Is there anyone coming to Winnipeg this year? Wouldn’t mind putting names to faces and I also booked off the Thursday/Friday to take in the atmosphere.
Also…Its looking like the halftime show might consist of some of these artists that are passing through Canada during the same time. There were some other intriguing rock bands but they either play on Saturday or would require criss-crossing.
Burton Cummings
Econoline Crush
The Trews
Wyatt Flores
Any of the bands playing earlier in the week (The Watchmen, Alan Doyle, The Reklaws)
My first impression is less than impressed so I hope someone comes out of the woodwork but I highly doubt it.
Doesn’t look very good except for Burton. World rock royalty and a Winnipegger. Maybe they can get him and fellow Winnipegger Randy Bachman together as they have done in the past. With Robbie Robertson’s passing and Winnipegger Neil Young unlikely to come north for the Grey Cup, you can’t do better for a Canadian band than Bachman/Cummings.
Here are some other musicians coming through Canada that are 95% not available (never say never)
Sloan (Vancouver Sat, Calgary Thurs)
Matthew Good (Wpg Nov 6, NB Fri, Ott Mon)
I Mother Earth (Wpg Nov 6, NB Fri, Ott Mon)
Jessie Reyez (Vancouver 21, Winnipeg 28)
Yung Bae (Portland Sat)
Blue Rodeo (London ON Sat, Kingston 20)
Bachman/Cummings would be great. And, as much as I would love to see/hear guys like that, how would they appeal to the next generation of fans that the CFL is “rumoured” to want to attract? PLEEEEEEZZZZ no break-dancing, or unintelligible jibberish masquerading as mucic.
But, what I really want to know is: tickets. If the Riders get there, what are the chances of picking up some ducats without mortgaging my firstborn?
It would be a great year to have those two homegrown boys play, but I’m not counting on it. Everything will be sold out (it ain’t Taranna Dorothy). A little musical education for the young and tone deaf couldn’t hurt.
Can’t help you with tickets offhand. Still far too early. At least one Western team will be there. If by some miracle it’s Bombers vs Riders tickets will be through the roof. Otherwise I expect they’ll be marked up, but it depends who is playing. If the Bombers don’t make it I expect there will be availability, but 33,000 vs 50,000 will mean they will likely be worth a premium.
While it is possible, but unlikely, that the BB will host the GC, how many season ticket holders get first dibs on tickets, and what percentage would give them up (50% more or less?) if the BB are bystanders?
Don’t know, but I expect lots would keep them, especially in the unlikely event the Riders make the game. I know I did when I had season tickets. I had to watch a crappy Ottawa/Edmonton game last time, but hey it was a Grey Cup in my hometown. If the Riders don’t make it there should be a lot more tickets available, especially if Calgary makes it, although that would seem to be unlikely.
OK….so now that we have sorted out the unlikely WPG, CGy, SK. participation, that leaves just BC and EE….and EE probably bows out this week. Hmmmmm…………
And there is one other determination, still unresolved: weather. If it is MAJOR minus, I wouldn’t go. And that, my friend, is the real issue that the league, and the commish, should have addressed, instead of re-arranging the deck chairs after the Titanic struck an iceberg. The newer “softer” fans who are entertained by their devices, won’t embrace sitting in frozen seats, trying to stay alive. GC should never be later than mid-October, preferably Thanksgiving weekend.
yup….added that before I saw your post. That could be easily accomplished without starting training camp a whole month earlier. Axe one pre-season game. Sked a Thurs. or Fri to Sunday (long week) in lieu of a bye-week (maybe even two of those) and you may be able to start camp only a week or 10 days earlier.
So JON, when the current commish wears out his welcome after the proposed changes don’t meet expectations, maybe you could throw your hat in the ring for new commish, and make a Thanksgiving GC a priority.
That would be fine, but you may not like all of my initiatives. I can assure you that I wouldn’t touch the essence of the Canadian game such as field width, 3 downs, 12 men and the waggle, albeit the latter reluctantly. I would not abide carnival plays, however, and would ensure that the best players available in the opinion of the GM’s and coaches not be prevented from playing, thereby raising the overall quality of the game even more and making the salary cap fair. There would be one division to ensure fairness for playoff qualification and seeding and the best possible playoff competition and it would remain that way unless and until there were 12 teams, which would be another goal of mine.
The cutoff date for season ticket holders retaining their seats for the GC has long passed. If they haven’t purchased their priority tickets yet the seats have already been allocated to general sales.
If the Bombers don’t make it, there will be many of the priority tickets available on the secondary market.
I know I did when I had season tickets. I had to watch a crappy Ottawa/Edmonton game last time, but hey it was a Grey Cup in my hometown. If the Riders don’t make it there should be a lot more tickets available, especially if Calgary makes it, although that would seem to be unlikely.
that leaves just BC and EE….and EE probably bows out this week. Hmmmmm…………