2017 CFL Season

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by elly63

My point exactly, this "bush league" double standard that is applied to the CFL, and no one else, really pisses me off.

Agreed, the CFL is just something that's cool to hate. It's obviouly not as good as the NFL, but it's a more exciting version of football (3 down vs 4 down) and I usually quite enjoy it. The constant penalties drives me nuts though, that's where the league looks less professional than the NFL.

The only reason I constantly harp on Toronto in here is that city should be the heart of the CFL, but it definitely isn't, so I say lets try to build it up outside TO city limits.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Agreed, the CFL is just something that's cool to hate. It's obviouly not as good as the NFL, but it's a more exciting version of football (3 down vs 4 down) and I usually quite enjoy it. The constant penalties drives me nuts though, that's where the league looks less professional than the NFL.

The only reason I constantly harp on Toronto in here is that city should be the heart of the CFL, but it definitely isn't, so I say lets try to build it up outside TO city limits.

You just reminded me of a funny story. I was trying to explain what a hipster was to my 60 year old sister. I wasn't getting anywhere so I got her 20 something son to explain.

He said a hipster is somebody who is trying to be cool by pretending he's not trying to be cool.

Brilliant, I thought.

[jawagord]

Originally Posted by elly63

Seriously is that the worst you have to complain about? What about those NFL teams that used to play on dirt infields, San Diego, Cleveland, San Francisco come to mind.

I'm not going to try and defend the poor attendance in Toronto, it could take a long time to right the ship, but lame nitpicking like that surely doesn't help when there are far more pressing issues.

How about putting a positive pressure to bear on Calgary city council to get to work on a stadium, which at 60 years old they're gonna need likely sooner rather than later.

Did you watch the game? I'm guessing not or you would have seen Ricky Ray slip and fall, the Argo kick returner slip and fall, the Stampeder rusher slip and fall and get called for contacting the kicker, Duane Forde couldn't believe that they couldn't put more grass in. One of the reasons the Argos left Skydome was due to playing on the poorly patched baseball field, the mismatched grass/turf on BMO soccer field is far worse, a big step backwards.

[isaidso]

The CFL is a great product. Any one who's watched games in Hamilton, Ottawa, Regina, etc. can attest to that. It took 30 years for the Argos to fall to the depths they find themselves in today. It will take at least that long to build it back up again. It was never going to be a quick 4-5 year fix.

I attended the Calgary - Toronto game last night. Despite a poor showing by the Argos and only 11,000 fans in attendance I left feeling that they'll be alright at BMO. It was an enjoyable place to watch football, they had a drum line, and the atmosphere was good despite being half empty. That's not something I could say when they were at Skydome.

Rebuilding the fan base will happen with small incremental increases each passing season. I will be back.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by jawagord

One of the reasons the Argos left Skydome was due to playing on the poorly patched baseball field

Or that Rogers kicked them out.

[tomthumb2]

Originally Posted by isaidso

The CFL is a great product. Any one who's watched games in Hamilton, Ottawa, Regina, etc. can attest to that. It took 30 years for the Argos to fall to the depths they find themselves in today. It will take at least that long to build it back up again. It was never going to be a quick 4-5 year fix.

I attended the Calgary - Toronto game last night. Despite a poor showing by the Argos and only 11,000 fans in attendance I left feeling that they'll be alright at BMO. It was an enjoyable place to watch football, they had a drum line, and the atmosphere was good despite being half empty. That's not something I could say when they were at Skydome.

Rebuilding the fan base will happen with small incremental increases each passing season. I will be back.

That is just awesome to hear - keep up the good work and spread the love! You're like one of those missionaries way back in the old days, lol.

[logan5]

It's as if Toronto is purposely trying to kill off the Argos. For the sake of the league they have to start giving away tickets to Argos games. When other cities start seeing those Toronto numbers it's infectious.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

Does not count RDS numbers which could add an extra 100-200k

Take a look at the Tor/Sask number, that should kill the myth of Saskatchewan fans driving the ratings. When the Argos do get a big number it is because the home fans are watching.

Agree with your point but note that RDS Als ratings are consistently in the 250k range. Have been for years.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Agree with your point but note that RDS Als ratings are consistently in the 250k range. Have been for years.

In my mind I had 200k but since I didn't have the info at hand I didn't want to overestimate the number and be caught out.

Either way when you think about it 250k is a wicked number.

I'll ask you, you might know this. I've heard and read from some posters that Ottawa is not a great road gate or TV draw, which surprises me because they are one of my favourite teams to watch.

Any idea of how many folks from the Ottawa area are watching on RDS?

[elly63]

Originally Posted by logan5

It's as if Toronto is purposely trying to kill off the Argos. For the sake of the league they have to start giving away tickets to Argos games. When other cities start seeing those Toronto numbers it's infectious.

That would be the worst thing to do. I think they are doing the right thing now. The elephant is out of the room, attendance is not good, as long as the bills and players are getting paid, and they have an owner with a vested interest to keeping them around, who cares?

Don't try and cheat or manipulate the numbers, it's like losing weight, it took time to get fat, it's going to take time to get fit. There are no shortcuts if you want to grow long term. From what I see on TV the crowd is fairly diverse, keep it going with those throwback prices and family packs. It's too bad that the stand that has the most fans is not on the camera side. But it is what it is, obvious as it is if they can rebuild this they will have figured out what there is for a football market in GTA.

One of the commish's plans is to get flag football going in a big way in schools. The logic being they'll graduate to full contact. As he said, you have to get kids just throwing around the ol pigskin again.

Of the people who have gone to the games that I've read, most have had a good experience that's a start. Now to get the word out there.

You're going to see things likely get worse now that they've lost their QB, but the sunny side is it is going to force them to either find someone else or start the grooming process to replace Ray (if they haven't been already)

Wouldn't it be interesting if they traded for Andrew Buckley.

[elly63]

Toronto Argonauts to move into new practice facility at former high school
The Canadian Press August 4, 2017

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts will adopt a new practice facility for the remainder of the 2017 season.

When the CFL team reconvenes Sunday, it will be at the former Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School. And that will be the Argos’ home away from home for the rest of the season after securing a short-term lease with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Toronto dropped a 41-24 home loss to the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night and its players are off until Sunday. The Argos will continue to play their home games at BMO Field.

The high school, where late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford coached football from 2002 until 2013, closed its doors June 30 because of low enrolment.

The Argos were reportedly one of many parties to express an interest to Toronto Catholic District School Board about the school.

The Argonauts had been working out at York University since the start of rookie camp in late May. But the school’s football team now needs its field to begin preparations for the 2017 season.

The CFL club returned to York this year after holding its 2016 training camp at the University of Guelph.

Toronto had called Downsview Park home since 2014 after securing a partnership with Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment to practise at a facility located next to Toronto FC’s training ground.

Toronto FC is owned by MLSE, whose chairman, Larry Tanenbaum, also owns the Argos with Bell. They purchased the CFL franchise from Hamilton businessman David Braley in 2015.

But a common complaint at Downsview Park was the different venues used by the football club were not centrally located. The Argos feel Don Bosco holds the potential to achieve that and are continuing talks on a potential long-term lease agreement there past 2017.

There’s a grass football field currently at Don Bosco but it’s not suitable to practise on, meaning the Argos will bus to different fields for their workouts for the remainder of this season.

If the CFL club can secure a long-term lease at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, then it’s expected it would look at investing in future renovations, including the possible construction of a new turf field.

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by elly63

That would be the worst thing to do. I think they are doing the right thing now. The elephant is out of the room, attendance is not good, as long as the bills and players are getting paid, and they have an owner with a vested interest to keeping them around, who cares?

Don't try and cheat or manipulate the numbers, it's like losing weight, it took time to get fat, it's going to take time to get fit. There are no shortcuts if you want to grow long term. From what I see on TV the crowd is fairly diverse, keep it going with those throwback prices and family packs. It's too bad that the stand that has the most fans is not on the camera side. But it is what it is, obvious as it is if they can rebuild this they will have figured out what there is for a football market in GTA.

One of the commish's plans is to get flag football going in a big way in schools. The logic being they'll graduate to full contact. As he said, you have to get kids just throwing around the ol pigskin again.

Of the people who have gone to the games that I've read, most have had a good experience that's a start. Now to get the word out there.

You're going to see things likely get worse now that they've lost their QB, but the sunny side is it is going to force them to either find someone else or start the grooming process to replace Ray (if they haven't been already)

Wouldn't it be interesting if they traded for Andrew Buckley.

Or traded for, or pick up James Franklin as a free agent?

[elly63]

Originally Posted by khabibulin

Or traded for, or pick up James Franklin as a free agent?

I thought I had posted a correction to my post, guess not. Ray should not miss any time, he is now listed day to day.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

Any idea of how many folks from the Ottawa area are watching on RDS?

I doubt it's much of a blip in RDS' CFL ratings, which are very low for any non-Alouettes games. We're only 4% of Quebec's population and Redblacks fandom inasmuch as it exists does not extend much outside of the Gatineau area.

If anything a lot of Gatineau Redblacks fans may watch the games in English in TSN. RDS doesn't broadcast all of them, and people are creatures of habit and stick to where they can see the games dependably. I know I don't intuitively go to RDS for Redblacks games (and often watch them on TSN), but do go to RDS automatically for the Alouettes.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

I

I'll ask you, you might know this. I've heard and read from some posters that Ottawa is not a great road gate or TV draw, which surprises me because they are one of my favourite teams to watch.

I've heard this about both the Redblacks and the Senators. Ottawa teams are apparently duds at the gate and on TV.

Oddly enough you'd think some people would love to hate on the capital city, fat cat Ottawa. But it's more indifference I guess.

[thurmas]

Good to see Lions attendance creep up to 23,000 for the Riders game as their attendance this year has been improving slowly game by game. Maybe Lulay is a better draw at the box office as a starting QB for the Lions? Now if Braley could just sell the team to local ownership in the Lower Mainland to help the club be more involved in the community.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Good to see Lions attendance creep up to 23,000 for the Riders game as their attendance this year has been improving slowly game by game. Now if Braley could just sell the team to local ownership in the Lower Mainland to help the club be more involved in the community.

As I posted previously, there are rumours of the Lions being sold at the end of the year to Canucks Sports & Entertainment and prominent local businessman and former CFLer David Sidoo. Some older ``news`` posted below but I don`t think anything has been reported in the interim to change the situation.

Lalji: BC Lions sale getting closer
TSN's Farhan Lalji says the sale of the BC Lions is getting closer to reality and owner David Braley has narrowed down the list of possible buyers July 13, 2017

Canucks owners kick the tires on the B.C. Lions
Ed Willes the Province February 24, 2017

Let’s, for the moment, ignore all the complicating factors and examine the situation on its most fundamental level.

The B.C. Lions’ brand needs a major overhaul. Their owner, David Braley, saved this franchise in the mid-’90s and helped restore its former glory. But Braley, who turns 76 in May, has been trying to sell the team for the last handful of years and the uncertainty over the Lions’ future has contributed to the perception this is a deteriorating business.

Since the 2011 Grey Cup, attendance has been in steady decline. Team president Dennis Skulsky has also taken on a reduced role in the organization and football overlord Wally Buono is in the last year of his contract.

Add it all up and it seems like the perfect time for a change in direction.

As it happens, the Aquilini family is interested in buying the Lions. The Aquilinis own the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and have experience in the operation and marketing of a professional sports franchise. They also look at the model provided by the Calgary Stampeders and their majority owners, the NHL’s Flames, and believe they can turn the Lions into a profitable venture.

True, they’re not football people but they’ve talked to former CFL player Dave Sidoo, a successful Vancouver businessman who helped build the UBC football program into a national power, about being involved in their group.

So, again, add it all up and there would seem to be a fit. Braley has always maintained he wants to sell the Lions to a local ownership group and can be confident that the Lions will have deep-pocketed owners who’ll invest in the franchise. In Sidoo, he’ll also have a football man whose name carries some weight in the community.

The Aquilinis, for their part, will have another asset in their business empire and can trade on the synergies created by the Canucks and the Lions.

I mean, doesn’t this sound like a win-win? Doesn’t this sound like a solution to everyone’s problems?

In the immortal words of Ralph Fiennes in Hail Caesar!: Would that it were so simple.

The saga of the Lions’ sale, which has now been running longer than The Producers, appears to be reaching a resolution as the team prepares for a new CFL season. The key word there, of course, is ‘appears.’

Braley has suggested there have been up to four groups interested in buying the Leos but the names connected with the transaction — real-estate developer Robert Bosa, a consortium led by longtime Lions loyalist Moray Keith — have reportedly lost interest, leaving the Aquilinis as the last men standing.

According to one source, the Canucks’ owners have made an offer which, depending on who you talk to, was either rejected or is being considered.

Braley could not be reached for comment on Thursday but the long-held view is his idea of the Lions’ worth isn’t necessarily shared by potential buyers. From Braley’s perspective, the CFL’s TV contracts runs through 2021 and pays the Lions $4-million-plus annually. The potential for growth at B.C. Place is also a consideration.

As for the buyers, they see a team struggling at the turnstiles which doesn’t share in the concession or parking revenue at The Dome. Back in 2012, the Stampeders were valued at $17 million when the Flames purchased a majority interest in the franchise and participation in the revenues generated at McMahon Stadium. That deal led one source to ask how the Lions could be worth north of $30 million if that was the price tag on the Stampeders.

Part of the problem is it’s unclear how much Braley wants for the Lions. A source familiar with this story say the Keith group was frustrated by a constantly shifting landscape and used the phrase “all over the map” to describe the terms of the sale.

There’s also some question concerning Braley’s desire to sell the Lions. The Hamilton-based industrialist has great affection for the team and for Buono and parting with the Leos would be an emotionally charged decision for him.

“I’m not sure if he wants to sell right now,” said one source.

But, whatever else it is, the Lions are a heritage franchise which has a loyal following in this market and that gives it value. What that value is has yet to be determined but, under the right circumstances, you can see the Aquilinis and Sidoo investing in the business, rebuilding the brand and bringing fans back to B.C. Place.

That, in turn, would make Braley happy.

Maybe it is that simple.

[thurmas]

Hopefully this finally comes true. Knowing Braley when he has said "sale is soon" in the past it usually means 3-4 years later.

Originally Posted by elly63

As I posted previously, there are rumours of the Lions being sold at the end of the year to Canucks Sports & Entertainment and prominent local businessman and former CFLer David Sidoo. Some older ``news`` posted below but I don`t think anything has been reported in the interim to change the situation.

Lalji: BC Lions sale getting closer
TSN's Farhan Lalji says the sale of the BC Lions is getting closer to reality and owner David Braley has narrowed down the list of possible buyers July 13, 2017

Canucks owners kick the tires on the B.C. Lions
Ed Willes the Province February 24, 2017

Let’s, for the moment, ignore all the complicating factors and examine the situation on its most fundamental level.

The B.C. Lions’ brand needs a major overhaul. Their owner, David Braley, saved this franchise in the mid-’90s and helped restore its former glory. But Braley, who turns 76 in May, has been trying to sell the team for the last handful of years and the uncertainty over the Lions’ future has contributed to the perception this is a deteriorating business.

Since the 2011 Grey Cup, attendance has been in steady decline. Team president Dennis Skulsky has also taken on a reduced role in the organization and football overlord Wally Buono is in the last year of his contract.

Add it all up and it seems like the perfect time for a change in direction.

As it happens, the Aquilini family is interested in buying the Lions. The Aquilinis own the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and have experience in the operation and marketing of a professional sports franchise. They also look at the model provided by the Calgary Stampeders and their majority owners, the NHL’s Flames, and believe they can turn the Lions into a profitable venture.

True, they’re not football people but they’ve talked to former CFL player Dave Sidoo, a successful Vancouver businessman who helped build the UBC football program into a national power, about being involved in their group.

So, again, add it all up and there would seem to be a fit. Braley has always maintained he wants to sell the Lions to a local ownership group and can be confident that the Lions will have deep-pocketed owners who’ll invest in the franchise. In Sidoo, he’ll also have a football man whose name carries some weight in the community.

The Aquilinis, for their part, will have another asset in their business empire and can trade on the synergies created by the Canucks and the Lions.

I mean, doesn’t this sound like a win-win? Doesn’t this sound like a solution to everyone’s problems?

In the immortal words of Ralph Fiennes in Hail Caesar!: Would that it were so simple.

The saga of the Lions’ sale, which has now been running longer than The Producers, appears to be reaching a resolution as the team prepares for a new CFL season. The key word there, of course, is ‘appears.’

Braley has suggested there have been up to four groups interested in buying the Leos but the names connected with the transaction — real-estate developer Robert Bosa, a consortium led by longtime Lions loyalist Moray Keith — have reportedly lost interest, leaving the Aquilinis as the last men standing.

According to one source, the Canucks’ owners have made an offer which, depending on who you talk to, was either rejected or is being considered.

Braley could not be reached for comment on Thursday but the long-held view is his idea of the Lions’ worth isn’t necessarily shared by potential buyers. From Braley’s perspective, the CFL’s TV contracts runs through 2021 and pays the Lions $4-million-plus annually. The potential for growth at B.C. Place is also a consideration.

As for the buyers, they see a team struggling at the turnstiles which doesn’t share in the concession or parking revenue at The Dome. Back in 2012, the Stampeders were valued at $17 million when the Flames purchased a majority interest in the franchise and participation in the revenues generated at McMahon Stadium. That deal led one source to ask how the Lions could be worth north of $30 million if that was the price tag on the Stampeders.

Part of the problem is it’s unclear how much Braley wants for the Lions. A source familiar with this story say the Keith group was frustrated by a constantly shifting landscape and used the phrase “all over the map” to describe the terms of the sale.

There’s also some question concerning Braley’s desire to sell the Lions. The Hamilton-based industrialist has great affection for the team and for Buono and parting with the Leos would be an emotionally charged decision for him.

“I’m not sure if he wants to sell right now,” said one source.

But, whatever else it is, the Lions are a heritage franchise which has a loyal following in this market and that gives it value. What that value is has yet to be determined but, under the right circumstances, you can see the Aquilinis and Sidoo investing in the business, rebuilding the brand and bringing fans back to B.C. Place.

That, in turn, would make Braley happy.

Maybe it is that simple.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Hopefully this finally comes true. Knowing Braley when he has said "sale is soon" in the past it usually means 3-4 years later.

Braley was pretty sick for a while, he may not have 3-4 years. Aquilini and Sidoo would be another good ownership group. Like MLSE, they might not be `winners` in terms of their franchises but they would add another financially solid piece to the puzzle. I`d like another NHL/CFL connection.

[jawagord]

Does the Rock owe a small portion of his movie career to Wally?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXmRHTVl5er/