In the 15 minutes I watched on TV, I really liked that aerial view. You don't get to see it very often. Also some of the views from pitch level looking toward the south end were cool. The stadium looks great.Originally Posted by OgtheDim
In the 15 minutes I watched on TV, I really liked that aerial view. You don't get to see it very often. Also some of the views from pitch level looking toward the south end were cool. The stadium looks great.
Capacity for Football is lower because you aren't exclude 2000 standing room tickets in the patio that is an endzone for the argos.
If the stadium looked like this for a TFC game there are people on this board that would say the stadium was half empty only 18,000 really came out..
I think 24k is about right but I suspect it was a little bit papered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-QYOW4pj3U
I was there as well and echo the same thoughts as SK.
What cracked my cousin up was the look on my face of a person disgusted at having these strangers in his house. Yesterday reinforced to me that that BMO was my home and that TFC was my family. The argos are well...just unwelcome guests. I know that's not very hospitable of me and I actually like the argos and like Al Bundy, played high school football. But it just didn't feel right. Even the fans seemed way less cooler than TFC fans. Maybe I'm biased and being a suck because of all the blue I saw. But if they can't sell out the opener, with a ton of Ticat fans in attendance, they are in trouble. The argos need something/one special to add some excitement to the their team. Right now they are a perfect solution to insomnia!
I know I'm repeating myself but it was over a hundred pages ago.
BMO The National Soccer Stadium may have never been truly an SSS hosting other sports over the years but this move has made it further from the shrine they were working towards IMO.
I don't feel the same way about the stadium.
If anyone still does, cool. Enjoy.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
This "solution" @ bmo field for the CFL in Toronto is very square peg round hole. It's largely a blue collar / suburban-to-rural offering. The stadium location doesn't serve their demographic.
What's wrong with giving one of the areas around the GTA their first pro sports franchise? Sure that's decisively un-sexy ... Until people in North Toronto or Missisauga or wherever decide "screw it" I can watch something close to home. They might actually get a dedicated base of fans without having to compete against any of the other major leagues.
I had to laugh at the attempt at stylish ads showing trendy 20 somethings tailgating. It was like advertising a Ford as a luxury car... CFL in Toronto has to acknowledge what it is and it is not.
I certainly wish the Argos no ill-will but you'll have to excuse me if I enjoy TSN et al try to juice this for all it was worth only to watch it fall short. Maybe it's time to acknowledge the market has changed and start offering more real coverage to other sports such as the one we watch.
Milton, Oshawa/Pickering/Whitby etc would support the hell out of a CFL team
come on, the entire southstand is just over 3000 seats (3100 IIRC). No more couple hundred at a time on the patio at most.
Last edited by Onyx; 06-24-2016 at 03:10 PM.
Looking at this I think 24K is a bit high but I can't see the west side. One thing it looks like they have a lot less of is security. Those two drunk knobs pretty much camped out on the field. The second guy only got caught because he ran too close to the players and the team got him. If not for that he'd probably be still running around out there.
Had a little back and forth with Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun who did a big write up on the Argo game last night , it was how everything was amazing and how it felt like The Argos were back kind of article . I just could not help my self so had to send him an email , Simmons is a notorious soccer basher from years gone by and has written a few soccer hating articles in his time, anyways I just made him aware that after all the hype and media hoopla it still was not a sellout, I also mentioned to him how TFC with so much less fanfare has been pulling in some big crowds lately. He said that he thought the crowd was fantastic based on the small amount of season ticket holders the Argos had and then basically ignored commenting on the stuff I noted about the media and TFC and the attendance TFC pulls in without the media hoopla , I also just had to let him know how ironic it was that because of a soccer team TFC the Argos have a stadium where they can try to become relevant again, I noted that without the creation of TFC there would have never been a BMO Field where the Argos could try and become relevant again, of course he had no comment at that. I truly think that some of these soccer haters in the media just can't stand the success TFC have had in the Toronto market and at almost the expense of their beloved Argos up to now.
Well, they are kind of watching their grandfather die.
Don't know what to tell you.. They removed 2000 seats.. but the capacity is about the same... they may not all be i the patio but they are some place because they are selling Standing Room General Admission tickets and you are getting 30,000+ people so between 1500-2000 people have to be going some place..
Section GENERAL ADMISSION - General Admission provides standing room access to BMO Field. Ticket does not grant access to specific seats or a specific section.
Last edited by Kaz; 06-24-2016 at 04:36 PM.
That was my whole point when this started. TL just made up some number before he left. Real capacity is somewhere around 27,400 and 28,500.
I hate this whole thing that MLS does across the league to announce inflated bullshit attendance numbers. In this day and age with phones/social media it just makes the league look like a joke .. people set up websites to make fun of the league and it just gets worst and worst.
Last edited by Onyx; 06-24-2016 at 07:10 PM.
yes but the tickets are being sold..
The Bullshit is that the retractable seating we were promised in the north is not there (both North and South). And they are trying to hide that the number is about 28,500 so they are selling standing room tickets for the patio (which also helps keep people in their seats) and who knows where else they are going.
But the number itself isn't total BS they don't just pretend 1500-2000 extra people are in the stadium to hide that they didn't fulfill the retractable seating thing. It was supposed to be 25,000 for the Argos and 30,000 for TFC. But the Argos being forced in so fast screwed everything up.. which I can't see as TL it is Christmastree, Grimes and the Blue Jays
once they bought the argos, they lowered the costs of the retrofit significantly by changing the plan (eliminating the north end and an small adjustment to the first few rows of southstand).
I think the initial plan of 25000 and 30000, they were to make most of the northstand and most of the southstand retractable, thats why the cost was sooooo high (like $20M IIRC).
They probably saw all the empty seats in eastside last year and said they didn't need all the seats, lets save a ton of $, and thats where get to current set up of 26,500ish and 28,000ish.
We've had this whole discussion for years on TFCs inflating the ticket numbers once TL came aboard. I don't think its just TL, its league wide, so it seems to be Garber led.
Last edited by Onyx; 06-24-2016 at 08:04 PM.
I was at the game. 2nd row (actually labelled row 7 for soccer games), and in the "supporters" section. Drums, cowbells, etc. Section 116. They cared about the Argos. They were happy watching football. I didn't hear any ill-will regarding TFC or derogatory remarks.
It was a good turnout, and from my vantage point, the only real section that had a lot of empty seats was west side upper deck mid field (223?).
The east stand where the maple leaf typically is was covered by the T-shirt giveaways. Almost all shirts were blue, but they had white shirts on the east side to make a giant "A" in the sea of blue.
They did a great job covering everything that was red with dark blue argo banners.
There's VERY limited scoreboard space around the stadium. the south end scoreboards have the playclock. the east stands have the score, playclock, yards/downs to go.
They were having trouble with the jumbtron. It was always stated the ball was on the 35 yard line, or it was blank. They also had trouble showing the yards/downs to go on occasion. No stats anywhere. Real limitations.
I've been a SSH of TFC since before they played their first game, and I think there's room for the two teams to play here. I'm not a CFL fan, and only bought Argos season seats to finish off a bucket list of seeing all CFL teams play live, and to get access to Grey Cup tix. I wont be renewing, but not upset they're in the stadium.
If the crew can keep the field in shape - then I think we'll all live happily ever after.
Of course many involved in those discussions have tinfoil hates on these boards and vastly under estimate the number of seats.. if the stadium is 3/4 full they claim it is Half or 1/3 full. I think the ticket numbers are inflated less than claimed and the stadium is fuller than some people claim.
Does anyone have a good impression of how the field held up? I watched only part of the game, on a crappy stream, so I couldn't see much. But I did seem to see some clumps of dirt & grass flying around.
Before the Houston home opener last season they were selling standing room tickets and Larson was informed by the club that they could hold 31,000 for the game. If the 31,000 figure was all seats plus all available standing room, so 31k was the max capacity, then when you minus the North seats and add patio space. It almost evens out to 30,000 does it not?
The Argos need a new marketing plan. all I've head from the media, from John tory, etc, was come to the game and tailgate. The Simmons article begged people to come to a game, and we're only 1 game into their bmo prayer,
I get it. MLSE marketed tfc for years on atmosphere. But tfc works because it isn't fake. This argos approach feels way too manufactured.
^
We agree with that too.
Argo promos were all about:
- tailgate
- $4.00 beers
- new home for the Argos etc.
Very little about the players . . .
Listening to Arash Medani on Prime a Time sports Friday round table and Medani is a big CFL fan, however, I like him because even though he is a fan he calls it like he sees it, he was at the game on Thursday night , he said a lot of tickets in good sections of the field going for like 11 dollars on stub hub, he said a lot of people left at half time, well almost like TFC who leave at the 75th minute mark lol, he said TSN delayed the game to after 8 instead of 730 because they wanted the most people in their seats by the start of the game. He also mention the crazy amount of money they are spending on Marketing and wonders what will happen once they look at the books and see how much money was spent in case there is no real big increase in attendance, he mention that the season tickets have been very poor they wanted around 18000 and it's not even close to that number, he also said that they were talking selling out every game well if the home opener does not sell out not looking good on selling out every game. He also mentioned and remember he is a big CFL fan, that the attendance the other night was papered , he just did not seem that optimistic on a big Argo revival , he said it was early but they have a big job ahead of them, I'm just wondering if in order to try and make things work that in the future they will sacrifice the TFC experience to get the Argo thing going if they feel more needs to be done to get BMO more Argo centric?
The Simmons article was hilarious.
"I love the Argos
My dad and I went every game we knew all the people around us
So many good memories"
Then.... "I haven't been to an Argos game in years, I can't remember the last one"
I don't go out of my way to follow the media. Most of you do it for me here (thanks btw) but walking by the metro free paper with a tagline that says something like:
CFL trying to appeal to millenials...
as a front page header is pretty sad. It's become so small here in TO the only appeal to new fans is a kitch factor. I see more from Hamilton fans who want to shit on "Big City" Argos.
This rebrand is league wide. This problem really isn't. Only in the biggest cities. I know TSN has deep pockets but how much do they have to spend to lipstick a pig before they just go back to being ok with the league being small town?
They know where their bread is buttered. Why waste butter here?
It just comes of as sad.
To look on a bright side for Double Blue fans I'd say this move will further prove that Argos and CFL aren't for Downtown Toronto anymore.
I'm now looking at it like the grass sitch. They did this to watch it fail in front of everyone to change it with approval.
Turf next year and then Downsview in 5 tops, hopefully. Honestly, no Argos fan cares where they play that much. They just hope its better than what they've got which usually isn't the best.
Last edited by Fort York Redcoat; 06-25-2016 at 10:45 AM.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Turf isn't going to fix their attendance.
The base of support in the GTA is shattered. Its going to take at least 4 seasons to turn this around. Not sure Bell has the stomach to lose money for that long.
Bigger issue is the marketing. TSN/CFL don't sell football as a sport - they havn't had to because the support is built around families and long time history enjoying the game built up over decades.
They don't know what to do to sell football itself. Looking in the subway at the advertising its obvious. They are selling grit and glory. The game or the players? Secondary.
^ I don't know about that. They have more than sufficient pre-game coverage that hits all sorts of angles. Maybe the Argos don't market their players but I can tell you first hand other teams in the league certainly do.
The CFL has tried the rebrand thing multiple times in the last decade. Edgy advertising, appeals to a younger crowd, etc... Fact is they do not have the product to pull it off. The NFL and its growth in popularity in Canada just blunts whatever they'd like to do.
Let's just call it what it is: a sport with a core audience and decent TV ratings but without a lot of growth potential. They are throwing money on the fire trying to turn the Argos into something they are not.
... as was promised by TFC / MLSE many, many months ago. They said no logo's and no advertising except possibly in the end zones. There was none of that either.
If there were, it could be problematic in the south end zone as it is partially TFC natural grass and partially plastic pitch. Fortunately that is moot right now.
B
.... and that person was Chad Owen to whom they did not offer a contract and who now plays for the Ticats. It was an incredible black-eye / blunder as he was seen by many to be the heart and soul of the Argos.
At a time when needed exactly what he brings to the pitch, they let him get away.
Last edited by Blizzard; 06-25-2016 at 05:18 PM. Reason: sp
Funny thing happened in the pregame. TSN had a full analyst piece explaining exactly why it was a good idea to trade him. It was like it was coming right out of the coach's laptop. Weird...until you realise who owns the Argos now. Between that and the pregame predictions that stated Hamilton had no chance (um, its the first game of the season), I'm thinking this "the network owns one team" thing might be a tad controversial after awhile.
But then I'm Ti-Cat.
this is the only question that matters to me. i know people have their priorities (the preservation of the national SS, a TFC specific grounds, etc) but as long as the pitch is in good condition and devoid of logos/blue on matchdays im fine.
i just want a pro team on the east coast (despite the shitty economy at the moment), could you image a couple thousand east coasters coming out to support a team?
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