The Argos' fan band, the Argo Notes, won't be at the game today because of incidents last year. It seems some TiCats fans took it upon themselves to attack the musicians at the tailgate party. They are not prepared to risk personal injury or damage to their instruments.
Any witnesses?
If this is true then it's a good thing the blue team isn't here on Labour Day. It's outrageous another teams' fans don't feel safe at IWS and enforces a negative stereotype of Hamilton. I doubt seasons ticket holders act like this. The offenders probably only come to a game on Labour Day with the intent of harassing people from Toronto.
Although I really hope that this isn’t true I have to agree Ockham, it’s disgusting to think that fans of other teams may not feel safe. It wasn’t until I got the internet many years ago that I truly felt what some of the country thinks of Hamilton and our people…it’s quite sad. To physically attack another over a football game or any other game is terrible and reflects poorly on our fellow fans and our city.
I heard last year that some drunk idiot tried to drop kick one of the Argo Notes. I also heard that some punks(s) were following them around harassing them.
I agree with Ockham, I doubt any STH were involved. It is likely the jerks involved only come to the Labour Day game to cause a ruckus.
8) I'm quite sure that there will extra police and security people on duty for tonights game.
This is the one bad thing about a Sat. night game against the Argos. It gives the one game a year drunken yahoos
all day long to get juiced up, before heading out to the game, intent on just looking for trouble when they get there.
Argo fans have been coming to Hamilton for a hundred years it never seemed to worry them in the past. I think their fans have had trouble going to home games in TO let alone here in the Hammer.
I recall us Ticats fans on the "Cats Claws" excursion getting attacked by Argo fans outside the Dome in 2004 (semi-final)......they came right into the bus compound and right into the buses to get at us.
I've never had a problem at Skydome. Could it be certain people bring hostility upon themselves?
If some idiots at Skydome did give some TiCats fans a hard time once does that justify an attack on the Argo Notes? Would anyone justify attacking their cheerleaders? Civilized behaviour suggests otherwise.
Has anyone partied with blue team fans at Grey Cup? Any personal friends who misguidedly cheer for the concrete convertable tenants?
If you honestly believe Argos fans deserve actual or threats of physical violence you need psychiatric help and/or penal containment.
Actually I was in downtown TO last night after the Jays game. There seemed to be a lot of people enjoying themselves in the restaurants and bars. Is there a theatre district in Hamilton? Restaurants? Bars? Where is downtown Hamilton anyway? Jackson Square? Why are there no places to get a pint around IWS?
Your hometown pride is admirable yet an intrinsically flawed argument.
The topic of this thread is so-called TiCats fans intimidating out of town paying customers. As most games at IWS are not sold-out we need to attract fans from the visiting team. Maintaining an image of a threatening environment hurts the TiCats bottom line and Hamilton's image which I can assure you could stand improvement.
"Canada’s two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal, also fared well. While news headlines leave the impression streets run with blood, the worst of the crime is committed within a few high-risk areas. Maclean’s ranked Toronto’s crime score a respectable 29th of 100 cities, improving from 26th last year. Montreal improved to 24th from 19th."
Personally, when I go to a Jays or blue team game I stay away from Scarborough, Jane & Finch, and place like that. Downtown Toronto, the home of Canada's top corporations, theatre district, etc, seems perfectly safe to me.
Quite clearly there are morons and losers in any city who love to harass and intimidate (and in some cases assault) visiting fans of the other team. It’s a shame the pep band for the Argos won’t be there today. These situations need to be remedied and dealt with harshly.
Thanks to the Cats fans who have spoken out here against the handful of idiots who have made it not worth going to IWS for a lot of Argo fans, myself included. I love the stadium and don't live too far away, but the last few times I went the abuse I got simply for wearing an Argo hat was way beyond tolerable, and I vowed not to subject myself to that hatred ever again. I have had seasons tix in Toronto for decades and have never seen anything more than good-natured joshing with Ticats fans. It's a real shame that a few idiots have forced me and others to stay away from IWS. The CFL needs strong franchises in both cities, and the two franchises need each other, so abusive behaviour in one stadium is self-defeating.
