Lionbackers.com

You can't expect the new owners of the Als to agree to starting their ownership with a half season and no fans in attendance.

I was under the impression that the Redblacks were a success in Ottawa but with a CFL team financial success is difficult to sustain so I should not be surprised with them not being on real stable ground financially.

Are you able to convince all these owners that guaranteed losses is okay? Maybe for years?

Of course it's about the money. Maybe not ALL about money, but it's a big factor.

Huge Talent wrote: ↑

Sun May 31, 2020 9:06 pm

Are you able to convince all these owners that guaranteed losses is okay? Maybe for years?

Of course it's about the money. Maybe not ALL about money, but it's a big factor.

If money was so important, they wouldn't buy into the CFL in the first place.

KnowItAll wrote: ↑

Sun May 31, 2020 10:23 pm

Huge Talent wrote: ↑

Sun May 31, 2020 9:06 pm

Are you able to convince all these owners that guaranteed losses is okay? Maybe for years?

Of course it's about the money. Maybe not ALL about money, but it's a big factor.

If money was so important, they wouldn't buy into the CFL in the first place.

Money is important to everyone. If anything, more so to the rich. That's often why they are rich.

Sure, they may be ok with a goal of modest profit or perhaps break even. They likely also understand and accept the risks of losing money short term as well, and that's ok because hey, it's the CFL.

But IMHO it's naive to think they will move forward on projects budgeted to lose millions, and lose fairly long term. No, that's not in rich guys DNA.

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1483302
Sekeres interviewed Sol-E today. At 8:03, asked about whether the league has a drop-dead date to cancel the season, Sol-E sounds frustrated at a lack of communication.They are hearing that the league is working on ways to be economically feasible, but information about what and when is lacking.
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1483151
Donnie & the Moj interviewed Khari Jones. Interesting talk about race related issues, but at 17:30, Moj asks "do we see football this year, what's your gut feeling?" Khari said "I hope so, I'm still over 50% and holding out hope that we figure out a way to do this..." Whether it's "a hub city or sister cities..."

Those end of interview reactions from 2 different perspectives speak volumes about the situation right now.

BC 1988 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:14 pm

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1483302
Sekeres interviewed Sol-E today. At 8:03, asked about whether the league has a drop-dead date to cancel the season, Sol-E sounds frustrated at a lack of communication.They are hearing that the league is working on ways to be economically feasible, but information about what and when is lacking.
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1483151

The CFL brass should be talking with the CFLPA everyday. The CFLPA needs to be part of any solution to the dire situation facing the league right now. This is especially true when you have someone with the stature of Elimimian in leadership.

In normal circumstances, the CFLPA and league may find themselves on opposite sides of the table on many issues, but that time is not now. The survival of the league is at stake. They need to work together.

Many of the challenges facing the league right now are seemingly insurmountable and out of their control. Even if they could get permission for players to get across the border, would they come (for half their salary?). What about the safety risks for the players and their families? These issues need cooperation from the CFLPA.

This is why it's good to see Rick Dhaliwal back with 1040. He chatted with David Braley yesterday and got the latest on the Lions' owner's thoughts:
- Believes July 1st is the "drop dead date" if some form of the 2020 season will proceed or not. League trying to put a plan in place that doesn't require federal aid.
- Sees an 8-game regular season starting in early September.
- Not a fan of a hub city format. Thinks each team should be playing 4 home games and MUST include some fans in attendance as TV revenue alone is not enough to make it work.
Club has been working with BC Place officials regarding a potential social distance seating configuration using both decks.

SammyGreene wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:04 am

This is why it's good to see Rick Dhaliwal back with 1040. He chatted with David Braley yesterday and got the latest on the Lions' owner's thoughts:
- Believes July 1st is the "drop date" if some form of the 2020 season will proceed or not. League trying to put a plan in place that doesn't require federal aid.
- Sees an 8-game regular season starting in early September.
- Not a fan of a hub city format. Thinks each team should be playing 4 home games and MUST include some fans in attendance as TV revenue alone is not enough to make it work.
Club has been working with BC Place officials regarding a potential social distance seating configuration using both decks.

That's exactly what I've been hoping for. I'm not sure that provincial health officials will agree to large public gatherings, even with social distancing, but that should be the goal. Rates of community transmission are already low in Western cities and are falling in Ontario and Quebec. I still think it's essential that the CFL play this year, even if it means excluding spectators from some or all games.

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1483670
Rick Dhaliwal begins at 06:50 on the 1040 poll about top 4 hockey play-by-play, then Canucks. CFL clip starts at 20:00.

What Braley wants and what he's able to get may be 2 different things. I agree there has to be at least a partial season if the CFL is to survive. "First week in July" seems a realistic drop-dead date. It's all up to Gov't(s) and their health authorities if (physically distanced/masked) spectators will be an option. Even if it is, will people want to go? We are seeing in early days of the reopening reports that restaurants are not teeming with eager diners.

It's interesting seeing what goes on at restaurants/pubs up north. Some still have not opened.

I was up in FSJohn last weekend and ventured into Browns, Mr.Mikes and Canadian Brewhouse. All have big bottles of sanitizer at the door. All have spaced out seating by identifying tables are not available and generally restricting seating to 4/table or maybe 6 if it's a long table that normally would seat 8 or more. Seats at bars were either totally removed or had at least 2/3 removed. Facemasks for servers seemed optional at Browns but worn by all at Mr.Mikes and Brewhouse. Menu at Mr.Mikes is a two-sided paper copy of their old "book" format. It's single use and thrown away after the customer has seen it. Al 3 places were reasonably busy. Judging by parking lots Montanas, Original Joe's and Just Jack's beside the casino and Jackfish Dundees out at Charlie Lake remain closed.

I'm currently doing work in Mackenzie. Similar to above in The Office (only place in town) every second table is marked off as no service and other seating is spaced. Staff won't let any new customers sit at a table until it and the chairs have been wiped down. Kitchen staff all wear masks but the two servers on shift don't. They are still using their regular menus and have to wipe down all pages after every use. They aren't very busy but never are moreso now with both sawmills shut down.

Here in PG only one of the two watering holes I regularly frequent is open that being the Westwod Pub. Annoyingly Shooters which is 500 yards from my front door remains closed which is puzzling given they have an outdoor patio which is rare in PG. Some may have seen the Global News clip about a month ago showing where the Westwood started offering good old fashioned car-hop service for the takeout they were offering during the shutdown. It was very successful. They reopened the first day Dr. Bonnie allowed it. Similar to other places they have spaced their seating. Menus are single use disposable. All staff wear clear visor face shields. I was there 2 weekends ago and the place was as full as their social distance seating would allow with steady turnover. I asked the owner how the numbers were doing what with Covid. They've only been open for less than 3 weeks but he says they are surprisingly ahead of what they did on the same days last year. And this is a very well run neighbourhood pub that has been very successful under this owner. Obviously they are benefitting from other places not reopening yet but also seem to be doing a lot more takeout business thanks to the popular car-hop service they ran. That has been discontinued now.

Thanks for the picture up there. I did see that Westwood car hop story on Global back then. In the last week local Vancouver news has been gloomy about cash strapped restaurants who have had to make additional outlays for distancing. Limited seating would need them to be at (the new) capacity to make it worthwhile. Patios are more positive and efforts are being made to streamline more of those. In my local area, I noticed that Legends Pub (still sporting their BC LIONS sign) just reopened last weekend, from the outside did not look very busy. The lack of any live sports would keep me from bothering to go. I've been watching most of the (now complete) 2019-20 NHL season free (since March) on NHL-TV.

Here in Richmond the pandemic struck around Lunar New Year--the signs on the drug stores "no masks in stock" went up then. You don't see anyone wearing non-medical "fashion" masks here, they have been surgical masks from day one. Restaurants faced a devastating lack of business from early February. When BC Health mandated closure, most of them had been "closed for renovations" long before then.

It was interesting reading the thread about ST refunds over on RF. Quite a range of extremes of opinion--ranging from "the CFL is dead" to "by September it will be back to normal". As a more medium reaction, I see some objection to any situation where there are temperature checks at the gates, physical distancing and having to wear masks (since socializing is an especially big part of the games over there).

From my pov, I go to games to actually watch them more than socializing/drinking. I wouldn't mind having to wear a mask at BC Place, but (since 2009) I always have taken Canada Line to go to games. With the reduced capacity/no standing rules, I'd have to allow extra time for that.

Good point about skytrain. Yet another reason why the top doctors might continue to ban larger gatherings.

With all the precautions that may be necessary, at some point fans will ask themselves if it's worth it. Entertainment industry as a whole is in tough.

https://post.futurimedia.com/ckstam/pla ... 027.690050
Farhan on with the Moj (and Blake Price for Crossover Week) said with 5:42 left in this clip that there may be one option left by Friday to present to the Board of Governors and players. This is the best clip to show what is really being discussed--sounds like empty stadium in one western hub city model is the front runner, rather than any scenario that tries to have fans.

Thinking about the publicity around the MLS tournament style "return" in the Orlando Disney bubble, I'll be surprised if they do anything else after that. (They're "hopeful" about conditions being suitable to return to home stadiums). As Farhan says about sports without enough TV $$$--which describes the CFL and MLS-"you are going to lose money, it's all about how much you are willing to lose" to keep the brand alive.

Rick Dhaliwal said this morning on TSN1040 that he just talked to David Braley and he was adamant that unless they can put some fans into stadiums in the Fall, it's a no-go. He basically said that unless there is some chance of drawing revenue (X number of fans), there will be no season.

I assume Braley can use his board seat to make this decree. Certainly, he is stubborn enough to take this position, ignoring the fact that if there is no CFL in 2020, sports fans will readily and willingly move onto other things leaving only hardcores like us to mourn its absence. This will likely do tremendous long term damage to the league. Out of sight, out of mind.


DH

Premier Horgan has just announced that Dr. Bonnie Henry has approved an NHL hub city plan for Vancouver. The NHL may not select Vancouver as a hub city but the plan could serve as a model for the CFL, resolving the quarantine issue by having all players quarantine together in a bubble for 14 days, travelling together by private bus from the hotel to arena and back and not having any outside contact. The 14-day quarantine would nicely coincide with a CFL training camp period (without preseason games).

As for David Braley, he has been clear that the Lions have been working with B.C. Place and the province to come up with a plan to use both decks of B.C. Place with social distancing measures that could allow up to 10,000 fans per game. That may be a tougher sell but it should definitely be Plan A.

Horgan gives 'OK' to NHL teams coming to Vancouver for group quarantine


Another cause for optimIsm: