Arash Madani's Article

League’s fault. They kept going to the well. These Grey Cups need to be planned over a longer time, especially in Eastern markets. Their pricing needs to be reviewed before they run out of geezards. They need to make this more attractive to a new generation of pilgrims.

I don’t think Ottawa will have a problem at all with selling out next year. They don’t need more planning, it will be a success.
We shouldn’t be judging the whole league by Toronto, even if they reduced the price I don’t think Torontonians are interested in the CFL. Maybe if they sold a package that included the outdoor NHL game.
I think the new Argo owners really misjudged the interest. The move to BMO was going to generate huge interest in outdoor football and it would be capped off by the Grey Cup game.

Considering Toronto sold out the past 2 Grey Cups in larger venues and one featuring no southern Ontario team to boot, is not indicative or lack thereof of interest in the event here.

Also, considering Winnipeg had to remove sections to get a sellout and Vancouver struggled the year before that, I think future hosts really need to learn lessons from the previous ones. If Ottawa learn, they won’t have any issues and will be great hosts.

Yep, the 2012 Grey Cup in Toronto was the most successful game in history. Sold out stadium, thousands taking part in the Grey Cup marathon through the streets of Toronto leading up to the big game with 3.6 million fans in the extended Toronto market watching the 100th Grey Cup on TV. To claim now that Toronto doesn't like the CFL or Argos is ridiculous. They might not want to trundle down to Skydome or BMO to watch them live but the CFL TV ratings in southern Ontario are comparable to other regions.

We should remember that fans know that all Argo home games will be televised in Toronto...and you can't blame them for staying home as the CFL is a tremendous TV event...the best in the world! It's only problem is it's Canadian which is the kiss of death in this country. Despite that Canadian football is stronger than ever before in it's 150-year history. :thup:

Maybe in many parts of Canada that may be true - but that simply is not true in Toronto right now. The thousands of empty seats at BMO, the dropping ratings for the last few Argos games, zero chatter/buzz about the team and several thousands of unsold Grey Cup seats are pretty much proof of that.

I mean they cut almost their entire receiving core and the reaction of sports fans in Toronto is a giant Yawn! or a ‘I’ve never even heard of those guys’.

Had the Leafs, Jays, Raptors done anything remotely similar with starters on their rosters - it would be being disected by everybody everywhere. Heck even a TFC move like that would at least have the TFC fans in hyper ventilation mode.

The giant A doesn’t stand so much for Argos in that market right now - it more aptly stands for Apathy right now.