1 earlier game time per season?

[Bomber4Life54321]

Would anyone else be interested in a Bomber game that is in the afternoon or even a 5pm start (besides Banjo Bowl)? We have young kids and the 7/7:30 game time every year is too late for them. We just want to take them to one game a season to create little Bomber fans at a young age! They would be absolutely amazed by the stadium and live atmosphere. They used to have earlier start times but not anymore it seems. Again, only asking for one game!! Wade, I hope you're reading this lol.

[BomberFan73]

We also usually took advantage of an afternoon game for the family.  It was usually later in the year, and for whatever reason was often vs Montreal it seems...

I was surprised to not see that game on the schedule this year.  Banjo Bowl doesn't count because its not a great game for young kids.

[Blueforlife]

All about TV and attendance.  Lots of nice to haves that don't play the bills.  I like a variety of days, times but the bottom line is all that matters in a league with razzer thin margins.

[TecnoGenius]

I'm very much for making things easier and cheaper for families, especially young kids.

I'd be perfectly fine with a 5ish game, whether I had kids or not.  You also would double food sales @PAS, so that's a bonus.  However, it would have to be a weekend or you will miss all the can't-get-off-work-early people.  But I'm sure WFC has done the math with the demos and determined it was a loser money-wise.

That said, I took my son at 2y.o. and daughter at 3y.o. to normal 7/7:30 games a few times each at that age (and all subsequent years).  Especially on a weekend it's not the end of the world.  The situation and atmosphere and pop kept them awake without any strain or difficulty.  But a lot may depend on their usual wake time (7? 9?), and their individual personality (my kids never want to go to sleep, no matter how late).

My son was pretty young when we stayed the whole way through the latest-game-ever CFL game (Strevie vs EDM? HAM? we lost, boo)      The kids will surprise you.

Buy some "baby bans" hearing protection if your kids are under 4.  With that even the Banjo Bowl is fine.  My son loved his first BB, which was maybe when he was 4 or 5?

As always, the key to good behavior is constantly remind them "only good kids get to go down on the field".  And keep them well fed the whole time.

BTW, welcome to the forum!  It would be nice to have some more fans with kids on here.  Everyone needs to recognize the importance of bringing up the next generation with the Bombers!

[barbk]

This year I bought 2 youth season tickets for my grandson to keep the tradition going with generations of bombers fans.  I was 6 years old when my grandmother would take me to games and I didn't care if it was early or late, all I wanted to see was the football game.

[KINGCHARLES]

Would anyone else be interested in a Bomber game that is in the afternoon or even a 5pm start (besides Banjo Bowl)? We have young kids and the 7/7:30 game time every year is too late for them. We just want to take them to one game a season to create little Bomber fans at a young age! They would be absolutely amazed by the stadium and live atmosphere. They used to have earlier start times but not anymore it seems. Again, only asking for one game!! Wade, I hope you're reading this lol.

Wade Miller was questioned about days of the week and start times last year. I believe his response was something on the lines of apparently its not even up to them.
I believe they request certain days of the week and then the CFL scheduler makers  give them the dates and times that they are playing.
I would love to see a Saturday 4-5 pm start or a Sunday 5- 6pm start during the summer months. Until College and NFL start there is sooooo much flexibilty to start times.

[Bomber4Life54321]

I'd be curious to know if a 5pm on a Saturday or Sunday would be any different in sales. Yes, we could bring the toddlers to a late game but we're selfishly thinking of our own enjoyment of the game too. Our kids tired = grumpy kids. I also wouldn't want to affect anyone else's enjoyment either! Anyway, I know they'll get their time one day but was curious to know what others thought about it.

[TecnoGenius]

I'd be curious to know if a 5pm on a Saturday or Sunday would be any different in sales. Yes, we could bring the toddlers to a late game but we're selfishly thinking of our own enjoyment of the game too.

You definitely won't get 100% normal game enjoyment with toddlers there, no matter how successful you are.  If you have help (i.e. spouse comes too), then you should be at 80% enjoyment, at least.  By yourself you'll get maybe 50%.  By "enjoyment" I mean actual game-watching concentration.  There is also the enjoyment of watching your (grand)kids take in a Bomber game.

By 4 they are better, and some kids are better at watching than others (like my daughter).

Always bring/brought a bag of their favorite toys (hotwheels cars, magazines, phones/devices, crayons/paper) just like it's a road trip or dinner out.  That helps a lot.  My kid would sit on the floor and play cars on the seats for much of the game when he was 2-3.  Line up the cars and then lift up the seat for a big crash: great fun.  And if you sit in a busy area with happy/rowdy fans especially middle-aged ladies, the kids usually make an adult friend with someone adjacent.  That can keep them busy for an hour, easily.  If they are still in diapers or in the diaper-weaning time, definitely do the diapers for the game... soooo much nicer than the every-hour trip to the can.

Even if it's really late by the end, take them on the field for 10 mins, as that is by far their favorite part, and makes the threat of not going down next game that much stronger 

It does get tougher in the 4th Q in terms of listlessness when young, but keep the chips/popcorn and pop coming and they'll be ok until the end.  By 7-8 y.o. they are mostly "normal" spectators and not much of a problem at all, even late.

If your little ones are 4-6 and you want to keep them busy with a new friend, PM me and I can let you know where we sit and you can go in same aisle or row in front.  Having another kid present adds ~20% to enjoyment factor!  (Though it's a bit of a weird STH spot I have, and no break for youth pricing.)

Good luck!

[bluengold204]

Imo I wouldn't bring a toddler to a game.  To young to enjoy and remember it, plus you'll miss half the game dealing with them.

[Freep]

There used to be games on Sundays after Labour Day that started at 1:00 PM. I wish they would bring those back.

[blue_or_die]

I would be down for an afternoon/early evening game on a Saturday, especially after Sept long.

This year we will be taking our 4.5 yo son and 2.5 yo daughter to the preseason game on the 31st. 7:30 kickoff = nearly midnight bedtime (assuming we make it the whole time, which we probably won't)??

Pray for Mojo.

[TecnoGenius]

Imo I wouldn't bring a toddler to a game.  To young to enjoy and remember it, plus you'll miss half the game dealing with them.

You get one shot at sharing those times with your young'ns.  I get what you're saying, but I'm very glad I took my son, then daughter, to games at 2-3ish.  Tons of pictures and videos of them with Buzz/Boomer, the Captain, and cheerleaders, and running around chucking mini footballs on field.  Pics of them with Grandpa & geriatric friends in the stands.  On the jumbotron a couple of times, and on TV behind the Reklaws once.  Even if their memory hadn't formed yet, there will be lots of artifacts to form memories from.

Sure, I sacrificed game-focus time, and I was slightly peeved, especially the first couple before I learned all the tricks, but it was only 2 games at 2yo, and maybe 4 at 3, etc.  But by 6 my son was coming to most games, and no longer a problem at all.  And I'm forging the same path with my daughter, who is much more focused on the game and sights and crowd and music.

Then again, I really like kids, so YMMV.

Would I do it all over again?  You bet.  What I lost @IGF, I got to make up as soon as I got home and rewatched on the PVR.  It's a small price to pay.

I'll add one more thing: having 2 kids there instead of 1 really helps as they can keep each other busy, especially when the age differential is bigger.  If they get bored of the game, they'll just make up games in (or under) their seats.

[TecnoGenius]

This year we will be taking our 4.5 yo son and 2.5 yo daughter to the preseason game on the 31st. 7:30 kickoff = nearly midnight bedtime (assuming we make it the whole time, which we probably won't)??

Pray for Mojo.

Good luck, I will pray!  PS games are a great time to test the waters and not worry too much about missing great action.

I'm not sure if I'll take my youngest to the PS, but she's sure trying to sell me on the idea already.  Just the son & I on STH still, but I got a great seat that almost always will have an open 3rd spot.

I totally forget if PS allows going on-field after the game?  For some reason I'm thinking "no".  Not as much traffic to "bust", so why would they?  However, there goes one bribery tactic...

If your kids rarely/never take the bus (like mine), doing the P&R instead of driving can pay dividends with keeping them occupied at that age.  And they may fall asleep on the dark bus ride home...

Read through all my tricks and take a big bag'o'stuff to keep them happy!!  Not sure why we're not getting more ideas posted...  That's one thing you gotta hand SSK: their fans bring out the toddlers and kids in droves.  They are everywhere: even babies.  But they don't let fans on the field, so it evens out, I guess.

[Stretch]

There used to be games on Sundays after Labour Day that started at 1:00 PM. I wish they would bring those back.

Unless that startup league called the "NFL" folds, I don't see that happening.