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sj-roc
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DanoT wrote:
smphantom wrote:Now if he could guarantee that he will stay off the sidelines from now on it would be great. He looks like a fish out of water and has no business down on the field!
As long as the team president is not telling players or coaches what to do, then what does it matter is he prefers watching the game from the sidelines vs a vip suite?
I think the problem is that he's right there **in the bench area** within earshot of the players and staff. Being at field level wouldn't be such a big deal if he were watching from, say, the sideline near the end zone or behind the back of the end zone. If this were the case I think there'd be a lot less or perhaps even no objection.

In the course of every road game I've watched since he took the job, it seems there's always a couple of camera shots of the bench area where you can see him lingering in the background. I don't know if other teams do it this way but the optics of it just seems weird, a business ops guy standing there in the fray of the battle, as it were.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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Hambone
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DanoT wrote:
smphantom wrote:Now if he could guarantee that he will stay off the sidelines from now on it would be great. He looks like a fish out of water and has no business down on the field!
As long as the team president is not telling players or coaches what to do, then what does it matter is he prefers watching the game from the sidelines vs a vip suite?
When I've noticed him he's usually well into the background hanging close to where the scratches all stand. He's usually closer to McCallum's kicking net than any of the coaches or players dressed for the game.
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SammyGreene
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sj-roc wrote: I just had a look since you posted... yeah, it's still looking pretty empty up there in the extras; I'd say def under 1000 sold, 700 max. I think if they'd reached 30k sold by now they'd have trumpeted this in a press release or tweet or something. Maybe later today or tomorrow?

I'm gonna say there's about 1500 tix left (of about 27,100) in the lower bowl (those singles add up; behind the visitors' bench alone, there's ~200). That makes 25.6 + 2.5 (your 50%) + 0.7 = 28.8k right now. Although it's great for people in outlying areas who understandably have a tough time attending 7pm starts, I agree that overall, the game's timing is def not helping. A friend of mine (who is not a football fan) invited me to a BBQ for Sunday afternoon and I have to wonder if more folks are thinking along those lines: enjoying a weekend afternoon of (hopefully) sunshine outdoors as the summer winds down.
Looks like Skulsky is getting the push he wanted with ticket sales. Lower bowl now down to singles only. Hoping to see a crowd around 32,000 to 33,000. Leave it up to sj-roc to give a better estimate of where the total might end up but don't think they would have got there without the buzz created since the guaranteed win statement.
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sj-roc
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SammyGreene wrote:
sj-roc wrote: I just had a look since you posted... yeah, it's still looking pretty empty up there in the extras; I'd say def under 1000 sold, 700 max. I think if they'd reached 30k sold by now they'd have trumpeted this in a press release or tweet or something. Maybe later today or tomorrow?

I'm gonna say there's about 1500 tix left (of about 27,100) in the lower bowl (those singles add up; behind the visitors' bench alone, there's ~200). That makes 25.6 + 2.5 (your 50%) + 0.7 = 28.8k right now. Although it's great for people in outlying areas who understandably have a tough time attending 7pm starts, I agree that overall, the game's timing is def not helping. A friend of mine (who is not a football fan) invited me to a BBQ for Sunday afternoon and I have to wonder if more folks are thinking along those lines: enjoying a weekend afternoon of (hopefully) sunshine outdoors as the summer winds down.
Looks like Skulsky is getting the push he wanted with ticket sales. Lower bowl now down to singles only. Hoping to see a crowd around 32,000 to 33,000. Leave it up to sj-roc to give a better estimate of where the total might end up but don't think they would have got there without the buzz created since the guaranteed win statement.
Looking at it on TM right now, SG. There's definitely been some movement since the announcement, no question.

I'll say about 500 lower bowl singles left (~10 per section), upper deck is ~60% sold Lions side, ~25% sold visitors sold. That makes:

(27.1 - 0.5) + 0.6*5 + 0.25*5 = ~30.9k.

So, just under 31k right now I reckon, and with under 20hrs to kickoff, will probably finish out with 31xxx, possibly into the 32's. Would have been nice to see a tweet or something confirming 30k was breached but I just did a quick search and nothing came up.

I wonder if Skulsky wishes he made the announcement earlier in the week than Thursday midday, to give the message more time to absorb and possibly before people made weekend plans. I'm also curious to see how large the Ssk fan contingent is for this game; is this late surge orange (taking DS up on his offer) or green ("we'll show him!")?
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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You are probably right on I say 30,000 already sold, there still is all day tom and walk up to hit 35,000 I think they could do it , but I am going to be on the safe side and say 32,000 should be a great game .
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sj-roc
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We've discussed on this board all sorts of reasons why BCP attendance often falls short of expectations, why people don't go to games. Well, this is a new one to me. I was perusing twitter to see what people are saying about the game tomorrow and I came across this tweet:
@WhitecapsFC @BCLions i know you don't have control over @bcplace @centerplate but i will not be attending any more games until the're gone
I initially had no clue what this was all about, especially this "Centerplate". Turns out it's the name of a catering company who handles food services @BCP.

So what's the big deal with them? Turns out their Pres/CEO, Desmond Hague, is alleged to have physically abused his dog — based on video footage recorded last month on an elevator security camera at a downtown Vancouver condo building.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Corpor ... story.html
B.C. SPCA documents name suspect in Vancouver dog abuse case

One-year-old Doberman was seized from condo in upscale downtown building


By Mike Hager, Vancouver Sun August 23, 2014

When two B.C. SPCA officers entered the 39th-floor condo of a downtown Vancouver building Wednesday night they found a Doberman pinscher puppy in its crate, surrounded by the stench of its own urine with its food and water bowls out of reach, according to court documents.

Once let out of her cage, Sade — the one-year-old female puppy — was skittish around people and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officers said she appeared physically abused, according to the information to obtain a search warrant filed in B.C. Provincial Court and obtained by The Sun.

A day earlier, a concerned citizen had called the SPCA’s cruelty hotline and sent video footage of Sade and her owner in the elevator at the Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia, according to the search warrant documents.

That video — dated July 27 — showed the owner kicking the dog in the stomach repeatedly and yanking her “leash aggressively over his right shoulder to the point where (the) dog is lifted into the air chocking (sic) the dog,” according to the search warrant documents. Members of the public were outraged Thursday night after Global News obtained the video and led its main newscast with the footage.

The SPCA’s court documents identify the dog’s owner as Desmond Hague. Desmond (Des) Hague is the president and CEO of Centerplate Inc. — one of North America’s largest sports arena catering companies that serves food at BC Place, Denver’s Mile High Stadium and San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Hague, who lives in Connecticut and gave the SPCA a number with that area code, could not be reached for comment Friday evening. No charges have been laid against him and none of the allegations has been proven in court.
So basically, this guy who tweeted above is boycotting the Lions (and the Whitecaps) because someone who has allegedly been caught on tape physically abusing a dog happens to be the Pres/CEO of the company that does the catering for the stadium in which they play. Vancouver being what it is — even David Booth, who from what I understand didn't even do anything illegal in his hunting exploits, faced a great deal of scorn — I wouldn't be surprised to see protesters outside the building tomorrow.

I don't condone the allegations for a second but I think boycotting games at BCP is rather wrong-headed. It would prob make a stronger statement to support the teams but simply refuse to patronise Centerplate's food services at the stadium. I don't think they even control all of BCP's food services (I'm thinking of concessionaires like Vij's who probably have no relationship with Centerplate) so if that's the case then it's not even like you couldn't eat @BCP at all.

Here are a few more tweets I saw today from people who are bringing the Lions (and Whitecaps) into this controversy:
@centerplate really hope you will address the alleged animal abuse from your current CEO. @bcplace @WHITECAPSFC @BCLions
@BCLions let's hope the crowd eats before the game and skips the concession given SPCA's allegations re Centerplate CEO [This one gets it right —sj-r]
Not going to BC Place till Des Hague or #Centerplate is fired @BCLions @WhitecapsFC Scum bag
Looks like the @BCLions @Broncos and @Chargers and the stadiums they play in support animal abuse.Not good for business. #Centerplate Inc.
@BCLions @WhitecapsFC @centerplate Perhaps you should see this [link to above Sun article]
@BCLions @WhitecapsFC @centerplate CEO likes to kick and abuse dogs
Like I said attending games and boycotting Centerplate's food services would be the more sensible approach rather than boycotting games entirely. The teams have no control over the catering and the first tweet I quoted even acknowledges this. And I'm not blaming this story for low crowds this year as it only broke in the last few days. In fact I'd likely say it ultimately won't even be a significant drag on ticket sales, compared to everything else. I suspect most folks inclined to completely boycott BCP rarely if ever go there anyway. But it's still another barrier to maximising the gate and something I'm sure the Lions (and Whitecaps) would just as soon see go away.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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David
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I agree sj-roc. Most of the "guarantee" tickets moved Friday night. We're definitely over 30K but not much movement in the last 18-24 hours. And this is not a big walk-up town.

Probably something in the high 30K to low 31K range is my guess.

Maybe the hype emanating from the "guarantee" will have sold 1,000 - 1,500 tickets, but was it worth it in the long run? That remains to be seen. I would have created a promotion whereby fans can buy season tickets for the remaining 5 home games and as a bonus, get the Rider game FREE - and hyped the heck out of it. In other words, you'd be paying for 4 games but would be getting 5 games. Then offer existing season ticket holders a choice of Item A or Item B so they feel a part of the goodwill. This way everyone wins, you're not pissing off your opponent and creating a circus around your team.


DH :cool:
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DanoT
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David wrote:I agree sj-roc. Most of the "guarantee" tickets moved Friday night. We're definitely over 30K but not much movement in the last 18-24 hours. And this is not a big walk-up town.

Probably something in the high 30K to low 31K range is my guess.

Maybe the hype emanating from the "guarantee" will have sold 1,000 - 1,500 tickets, but was it worth it in the long run? That remains to be seen. I would have created a promotion whereby fans can buy season tickets for the remaining 5 home games and as a bonus, get the Rider game FREE - and hyped the heck out of it. In other words, you'd be paying for 4 games but would be getting 5 games. Then offer existing season ticket holders a choice of Item A or Item B so they feel a part of the goodwill. This way everyone wins, you're not pissing off your opponent and creating a circus around your team.


DH :cool:
A promotion that involves buying 4 tickets instead of buying 1 ticket will not sell all that well and would not have created near the publicity as the Guarantee Win Game did. However an annual GWG is not a good idea so who knows what will work in the future?
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sj-roc
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notahomer wrote:
Solar Max wrote:....Do you have seats for Sept. 5th? Are you doing the Lions travel thing? If not, tickets are at a premium. As of last Friday the 18th, there were only singles available for Greenwhites, and very much the same for Lions and Edmonton on the 15th.

We have extra seats squirelled away if you need a seat and can tolerate being in with R Nation in rabid Southside. PM me if need be.

PS: Northside sucks.
Yup, but not in my hand. Doing the Lions travel thing (Operation Orange). IMO, I think its a thing that would sell for most CFL teams (once/twice year?).
Problem is I bet the Lions got Northside seats! But, I'm there to see the stadium and city. And see the new/OLD team. I'll be able to say I saw the Redblacks play in Ottawa before I saw them play here.....

Thanks for the offer of the seat, though. Ottawa WAS ALWAYS my second favourite team growing up (I'm a political junkie so thats probably why, I'm dying to see the House of Commons.....).
This is a nearly month-old post I'm responding to, but the most recent one I could find referencing Operation Orange.

With only nine days before the game in Ott it seems seats still remain (at least there's no indication of a sellout on their website). I wonder if this thing is running out of steam in its third year and perhaps even a microcosm of the BCP attendance drop the last couple years. In its first year (2012) it was a rather novel concept and IIRC all three trips sold out rather quickly, even though it was only offered to STHs at the time. Now it seems to be open to all fans and spaces are still available for both remaining trips to Ott (Fri Sep 5) & Cgy (Sat Sep 27). Maybe the added expense to travel farther to Ott with a Thu departure is the main barrier to selling out, while the lower-priced Cgy trip, still a month away with a Fri dep, will be more attractive for those wanting to join the team on the road.

If OO runs again next year I'd imagine Ham with its new stadium among the options (surely it will be open by then!), and perhaps Edm which AFAIK (I've lost track) has not yet been a stop. I don't think Tor has been yet, either (and probably need not be, at least until they find a new home).
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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I'd love to go on the road trip,. but it just isn't in the cards for me this year.
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notahomer
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sj-roc wrote:This is a nearly month-old post I'm responding to, but the most recent one I could find referencing Operation Orange.

With only nine days before the game in Ott it seems seats still remain (at least there's no indication of a sellout on their website). I wonder if this thing is running out of steam in its third year and perhaps even a microcosm of the BCP attendance drop the last couple years. In its first year (2012) it was a rather novel concept and IIRC all three trips sold out rather quickly, even though it was only offered to STHs at the time.
........................

If OO runs again next year I'd imagine Ham with its new stadium among the options (surely it will be open by then!), and perhaps Edm which AFAIK (I've lost track) has not yet been a stop. I don't think Tor has been yet, either (and probably need not be, at least until they find a new home).
I do think its running out of steam, IMO. The first year, IIRC, it only happened once and I was 'Johnnycomelately'. I was put on the waitlist for round two and took advantage of a trip to see the Bombers new digs. Exactly why I wanted to go to Ottawa and see this team/stadium this year. I can't see wanting to go to Riderville ever on OO, maybe I'll change once their new stadium comes online.
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notahomer
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sj-roc wrote: ....
I initially had no clue what this was all about, especially this "Centerplate". Turns out it's the name of a catering company who handles food services @BCP.

So what's the big deal with them? Turns out their Pres/CEO, Desmond Hague, is alleged to have physically abused his dog — based on video footage recorded last month on an elevator security camera at a downtown Vancouver condo building.

......
I can understand boycotting 'Centerplate' but not the Lions/Whitecaps/BC Place. It is a nasty video, IMO..... I have missed the connection between Centerplate and Hague until last nights news....
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Bosco
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notahomer wrote:
sj-roc wrote:This is a nearly month-old post I'm responding to, but the most recent one I could find referencing Operation Orange.

With only nine days before the game in Ott it seems seats still remain (at least there's no indication of a sellout on their website). I wonder if this thing is running out of steam in its third year and perhaps even a microcosm of the BCP attendance drop the last couple years. In its first year (2012) it was a rather novel concept and IIRC all three trips sold out rather quickly, even though it was only offered to STHs at the time.
........................

If OO runs again next year I'd imagine Ham with its new stadium among the options (surely it will be open by then!), and perhaps Edm which AFAIK (I've lost track) has not yet been a stop. I don't think Tor has been yet, either (and probably need not be, at least until they find a new home).
I do think its running out of steam, IMO. The first year, IIRC, it only happened once and I was 'Johnnycomelately'. I was put on the waitlist for round two and took advantage of a trip to see the Bombers new digs. Exactly why I wanted to go to Ottawa and see this team/stadium this year. I can't see wanting to go to Riderville ever on OO, maybe I'll change once their new stadium comes online.
IMO, Operation Orange is "losing steam" due the price point. Understanding that they are not going to give the trips away for free, but the price point is far higher than when they rolled out the project in 2012.
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Bosco wrote:
notahomer wrote:
sj-roc wrote:This is a nearly month-old post I'm responding to, but the most recent one I could find referencing Operation Orange.

With only nine days before the game in Ott it seems seats still remain (at least there's no indication of a sellout on their website). I wonder if this thing is running out of steam in its third year and perhaps even a microcosm of the BCP attendance drop the last couple years. In its first year (2012) it was a rather novel concept and IIRC all three trips sold out rather quickly, even though it was only offered to STHs at the time.
........................

If OO runs again next year I'd imagine Ham with its new stadium among the options (surely it will be open by then!), and perhaps Edm which AFAIK (I've lost track) has not yet been a stop. I don't think Tor has been yet, either (and probably need not be, at least until they find a new home).
I do think its running out of steam, IMO. The first year, IIRC, it only happened once and I was 'Johnnycomelately'. I was put on the waitlist for round two and took advantage of a trip to see the Bombers new digs. Exactly why I wanted to go to Ottawa and see this team/stadium this year. I can't see wanting to go to Riderville ever on OO, maybe I'll change once their new stadium comes online.
IMO, Operation Orange is "losing steam" due the price point. Understanding that they are not going to give the trips away for free, but the price point is far higher than when they rolled out the project in 2012.
Wasn't there only 2 trips in the first year? Now there's 3. I think there are other things that play in too. These trips are a novelty type item. Those who would want to do one every year I'd think are in the minority. For most they'd be more of a bucket list type thing in that once you've done one it's "been there, done that, bought the t-shirt". As such having 3 is somewhat saturating the market so to speak. As for cost the pricing seems comparable to a person booking a similar hotel/air/game ticket package and include a lot of additional benefits. Just as they've impacted commercial airfares in the past couple of years rising fuel costs are probably the biggest reason for the pricing going up. I've kicked them around and thought they'd be a neat idea but I have to add the costs of getting to Vancouver on top of the OO pricing. And if I'm going to a place like Ottawa I want to spend a few days there as opposed to blasting in and out for a game.
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I just priced an overnight trip to Calgary for the Sept. 27 game, including downtown hotel, cab fares and game tickets, for about $600. Operation Orange is priced at $1,099. That's a $500 premium for the experience of flying with the team and sharing a pregame meal. I can spend a week in a sunny resort for the price of an overnight Operation Orange trip.
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