Hey, it adds to the folklore of Canadian football history, look at past Grey Cup attendances, some were below 2000 and some were over 60,000. Braley was smart though, he probably knew few would show up and it would be a home game for the Argos. And he was right! There could have been more Eskimo fans at Varsity and I'm being dead serious actually. I don't think many people in Edmonton care to go to Ft. Mac for a "vacation day" for any reason. Smart people. I lived in Ft. Mac for 6 months, thank goodness I got outta there when I did. Ain't exactly my dream place to live or visit that's for sure. Never been back and don't plan on going back.
Just a case of poor planning for all involved. Everyone involved in CFL has known for at least two years that the WWC and Pan Am games would cause stadium availibility issues. Only the ESKS prepared well in advance to have their pre season game at Fort Mac. The 5K permanent seats sold out quickly almost two years ago. Causing demand to expand seating to about 15K which sold almost out.
IMO the league, Bell (which knew they were going to take over the Argo's), and TSN should have got involved during last season. Pan AM games dont start until July 10th and the new York venue has been ready with the expanded 12.5K seating.
Second choice should have been London and TD Waterhouse. Similar to what MLSE has done with hosting Gold Cup pool play double header at BMO during the Pan Am games when there are plenty of visitor in Southern Ontario during the Pan Ams.
Same with Ottawa hosting Montreal in pre season in QC at Laval. If planned a year in advance it would have for sure had a much better crowd. The Game was on RDS last minute. If planned a year in advance it could have been promoted on RDS during that time
OSEG and Hunt tried. In hindsight having that game in Montreal at McGill would of had Montreal fans right there and a lt closer for Ottawa fans.
The timing was also poor. The oil sands have dried up and many workers from Toronto/Ontario have gone home or are pinching pennies. Just another time when fate was not on the Argos side.
Who cares about the Expoâs ? How does that make Fort Mac any less of a disgrace ? :roll: This was easily avoidable, the Expo situation was completely different and not comparable at all. :roll:
That is true as well tickets were 100 bucks a pop. Most people had long bought tickets to the pre season game hence the reason more seats were put in place.
With the venue having 5K permanent seats the 4,900 would have made it almost a sell out.
I agree these things cant be thrown together last minute and expect to work. Planning is needed well in advance. ie. TD Atlantic. Norhtern Classic Pre season game in Fort Mac.
Next season should be no conflicts. Unless BMO is not ready in time for pre season or start of regular season. In which case Bell will likely be much more organized to get it right.
Empty seats abound in Olympic Stadium as 2,184 fans watch the Montreal Expos get set to play the Philadelphia Phillies in Montreal in this Sept.5, 2002 file photo[/i]
http://www.canoe.ca/Slam2002/baseball_canada.html
(* I am not directing this at any one poster, nor am I trying to sound condescending... *)
Just like I am assuming the Jays will win their division (thus making it LESS painful if/when it happens), we have to assume this Argos' season will be a wash. Everything will be done on the cheap. Everything will be done just to get by. This year will be junk and next year, we will start anew.
Braley, rightly so, is not going to spend big bucks on a team that he will be losing at season's end. Just accept it.
dcmoses, get with the program, television rules and the TSN/Bell deal means alot. They didn't care about this Ft. Mac game from their perspective, why should you? Bell still ponied up the deal with the CFL. Get it? Not rocket science.
Translation of the above = television networks in any league run the deal with these leagues, NFL, CFL. NHL, NBA, MLB, etc. 80 percent, it's just that we only see this as 10 percent. Think. If an American network told the NFL we will pay you next to double the current contract for the SuperBowl if it's played at 3:00 in the morning New York time, the NFL would be signing on the dotted line as fast as you can say jiffy.
You lost me, TSN doesnât care where they play but will tell them where to play? What does that have to do with the fact that the Argos chose (Websterâs defân; to select freely and after consideration), yes chose, an Argo decision, to play a home game almost 4000 km from Toronto.
Youâre right, nominate those guys for business mind of the year.
All I'm saying is that while TSN didn't tell them in this case where to play, they didn't tell them not to play here or there. It appears to me a non-issue for TSN, if it was an issue TSN would have made absolutely sure the game wasn't played in Fort Mac.
It was a Braley issue to play in Fort Mac, not a CFL issue or an Argo issue as in Argos other administrators. Just like the Bills in Toronto fiasco that Goodell was agains't from my understanding but Ralph Wilson ruled the day on that one, again my understanding. And we know how that ended up, giving away freebie tickets to Rogers employees to get butts in the seats in the Skydump.
I don't know how TSN became a part of the discussion but I never said they had anything to do with it. It was an Argo decision, whether that was Braley or someone else in the organization is irrelevant, Braley is still the owner for this season and when this boneheaded decision was made the sale of the team was way off. It was an Argo decision and a horrible one at that.
Hopefully the new management has far better business sense than the current lot.
Well whatever, it's history, game is over, Argos won and the entire Argo team and management are very happy they won. If there were 50,000 people there and the Argos lost, the Argos would not have been as happy. I'm sure Larry Tanenbaum's group and Bell will operate the Argos differently than Braley, that's a given for sure.
I mentioned this before, not sure what thread, but this Ft Mac "home" game was essentially a road game and put together with their road heavy start to the season could be to Toronto's advantage. 2 of Millanovich's first 3 seasons in Toronto the Argos had a better road record than home and overall they are a better road team during his entire three seasons. Playing what amounts to 8 home and 10 road games might be an advantage as far as their W-L record.
I lived in Ft. Mac for 6 months, thank goodness I got outta there when I did. Ain't exactly my dream place to live or visit that's for sure. Never been back and don't plan on going back.