CFL attendance 2016:
1. Saskatchewan: 31.1K
2. Edmonton: 29.2K
3. Calgary: 27.7K
4. Winnipeg: 24.8K
5. Ottawa: 24.7K
6. Hamilton: 23.9K
7. BC: 20.5K
8. Montreal: 20.1K
9. Toronto: 17.0K
It just seems to me that the CFL is a western thing where there is little competition for the sports dollar. In major eastern cities (and VAN) where there's a lot more to do, it's going to struggle.
Last edited by 105; 08-18-2016 at 11:05 AM.
17K isn't horrible.
Let's not forget that it wasn't too long ago that TFC were pulling in 16-18k (2012, 2013)
Honestly it's because they see being second fiddle to the Jays as reasonable as the Jays are big and from a major league. They see TFC as some little niche thing along the same lines as the Rock and find it disheartening that this insignificant joke team/league/sport is dwarfing their formerly mighty Argonauts.Originally Posted by OgtheDim
Don't forget that BMO capacity was around 20k at the time.
Exactly, 80-90% full stadium in our darkest days when the franchise was barely 5 years old is nothing to scoff at! Onwards and upwards!
Where did you get free tickets from? Still on my quest to score free tickets for a game.
It's pretty bad when you only have 9 home games though. Teams like Jays, Raps, Leafs, TFC have a lot more games to fill.
17 k is a little miss leading as the home opener was heavily papered. Since then they have been hovering around the 15k mark.
I think somewhere in the 15K range will be how it will end up after the season is done. Not sure the owners would have been expecting or will be happy with 15K in year one of them being in their new stadium with all of the media and advertising they did. I think the Argos and CFL are unwatchable shite and irrelevant and even I expected them to average around 25K in year one and then start to drop off after the new stadium smell wore off. What will it be next year? Five years?
15k is their maximum during the Summer, wait till the October cold hits...they'll be lucky to get 8,000. I think they forgot why they moved to Skydome in the first place, mistake by the lake indeed, mistake for them.
17k is misleading. They've had 25, 12, 16, and 15. Might get 17 on Saturday..
Interesting to note that the bottom three teams in that list, all in Canada's largest markets, have MLS clubs to compete with.
They should be the sails or the wings of the CFL's ship, not anchors dragging it down. For a league that runs on such thin profit margins and hugely reliant on the financial subsidy of the TSN TV deal and widespread blowjob journalism to prop it up, this is not a sustainable situation.
Don't think for one moment that this isn't being noted by corporations who spend money to advertise and promote themselves through sport.
How much do you think it would cost to buy 5 CFL teams control the board of governors and turn the league back into a rugby football league?
couple cases of Schooner and a pack of butts would probably do it......
They're advertising it hard. Have 88.1 on at work and heard their "Tickets to Argos gets you into the Ex" commercial 3 times already. Once an hour plus they talked about it on air, and probably got paid for it. These DJs won't be going to the "super cool" tailgating "party".
Yes, the Atlantic Schooners will definitely help. Make it a cross Canada league...
^^ eeeeeexactly!......no love from the CFL for the East Coast......
TFC wasn't sold on "atmosphere" and the images of supporters?
That's fair. Are we saying that support creating atmo in and of themselves is the same as hiring Tony Hawk or Muhammad Ali for halftime?
Hope not.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
The game-day experience is a massive part of going to any sporting event. Whether that's a dog and pony show at half-time or "atmo", or even tailgating. There will always be people who go for the sport itself, but also a lot that go for the experience. They go hand-in-hand.
ya - With TFC it was 1 thing
"...come and enjoy the atmosphere our supporters provide because our team is shit, but it's the only live pro football you can watch in the city and at least the atmosphere is cool".
Seems like with the Argos it's:
"...come to (1) our new home BMO Field and (2) enjoy our pre-game tailgate (3) with cheap beer (4) and we have cheerleaders (5) and a half time show (6) and in-game entertainment (7) and you can get your ticket for free! Because we are not the NFL and everything about this experience is shit"
Last edited by jabbronies; 08-19-2016 at 03:53 PM.
loll
TL;DR: They are attempting to create that "festival" type of event..
Growing up in the 90's, attending public elementary and high school in downtown Toronto I never once saw any Argos players appearances or grass roots development programs offered at school or at community centres ever by the Argos.
This franchise has never given back or help develop youth programs for the kids who live in the communities of this city. If you drive around Toronto today you see a lot of revamped ice hockey rinks, basketball courts, turf soccer fields all paid for by the Leafs, Raptors, TFC, MLSE (they aren't that cheap guys). The investments made by these clubs have helped captivate kids by having them play the sport season after season without a cost.
The Argos have no real fan base because they have zero grass roots, they lost the 416 fan base especially the youth of Toronto because they have neglected it's people for far too long.
Elementary schools and most high schools in downtown Toronto have zero football programs and teams. How do you expect kids and today's youth to follow your team and play for your teams one day if you never got started in the community. Yes, you can say that football is expensive due to equipment and field costs at the public school levels but it needs to happen in order to build a following for your future. Having an organized flag football league for all levels and age groups is a great start with low costs, team up with Nike Canada or Under Armour and make it happen.
Schools that do have field goal polls are rusted safety hazards that we're installed in the 70's and have ripped up pitches. Schools that do have excellent football facilities are not located in downtown Toronto since they are all located in the 905 areas or the privileged parts of Toronto or have a football program backed by alumni dollars (Central Tech).
If the Argos want to have a strong fan base they should start by working with the youths of the city and place the proper infrastructure for the cities youth and inject hip hop culture to make this team fun again. Basketball and football are two sports highly influenced by hip hop culture and this city lives and breaths it, this needs to happen since catering towards 60 and 70 year olds from the 905 area won't cut it anymore.
06-18-09 i was there
Organic pics from actual unexpected supporters. Good luck on finding that with Argos.
Argos have had cheapskate owners for 35 years. Ever since Carlings sold it in the early eighties.
You run any business without reinvesting for 35 years, let me know how that goes.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
a lot of tix today for the Esks game on stubhub.
someone earlier pointed out that the Argos crowd is more prone to driving...so the CNE might be a big hurdle for them.
with that said, if they can't paper it today with 10's of thousands of people literally on their door step...
If they don't get atleast 18k tonight that will be a wake up call for the Argos. No other events in Toronto tonight except the EX (right outside BMO).
Ya'll have conveniently forgotten the video TFC put out that we called "The Bump It" about those 3 women (I think they called themselves girls) who liked to go to "the sawkah".
I can't find it anymore...I assume somebody had it scrubbed form the internet.
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