Lionbackers.com

the-real-hugo wrote:I guess if I have to go to Vancouver to watch a Lions game, I"ll have to go to Vancouver to get a yummy doughnut...not fair but watcha gonna do
ps - keep it as BC Lions!

Why does it have to be "fair"? My neighbor and I drive in to 5 home games per year from Kamloops and we bring the youngsters in tow. The BC Lions have been a class organization for us - going above and beyond to accommodate our ticketing (flex pass) needs and ensuring that we have an entertaining experience at the games. The fact that they're in Vancouver is simply due to common sense as that's where the population is. We still see many promos up here and are happy to be die hard Lions fans... ...even it it's from a bit more distance. I definitely see them as a BC team.

I'm usually a HUGE proponent of the Lions making head way into the rest of BC. Heck i'm usually the first off the block to "chastise" them for not living up to the "Pride of ALL BC".

However, in this case I cannot fault the BC Lions at all. Would i like to see a doughnut with the Lions logo on it up here in Prince George Timmy's? You bet (although I am not a coffee drinker) I would!

However, the Lions signed a deal with Timmy's for Timmy's to have the rights to use the Lions logo on a doughnut. Now how Timmy's CHOOSES to market those "rights" is entirely up to Timmy's. And I think it is up to each individual Lions fan in the affected communities to let Timmy's (not the BC Lions) know that they want to be able to purchase this product in their local store. Timmy's made a corporate decision thinking these will sell better in the Lower Mainland, only demand from Lions fans out side of the Lower Mainland can make Timmy's change their mind about WHERE they are marketing these.

Keep in mind, while Prince George is in BC, it is actually just as close to Edmonton as it is to Vancouver, so based on geography ppl in PG could just as easily be Eskies fans as Leos (not that I think this is the case however).

Now this can be broken down to "much ado about donuts" but I think that is missing the bigger picture of merchandising in general. Regardless of where season tickets are sold and to whom, there are lots of BC Lions fans out there that just want to be able to buy a simple jersey, or shirt or what have you. It is important that the merchandise the Lions have control of is marketed to "All of BC" in order for them to show their "Pride". And that is where i have my biggest beef with the Lions, their own merchandising saturation is too limited. Heck, it's pretty sad when Sports n Stuff has a bigger online collection of BC Lions paraphrenalia than the BC Lions' own website!

Now that being said, you Lower Mainlanders - go make Timmy's sell out of the donuts! (are you allowed to bring those in to Empire?)

For me it is the B.C. Lions. I used to live in Burnaby perhaps 2 miles east of Empire Stadium. As kids we used to go over in the evening to watch them practice on the outside field, now part of the north parking lot.

Now they practice in Surrey, have a headquarters in downtown Vancouver, and a refurbished stadium coming online in downtown Vancouver.

There has been talk of Braley buying land in other municipalities in the Lower Mainland.

They spend most of their time in Surrey. If it was to be a municipality name, I would have to say it would be the Surrey Lions. Hmmmm Let's stay with the B.C. Lions.

If Victoria or Kelowna or some other British Columbia community gets a CFL team in 20, 30, 40 or 50 years, we might have to re-look at the B.C. name.

dpoe wrote:

the-real-hugo wrote:I guess if I have to go to Vancouver to watch a Lions game, I"ll have to go to Vancouver to get a yummy doughnut...not fair but watcha gonna do
ps - keep it as BC Lions!

Why does it have to be "fair"? My neighbor and I drive in to 5 home games per year from Kamloops and we bring the youngsters in tow. The BC Lions have been a class organization for us - going above and beyond to accommodate our ticketing (flex pass) needs and ensuring that we have an entertaining experience at the games. The fact that they're in Vancouver is simply due to common sense as that's where the population is. We still see many promos up here and are happy to be die hard Lions fans... ...even it it's from a bit more distance. I definitely see them as a BC team.

okay, relax - I was trying to make light of the situation .

I'd leave the name BC Lions until a team is in Victoria. (Likely never going to happen.) One thing the province has been stuck with is so many games on week nights instead of Saturday night. That is until this season! Saturday nights are a plenty on this years' schedule allowing more fans to get to the games, from all around the province, without altering their work schedules for the week. CFL expansion, in BC could see the need for a city name rather than "BC" used to title the team.

I'm all for expansion:

Phase one: Ottawa. (BC, EDM, CAL,SASK,WINN) (TOR,HAM,OTT,MON)
Phase two: Moncton. (BC,EDM,CAL,SASK,WINN) (TOR,HAM,OTT,MON,MONC)
Phase three: Quebec City & London. (BC,EDM,CAL,SASK,) (WINN,LON,TOR,HAM,) (OTT,MONT,QUE,MONC)
Phase four: DOMINION DIVISION: VICTORIA,SASKATOON,BRANDON,KITCHENER, ST JOHN'S,HALIFAX. A Division of predominantly Canadian players playing the CFL game in smaller markets, smaller stadiums, smaller operating budgets, fewer regular season games & lower pay. A Division that offers teams a smaller sized "full maple leaf" Dominion Division championship trophy to the team that finishes the regular season with the best record. A group of 6 teams that only play each other twice, in a 10 game regular season, to gain the last three CFL playoff seeds. (No regular season games against the primary CFL teams either.) Top three Dominion Division teams , in order of records, are CFL playoff seeds 11, 12 & 13 in the CFL playoffs. Teams that can sell enough tickets to be considered as future primary CFL teams. (Lions become "Vancouver Lions" and Riders become "Regina Roughriders" to co-exist with Victoria and Saskatoon.)

Dominic In Vancouver

My issue with the Lions failing to be focused on all BC is that they are not connected with any businesses or establishments outside of what most non-Vancouverites would consider to be Vancouver. They have a list of Lions preferred pubs, restaurants, and hotels. If you are not in Vancouver, where are the suggested places for you to go watch the game? I watch all the games at home because I can't afford to go watch games live except maybe once a season. I don't know places in Victoria that show the games. The Lions should connect with places in other cities in the province. Even if it is just one in each town, it gives fans everywhere a place where they know they can watch the game and likely interact with other fans.

jrower wrote:My issue with the Lions failing to be focused on all BC is that they are not connected with any businesses or establishments outside of what most non-Vancouverites would consider to be Vancouver. They have a list of Lions preferred pubs, restaurants, and hotels. If you are not in Vancouver, where are the suggested places for you to go watch the game? I watch all the games at home because I can't afford to go watch games live except maybe once a season. I don't know places in Victoria that show the games. The Lions should connect with places in other cities in the province. Even if it is just one in each town, it gives fans everywhere a place where they know they can watch the game and likely interact with other fans.

Couldn't have said it better! Thanks for joining and putting in your .02 I think there's been a real disconnect with the fans outside the LM since Ackles died. There ARE Lions fans and CFL fans here in Victoria, and we do occasionally get together and watch games. Would be nice if there were a "Lion Approved" place. Would do a lot to build the brand in "All BC" if that's what they really want.

Not tarnishing Bob Ackles name, but I don't recall him promoting events on the Island outside of 2006 when they toured all of BC with the Grey Cup.

A quote from The Water Boy...." If you have a quality, winning football team you usually have a good gate........you must also have an overall business plan, follow it up with solid community promotion, the right advertising and marketing strategies, and aggressive ticket sales"

This not any different than 99% of businesses out there now. The ROI (return on investment) is best spent on where the majority of your fan base comes from. The Lions do an excellent job with community promotion by making numerous appearances, visiting schools and hospitals, holding special events (Fanfest, Football 101)

The problem is many BC businesses want to also be associated with large fan bases and the majority of that fan base comes from the lower mainland and Fraser Valley. Furthermore, the businesses that do support the Lions want to do it without having to be told where they can promote them. Sadly, the Canucks are what drives the BC market and until the Lions can attain the numbers they saw in the early 80's, it will always be that way.

If it's a matter of trying to find a pub, hotel or restaurant that is showing the game on tv, odds are pretty good any one that has a tv will be showing it.
I'm sure if there was a big enough contingent of fans on the Island, D or one of the mods or even yourself CatsEyes, could produce a thread on where the best or most popular place to view the game is or what ferry fans are coming over on, or how to get to Empire from the terminal, etc.

But if it's just about the availability of a donut, then what do I know except that they were delicious and yes, we did sell them out. Unfortunately you can't bring them inside Empire