Renegade Fan-Status???

[url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ottawa/2005/12/09/1345813-sun.html]http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/ ... 3-sun.html[/url]

Even CFL commissioner Tom Wright would have to admit Lonie Glieberman saved the league and Renegades considerable embarrassment with a gamble he took last June 25.

Imagine how pathetic attendance numbers would have been had it not been for his one-day only, $99 ticket sale -- given that six of the team's nine home dates were played under rain.

As it is, the Renegades were the only team in the nation to draw less than 20,000 fans for a game, and they did so seven times. Without the promotional blitz, they might have been performing before more seagulls than humans on most nights.

Glieberman is hoping lightning strikes twice, so to speak, when the Renegades hold a 2-for-1, seven-hour ticket sale to attract new clientele tomorrow.

He doesn't expect nearly the same response he received that Saturday in June, when 5,800 fans turned out to essentially pay $11 a game for a season pass, but he would like to have 1,500 new season ticket holders by the time the 9 a.m.-4 p.m. offer available at four local theatres (Silver City, Coliseum, Gatineau's Star Cite and Galaxy Cinemas) is over.

"We're excited, the buzz is starting to grow," said Glieberman, who continues to whittle away at the CFL-high ticket prices set by the team's original owners. "We think people will see this as a great opportunity to get the best seats at a reasonable cost. Either for themselves or as a great Christmas gift.

"It's unheard of, it's unprecedented, and once again it's a chance for us to connect with the fans."

Only 4,500 of the team's current 12,700 season-ticket holders are regular Joes -- that is, non-corporate or non-$99 accounts.

But then, the fan base took a tremendous hit last off-season, when Wright allowed the Renegades' dawdling ownership to remain in a state of indecision until just days prior to training camp.

Now, under majority shareholder Bernie Glieberman, the Renegades are making up for the silence that followed the 2004 season. They have hired a new, flamboyant coach, John Jenkins.

Their quarterback situation remains up in the air and they have yet to re-sign stars Korey Banks and Josh Ranek, but they have otherwise attacked their list of potential free agents with a very unique approach, inking five of them to either four- or five- year contracts.

And while there was no obvious marketing done by the Renegades all last winter, ads for the 2-for-1 sale are everywhere you look and listen.

Still, a number of fans are going to demand improvement from the product before coming back to the park.

Even though the 7-11 finish in '05 tied the best record an Ottawa pro football team has had since the 1992 Glieberman-owned Rough Riders checked in at 9-9, the way it was put together -- losing eight of the last 10 -- left a bitter taste in the mouths of customers who are starving for a playoff-game hot dog.

With the East Division shaping up as a competitive one next season, Glieberman is wary of making a prediction on how many games his team will win. But he's pretty sure people will enjoy the type of game played by a Jenkins-coached team.

"It's going to be wide open," Glieberman said. "It's going to be exciting."

And odds are it's going to be played in more favourable weather.

Saviours??? Hmmm, Forest Greg, Mardi Gras night, Toga night. Handling of Paopao firing…Hmmmmm I’m scared to ask whats next!

...three ring circus at half-time to go along with the front office performances...maybe they could bring back Horn Chen for the show stopper... :idea:

Marty York reports that Loonie will be hosting all 9 cheerleading squads for a half time show compettition, complete with brass poles. The winning squad will go on a three hour cruise with Loonie to some tropical desert island where they will all star in a low grade movie. Reliable sources report that the winning individual cheerleader will marry Loonie on the next episode of Bachelor.

Ow

its hard to write and chew gum with tongue planted in cheek........

...gawd Sportsmen...why do you think we sound so cynical and negative about the Gliebs.....could it be we have seen this type of show before...well at least you have....does the name Murray the Pez....come to mind.... :lol: :lol: ...there have been a few 'winners in the Peg. as well...

[url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=8e0ec86d-06a5-41ad-89cd-ffce8cb5395d]http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/new ... ce8cb5395d[/url]

The Glieberman family didn't invent the team name Renegades, it was inherited when they bought the club last June.

But what a fit.

Renegades they are, defying just about every operating convention of the eight other CFL cities. If anything, the Ottawa organization seems to delight in living in its own galaxy. It wants to be the Purple Cow in a field of Jerseys. (Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Becoming Remarkable was a bestseller by Seth Godin.)

It could make for an interesting new nickname down the road. The Ottawa Purple Cows.

The mind boggles at the marketing possibilities. Those Vermont bovine souvenirs will seem dull by comparison.

President Lonie Glieberman, currently receiving daggers from other CFL governors over the million-dollar contract he handed to a linebacker, likes to be different. In lieu of a real marketing staff or a media relations director, the five-year contract to Kyries Hebert doubles as a promotion for the Renegades' two-for-one season-tickets sale this Saturday.

Other teams offer two-year contracts and a one-year option. Ottawa is printing off five-year deals like counterfeit currency from the basement. In the case of Hebert, the first two years are guaranteed, at $150,000 per season, wild riches for any defensive player in the Canadian game, let alone a guy ranked 13th in the CFL in defensive tackles last season.

Curiously, when the Renegades want to demonstrate their interest in retaining the core of the club, they sign three defensive backs, a Canadian punter and now a linebacker, all to deals that are four or five years in length.

Defensive back Bo Rogers is said to have a deal worth 90 grand.

Heads are scratching across the country.

So, what else is new?

If the unsung heroes on the defensive side are cashing in, what kind of contracts can we expect for the offensive stars?

The Renegades say they want to bring back quarterback Kerry Joseph, but it's not a sure thing. Should Ottawa's offensive players worry because the well is going to run dry, or will this Mardi Gras madness pervade all the new deals?

One ex-CFLer said, somewhat in jest, that the new player payroll of the Renegades is going to hit $10 million.

I doubt that.

The Gliebermans have consistently campaigned for a real salary cap in the CFL. Some day.

This is a management group that signed almost no one new in 2004, albeit when it didn't have its own football staff in place.

Are the Renegades suddenly going to become big spenders? Let me find my copy of Purple Cow and I'll get back to you on that one.

Their "process" of hiring a new head coach was equally unique, by CFL standards.

When the Winnipeg Blue Bombers set out to hire a new head coach, general manager Brendan Taman interviewed several bright CFL coaches, including: Kent Austin, the Toronto Argos' offensive mastermind; Greg Marshall, the Renegades' defensive co-ordinator last season; former Renegades head coach Joe Paopao; and Montreal Alouettes offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry.

Good choices.

Tough pick for Taman.

When the Renegades went looking for a head coach, they anointed scouting director John Jenkins, who hasn't had another CFL coaching offer since being let go as offensive co-ordinator by the Calgary Stampeders in the summer of 2004.

There was no Ottawa short list. No list of any kind. Jenkins is highly regarded by Renegades football operations boss Forrest Gregg, an old college foe. And so Jenkins got the job. Let the rest of the league conduct interviews.

Then there's the business of the season-tickets sale.

Last year, we gave Lonie his due for a good idea with the $99 season-tickets blitz, launched after the Renegades' first road game, against the Eskimos in Edmonton.

Losing that game wasn't much of a promotion, but the Gliebermans assumed ownership during training camp.

There was no time for a season-tickets campaign. This was a quick fix, it created a sudden buzz, resulting in about 6,000 instant ticket holders for the season in the south stands.

So now that they have time on their side, a two-for-one is the best they can do?

Where's the offseason campaign, led by the quarterback (oops, he needs a contract) and some of the other key players?

What season-tickets holder wants to renew his or her seats from last year when the price just got cut in half?

One corporate ticketholder said yesterday he is going to pass on renewal and get in line tomorrow. Though he can't get the exact seats from 2004, he can request a particular section.

There has been precious little buildup to the two-for-one.

Maybe if they had a media relations director, the club could have staged some public appearances.

But then that would be conventional. Consultant Phil Kershaw, bless him, cranked out a press release yesterday on the ticket sale, going on at local cinemas.

It's going to be interesting to see how fans respond.

Football games are fun to attend twice a month, even with Ottawa's ongoing 26-year search for a winner.

Some fans are learning to separate their competitive urges from their social agenda.

These are the people that sleep well at night.

Make the team work in Ottawa! Gs! and not a freack show then we'll shut up! :smiley:

and chage the unifroms and give Ottawa it's history! then I'll shut up. :wink:

Put the R back on the helmet and a tee and ORR will shut up. :wink:

[url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=57d7478a-9fe7-4a6b-88ad-68c6464b88fc]http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/new ... c6464b88fc[/url]

The Ottawa Renegades will get a firm measure tomorrow of how skeptical their fan base has become when the club offers supporters a two-for-one deal on next year's season tickets.

With the Renegades coming off a 7-11 CFL season, current season-ticket holders and new subscribers must shell out $400 (plus taxes and surcharges) for a pair of seats anywhere between the 25- and 55-yard lines on the south side of Frank Clair Stadium, or in sections C, D, F and G of the north side.

The one-day offer would yield about $450 in savings off the traditional purchase of two season tickets.

"It's a tremendous value," team president Lonie Glieberman said. "It's like a one-day furniture sale. It's also a way to give families an affordable way to get tickets, and it's a great way for companies to buy tickets for business purposes."

About 5,500 to 6,000 seats are for sale, at four movie theatres: the Coliseum in the Bayshore area, Silver City in Gloucester, Star Cite in Gatineau and Galaxy Cinemas in Barrhaven

anyone know whats going on with Jesse Palmer, since the 49ers released him?.....anyword if hes comming to the CFL?

I don't know, but im curious about him too.

Hey, if ads for the 2-for-1 sale are all over town, that CANNOT be a bad thing. Good on the Glieb's for doing that.

I maintain, give the Glieb's a chance. The death of the Rough Riders had more to do with Horn Chen than either of the Glieb's.

DG, Jesse Palmer is a stiff, typical immobile NFL drop back passer. He would not last in our game.

but we know that the Gades were interested in him, and now he's available.....plus the gades havent made a decision on Kerry Joseph. so the possibility is there, like it or not.

When did he get cut in the No Fun League? The Gades should concentrate on resigining KJ and then and only then if this stiff was available and for marketing reason only, sign him to hold a clipboard only, for backup $ only.

isn't Kerry Joseph still under contract, this being his option year?....and ottawa is lookin for him to sign an extention?....therefore, they dont NEED to worry about KJ for this year?

they should try to sign some good O-line players more than anything...if thier O-line had protected KJ last season, they woulda made the playoffs.

Yes he is, on the option year. But, the Gleiberguys have been talking to signing him(or trading?) like the recent multi year signings. Oh yes, the latest rumour I have read is if(and when) Joe signs with the Ticats, FA George Hudson and Josh Ranek will go with him. The Gades cannot afford to loose either.

if thats the case, the gades better put up some serious cash to keep those guys....or it looks like the 06 east champs will be the Ti-Cats, and ottawa will miss the playoffs ...again.

Give the Gleiberguys credit for signing the recent bunch to long term deals, but it is crucial for the team and fan support, to get the core back to long term deals and which hopefully will convince some other teams FA to sign in Ottawa. Currently and according to Milt Stegall no one wants to even consider Ottawa due to its circus like atmosphere.

all it takes is one MAJOR player to sign there and that stigma will go away....if they can re-sign Ranek and Hudson, then sign a MAJOR player ( much like hamilton did with Maas ), then they would send the right message to other FA's through-out this league, as well as fans....( hamilton fans are so pumped now they have Maas ).

still...main concern is O-line.

Agree, at the same token what is taking so long for John Jenkins to name his full coaching staff. There was a rumour how the well respected Rod Rust would be the DC. It seams this team has too much on its plate and without a qualified General Manager like Eric Tillman, I am afraid they would screw up a one car funeral.