major announcement - big changes to cfl playoff and season start

[jets4life]

Need to go back to a time before cable when we only had 3 channels on TV, early to mid 70's would have seen peak attendance for Argos, Als and the Esks.  Free trade kicked down the door to American culture.

Peak attendance for the Alouettes and Argos peaked in the late 70s. Eskimo attendance peaked in 1983.

We have to keep in mind that Montreal did not play in Olympic Stadium until 1977 (first full year), and Edmonton did not play in Commonwealth stadium until 1978, and even then, the stadium was not full expanded, which would occur in the early 80s, at 60,000. Toronto peaked in the late 70s.

In the first half of the 70s, Edmonton and Montreal did not have the capacity to draw huge crowds.

Montreal peaked in 1977 (59,525/game)
Toronto peaked in 1976 (47,356/game)
Edmonton peaked in 1982 (57,901/game)
BC peaked in 1986 (46,638/game)
Winnipeg peaked in 2025 (32,343/game)
Saskatchewan peaked in 2013 (37,503/game)
Calgary peaked in 2009 (36,502/game)
Ottawa peaked in 1975 (28,104/game)
Hamilton peaked in 2005 (28.002/game)

[jets4life]

West



East




League avg attendance:

[bomber beetle]

I would say the CFL was in it's heyday period prior to 1980.
In the 50's and 60's, almost every football fan in Canada was a CFL fan.
That started shifting to the NFL, maybe in the late 70's?
Now there are more NFL fans than CFL fans in this country and the gap continues to grow.
That is the big problem that needs to be solved...not saying it is by converting NFL fans but by having football fans follow both leagues.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Except the 45+ crowd just happens to be the huge majority of the loyal STHs.  Until they are all dead you can't just ignore them and tick them off with unwanted changes.

There is a constant stream of people turning 50, many of them football fans, with age lifestyles and hobbies change.  Why cheer for a team in a far flung location with no real connection, when you can cheer for a team playing in your own city and experience a true connection with other fans?

[Tecno]

Toronto peaked in 1976 (47,356/game)
Saskatchewan peaked in 2013 (37,503/game)

TOR didn't top that in the John Candy/Gretzky years in the Sky Dome??

SSK had 37k capacity in that old tiny Mosaic??

[jets4life]

TOR didn't top that in the John Candy/Gretzky years in the Sky Dome??

SSK had 37k capacity in that old tiny Mosaic??

Toronto's peak year for the Candy/McNall/Gretzky owed Argos was 1991, when they managed to sign college football star Rocket Ismail. They never came close to beating their attendance in the late 70s, as they averaged 36,304 that season.

With the Riders, they may have left temporary seating for the 2013 season. I checked out the Wikipedia page for the 2013 Riders, and the drew huge crowds all season, peaking with the Labour Day classic at 44,910.

PS....Taylor Field was never tiny. I think the capacity was nearly identical to the old Winnipeg Stadium.

source: https://kenn.com/blog/sports-attendance/all-time-cfl-attendance/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Saskatchewan_Roughriders_season

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I would say the CFL was in it's heyday period prior to 1980.
In the 50's and 60's, almost every football fan in Canada was a CFL fan.
That started shifting to the NFL, maybe in the late 70's?
Now there are more NFL fans than CFL fans in this country and the gap continues to grow.
That is the big problem that needs to be solved...not saying it is by converting NFL fans but by having football fans follow both leagues.

Agreed, in the 60's and 70's the CFL was a bigger part of Canadian culture and results were always front and center in the headlines, Grey Cup parties were huge and it was aptly nicknamed "The Great Canadian Drunk".  By the late 80's many teams were struggling with attendance, in 1987 the Riders held a telethon to keep the team afloat.

[jets4life]

Agreed, in the 60's and 70's the CFL was a bigger part of Canadian culture and results were always front and center in the headlines, Grey Cup parties were huge and it was aptly nicknamed "The Great Canadian Drunk".  By the late 80's many teams were struggling with attendance, in 1987 the Riders held a telethon to keep the team afloat.

How old are you and bomber beetle?  I am middle aged, and this was way before my time.

[bomber beetle]

Born in 1961.
I went to my first game in 1972.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

In stadium attendance is a cherry picked stat which has some relevance but mostly pats a few folks on the back in an attempt to sell a stupid "golden years"  narrative.

The entertainment landscape in 1980 was incredibly different from today. The economies are different. Buying power is different. What people are willing to pay for is different.

It's like owning a Yo-Yo brand, pointing to the 1980s sales charts, and then saying they should copy the original colours of the 1980s because it was a good time for Yo-Yos.

Don't go into business folks. Nice try.

[tlf]

Terrible idea, won't happen.  While the changes are not perfect the league needs support more than ever.  It will get sorted out.

No thanks.  I cancelled my seasons after a long long time.  I do not support this crap.  I will go to the odd game but they will not get $2000 off of me this year.  Wade voted for this to get money.  He likes money. That's his only thing. As a Canadian I expected better from him.  But he's about the party and the money, no longer the tradition of the game. 

I loved the CFL and the 110 yard field and the 3 downs and the long end zones you could make amazing plays in.  We have 3 downs for now, but who knows for how long.

That playoff format is a farce.  I thought Ambrosie was bad...well he looks good now.  Wow.   Many cannot afford multiple playoff tickets.  Some can, but how many?  I guess it's ok for some, but I'm not sure all cities will sell.

Want the next gen of fans to come? Get halftime shows.  We have a crappy band playing.  BC gets it.  We do not.

I'll buy a jersey but that's it for this year, maybe the home opener to see how awful it is. I want to support my team, and I will a bit, but Wade doesn't get my full money this year.

[TBURGESS]

In stadium attendance is a cherry picked stat which has some relevance but mostly pats a few folks on the back in an attempt to sell a stupid "golden years"  narrative.

The entertainment landscape in 1980 was incredibly different from today. The economies are different. Buying power is different. What people are willing to pay for is different.

It's like owning a Yo-Yo brand, pointing to the 1980s sales charts, and then saying they should copy the original colours of the 1980s because it was a good time for Yo-Yos.

Don't go into business folks. Nice try.

Attendance is THE stat the CFL needs to increase, not a cherry-picked stat.

The yo-yo comparison is likely the worst comparison you've ever made, and you've made some doozies. 

[theaardvark]

There is no CFL if changes don't get made. 

Saying "Wade voted for it because he likes money" is not the flex you think it is.  Yes, EVERY team "likes money".  They especially like having money over not having money.

There are going to be angel owners that can subsidize thier vanity project / hobby.  But there aren't going to be 9 of them that are willing to sink millions in every year.

Wade is interested in the longevity of the league far more than his own job.  Or the money for a community owned team that cannot accumulate money.

So his vote for the changes has no personal monetary motivation, he knows that if the league as a whole is not viable, his beloved team is gone, regardless how much is in the bank.

I applaud your gumption, but not your logic.  I, too, let my seasons go this year, but for completely different reasons, mostly personal.  But I will be watching every CFL game that is broadcast.

In the next few years, we will either see an improvement in the watchability of the league, and with that, new eyes on screens, and butts in seats, or the start of the demise of the league.

If the league had done nothing, though, new eyes/butts were not going to happen.  And as each lifelong fan shuffles off this mortal coil, the league slowly dies.

I like the fact there is a chance that the changes make the league viable into the future. 

[Jesse]

There is no CFL if changes don't get made. 

Why?

[Jesse]

Attendance is THE stat the CFL needs to increase.

Viewership, ad revenue, and gambling.

Physical attendance is getting increasingly less important.