalta LRT in Calgary's West Village. Once home to a creosote plant, construction on the site would likely necessitate a costly cleanup, with an estimated pricetag between $50 and $300 million.