David Braley thinks it is about time the Toronto Argonauts hosted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Labour Day.
“I’m sure Hamilton’s going to fight like hell, but when you think about it, it’s common sense,? Braley, the owner of the Argos and B.C. Lions, said on Wednesday. “It should alternate between the two cities each year.?
“I can see, three or four years down the road, 40,000 or even 50,000 sitting at the Rogers Centre watching a Labour Day game,? said Braley, who is “very serious? about the idea.
Labour day in southern Ontario is Hamilton's day. The city is traditionally a blue collar, labour town. If the game is played in Toronto, the Ti-Cats would lose their biggest draw of the year and I am sure the numbers would not be as good in Toronto. I don't think Braley would go for this when he owned the Cats and being from Hamilton he knowable what that game means to the city. Looks like Brarley needs to go back drinking beer and stay away from those fancy drinks with umbrellas in them that they serve in Toronto.
I can’t find anywhere that I said there were no working class people in Toronto. However if you asked which town typifies the image of working class blue collar people, Hamilton or Toronto, I am sure the vast majority would say Hamilton.
I've had this idea for a while so maybe this might work...
Holiday traditional rivalry games...
Labour Day ...Toronto vs Hamilton/Edmonton vs Calgary/Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan/Montreal vs BC (maybe Ottawa...Potentially Quebec City?)
Thanksgiving Weekend...Hamilton vs Toronto/Calgary vs Edmonton/Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg/Montreal vs BC (or whomever)...
I realize that,for whatever reason the following week seems to be reserved for the return matchups for Winnipeg and Edmonton..However,I think that the several week buildup for the rematch in a rivalry game might assist in making it more important.Not to mention that it's a holiday that seems to keep people near their homes and not away for the weekend...
Just something I've thought about for a long time...And,it might appease someone like Braley,who might get his way considering his clout as an owner...
Who are you asking? It’s such a simplistic view that Hamilton is about steel mills and Toronto is about business towers that it’s usually the basis of humour, not image. The vast majority of Hamiltonians do not work in a steel mill. You wouldn’t like how the vast majority of Canadians view Hamilton. I suspect the vast majority of CFL fans view the city based on the stadium fiasco.
Alternating between the two cities for Labour Day may be the best thing for the TiCats. This notion that the LDC is about celebrating the working class chip on Hamilton’s shoulder doesn’t sell seasons tickets.
I'm with JFL on this one. Big joke. What a nerve Braley has. Even from an attendance perspective, their highest attendance this year is lower than our lowest. We sell out LD there is no reason to change the tradition. If we alternate LD then everyone else better alternate it too. No special treatment for the blue team
Get used to it people. In case you haven't noticed, Braley almost always gets his way in this league. I haven't seen any credible arguments against alternating the game each year. As Braley suggests, there is the potential to draw 40,000+ at Rogers. Why would the league want to restrict a big draw like this to a puny 22,500 seat stadium every year?