Moving the league schedule up a month? No way!

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sj-roc
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Mayenknecht in the final hour of his 1040 show today kicked around the idea of moving the league schedule up a month, saying the back end would go up against less NFL and NHL competition.

Bad, BAD idea.

It would put the start of the season square up against Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs (the latter would be less of a factor but a factor nonetheless) and it would get completely lost in the shuffle. Training camps that start around the end of May would now go the end of April. On top of the fact that some markets might still be under winter conditions — wouldn't be the most conducive conditions for TC — this would be around the middle of the 2nd round of SCP. NHL teams in CFL markets that are still alive at this point would have most of their media focussed on hockey with CFL an afterthought. You're up against the NHL whenever you start. Why not go up against the WORST they have to offer instead of the BEST?

Moreover, it would screw up our draft. To get a better read on amount of NFL interest of potential CFL draftees, the CFL has generally deferred its draft until shortly after the NFL takes its turn, the latter of which usually wraps in the final weekend of April (and trending generally later on the calendar in the last 15 years or so). We even moved ours back at least a week this year when the NFL was forced to do likewise because of a scheduling conflict at its usual Radio City venue. We'd have to throw all this away if we moved the schedule up a month and had to draft before the NFL as a result.

Also, attendance generally picks up as the summer ends. If anything the league needs FEWER summer games, not more. We already have that deeply entrenched aphorism — which BTW I'm already on record as opposing, and sick of hearing — about the season not starting until Labour Day, but it'll be nearly over by then if we go this ill-conceived route. How does shrinking the part of the season that "matters" help the league? A: it doesn't.

Going up against the SCP. Screwing with the draft. Fewer peak-attendance-period games. For me, it all adds up to a big NO. How did this terrible idea even get to be kicked around on talk radio in the first place?
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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B.C.FAN
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I've said numerous times on this board and in letters to Bob Ackles, Dennis Skulsky and Mark Cohon that the Lions need more home games after Labour Day. Even with the current season, it's ridiculous to have the Lions play five home games before Labour Day each year and four home games after Labour Day. It's tough to draw crowds in the summer, and tough to get any attention in the market in June, when the CFL must go up against the Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs and the MLB regular season. During the summer, too many Vancouverites are out of town. I missed two games this summer. Many other season ticket holders give their tickets away or leave their seats empty during the summer. I'm fine with keeping the season from late June to late November if the Lions can get an extra home game in the back half of the schedule. Moving the schedule any earlier should be a non-starter in this market.
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David
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I agree with you guys. This is a BAD idea, but it seems to be gaining traction due to unseasonably cold temps and small crowds at last week's Semi Finals. It's a bit a knee-jerk reaction IMO.

This may work on the Prairies but not Vancouver. Crowds always spike after Labour Day. A prime example was the home game against Ottawa on October 11. Sure, there were some freebie tickets floating around but it still drew 31,217 - going head-to-head vs a Canucks home game.

Getting people out to games in late June and July though has always been a challenge with the plethora of outdoor activities available in beautiful B.C. And I am not convinced football fans see BC Place as an outdoor venue. I believe it's perceived as an indoor stadium with good air circulation. Fewer home games after Labour Day will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on the club's overall gate.


DH :cool:
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sj-roc
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B.C.FAN wrote:I've said numerous times on this board and in letters to Bob Ackles, Dennis Skulsky and Mark Cohon that the Lions need more home games after Labour Day. Even with the current season, it's ridiculous to have the Lions play five home games before Labour Day each year and four home games after Labour Day. It's tough to draw crowds in the summer, and tough to get any attention in the market in June, when the CFL must go up against the Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs and the MLB regular season. During the summer, too many Vancouverites are out of town. I missed two games this summer. Many other season ticket holders give their tickets away or leave their seats empty during the summer. I'm fine with keeping the season from late June to late November if the Lions can get an extra home game in the back half of the schedule. Moving the schedule any earlier should be a non-starter in this market.
While I wouldn't think MLB is that big a distraction in most CFL markets, it probably would be in Tor — and that's enough to be another reason that moving the season up a month would be terrible. Can you imagine if the Blue Jays happened to make the playoffs for the first time in ages and were still alive — at the same time that Tor happens to hosting Grey Cup? We'd be shuffled to the waysides by local media in the 416.

As for the 5/4: I recall one year, I think in 1997, it was even 6/3. I agree we should have 4/5 whenever possible, but a lot of other teams have scheduling issues that impact us as well. For example, Cgy generally doesn't like home games during Stampede in July, nor does Mtl like late June or early July because of Moving Day in that province on July 1. Not everyone can have 4/5 every year but we seem to get a lot less than we should, whether the Lions push for it or not. The thing I dislike most about 5/4 is not simply that there should be more post-LD home games, but it forces us to space out those last four games far apart to the point where you can have 5-week stretch with only one home game, i.e., AAHAA (or a bye week for one of the A's) and with such a weak local presence it can dampen fan interest at a time when it should be building with the playoffs on the horizon.
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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sj-roc
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David wrote:I agree with you guys. This is a BAD idea, but it seems to be gaining traction due to unseasonably cold temps and small crowds at last week's Semi Finals. It's a bit a knee-jerk reaction IMO.

This may work on the Prairies but not Vancouver. Crowds always spike after Labour Day. A prime example was the home game against Ottawa on October 11. Sure, there were some freebie tickets floating around but it still drew 31,217 - going head-to-head vs a Canucks home game.

Getting people out to games in late June and July though has always been a challenge with the plethora of outdoor activities available in beautiful B.C. And I am not convinced football fans see BC Place as an outdoor venue. I believe it's perceived as an indoor stadium with good air circulation. Fewer home games after Labour Day will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on the club's overall gate.


DH :cool:
The Edm crowd, while the lowest WSF crowd since 2003, was still above the historical WSF average of 25,920 dating back through 1973. So one bad playoff crowd in Mtl is what's given this ridiculous idea life?

My goodness. The 2014 ESF was only the second SF in either division in the last 11 seasons (not counting the one last year in that shoebox in Guelph) to draw under 25k, and capacity is barely above this in the venue where it was played this year. Semifinal attendance in the last decade has been ABOVE the historical average since all-sudden-death playoffs were first adopted in 1973. There was none of this schedule-shifting talk ten years ago when there were over 37k at both semis and over 50k at both finals and GC, nor at any time since. Until now.

Check the figures I posted a week or so ago. Other than this year, the league has recently enjoyed an era of unprecedented prosperity as far as semifinal attendance goes. Seven of the last 11 WSFs (since 2004) have been 30k+. Before 2004, only four of the previous 31 reached this benchmark, and none after 1986 — when host BCP was still in its initial honeymoon phase (which would end soon thereafter).
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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JohnHenry
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The Canadian football championship game has always been played in late Nov. or early Dec. since the mid-1800's. There's no need to change that tradition. In modern times the Grey Cup has been played on the last Sunday in Nov. Sometimes for outdoor GC's the league will start the season one week earlier, with the GC on the 2nd-last Sunday in Nov. (although the 103rd GC in Wpg will be held Nov. 29th, 2015.)

With the expansion to 9-teams, the season is now one week longer. So the regular season will start in the 3rd or 4th week in June. I don't think the CFL season should start much earlier than that.

A better case could be made for the NFL to start their season earlier. It's a bit ridiculous for some of the northern teams to be playing home games in January, which often makes a mockery of NFL playoff games. Another option is for the NFL to shorten their season back to 12 or 14 games if cold weather is such a big issue. :wink:

As far as competition goes, the CFL takes viewers away from the NFL on Sunday but conversely not so much. Most Canadians will watch a CFL game over a NFL game (last Sunday 2.1 million watched the two CFL games on TSN [plus another 400k on RDS) while the 6 NFL games in the same time-slot drew only 845,000 viewers on CTV/FOX/CBS)...but many Canadians will watch Hockey Night in Canada over a CFL game. So to maximize ratings the CFL should avoid Saturday nights after Oct. 15th...but the CFL has drawn solid ratings on Sunday, before and after Labour Day. :thup:
TheLionKing
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It's fine the way it is. No need to change it. BTW is Mayenknecht the guy who used to own the Whitecaps ?
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sj-roc
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TheLionKing wrote:It's fine the way it is. No need to change it. BTW is Mayenknecht the guy who used to own the Whitecaps ?
His bio on his own website doesn't mention any connection to the Whitecaps or any soccer organisation (are you thinking of Greg Kerfoot or possibly previous pre-MLS owner David Stadnyk?). He has worked for the Grizzlies and Raptors in the NBA and for the former Vancouver Ravens of the National Lacrosse League. He's also self-disclosed as a BC Lions STH.

http://www.thesportmarket.biz/biography.htm
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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Toppy Vann
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sj-roc wrote:Mayenknecht in the final hour of his 1040 show today kicked around the idea of moving the league schedule up a month, saying the back end would go up against less NFL and NHL competition.

Bad, BAD idea.

It would put the start of the season square up against Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs (the latter would be less of a factor but a factor nonetheless) and it would get completely lost in the shuffle. Training camps that start around the end of May would now go the end of April. On top of the fact that some markets might still be under winter conditions — wouldn't be the most conducive conditions for TC — this would be around the middle of the 2nd round of SCP. NHL teams in CFL markets that are still alive at this point would have most of their media focussed on hockey with CFL an afterthought. You're up against the NHL whenever you start. Why not go up against the WORST they have to offer instead of the BEST?

Moreover, it would screw up our draft. To get a better read on amount of NFL interest of potential CFL draftees, the CFL has generally deferred its draft until shortly after the NFL takes its turn, the latter of which usually wraps in the final weekend of April (and trending generally later on the calendar in the last 15 years or so). We even moved ours back at least a week this year when the NFL was forced to do likewise because of a scheduling conflict at its usual Radio City venue. We'd have to throw all this away if we moved the schedule up a month and had to draft before the NFL as a result.

Also, attendance generally picks up as the summer ends. If anything the league needs FEWER summer games, not more. We already have that deeply entrenched aphorism — which BTW I'm already on record as opposing, and sick of hearing — about the season not starting until Labour Day, but it'll be nearly over by then if we go this ill-conceived route. How does shrinking the part of the season that "matters" help the league? A: it doesn't.

Going up against the SCP. Screwing with the draft. Fewer peak-attendance-period games. For me, it all adds up to a big NO. How did this terrible idea even get to be kicked around on talk radio in the first place?
What a freaking moronic idea from the business of sport dude.

Sadly even the TSN broadcast crew - especially Rod Black who I like - blurt out every year like they can't help it - the REAL games start Labour Day.

Sadly running this in summer is insanity and I have never, ever understood this.

This year was odd with less exciting games but they've had a great product, great coverage in broadcasts and unlike hockey or MLB there's not so many games so every game has more importance than when you play 80.

But even TSN is now going against its own product - crap website. Don't post games and less clips and the Friday night football seems less to me. I love Friday night football.
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B.C.FAN
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JohnHenry wrote:As far as competition goes, the CFL takes viewers away from the NFL on Sunday but conversely not so much. Most Canadians will watch a CFL game over a NFL game (last Sunday 2.1 million watched the two CFL games on TSN [plus another 400k on RDS) while the 6 NFL games in the same time-slot drew only 845,000 viewers on CTV/FOX/CBS)...but many Canadians will watch Hockey Night in Canada over a CFL game. So to maximize ratings the CFL should avoid Saturday nights after Oct. 15th...but the CFL has drawn solid ratings on Sunday, before and after Labour Day. :thup:
The NHL owns the 4 p.m. Saturday time slot (7 p.m. ET) thanks to the big audience in the East but from what I've seen of this year's ratings, the CFL audience is strong at other times, including Friday, Sunday and the late time slot on Saturday, even during hockey season.

And as for gate attendance, Saturday night is still the preferred choice of Lions fans. As I recall, the Lions drew 31,000 for the Ottawa game this year, despite being on a Saturday of the long weekend and with the Canucks home opener across the street at the same time.
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sj-roc
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Toppy Vann wrote:Sadly even the TSN broadcast crew - especially Rod Black who I like - blurt out every year like they can't help it - the REAL games start Labour Day.
I got so fed up with that, that I started a thread here about this very topic a couple months ago... "can we be more cfl-positive?" is how I think I titled it. I addressed this and a few other common clichés in that thread. You hear them so often from broadcasters, we just accept them as truths yet they unnecssarily frame the league in a rather poor light, as a junior NFL of sorts. Not sure if you followed along with that one... it didn't get that much run and mostly got derailed into a discussion of CFL/NFL rule differences, which was not really my intent in creating that thread but I just let it slide and went with the flow.

Anyway, if I were the new incoming commish next season I'd make it clear with my broadcast partners that this sort of talk should be avoided from now on.
But even TSN is now going against its own product - crap website. Don't post games and less clips and the Friday night football seems less to me. I love Friday night football.
I barely venture onto TSN.ca anymore. I have almost no use for it. And I guess they figure everyone PVRs the games nowadays and reckon it a poor deployment of resources to archive them online. If you want highlight videos the league's own website seems the best destination. Also, the way 1040's website has been subsumed into TSN's is equally off-putting. Podcasts are now archived for only a week as opposed to up to two months before the rebranding.
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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Toppy Vann
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I rarely go to the TSN site and also noticed the lousy TSN radio site.

I think the CFL doesn't start until Labour Day is not what they mean to say - but it is hard not to say it when all of a sudden games and fans get interesting.
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Sir Purrcival
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Let''s play this one. How about moving it up 2 weeks. End it middle of November instead of the end?
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sj-roc
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Sir Purrcival wrote:Let''s play this one. How about moving it up 2 weeks. End it middle of November instead of the end?
I don't think you'd gain much from that in terms of better weather for outdoor games late in the season. By mid-Sep you can get snow and cold pretty much anywhere, anytime on the prairies. Recall 1993, the WF was like a deep freeze, whereas the GC in that same McMahon venue just a week later was relatively benign.

And you're also shortening the post-LD attendance peak period. I don't think we can change it much one way or the other from where it is now. We're probably as late as we can go in terms of not too many poor weather games — at least until global warming runs its course.
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.
Blue In BC
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How about the season starting 2 weeks earlier but still ending in last weekend in November. The thought being allowing another bye week and / or less short weeks between games. Every season we seem to see more and more injuries. Faster, stronger players.

Would this help players get less injuries and have more time to recover when injuries occur?
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