Paul Bychko of Sault Ste. Marie won the Rogers Game Day Owner contest and received an exclusive, immersive experience as Toronto took on the L.A. Dodgers this week.<\/p>\n
Published Apr 11, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 1\u00a0hour ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Paul Bychko has a tattoo and a shirt commemorating April 7, 1977, the day that the Blue Jays played their first game at snowy Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Now, April 7, 2026, might worth another bit of ink as the date that he became the team\u2019s owner for the day.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Bychko was selected as the winner in perhaps the most exclusive and immersive contest that Rogers and the team has ever put on, bestowing the title of Game Day Owner on one lucky Blue Jays fan each month this season.<\/p>\n And if Rogers was looking for a superfan to take over, it couldn\u2019t have picked a better person.<\/p>\n In Bychko\u2019s basement, at home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is a veritable Blue Jays museum, with the 46-year-old married father of two boys owning more than 13,000 pieces of team memorabilia.<\/p>\n We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play Video<\/p>\n \u201cEvery wall is covered, there\u2019s no space,\u201d Bychko said.<\/p>\n His collection is so grand and exclusive that he even let the club borrow a few pieces for its 50th-season celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have people enjoy it,\u201d he added. \u201cIt means a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n His favourite piece of memorabilia is a baby blue jersey he got when he was a kid. But it was an adult size and too big for him to wear. Instead, he took it with him to games and events, getting it signed by the many players he encountered over the years.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n By the end of the day, he\u2019d have many signatures from the stars of the current team to take home, as well \u2014 but more on that later.<\/p>\n What kind of exclusive experiences does the winner get?<\/p>\n The day began with a behind-the-scenes look at the Player Walk, or Celebration Alley, as it was known during the team\u2019s magical 2025 playoff run.<\/p>\n The Game Day Owner got to experience exactly the same game-day experience that a Jays player goes through \u2014 including getting access to the team\u2019s weight room, performance department and clubhouse, none of which are on the usual stadium tours.<\/p>\n While stepping out on to the field as the grounds crew prepped for the game that evening against the Dodgers, Bychko was given the chance to handle a couple of bats used by some Jays sluggers.<\/p>\n One of the most interesting stops was in the game operations department, the figurative neural centre for in-stadium entertainment at the downtown dome.<\/p>\n After receiving a crash course on how the Jumbotron, video boards and statistical outlays work, Bychko was given the chance to try out the stadium\u2019s announcement system \u2014 and hit the home run horn, much to the field workers\u2019 chagrin.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And while he already received his fair share of team merchandise \u2014 complete with the custom \u2018Game Day Owner\u2019 nameplate on the back of a powder blue jersey \u2014 a shopping spree at the Jays Store also was on the agenda.<\/p>\n Making his own pitch to executives<\/p>\n While the morning began with those fun and games, as the team\u2019s owner for a day, there was some business to attend to.<\/p>\n As part of his honorary role, Bychko was able to sit with several Blue Jays executives from baseball operations, finance, marketing and more to pitch his ideas on how to improve the club and the fan experience.<\/p>\n While we can\u2019t get too far into the confidential details, it was clear that Bychko \u2014 a teacher by trade who currently works with the ministry of education \u2014 certainly had some ideas worth listening to.<\/p>\n Bychko mentioned that the portion of his experience that was most likely to make his friends back home jealous surely lived up to its billing: On-field meet-and-greets with some Jays players.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n With the teams\u2019 pre-game batting practice wrapping up, Bychko had the chance to chat with Kazuma Okamoto and John Schneider. The manager even signed a ball with one of his memorable quotes from last year\u2019s playoffs which was a bit too colourful to share here.<\/p>\n He also had the opportunity to chat with several Sportsnet personalities, including Dan Shulman, Jamie Campbell and Hazel Mae \u2014 who was celebrating her birthday on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Bychko then got to head up to the Rogers Terrace with his family to watch the Jays take on the Dodgers while chowing down on some of the first-class food served at the newly created club area<\/a>.<\/p>\n What is the Game Day Owner\u2019s season outlook for the Jays?<\/p>\n While the end result of Tuesday\u2019s game \u2014 a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers<\/a>, with the Jays failing to capitalize on some late-inning opportunities \u2014 wasn\u2019t what he probably wanted to see, Bychko and his family surely won\u2019t forget it anytime soon.<\/p>\n \u201cI did it as a bucket-list thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n As for evaluating the team\u2019s overall performance, Bychko remains optimistic about the Jays\u2019 hopes of once again contending for a World Series championship despite an \u201cunfortunate\u201d start to the season.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a series of unfortunate events that have happened,\u201d he said. \u201cit\u2019s just bad timing based on the high that they left.\u201d<\/p>\n Bychko added that he believes that once the team begins to get healthy again, it can break its current collective slump and that the Jays easily can be in the same position they were last year.<\/p>\n What is Rogers Game Day Owner program?<\/p>\n With the Blue Jays celebrating their 50th season, owner Rogers revealed several initiatives earlier this month<\/a> to help bring fans \u201ccloser to Canada\u2019s team\u201d as it celebrates this milestone campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the proud owner of Canada\u2019s team, we\u2019re excited to celebrate 50 years of Blue Jays baseball with fans from across Canada,\u201d Edward Rogers, owner of Rogers Communications and the team, said in a press release. \u201cDuring this milestone season, we\u2019re celebrating the fans that got us here, from first-time fans to lifelong fans.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Rogers giving fans chance to be Blue Jays owner for a day, promises thousands of free tickets<\/p>\n![\"Rogers](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0411-rogers-game-day-owner-dugout.jpg\")
Rogers Game Day Owner Paul Bychko in the Blue Jays dugout. RogersArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Rogers Game Day Owner Paul Bychko examines a game-used bat. Rogers<\/p>\n![\"Rogers](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0411-rogers-game-day-owner-signing.jpg\")
Rogers Game Day Owner Paul Bychko signs his contract. Rogers<\/p>\n![\"Rogers](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0411-rogers-game-day-owner-john-schneider.jpg\")
Rogers Game Day Owner Paul Bychko talks with Blue Jays manager John Schneider. Rogers<\/p>\n![\"Rogers](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0411-rogers-game-day-owner-box.jpg\")
Rogers Game Day Owner Paul Bychko kicks back in the Blue Jays owner\u2019s box. Rogers<\/p>\n![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0327-toronto-blue-jays-fans.jpg\")
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