2012 WDF Attendance

[MikeAK]

I am one of those with a previous engagement. I will be watching football just the minor league variety. Maybe someone could answer this for me, why would a football league schedule semifinal and final games when the CFL is holding the East and West semi-final. A win on Sunday and I will be spending a large part of Grey Cup Sunday watching the little guys play again.

I think the real question should be why the CFL is sched championship games in the afternoon. A later game would probably draw more people and help out the local businesses with more patrons willing to partake in a beverage or 20.

I have never been a fan of such early games and never will... especially for a championship game.

[TheLionKing]

For as long as I can remember the CFL has scheduled championship games in the afternoon and it has worked out well. Scheduling an evening game in Canada in November has inherent problems with the weather and cold temperature. Should be noted that the NFL also schedule their championship games in the afternoons.

[MikeAK]

For as long as I can remember the CFL has scheduled championship games in the afternoon and it has worked out well. Scheduling an evening game in Canada in November has inherent problems with the weather and cold temperature. Should be noted that the NFL also schedule their championship games in the afternoons.

When was the last time the NFL had a conference final game at 1:30pm? To me, it's just too early. It won't stop me from going but I would think even a 4pm start would be better across the board. I really don't have a point here I am just not a fan of such an early game start. I have always thought 4pm is the absolute earliest time a championship game should be started.

[sj-roc]

I am one of those with a previous engagement. I will be watching football just the minor league variety. Maybe someone could answer this for me, why would a football league schedule semifinal and final games when the CFL is holding the East and West semi-final. A win on Sunday and I will be spending a large part of Grey Cup Sunday watching the little guys play again.

I think the real question should be why the CFL is sched championship games in the afternoon. A later game would probably draw more people and help out the local businesses with more patrons willing to partake in a beverage or 20.

I have never been a fan of such early games and never will... especially for a championship game.

That's the reality of living on the west coast of this continent. Have to get the game and then the postgame coverage wrapped before bedtime in Toronto.

Not to get too far O/T, but frankly I think the early start/finish (for the same reason as GC) of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final game seven here was a factor in the riot. "Hmm, it's 7pm, nice evening, won't even get dark for a couple more hours, how to kill the time before calling it a night after this downer of a loss? Wait, I know!" Time the start of that game at a more normal hour and people are less likely to linger when it's over, more likely to just GTFO if it ends in defeat.

[almo89]

I listened to Skulsky's interview. I'm kinda glad to hear from him that he's disappointed with the attendance all year long. This means that he will have to look at fixing that in the off season. I guess that's a good sign.

[sj-roc]

I listened to Skulsky's interview. I'm kinda glad to hear from him that he's disappointed with the attendance all year long. This means that he will have to look at fixing that in the off season. I guess that's a good sign.

True, although I would have preferred to hear that after the games are all done instead of getting too negative on the eve of the WF, when it should be all about creating buzz. They already released weeks ago the pricing for next year anyway, so too late to do anything about that now for 2013 without looking wishy-washy. From that info, it looks like they're planning to tarp off the entire upper bowl (ar at least not offer season tickets up there) except for the first five rows between the goal lines, so that's prob what he means by fixing it.

[MikeAK]

I am one of those with a previous engagement. I will be watching football just the minor league variety. Maybe someone could answer this for me, why would a football league schedule semifinal and final games when the CFL is holding the East and West semi-final. A win on Sunday and I will be spending a large part of Grey Cup Sunday watching the little guys play again.

I think the real question should be why the CFL is sched championship games in the afternoon. A later game would probably draw more people and help out the local businesses with more patrons willing to partake in a beverage or 20.

I have never been a fan of such early games and never will... especially for a championship game.

That's the reality of living on the west coast of this continent. Have to get the game and then the postgame coverage wrapped before bedtime in Toronto.

Oh totally. I fully understand the politics behind the start time. Like I said I don't have a point other than I think 1:30pm is a factor in attendance. A lot of people have other things to do that early in the day. For a number of reasons I think a later start time would be better.

[almo89]

I listened to Skulsky's interview. I'm kinda glad to hear from him that he's disappointed with the attendance all year long. This means that he will have to look at fixing that in the off season. I guess that's a good sign.

True, although I would have preferred to hear that after the games are all done instead of getting too negative on the eve of the WF, when it should be all about creating buzz. They already released weeks ago the pricing for next year anyway, so too late to do anything about that now for 2013 without looking wishy-washy. From that info, it looks like they're planning to tarp off the entire upper bowl (ar at least not offer season tickets up there) except for the first five rows between the goal lines, so that's prob what he means by fixing it.

From what I gather for next year's pricing is that it will be much of the same, but with more limited seats. Right now it shows that you can only order the first few rows on the upper deck, but only sidelines. This means that they will probably open up other sections on a game to game basis based on sales. Hopefully that means that if they do decide to make more seats a available, that it will be cheaper.

[sj-roc]

Oh totally. I fully understand the politics behind the start time. Like I said I don't have a point other than I think 1:30pm is a factor in attendance. A lot of people have other things to do that early in the day. For a number of reasons I think a later start time would be better.

I'm not sure I agree with you there. We reached 50k in 2004/2006/2007 and those games started same time as this one. We probably would have reached 50k in 2005 as well except for the double whammy of hosting GC the next week and that well-documented gong show of a 1-6 close to the reg season. We were lucky to even play that one at home.

If the game can take on the veneer of an event, people will come whenever they play it. Maybe the crowds would be even larger again with a later start time, but I don't consider it an especially onerous handicap on the gate to play at 1:30pm.

Your point is interesting, though. There was a time until about the late 1960s when the GC was always played on a Saturday. When they made the change to Sunday back then (which of course became permanent), there was some western opposition to the move because it meant a lot of people on this side of the lakehead would miss the start of the game on account of not getting home in time from weekly church services.

[MikeAK]

You bring up some valid facts and points. I guess we won't know if a later start time would help in today's market because I doubt the league changes the start times any time soon.

[Ravi]

For as long as I can remember the CFL has scheduled championship games in the afternoon and it has worked out well. Scheduling an evening game in Canada in November has inherent problems with the weather and cold temperature. Should be noted that the NFL also schedule their championship games in the afternoons.

When was the last time the NFL had a conference final game at 1:30pm? To me, it's just too early. It won't stop me from going but I would think even a 4pm start would be better across the board. I really don't have a point here I am just not a fan of such an early game start. I have always thought 4pm is the absolute earliest time a championship game should be started.

From 2003 to 2005, the CFL did try later start times for their playoff games. While those later starts were good for TV ratings, the league found that it did have a somewhat negative effect on attendance which is why they went back to the traditional 1 pm and 4 or 4:30 pm EST starts.

[Ravi]

I am one of those with a previous engagement. I will be watching football just the minor league variety. Maybe someone could answer this for me, why would a football league schedule semifinal and final games when the CFL is holding the East and West semi-final. A win on Sunday and I will be spending a large part of Grey Cup Sunday watching the little guys play again.

I think the real question should be why the CFL is sched championship games in the afternoon. A later game would probably draw more people and help out the local businesses with more patrons willing to partake in a beverage or 20.

I have never been a fan of such early games and never will... especially for a championship game.

That's the reality of living on the west coast of this continent. Have to get the game and then the postgame coverage wrapped before bedtime in Toronto.

Not to get too far O/T, but frankly I think the early start/finish (for the same reason as GC) of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final game seven here was a factor in the riot. "Hmm, it's 7pm, nice evening, won't even get dark for a couple more hours, how to kill the time before calling it a night after this downer of a loss? Wait, I know!" Time the start of that game at a more normal hour and people are less likely to linger when it's over, more likely to just GTFO if it ends in defeat.

It is funny that you mention this as when the Canucks played in the '82 Stanley Cup Finals, I believe that they did not start the games in Vancouver until 10 or 11 pm here in the east. As a result, I, as a 12 year-old, saw very little of that series.

[cromartie]

From 2003 to 2005, the CFL did try later start times for their playoff games. While those later starts were good for TV ratings, the league found that it did have a somewhat negative effect on attendance which is why they went back to the traditional 1 pm and 4 or 4:30 pm EST starts.{/quote]

I don't know that I agree with this. In 2004, the West Final was the early game, and the East final was the late game. The East final, in Montreal, finished seven seats short of a sellout. More likely it was a decision by CBC to shift back to the early starts because the late game ran into/over The National.

Should be noted that the NFL also schedule their championship games in the afternoons.

This is also incorrect, as the NFL shifted to later starts to appease television (which wanted the ratings bump) six or seven years ago. Even divisional semi final games start at 4 and 7 instead of 1 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday.

[TheLionKing]

I listened to Skulsky's interview. I'm kinda glad to hear from him that he's disappointed with the attendance all year long. This means that he will have to look at fixing that in the off season. I guess that's a good sign.

True, although I would have preferred to hear that after the games are all done instead of getting too negative on the eve of the WF, when it should be all about creating buzz. They already released weeks ago the pricing for next year anyway, so too late to do anything about that now for 2013 without looking wishy-washy. From that info, it looks like they're planning to tarp off the entire upper bowl (ar at least not offer season tickets up there) except for the first five rows between the goal lines, so that's prob what he means by fixing it.

I don't think tarping off the upper bowl is going to increase ticket sales. Pricing is going to determine ticket sales, something the Lions don't appear to be doing.

[vanhalendlrband]

I don't see how prices could be any lower. I explained my reasonings in a previous post. They're more then reasonable prices. It was 30 bucks before, new stadium defending champs and a playoff game for 40 bucks in the cheap seats. Don't see why price is an issue. I live alone drive a camaro pay all my own bills with 1700 a month and I can afford to go. Maybe people should stop blowing 200 bukcs at bars like a lot of my buddies do.