CFL Thread

[Barrister]

Since I'm the only one who ever bumps this thread I'm going to assume no one else was watching the Grey Cup.

Well in that case you missed one hell of an entertaining game.  Going in the Ottawa RedBlacks were huge underdogs - the Calgary Stampeders had just been dominant all year.  But low and behold Ottawa jumps ahead with a big 20 point lead by half time.

In the second half though Calgary starts chipping away, but with two minutes left they're down by ten.  But whadaya know, Calgary scores a TD, then succeeds on the one-side kick!  They're down by three marching forward... but suddenly Ottawa pulls off the goal line stand (in a league where it's very hard to stop a short run).  They kick the FG and we're off to overtime...

CFL uses a mini-game system.  Ottawa goes first, scores a TD, goes for 2, but miss it!  They score 6.  a Calgary TD wins the game!

But it was not to be.  Calgary goes for it on all three downs, is denied each time, and Ottawa wins - their first time in 40 years (and the first in my memory!).  In a 8-9 team league that's quite a drought, so I'm happy for Ottawa.



Mind you I think that means the longest Grey Cup drought now belongs to Winnipeg (24 years and counting... )

[viper37]

I totally forgot about the Grey Cup.  I kept an eye out for the results of Vanier Cup, but since the Als weren't playing and I was busy doing something else and thinking about something else, it totally slipped my mind.  I didn't even followed any sports this fall, so I didn't know who was playing for the cup until this morning

Glad Ottawa won.  Calgary lost against Ottawa and Quebec city over the week-end.

[MadBurgerMaker]

I watched a good chunk of it, Beeb. 

[PRC]

It was a heck of a game. 

Apparently their were some real issues with selling seats to the game.  Maybe that is a Toronto issue and wouldn't happen in another city, but I think it's bigger and the league is up against some demographic problems attracting fans.

In Vancouver I believe that MLS and the White Caps are a bigger deal now than the Lions.  The Lions still have their die hard fans, but they're not attracting new fans.

Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg are still strong - but my sense for Calgary at any rate is that the Stamps don't have as much interest as they did even a few years ago, despite being a real powerhouse this season. 

Like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and even Ottawa have enough "other" activities and entertainment around that make the CFL a hard draw. 

Is the CFL going to make it?

[crazy canuck]

It was a heck of a game. 

Apparently their were some real issues with selling seats to the game.  Maybe that is a Toronto issue and wouldn't happen in another city, but I think it's bigger and the league is up against some demographic problems attracting fans.

In Vancouver I believe that MLS and the White Caps are a bigger deal now than the Lions.  The Lions still have their die hard fans, but they're not attracting new fans.

Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg are still strong - but my sense for Calgary at any rate is that the Stamps don't have as much interest as they did even a few years ago, despite being a real powerhouse this season. 

Like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and even Ottawa have enough "other" activities and entertainment around that make the CFL a hard draw. 

Is the CFL going to make it?

Yeah, the CFL does well in the cities that don't have a lot else going on.  Its a tough sell in the other cities.

[viper37]

Like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and even Ottawa have enough "other" activities and entertainment around that make the CFL a hard draw. 

It's not so bad in Montreal.  20 000 attendance, on average, for a losing team most of the year.  That's 86% of the full capacity.

[Barrister]

It was a heck of a game. 

Apparently their were some real issues with selling seats to the game.  Maybe that is a Toronto issue and wouldn't happen in another city, but I think it's bigger and the league is up against some demographic problems attracting fans.

In Vancouver I believe that MLS and the White Caps are a bigger deal now than the Lions.  The Lions still have their die hard fans, but they're not attracting new fans.

Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg are still strong - but my sense for Calgary at any rate is that the Stamps don't have as much interest as they did even a few years ago, despite being a real powerhouse this season. 

Like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and even Ottawa have enough "other" activities and entertainment around that make the CFL a hard draw. 

Is the CFL going to make it?

CFL has been "dying" for pretty much my entire adult life.

I think the league is actually healthier than it has been in years.  Attendance overall is holding.  There are new stadiums all over the place - BC, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa all within the last 5 years or so.

Toronto has always been an issue.  But I don't think it's a "have other stuff to do" factor.  They've had lacklustre ownershp for years and were in a stadium ill-suited for football (and owners that actively wanted them out for years).  I do have big hopes that going forward they can grow their fanbase now that they're in BMO Field.

[PRC]

I hear you Beeb, but i don't know... something feels off about the CFL the past couple of years, and this year in particular.  Maybe it's because Saskatchewan doesn't have a great team and i'm not seeing all those watermelon head fucks around.

[Barrister]

I hear you Beeb, but i don't know... something feels off about the CFL the past couple of years, and this year in particular.  Maybe it's because Saskatchewan doesn't have a great team and i'm not seeing all those watermelon head fucks around.

Maybe.

For comparison there were 10 million unique viewers of some portion of the Grey Cup game last weekend (average 3.8 million, peak 5.7 million).

http://www.cfl.ca/2016/11/28/10-million-canadians-watch-the-104th-grey-cup-presented-by-shaw/

[crazy canuck]

I think the league is actually healthier than it has been in years.  Attendance overall is holding.  There are new stadiums all over the place - BC, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa all within the last 5 years or so.

I didn't realize Toronto built a new stadium for football.  You are wrong about BC.  I was in that stadium watching the Lions in 86 back when they were able to pack the place with fans of all ages.  The only thing new about that place is the roof and that was only done because the old one had failed.  Attendance in Vancouver might be holding - but it is old.  In this market the CFL is not attracting the youth.  Football fans here would much rather go down to Seattle.  I don't doubt the CFL does well in the smaller markets.  But I think the days of packing BC Place are long gone.

[Barrister]

I think the league is actually healthier than it has been in years.  Attendance overall is holding.  There are new stadiums all over the place - BC, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa all within the last 5 years or so.

I didn't realize Toronto built a new stadium for football.  You are wrong about BC.  I was in that stadium watching the Lions in 86 back when they were able to pack the place with fans of all ages.  The only thing new about that place is the roof and that was only done because the old one had failed.  Attendance in Vancouver might be holding - but it is old.  In this market the CFL is not attracting the youth.  Football fans here would much rather go down to Seattle.  I don't doubt the CFL does well in the smaller markets.  But I think the days of packing BC Place are long gone.

My folks took us to Vancouver the summer of '86 to go see Expo, and to see the Lions-Riders game (my dad was covering the Roughriders for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix back then).  It was pretty cool to an 11 year old.  It was my only trip to Vancouver other than when I met you guys in '08 or '09.

The stadium in Toronto was originally built for MLS - but was renovated for CFL a year ago.  And watching a football game outside is much preferable to being in a dome.

Look the league has its challenges, for sure.  But those challenges have existed for 25-30 years or so.  Compared to the mid-90s, the CFL is stronger than ever.  It sure shouldn't be complacent.  But it isn't on the verge of death either.

[Grey Fox]

I watched the end of it. I'm not much into the CFL when the Als suck & I think a 9 team league is stupid. Find a 10th team, ffs.
or alternatively scrap the divisions.

[Valmy]

In Vancouver I believe that MLS and the White Caps are a bigger deal now than the Lions.

It is not everyday you get to see soccer in the worst soccer playing country in the world.

[crazy canuck]

In Vancouver I believe that MLS and the White Caps are a bigger deal now than the Lions.

It is not everyday you get to see soccer in the worst soccer playing country in the world.

Lets keep this in mind in case Seattle loses to the Canadian team in the final - like all the American teams in the Eastern division 

[Barrister]

I can't believe they're going to play soccer outdoors in December.