Tigertown is clearly acting fast to our win and are snapping up Eastern Final tickets fast. This is the message I just got on the Ticketmaster site when I tried to pull up the 'Pick your own Seats' function for the Eastern Final.
[i]'Attention!
LOTS of fans are trying to buy tickets right now – you have a much better shot if we search the best available seats for you.
We’re turning off the Interactive Seat Map and removing any seats you’ve selected. Click OK to search best available and we’ll help you find seats faster than humanly possible![/i]
Yes, there will definately be more Ticat fans than Argo fans. Argo fans are always complaining that their attendance is low because of the RC, so my guess they will all stay at home and the dome will be full of Ticat fans.
I wonder if the demand will be great enough for them to open up the 500 level? So many Mac fans snapped up Vanier Cup tickets in the week before the 2012 Vanier Cup that two days before the game they opened up sales in the 500 level and they ended up with over 37,000 at that game. Same thing happened for one of the International Bowl games when University of Buffalo played and UB fans snapped up so many tickets they opened up the 500 level for that game in the last few days before the game and it drew over 40,000. Both those games had FANTASTIC atmospheres (I was at both) until Laval and UConn ran away with those in the 4th quarter of those games. And yes I did just use the term 'fantastic atmosphere' when describing a football game at the Rogers Centre.
I think one of the last times Hamilton played in Toronto for an Eastern final was the classic 1983 game that the Argos won in a 41-36 thriller before 54,000 at Exhibition Stadium that included me and about 15,000 other Hamilton fans. We lost but boy was that fun to be at. Fantastic crowd to be a part of - with even the GO Train ride in from Hamilton being fun. They ran a special train starting in Hamilton for that game and it was a blast as Argos fans would be in shock and disbelief as they were greeted with thunderous chants of Oskee Wee Wee and Argos Suck! as they stepped on the packed train in places like Clarkson, Mimico and Long Branch.
the 1984 Eastern Final, where we beast Toronto 14-13 in overtime on the strength of Ruoff’s kicking/punting in a rainstorm
the 1986 Eastern Final, where we beat Toronto in a 2-game, total point series after being down by as much as 26 points!! One of the greatest come-backs ever!
And apparently that was the last Ticats-Argos eastern final … until now.
Expat - I remember those 84 and 86 games as well - and it was great that we won those games but neither came close to matching the atmosphere at the sold out 83 game. It was something special! Most of the 15,000 or so Hamilton fans were in the stadium a good half hour before kick-off and we had that place rocking right to the final whistle. It was an unbelievably good football game too - a thriller sort of like the semi-final we won against the Als two years ago on the entertainment scale. (too bad we loss - but Wow - what a great game!)
The 84 game we won but I really don't remember much about it at all - other than winning even though I was there. I do remember it not being a sellout (about 48,000) but there were not nearly as many Ti-Cats fans there as had been there the year before and the crowd was dead in comparison to the raucous atmosphere the year before. The comeback in 86 was amazing but there were only 32,000 at that game and I think less than 2,000 of those were Ti-Cats fans.
I would love to see a HUGE turnout from Hamilton. I have my ticket already (sitting with friends who are Argos season ticket holders - so the Cats better win or I'll never hear the end of it.) No reason we shouldn't get at least 15,000 Cat fans at that game if not more IMHO.
think it will be disappointing if we don't get at least 15,000 Ti-Cat fans there. it looked like from videos I've seen
83 was heartbreakng,,we got ripped ,,,,84 was cold wet and ot,brock to johnson with felix wright 4 ints,,,,86 gm2 was the best,,we came back down 26 or 27 points and win,,on to the cup
Well the Vanier Cup last year had it’s largest crowd ever and it was packed with mostly McMaster fans. If you get the same bandwagon effect that happened last year, we might even out number the Argo fans. We’ll know later in the week if the Argonauts decide to open the 500 level.
I also know there’s a lot of bad mouthing the Skydome but last year was my first football game at there, and I have to say I enjoyed the experience. It’s a perfectly fine stadium to watch football in.
Theres nothing wrong with going to a game a the dome, I actually like watching games there even though the site lines aren't the best. I will be there with hopefully a huge group on Sunday.
There is always a huge group behind the away bench but im hoping a ton of fans show up and pack every section. I know there will also be a lot of cats fans in the endzone.
Well this could very well be the last hurrah for the old girl Rogers Centre with a playoff game EDF between the Argos and Ticats before the Argos move into new or different gridiron specific digs so it really might be a real fun time at any rate.
No there is no 'real' tailgating. Sometimes they set-up a beer garden somewhere around the Rogers Centre and call it a tailgate party. But you have to pay big bucks for their officially licensed beer. At least that is what they have done for previous games there like Grey Cups, Bills games etc.
Toronto police (when not tailing Rob Ford) are quick to write tickets for having any alcohol or beer of your own outside the licensed beer garden.
