Lions guarantee win over ‘Riders Sunday

[DanoT]

I said it was a dumb move before today and I stand by it. Not for reasons off the field but on it. A "guarantee" win is too much ammunition for the opponent. With a master motivator like Corey Chamblin, it was asking for trouble. The Riders looked like the hungrier team today, certainly from the second quarter onward; a team that had been challenged. Called out.


DH

WADR, do you honestly believe we would have won that game if only DS had kept his mouth shut? We stunk out the joint big time. If it weren't for Tim Brown it wouldn't have even come down to the last play.

As for off the field, I don't think we would have gotten anywhere near 33k without it. I suppose some might call the figure underwhelming but, as was noted when it was announced, it was the 4th largest crowd in the whole league so far this season (and less than 250 away from being 2nd largest). With crowds down almost right across the board this season, comparing to past years is a bit of a flawed exercise.

^^great post. Does anyone really believe that the Guarantee Win really affected the game outcome? Did it cost the Lions the 4 point difference in the game? Not a chance. The Riders O line is one of the best in the CFL and the Lions D is one of the worst in the CFL against the run...that and a poorly planned and called game on O is what cost the Lions the game, the challenge from the team president did not cost the Lions the game.

The whole billboard/guarantee win was fun for the fans and media and it created a buzz in the media around the league and got additional fans in the seats so it was a success even if the Lions weren't.

[dupsdell1]

so what happens know for the next home game back to the original 25,000 , how does this game benefit any other home games if the crowds do not go up ?

[JohnHenry]

so what happens know for the next home game back to the original 25,000 , how does this game benefit any other home games if the crowds do not go up ?

Original 25,000 + 8,400 free tickets to each of the next 4 home games = 33,400 fans + additional walk-up fans...that's khow the Lion benefit.

[DanoT]

The free tickets spread out over 4 remaining home games will mean a larger and thus louder Lions cheering section. There may even be some Rider fans who come out to cheer for the Lions against the Stamps and Bombers.

[SammyGreene]

The 33,000 "free" tickets over the next 4 games should at least guarantee their home attendance stays in the mid to high 20s for the balance of the season. Don't forget their season ticket base is overing around 15,000 so it takes a lot of walk up sales just to hit 25,000.

Most encouraging thing from last night was Skulsky admitting he is concerned about the entertainment value right now, not just of the Lions but the entire league. Three dog home games this year, producing a whopping 6 second half points is getting this kind of reaction in twitter:

BrowntoBure @BrowntoBure 13h
@mattsekeres @MunBagri I've been a season ticket holder for over 10 years. This team is boring as hell. Going to games is a chore now.

Chris_not_in_SLC ‏@Chris_in_VanBC 13h
@BrowntoBure @mattsekeres @MunBagri I don't know if I angrier about the loss or the fact that I was bored out of my skin watching the loss.

The CFL could always sell itself on being a wide open brand of football but defences are dominating like we have never seen before, plus throw in way too many penalties that are stretching games past the 3 hr mark.

Glad Skulsky is on the league's BOG and is a lifelong fan of the game rather than just a president with a football only background. Cohon is walking away next spring with some growing concerns and near the top of the list should be the quality of overall play and the ridiculous lack of parity between the two divisions.

[sj-roc]

so what happens know for the next home game back to the original 25,000 , how does this game benefit any other home games if the crowds do not go up ?

Original 25,000 + 8,400 free tickets to each of the next 4 home games = 33,400 fans + additional walk-up fans...that's khow the Lion benefit.

I'm not sure there will be 100% uptake on the freebies. A lot of STH's prob won't bother; certainly I'm not particularly all-in to claim mine at this point. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it runs less than 50% (and I'd say this was part of DS's gamble from a purely monetary point of view). It will be somewhat difficult to estimate what percent of this year's remaining crowds will be GWN-papered. Technically, they could add 1/4 of yesterday's crowd to each of the four remaining "paid attendance" figures, since under the GWN terms buying a ticket to yesterday's game now means you've really bought two tickets, to two different games (whether you actually bother picking up and using the second one is a separate matter and would amount to the type of no-show that happens all the time and gets includes in the regular announced attendance).

[sj-roc]

The free tickets spread out over 4 remaining home games will mean a larger and thus louder Lions cheering section. There may even be some Rider fans who come out to cheer for the Lions against the Stamps and Bombers.

This would depend on what helps the Riders more in the standings and I'm not sure a Lions' win would necessarily be it. For example, if Ssk sweeps their H&H w/Wpg and we beat Ott after the bye, that would put Ssk 8-2, Wpg 6-5 and BC 6-4 going into our Sep 13 game vs Wpg. They don't have the tiebreaker over BC but would over Wpg, and same would go for game-in-handedness, so this could mean they'd be more inclined to cheer the latter. And certainly a Lions' win over an eastern team (Tor or Ott are yet to visit) would be of no help to the Riders under any circumstances, should their fans choose to redeem for one of those games.

[Toppy Vann]

Hey all,

Two quick notes on this promotion that haven't been mentioned (and a word of warning for the Lions):

1. I hope in order to get free tickets each individual has to give the Lions their address to aid in further promotions.

2. This will be a huge tax write-off for the team, and probably won't cost them a thing,

& the warning:

If there is a service charge on the free tickets, the public is going to be pissed, and any goodwill the team has built up via this promotion will be nullified.

Cheers,

James

Not sure how you think there is a huge tax write off here. David Braley doesn't run a business for tax write offs.

This was hardly a well thought out move. They winged this and Dennis the Menace as the media called him was given rather faint support from the GM and HC. It's like punting on second down and not a quick kick.

If some players as they did felt that the Riders were wrong for the billboard in BC then surely players on the Riders felt it was wrong.

It brings disrepute to the game - they play them to see who will win. It's not fake wrestling.

[D]

I said it was a dumb move before today and I stand by it. Not for reasons off the field but on it. A "guarantee" win is too much ammunition for the opponent.

DH

Perhaps but shouldn't our guys be just as motivated by an opponent placing a billboard right outside our stadium?
I don't think either team gets all that motivated by something some from the business office says

I don't really understand what the Riders have to gain from placing a billboard in an opponents city, but hey have bean doing it for years

[sj-roc]

I said it was a dumb move before today and I stand by it. Not for reasons off the field but on it. A "guarantee" win is too much ammunition for the opponent.

DH

Perhaps but shouldn't our guys be just as motivated by an opponent placing a billboard right outside our stadium?
I don't think either team gets all that motivated by something some from the business office says

I don't really understand what the Riders have to gain from placing a billboard in an opponents city, but hey have bean doing it for years

They get media run and thereby get to perpetuate the myth that in Ssk everyone's farts (speaking of beans) smell like roses.

[sj-roc]

This will be a huge tax write-off for the team, and probably won't cost them a thing,

Not sure how you think there is a huge tax write off here. David Braley doesn't run a business for tax write offs.

I must admit I was reminded of Kramer as I read that.
[video][/video]

[Rammer]

The 33,000 "free" tickets over the next 4 games should at least guarantee their home attendance stays in the mid to high 20s for the balance of the season. Don't forget their season ticket base is overing around 15,000 so it takes a lot of walk up sales just to hit 25,000.

Most encouraging thing from last night was Skulsky admitting he is concerned about the entertainment value right now, not just of the Lions but the entire league. Three dog home games this year, producing a whopping 6 second half points is getting this kind of reaction in twitter:

BrowntoBure @BrowntoBure 13h
@mattsekeres @MunBagri I've been a season ticket holder for over 10 years. This team is boring as hell. Going to games is a chore now.

Chris_not_in_SLC ‏@Chris_in_VanBC 13h
@BrowntoBure @mattsekeres @MunBagri I don't know if I angrier about the loss or the fact that I was bored out of my skin watching the loss.

The CFL could always sell itself on being a wide open brand of football but defences are dominating like we have never seen before, plus throw in way too many penalties that are stretching games past the 3 hr mark.

Glad Skulsky is on the league's BOG and is a lifelong fan of the game rather than just a president with a football only background. Cohon is walking away next spring with some growing concerns and near the top of the list should be the quality of overall play and the ridiculous lack of parity between the two divisions.

The real hurt is going to be felt by the scalpers, if they had tickets for the final four games that price just hit bottom level, if they sell at all. The games aren't really boring if you like defensive football, there are some special D units around the league now. However for average Joe fan, the games aren't giving him what he wants alright. I am not sure how you stop the D's from doing what they are doing, and using size may counter the D speed we see, but that will take a few seasons to unfold.

[Rammer]

I said it was a dumb move before today and I stand by it. Not for reasons off the field but on it. A "guarantee" win is too much ammunition for the opponent.

DH

Perhaps but shouldn't our guys be just as motivated by an opponent placing a billboard right outside our stadium?
I don't think either team gets all that motivated by something some from the business office says

I don't really understand what the Riders have to gain from placing a billboard in an opponents city, but hey have bean doing it for years

Well the Rider dressing room had many quotes from Skulsky pinned to their lockers, so while it may not have factored, it certainly was front and center in their minds after the victory, between the whistles who knows.

[DanoT]

For those who are upset about the Win Guarantee and felt it was a motivational tool for the Riders, ask yourself which of the following had the greatest impact on player motivation:

A) Earlier in the season the Lions go into Regina and lay a beating on the Riders, with Andrew Harris running wild and Riders tackling like they were in high school. After the game the embarrassed players have a players only meeting to iron things out.

OR

B) the President of the Lions (not the HC, GM, or players) responds to the Rider billboard outside BC Place by promising to issuing a ticket to another home game if the Lions don't win.

The above is pretty much a rhetorical question that does not need responding to. But feel free.

[TheLionKing]

Just emailed by Customer Representative asking if I can get a discount on my next year's season tickets in lieu of the free tickets. Will let you know what happens.