2016 CFL Thread

[BC 1988]

Yes, TOR continues to get less than ideal dates for their home games. There was a concert going on at the same time at the nearby Molson Amphitheater, and road closures for the Honda Indy went into effect during the game.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/h ... -1.3676717

[almo89]

Man, what a drop off in attendance for the Argos second game at BMO Field. The one upper deck looks basically empty. Yes, a Wednesday night is hardly idea but it comes with baseball in its all-star break and is a rather early season marquee match up between two division rivals.

Toronto and Vancouver are the league's two greatest concerns and the gap to the next team is significant.

The official attendance was 12,373.

That's pathetic.

It is, but a Wednesday night game is pretty lame as well.

[CardiacKid]

I have had this battle too. I simply can't understand when a pub which has literally a dozen TV's can't seem to find space for one or two for CFL games. Unacceptable for a sports bar.

our local boston pizza always has a couple of tvs on for cfl, specially but not only the lions.

Boston Pizza is great for having CFL games on their tvs; it must be a company policy or something. Whether it's at home in Victoria or when we are on holiday in the Okanagan, in the Peace Country or up-island, we have never had a problem finding a Lions game (or any CFL game) televised in their restaurants. And we've never had to ask they switch channels; they just show them.

[Belize City Lion]

Did the Argos ask for Wednesday night game? Yes it's the all star break for MLB, but the Jays will be on the road this weekend and so will Toronto FC. They race cars during the day so a Friday or Saturday night game would not be conflict. In fact you probably have a lot of people coming to Toronto for the race, so why not try to tap into that market of visitors?

After so many years of the Argos saying they got lousy dates at Roger's Centre, to give their fans a Wednesday night game while BMO field is empty this weekend is not only stupid but disrespectful to the fans. One week the Argos are all excited about the atmosphere from tailgating and the next home game is on a Wednesday? Who is going to tailgate on a Wednesday night? Football is not a mid-week sport. I wish the CFL would do away with Thursday night games as well. I don't mind having a Thursday night game to see on TV, but if I lived in a CFL city I would be loathe to attend a game on a work or school night.

The Argos went from being the fan feel good story to league laughing stock in one game.

[KnowItAll]

doesn't matter what the argos do, torontonians are just not interested.

Even when they had the very exciting flutie led back to back cup wins, they still did not have great attendance.

when they play doesn't really matter a whole lot.

no cfl team is a laughing stock to cfl fans.

[maxlion]

And the Argos' next home game is on a Monday night.

[SammyGreene]

When I checked the Argos ticket prices online saw seats between the 40 yd line were $100 each including first few rows up top. Next sections are $75. Makes the Lions top end seats not seem so bad at $85. Then I saw this in the National Post:

Grey Cup ticket prices are out and the Argos are either incredibly ambitious or incredibly foolish. The prices, frankly, are shocking. My $75 seat in Section 124 at BMO Field on a beautiful summer night is priced at $599 on Grey Cup Sunday, weather undetermined, in November.

One championship game for the price of almost eight regular-season games.

The top ticket price for Grey Cup 2016 in Toronto is $899. The next price of a seat is $799. After that, it scales back from, gulp, $699 to $599 to $499 to $399. And if you want to go on the cheap, the lowest Grey Cup ticket price is $169.]

Ridiculous.

[TheLionKing]

Good luck in their trying to sell out the Grey Cup. They're going to be needing it.

[Alputt]

Watching Edmonton @ Winnipeg, the number of flags would be UNBELIEVABLE if this was any league other than the CFL.

A real turn off for any newbies to the league and even long time fans such as myself. What can be done?

[WestCoastJoe]

Watching Edmonton @ Winnipeg, the number of flags would be UNBELIEVABLE if this was any league other than the CFL.

A real turn off for any newbies to the league and even long time fans such as myself. What can be done?

That is a tough one.

The game ic complicated. Teams coach to the limit of a penalty. For example, OL use hands to the limit. Rusher gets by, the OL would rather take a penalty than get QB killed. On a running play OL will take it to the limit. DBs take it to the limit. I think you have to coach it that way.

Refs must be taught to let stuff go that does not affect the play. Example, holding miles away from the ball carrier.

Part of it is the nature of the game, heavy contsct.

No solution. But better teams do play smarter.

[SammyGreene]

Watching Edmonton @ Winnipeg, the number of flags would be UNBELIEVABLE if this was any league other than the CFL.

A real turn off for any newbies to the league and even long time fans such as myself. What can be done?

Way too many challenge reviews for calls and non calls. Everything under a microscope. Too much down time and even worse when you are at the stadium. Improving in stadium fan experience has to be a No. 1 priority

[Alputt]

Argh, Winnipeg. You just can't win games can you? Even with Harris and the flags blowing your way... Oh well take my lumps on Pick 'em and take it as a learning experience. I like O'Shea but tick toc. Not so much a dark horse as a never ran.

[TheLionKing]

Edmonton wins 2 in a row with a 20-16 victory over the Blue Bombers. How long can the Bombers stay with Drew Willy ? Mike Reilly continues his MOP play with over 400 yards passing.

[Alputt]

My thinking was that this is not the 2015 Eskimos that won the Grey Cup... but the Reilley / Bowman connection is still to be reckoned with. Look alive BC!

[Alputt]

OK so I took a gamble on the Bombers and lost, but that aside, how many flags were thrown this game? Whether they went to Edmonton or Winnipeg is not the issue, that was embarrassing for the CFL.

Whether blame falls on players or officials, fix it. Or lose fans and relevance as a suicide.