BMO Will Not "Save" The Argos

[b]Paulo Senra @paulosenra Paulo Senra (CFL Director of Communications)
Blue Jays averaged 20,000 just 6yrs ago. It's been 2gms at BMO, lots more to do. @Sportsnet trashing #CFL. Shocking.

Sportsnet ?@SNstats
Tonight's attendance of 12,373 is the lowest for a regularly-scheduled #Argonauts home game since Week 2 in 2001[/b]

I tend to agree with Kasps on this. There are no excuses when there is 18,000 at a concert a few punts away. They managed to get there.
A reason though that the Argos can only attract 12,000 on a Wed. night is probably linked to many of their fans moving away from Tor. years ago in what is called 'the great white exodus.' I know several Argo fans who live 70 miles or more from BMO. It it really difficult to drive that far and get home at a reasonable hour if you have to work the next day. It's these kind of fans that boost the TV ratings.... My son recently went to the Bomber game in Hamilton and had to take time off work in the afternoon just so he could make the stadium before kickoff. He was dead tired the next day at work. Over 200 miles return trip through dense population( somebody's flat tire can delay you hours) and you can see what I mean.

Give Area some credit. He's always right and even let's us know he is. :slight_smile:

Agreed they need to start thier renwals this season. Yes, I overlooked the Ti-Cats promos almost going year round.

With the late start, I do think this ownership had to cut some corners to get things ready. Even the Grey Cup launch is behind shcedule compared to other years.

I do also think they need to add perks in the season ticket plans. The sell was really - be the first in BMO and get Grey Cup early acess to tickets and other related events.

I would also like to see multi-year options - say ranging from 1 through t years. The longer the term, the better the perks and per game price you pay....plus a longer term protects against future increases. This way, they will never have 100% of the season ticket base be renewing at once and they can focus more on new sales. Not sure if any other team does these terms.

The entire league needs to wake the F up.....
Simple things like a video game ten years ago, would have gone a long way to preventing this in the first place. 30% of TV viewers have walked away since 2010

It's been a scorched earth on top of the US wannabe factor with the kool aid drinking fans and media.
It's obvious there is major work required and frankly I am not sure this thing will ever work, as I hate to admit and hope I am dead wrong, as being a CFL/Argo only fan here in the city.

The truth is CFL ratings are up this season by 13% and penalties are down by over 20%. The games have been close and exciting.

The Argos averaged 14,000 fans last year but so far they're averaging over 18,000 this season, a substantial increase. Let's wait to see how the season plays out before the "doom & gloomers" crawl from under their rocks to slag the Argos and CFL.

The Argos are not going out of business. The team was purchased this year by a local Toronto billionaire and one of the largest corporations in Canada...who have invested tens of millions in providing the team a real football stadium to play in (along with permanent practice and training facilities) and have the resources of one of the most successful and largest sports corporations in the world to draw upon. :thup:

If BMO does not work out, how does this sound ? :

ATLANTIC ARGONAUTS

^^This.^^ :thup:

It may not work but the Argos are not going anywhere/under. Again, BCE needs the CFL and if they have to take the profits from the Grey Cup to cover their losses from other non Grey Cup seasons, they’ll hold their nose and do it.

These successful sports organizations didn’t get rich by investing in losing money propositions .There not stupid and won’t invest in the Argo’s if the people of Toronto continue not to care or show up.

I disagree when it comes to BCE. Again, they need the CFL for Canadian summer content - as much as the CFL needs TSN/BCE. As long as the annual losses can be covered by a twice a decade Grey Cup (which I believe they can), the Argos will be more than fine.

Besides, BCE knew what they were getting into when they bought the Argos. They tried to avoid it. They prayed someone else would buy them. But, somewhere along the line, they had a meeting and said :

“Look… We need the CFL for almost 300 hours of summer content. We make $50M/yr on the League. If the Argos go under we MAY lose it all. We have no choice but to buy the team.”

Then someone said, “But if we buy the team we can never sell or fold them. We are stuck with them FOREVER because causing them to die would be horrible for BCE optics wise”.

Then the BOG said, “We know. We’re in for a pinch, we’re in for a pound. Let’s hold our collective noses and do this”.

**

If BCE ever decides to get out of the Sports TV business (sell TSN), then we MIGHT have something to worry about but, my guess, the new owners of TSN would be in the same bind and have to buy the Argos.

Why LT is in this is beyond me. The only explanation is a push for an NFL team.

Argonauts offence, fan support in sorry state after loss
BY FRANK ZICARELLI, TORONTO SUN

[b]Two games at BMO Field, two losses and mounting evidence on the state of fan interest for the Argos and the health of the team’s offence.
Attendance was woeful for Wednesday night’s battle of arms featuring Ricky Ray and Trevor Harris, a fight for first in the East, but yet another indictment on the appeal of three-down football in the Toronto market.

No one expected the Argos to draw anything close to 20,000, but this was brutal, fewer fans in the stands than the crowd that came out to watch the pre-season game last month against Hamilton.

It was a beautiful night for football, an early season battle for first place in the East and yet no one, or not many, seemed to care that a game was being played.
The CFL is a tough sell in Toronto, but this new Argos regime has to do something other than promote tailgating as a way to lure fans.

Other than the lapdogs at TSN, there is little coverage, no promotion of players, nothing, and the Argos should expect nothing when it comes to attracting fans.
It’s sad because BMO Field is a great facility and it was less than half empty.

As the teams changed ends to start the fourth quarter, with the Argos in front 20-17, the crowd was announced at 12,373 — one of the lowest in recent memory, underscoring the enormity of the work that needs to be done.[/b]

It is what it is. I’m just happy they did not paper the house.

What a ridiculous comment.

Have you forgotten that one “home” game was in the middle of Nowhere Alberta? Have you forgotten that two “home” games were in Hamilton?

Yes, Toronto is “averaging” 18,000 this year - - but when it’s a two game sample size with that kind of variation, it’s hard to take you seriously.

Stop with the insults, A51. You can make your point without them.

Games at the Dome were papered. The last 2 games were not. It’s a step in the right direction.

Toronto absolutely MUST start giving away tickets - - it’s the only way they’re going to get asses in seats and start creating some “atmosphere”.

I can’t understand the nonsensical aversion to papering the place. What possible benefit comes from having a stadium that’s 2/3 empty?

There’s ZERO concession sales from empty seats.
There’s ZERO merchandise sales from empty seats.
There’s ZERO atmosphere from empty seats.
There’s ZERO word of mouth from empty seats.
There’s ZERO chance of future ticket sales from empty seats.

Really?

I see the narrative has flipped from last year when the resident apologists insisted that Braley would never, ever, give away free tickets like Rogers did with the Bills series.

First, They could use some help promoting the Argos and the CFL by TSN 1050, TSN owns half the team and TSN 1050 owns the TOR radio broadcast rights yet nada coverage. Go Figure???
The morning show with Naylor and Landsberg are not doing anything for the Team or the League, nada again
TSN 1150 in HAM have outstanding CFL coverage, why not TOR???

Second, They need to put a winning product on the field at home.
Has this team forgotten how to tackle?
That punt return for a TD (which pretty much cost them the game) there were probably 6 missed tackles!
Ellingson is tremendous, his yac is outstanding, but really, 3 more missed tackles setting up another TD
Down by 7 with 90 seconds left on the clock and punt???
Then proceed to miss tackles and coverage and let them march down the field to score another game ending field goal.

The fickle fans of TOR will only support a winner and the winner went to OTT in the offseason in Trevor Harris.
Losing Harris to OTT could be the biggest blunder of all
When one of Harris or Collaros(both QB's were prospect TOR QB's) is playing for the GreyCup @BMO in November it will be an even tougher sell next season.

TBH, I would prefer they paper the house for games with abnormally low paid attendance in order to introduce the game to a new generation or even to entice the casual fan.

It rapidly becomes impossible to sell tickets when people who paid for them realize that half the people in the building aren’t paying. That’s one of the major problems the Bills in Toronto faced. People started waiting out for free/cheap tickets because paying full price is something only suckers do when there’s 10,000 being given away.

It also lets scalpers drive your street price way down, because they can profit at numbers barely above zero.

Pissing off your paying customers by making them feel like suckers for paying isn’t a great way to enhance the experience either.

The problem is human nature. Some of those who paid to be there feel cheated and stop buying. What’s worse in Toronto is the enemies of the franchise will flood the media that the team is giving away tickets.