CFL in the Maritimes

[SevenSquared]

Anthony LeBlanc of the Schooners group was interviewed on CBC Radio this morning. He seems confident the CFL game will be sold out or close.

He addressed many of the issues discussed in this thread, particularly the promotion strategy, the ticket prices and the game time being changed. He was asked about puhrkin', which apparently is somehow still a perceived problem despite the park and ride option.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio...it-moncton-yet

[L'homard]

Funny how the T&T did stories about the park and ride after games 1, 2 and 3 and found no complainers among the many fans they interviewed.
CTV has manufactured the issue with two stories in successive days (might have been a third story today but I stopped watching) saying "some fans" are very upset, quoting no one, and interviewing zero people who are concerned, not a single one, and not mentioning the park and ride system at all, nada a word, nil. Not to mention regular bus runs on Sunday, not a single hint that you can just get on a bus and get driven to within 100 metres or so of the field, likely less because I've ridden that bus run before, but haven't measured the distance obviously.
Shame on them.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by SevenSquared

Anthony LeBlanc of the Schooners group was interviewed on CBC Radio this morning. He seems confident the CFL game will be sold out or close.

This is for the standard (10K capacity) layout of the stadium, yeah? My quick blush at TicketMaster was that they hadn't added additional stands to the stadium and have just added a family zone and a party zone at the endzones.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by JHikka

This is for the standard (10K capacity) layout of the stadium, yeah? My quick blush at TicketMaster was that they hadn't added additional stands to the stadium and have just added a family zone and a party zone at the endzones.

So Anthony LeBlanc may still be able to claim a sellout after all.

I will be there and expect to have a good time. The weather should be fantastic at game time.

At least the Moncton CFL game won't be a train wreck like the Winnipeg NFL pre-season game was..........

[SevenSquared]

Originally Posted by JHikka

This is for the standard (10K capacity) layout of the stadium, yeah? My quick blush at TicketMaster was that they hadn't added additional stands to the stadium and have just added a family zone and a party zone at the endzones.

LeBlanc did say he expects around 5,000 less people than in 2013 (which had an attendance of 15,000), so yeah, 10k capacity is probably it... 9000 permanent seats iirc + whatever else they've set up at the end zones/sidelines.

Anyone know what exactly the discounted "Family Zone" tickets on the south end actually are? Standing area/tents or did they actually install temporary bleachers? I did see pictures today of the north end/party zone, which is just an open space with some tents set up.

[MonctonRad]

Tomorrow's the day.......

[elly63]

I think he committed to handing the plan to Halifax council this week or next.

1 on 1 with Anthony LeBlanc, Schooner Sports and Entertainment
cfl.ca August 24, 2019

Brodie Lawson caught up with founding partner of Schooner Sports and Entertainment Anthony LeBlanc ahead of the 2019 Touchdown Atlantic game in Moncton.

[elly63]

LeBlanc: TD Atlantic bringing added hype to Maritime expansion effort
cfl.ca

TORONTO — The Canadian Football League will return to the Maritimes for another edition of Touchdown Atlantic for Week 11.

Unlike some of the other games that were played in Moncton, N.B. in the past, now there’s a real chance that there could be an expansion team coming to Atlantic Canada in the near future.

In the latest edition of The Waggle presented by Sport Clips, Donnovan Bennett and Davis Sanchez spoke with Anthony LeBlanc, a founding partner of Schooners Sports and Entertainment, to discuss Sunday’s game, the excitement surrounding the event, and the potential of an expansion team landing in Halifax.

“(The hype) has really started to pick up these last few weeks,” LeBlanc said. “Admittedly, out of the gates, there were a couple of missteps in regards to the same time in the evening, which we’ve been able to to move to the afternoon, which has really helped. A Sunday afternoon game with tours of people from where I am right now in Halifax that can make it to the game and not have to worry about missing a day of work on Monday.

“… We’re really starting to see a lot of excitement so we can’t wait.”

Sunday’s showdown between the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts will be the fourth installment of Touchdown Atlantic. However, the first two games that went to Atlantic Canada were played in Halifax, where Schooners Sports and Entertainment is trying to bring CFL football full-time.

The city does have the University of Saint Mary’s — the preseason games were played at Huskies Stadium — as well as the QMJHL’s Mooseheads and the Canadian Premier League’s Halifax Wanderers FC.

“There is a pretty strong football culture here in Atlantic Canada at the youth level and the university level. But I think what this will do is just take it to the next level, and there’s no question,” LeBlanc said. “My full-time residence is in Ottawa, and there was a real pickup and enthusiasm when the REDBLACKS returned to the league.

“When you look at those examples, you get excited for what’s possible here in Halifax.”

One of the biggest obstacles surrounding the discussions for a team in Halifax is the lack of a stadium. LeBlanc revealed that the city considered bidding for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as other big events, but without a facility, those dreams fell by the wayside. They’ve teamed up with Sport Nova Scotia, who represents every sports organization in the province, to come up with a plan to help bring larger spectacles to Halifax.

“We think that, by working with Sport Nova Scotia, we’ve developed a model that de-risks the city and province, and most importantly, people that live here in the community and pay their hard-earned taxes,” he said. “We’re really excited and we think that when people see the analysis and the thoughtfulness that went into this proposal, that there should be pretty strong support.”

LeBlanc says that they are planning to split the stadium in half. One sideline, which they refer to as the community side, will feature 14,000-16,000 seats and have all the required facilities. The other sideline that’s required for CFL readiness will be funded exclusively by Schooners Sports and Entertainment.

So with all the excitement surrounding Touchdown Atlantic this weekend, how close are we to seeing the 10th team join the league?

“I can share that we have provided an update to the staff at the Halifax Regional Municipality that they will have our full-documented report, proposal, and business plan by the end of this month,” LeBlanc said. “We’re working very closely with our partners at Canada Lands Co. right now, as well as third-party groups.

“We are confident and that’s why we’ve provided that update, that in the next week to two weeks, they will have that business plan that everyone has been waiting on.”

This will be the fourth Touchdown Atlantic game to be played in a CFL regular season. The previous three games took place in 2010, 2011, and 2013. This will be the second time that both Montreal and Toronto feature in the spectacle. The Argos played in the inaugural game against the Edmonton Eskimos back in 2010. The Als played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2013 iteration. Neither squad left Moncton with a victory.

The Alouettes and Argos will go head to head for the first time this season at Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium in Moncton on Sunday. Opening kick-off is slated for 12:00 p.m. ET.

[BlackYear]

Am I reading this Anthony LeBlanc all wrong? Why wouldn't you want this Moncton game to be a success? What da...

Halifax CFL group says Moncton contest success not critical to long-term goal.

Keith Doucette, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Published Friday, August 23, 2019 10:40AM ADT
Last Updated Friday, August 23, 2019 8:40PM ADT

HALIFAX -- Anthony LeBlanc isn't placing too much emphasis on Sunday's Touchdown Atlantic game in Moncton, N.B., saying its perceived success or failure will ultimately have little bearing on his group's attempt to land a CFL franchise in Halifax.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/halifax-...goal-1.4562138

[BlackYear]

Teams have arrived at the Moncton Airport this afternoon. Both jets arriving one after the other around 2:00pm.

[MonctonRad]

He's definitely sticking his foot in his mouth.

He apparently is already anticipating negative reviews based on the relatively small crowd expected for the game (~10,000), and is thus preemptively downplaying the poor optics that this might create.

LeBlanc has no-one to blame except himself for this situation though. Ticket prices were initially stratospheric, marketing was non existent, virtually no special events were planned around the game (save for a CFL golf tournament), and expectations kept diminishing and diminishing as the game approached, especially with the downsizing of the end zone seating in favour of "party" and "family" zones, which I don't think will constitute anything more than places for people to stand near the end zones to watch the game on the cheap. Will there be any special attractions available for fans in these zones, even something as cheap as a bouncy castle in the family zone? We'll see..............

I just hope Moncton doesn't get blamed for the poor attendance. This one isn't on us. We are capable of getting over 20,000 people out for a professional football game if there is appropriate marketing, promotion, hype and buzz.

Ian Fowler where are you????

[BlackYear]

Kinda difficult to get a clear shot through a chain link fence. And I couldn't get anything from the MTL team b/c the buses completely blocked all views.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I just hope Moncton doesn't get blamed for the poor attendance. This one isn't on us. We are capable of getting over 20,000 people out for a professional football game if there is appropriate marketing, promotion, hype and buzz.

Ian Fowler where are you?

Aren't you kind of contradicting yourself. You're saying Moncton shouldn't be blamed but it would have been better with Ian Fowler?

[SevenSquared]

Moncton shouldn't be blamed because we have no incentive to support/attend this thing except for the minority who happen to be football fans.

It's a far cry from 2010 & 2011 when the community rallied around "Moncton getting a pro sports franchise". The current situation is essentially "help us promote a Halifax bid by paying insanely inflated prices and using your taxpayer dollars to prep the stadium". Meh.

Considering the CFL's attendance woes, who's really going to point fingers at Moncton for having empty seats without coming off as a complete hypocrite?

[elly63]

Originally Posted by SevenSquared

Moncton shouldn't be blamed because we have no incentive to support/attend this thing except for the minority who happen to be football fans.

It's a far cry from 2010 & 2011 when the community rallied around "Moncton getting a pro sports franchise". The current situation is essentially "help us promote a Halifax bid by paying insanely inflated prices and using your taxpayer dollars to prep the stadium". Meh.

Considering the CFL's attendance woes, who's really going to point fingers at Moncton for having empty seats without coming off as a complete hypocrite?

I think it would be pretty delusional thinking to think Moncton could get a franchise over Halifax. Do you need incentive to go see the Harlem Globetrotters? Why is everybody playing this blame game all of a sudden, who gives a shit. All I care about is that in three years time there is an east coast team in the CFL. To make a bad analogy, if this is a Dieppe to a new franchise's DDay and mistakes were made and lessons learned, it will have been worth it.

[SevenSquared]

Originally Posted by elly63

I think it would be pretty delusional thinking to think Moncton could get a franchise over Halifax. Do you need incentive to go see the Harlem Globetrotters? Why is everybody playing this blame game all of a sudden, who gives a shit.

The reality of 2010-2011 was that Halifax didn't have a prayer of getting a stadium built anytime soon, and the consensus was that if Halifax did someday build one, an existing maritime team's home dates would likely be split between both cities as long as it was financially viable to do so.

With that, step away from football fan mode for a minute and think about why the rest of us who aren't football fans were fully supporting the 2010/11 games but are generally indifferent about this one.

I agree there's not much point in playing the blame game; city subsidy shitshow aside, the game sold very well under the circumstances, and the region's football fans will have a great time tomorrow with perfect weather. Hopefully you guys finally get your stadium built asap.

[MonctonianSentinel01]

Originally Posted by elly63

I think it would be pretty delusional thinking to think Moncton could get a franchise over Halifax.

I find it funny that this is being said. Considering that this is supposed to be a regional team and that Halifax can't fully support this team on it's own, that as the geographic center of the maritimes, Moncton is in a better position to draw regional support as it can draw from a larger population base within a shorter drive of it than Halifax can.

It certainly wasn't delusional, as far as the CFL was concerned it was a tight race, to the point where they didn't really know where the new team was going to be situated until Anthony LeBlanc came in.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by MonctonianSentinel01

Considering that this is supposed to be a regional team and that Halifax can't fully support this team on it's own, that as the geographic center of the maritimes, Moncton is in a better position to draw regional support as it can draw from a larger population base within a shorter drive of it than Halifax can.

It certainly wasn't delusional, as far as the CFL was concerned it was a tight race, to the point where they didn't really know where the new team was going to be situated until Anthony LeBlanc came in.

C'mon get real, the CFL never seriously considered Moncton. Marc Cohon himself said the stadium would need about one hundred million in upgrades to be viable for a professional franchise and meet league standards. Moncton does not have the business core and the largest percentage of fans come from nearest the metro area. It's a big ask to think that Saint John, Fredericton and Charlottetown would be a large percentage of the target audience.

Sure Cohon and Ambrosie said all the right things about Moncton but the focus and wish was always Halifax. This is coming from a guy who lived in all three Maritime provinces. From time immemorial it was always one way traffic from Moncton to Halifax, not the other way round.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by SevenSquared

The reality of 2010-2011 was that Halifax didn't have a prayer of getting a stadium built anytime soon, and the consensus was that if Halifax did someday build one, an existing maritime team's home dates would likely be split between both cities as long as it was financially viable to do so.

There is no way that would ever be seriously considered (splitting dates)

With that, step away from football fan mode for a minute and think about why the rest of us who aren't football fans were fully supporting the 2010/11 games but are generally indifferent about this one.

I agree there's not much point in playing the blame game; city subsidy shitshow aside, the game sold very well under the circumstances, and the region's football fans will have a great time tomorrow with perfect weather. Hopefully you guys finally get your stadium built asap.

I think you have to get away from the term "football fans" It's not about football it's about entertainment. The CFL's attitude towards fans and new facilities is to have a place where you can have an event/party and a football game breaks out. That comes straight from Ambrosie and the proof is the Rum Hut, Subaru Log Cabin, Pil Country etc. To expect "real football fans" to fill stadiums is a pretty big ask of a relatively small target.

There used to be an old axiom in pro wrestling promotion. Your hardcore fans will always be there so you have to focus on getting those casual folks out once or twice a year. It is the casuals that get you sellouts.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by elly63

C'mon get real, the CFL never seriously considered Moncton. Marc Cohon himself said the stadium would need about one hundred million in upgrades to be viable for a professional franchise and meet league standards. Moncton does not have the business core and the largest percentage of fans come from nearest the metro area.

There is nothing wrong with Moncton but it's a much smaller city than Halifax and the idea that it's a hub for the region is mostly fiction. You can see this with the difference in retail offerings between the two cities, for example. At one point there was a lot of talk of how Moncton was obviously the spot to put regional retailers. But for the most part people don't bother driving 3 hours to shop and each city has its own stuff.

The demographics are going to get more and more slanted in the future as the rural areas become less important and Halifax grows into a medium sized metropolitan area. Halifax has 234,000 employed and all of New Brunswick is 353,000. I wouldn't be surprised if the total income in the Halifax area passes NB soon. If a CFL team happens that will be their bread and butter for ticket sales, not people driving in from small towns. The notion of cities being small service centers for large mostly rural regions is very outdated.

Hopefully this isn't seen as inflammatory. I feel like I'm just pointing out the obvious here. Imagine if we had people constantly talking about how Regina is the hub of the Prairies or Ottawa is the hub of the Windsor-Quebec corridor. Calgary and Toronto have the most stuff even though they are not necessarily the most central locations.