Who's More? Rider or Bomber fans?

[Jesse]

I don't think Rider fans travel to many games, fact is Sask. does not offer much so many of their citizens leave for better economic opportunities elsewhere.  They show up at away games in green because they're proud of being from that ********, but happy they left.

This has always been the case.

[jayrock]

Just my two sense here, and I have said it a couple times before. It is always easy to be a fan when your teams wins. It is the fans that stay around when your team totally sucks or is just an ok team, those are the true fans and that will always show up. It is always easy to get buts in the seats when there is a good chance you will win.
2007 to about 2015 super easy to fill the seats at a Riders game, win and they show up. Its not as easy sell when you get a burger dropped on you.
As for the bombers, one of the top teams in the CFL this year and last year, the top team in 2021 so it is easy to be a fam and it is easy to get casual fans caught up in the excitement of a home game.
The solid core fan base from the Bombers and the Riders are hands down some of the best fans going. But yes this year Winnipeg folks are coming out, and so they should. And in a few years when the bombers are not doing so well, the core fans will be there, but the casual ones will not be.
Enjoy it Bomber Nation, you have earned it, but keep in mind it does not last for ever.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Just my two sense here, and I have said it a couple times before. It is always easy to be a fan when your teams wins. It is the fans that stay around when your team totally sucks or is just an ok team, those are the true fans and that will always show up. It is always easy to get buts in the seats when there is a good chance you will win.
2007 to about 2015 super easy to fill the seats at a Riders game, win and they show up. Its not as easy sell when you get a burger dropped on you.
As for the bombers, one of the top teams in the CFL this year and last year, the top team in 2021 so it is easy to be a fam and it is easy to get casual fans caught up in the excitement of a home game.
The solid core fan base from the Bombers and the Riders are hands down some of the best fans going. But yes this year Winnipeg folks are coming out, and so they should. And in a few years when the bombers are not doing so well, the core fans will be there, but the casual ones will not be.
Enjoy it Bomber Nation, you have earned it, but keep in mind it does not last for ever.

X100

[LXTSN]

Just my two sense here, and I have said it a couple times before. It is always easy to be a fan when your teams wins. It is the fans that stay around when your team totally sucks or is just an ok team, those are the true fans and that will always show up. It is always easy to get buts in the seats when there is a good chance you will win.
2007 to about 2015 super easy to fill the seats at a Riders game, win and they show up. Its not as easy sell when you get a burger dropped on you.
As for the bombers, one of the top teams in the CFL this year and last year, the top team in 2021 so it is easy to be a fam and it is easy to get casual fans caught up in the excitement of a home game.
The solid core fan base from the Bombers and the Riders are hands down some of the best fans going. But yes this year Winnipeg folks are coming out, and so they should. And in a few years when the bombers are not doing so well, the core fans will be there, but the casual ones will not be.
Enjoy it Bomber Nation, you have earned it, but keep in mind it does not last for ever.

Was just about to say this!

No way would I travel 6 hours to Regina if our Bombers were having a rough stretch when we are scrapping for a playoff spot! I wouldn't expect Rider fans to do it either!

The fact that there are still a good handful of Rider fans, says everything you need to know. Riders are a fantastic fanbase! I would say that they are also the most loyal fanbase. Not having an NHL team (or really anything else to do there) helps a lot. You have to give credit where credit is due.

The main question we always get is who has the best fans in the CFL. The polls only have 2 valid options: Bombers and Riders. Without a doubt we have the 2 best groups of fanatics across our country! And we can be really proud of that!

[theaardvark]

"It may not last forever", but dynasties tend to last as long as the principles remain. 

Edmonton has a dynasty where they filled 60K seats for a decade, Calgary after that.  Riders had long had a sellout mentality and were competitive until recently.

The Canadian Mafia took a team in the dumpster, and over the years have created a community friendly team with a tremendous dynamic, from top to bottom, a culture every facet is buying into.  Players coming here for the culture, some have tried "greener" grasses and returned.  And "next man up" has kept the roster filled with talent.  Sure, we got lucky in getting Collaros, and in some of the players drafted, scouted and signed, but I'd offer that many of those players we developed would not have gotten a chance elsewhere, and are a result of what has been built here.

WPG has 4 30k+ games, EDM has 2, BC and SSK have 1 each...  meanwhile GC champs TOR in a 31k seat stadium draw barely 12k, 16k against HAM, and oddly 17k for a Fri night game against CGY (I'm guessing free CNE tickets)..

[LXTSN]

"It may not last forever", but dynasties tend to last as long as the principles remain. 

Edmonton has a dynasty where they filled 60K seats for a decade, Calgary after that.  Riders had long had a sellout mentality and were competitive until recently.

The Canadian Mafia took a team in the dumpster, and over the years have created a community friendly team with a tremendous dynamic, from top to bottom, a culture every facet is buying into.  Players coming here for the culture, some have tried "greener" grasses and returned.  And "next man up" has kept the roster filled with talent.  Sure, we got lucky in getting Collaros, and in some of the players drafted, scouted and signed, but I'd offer that many of those players we developed would not have gotten a chance elsewhere, and are a result of what has been built here.

WPG has 4 30k+ games, EDM has 2, BC and SSK have 1 each...  meanwhile GC champs TOR in a 31k seat stadium draw barely 12k, 16k against HAM, and oddly 17k for a Fri night game against CGY (I'm guessing free CNE tickets)..

Very true.
There are a good handful of players that I personally had run short of patience with, but the bombers coaching was stubborn in their belief in the players. I'll give you a couple examples:

Brady Olivera - Early last year, I felt like I was leading the charge to have Augustine start and Olivera sit (or at least reduce his snaps). I would display their stats, show pass blocking highlights, but MOS would stick with BO averaging 3 yards per carry. Now this guy is the best RB in the league!

Kenny Lawler - His first season here, I remember watching the preseason games and he couldn't catch the ball. He must have dropped 4-6 easy catches. I was baffelled that they kept this guy around. What did they see in him??

I've learned along the way to just sit back and trust in our front office and MOS.
Sometimes their patience is infuriating. But maybe guys like Bennett, Kramdi or even Jackson are the players in our future.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Very true.
There are a good handful of players that I personally had run short of patience with, but the bombers coaching was stubborn in their belief in the players. I'll give you a couple examples:

Brady Olivera - Early last year, I felt like I was leading the charge to have Augustine start and Olivera sit (or at least reduce his snaps). I would display their stats, show pass blocking highlights, but MOS would stick with BO averaging 3 yards per carry. Now this guy is the best RB in the league!

Kenny Lawler - His first season here, I remember watching the preseason games and he couldn't catch the ball. He must have dropped 4-6 easy catches. I was baffelled that they kept this guy around. What did they see in him??

I've learned along the way to just sit back and trust in our front office and MOS.
Sometimes their patience is infuriating. But maybe guys like Bennett, Kramdi or even Jackson are the players in our future.

Agreed for the most part but I'm not buying into Bennett, he's mobile enough but just does not have the stature at 6'-0" 235 to make an impact, he's MLB sized.  The smallest DE on the team next to him is Haba at 6'-2" 250 lbs.

[theaardvark]

Agreed for the most part but I'm not buying into Bennett, he's mobile enough but just does not have the stature at 6'-0" 235 to make an impact, he's MLB sized.  The smallest DE on the team next to him is Haba at 6'-2" 250 lbs.

Its not size, its how you play...  Remember Haywood/Brown?  5'8 and 6'7?

Don't knbow what Bennett's wingspan is, but there must be a reason they have him at DE...

[M.O.A.B.]

Its not size, its how you play...  Remember Haywood/Brown?  5'8 and 6'7?

Don't knbow what Bennett's wingspan is, but there must be a reason they have him at DE...

Because there's no other Canadian option at DE

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Its not size, its how you play...  Remember Haywood/Brown?  5'8 and 6'7?

Don't knbow what Bennett's wingspan is, but there must be a reason they have him at DE...

His enthusiasm is contagious???

[TecnoGenius]

Just my two sense here, and I have said it a couple times before. It is always easy to be a fan when your teams wins. It is the fans that stay around when your team totally sucks or is just an ok team, those are the true fans and that will always show up. It is always easy to get buts in the seats when there is a good chance you will win.

Nice to see you chime in jayrock.  You're pretty much right on all counts.  It's good that both prairie teams have the best fans.  Tons of fans gutted out our garbage era @IGF until Biggie/Nichols came along.

To my eye over the last 10-15 years it looks like WPG has much longer good/bad cycles, and SSK shorter ones.  Not sure if that's true, but that's my perception.  But that could mean good times are around the corner for SSK.  This year isn't a great reflection of things since T.Harris went down.  Let's not forget SSK was *this* close to getting to the big game 2 years in a row.  But Dickie is running out of time...

TOR fans don't deserve a good team, WPG and SSK do! 

The green fans I saw and chatted with @BB didn't seem as bummed out this year as last for some strange reason.  Weird.  I think finally getting rid of Cody was a cathartic moment.

[GCn19]

Just my two sense here, and I have said it a couple times before. It is always easy to be a fan when your teams wins. It is the fans that stay around when your team totally sucks or is just an ok team, those are the true fans and that will always show up. It is always easy to get buts in the seats when there is a good chance you will win.
2007 to about 2015 super easy to fill the seats at a Riders game, win and they show up. Its not as easy sell when you get a burger dropped on you.
As for the bombers, one of the top teams in the CFL this year and last year, the top team in 2021 so it is easy to be a fam and it is easy to get casual fans caught up in the excitement of a home game.
The solid core fan base from the Bombers and the Riders are hands down some of the best fans going. But yes this year Winnipeg folks are coming out, and so they should. And in a few years when the bombers are not doing so well, the core fans will be there, but the casual ones will not be.
Enjoy it Bomber Nation, you have earned it, but keep in mind it does not last for ever.

We will enjoy a long run at or near the top. It's our Bomber birth right. lol. JK. However, I must be the paradox to your example. I was a season ticket holder from 1990-2019. I started my season tix with a Grey Cup and ended them with one. A ton of lean years in between though. Through those years I travelled to almost every LDC, and the odd away game here and there when the stars aligned. Now I travel to no games. However, a lot of that has to do with semi-retirement becoming full retirement, a full time move to my cottage in Northern Manitoba, and a hefty investment in a pretty darn expensive home theatre system to watch games at home. I still try to make a couple games a year though, can't go cold turkey.

[TecnoGenius]

We will enjoy a long run at or near the top. It's our Bomber birth right. lol. JK. However, I must be the paradox to your example. I was a season ticket holder from 1990-2019. I started my season tix with a Grey Cup and ended them with one. A ton of lean years in between though. Through those years I travelled to almost every LDC

Can you think back to any those pre-2015 eras when you were at the LDC and try to remember how good the WPG fan attendance was at LDC?  And compare to the BB?  I'm curious if the ratio was a lot different when the greenies were winning while we sucked.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Can you think back to any those pre-2015 eras when you were at the LDC and try to remember how good the WPG fan attendance was at LDC?  And compare to the BB?  I'm curious if the ratio was a lot different when the greenies were winning while we sucked.

Why? Who cares?

[theaardvark]

Can you think back to any those pre-2015 eras when you were at the LDC and try to remember how good the WPG fan attendance was at LDC?  And compare to the BB?  I'm curious if the ratio was a lot different when the greenies were winning while we sucked.

Good teams get great turnouts, ones that suck, less so.  And championship teams in the largest adn lamest markets don't draw flies (In  stadium that sells out for soccer).

Teams with great fans get good turnouts good or bad...We've always had great fans