Rogers giving away 20,000 tickets to Bills in Toronto game!

[Xvys]

Could Toronto sports fans be experiencing an outbreak of common sense? The fact they aren’t scooping up tickets for next month’s NFL non-event between the Toronto Argonauts of The South and the New York Jets suggests so. Blue Jays season ticket holders who placed their deposit and scheduled payments by Nov. 27, 2009, will receive two complimentary tickets to the Dec. 10 meeting between Our Buffalo Bills and the Jets.

If all the Blue Jay subscribers (mainly corporate) take them up, that's nearly 20,000 free tickets! Hard to believe that some people paid over $500 a ticket as part of an 8-game package. Like the publicized father and son last year who spent $1800 to see the game. You have to feel sorry for them, but Rogers did announce they were giving 25% refunds to anybody who bought 8-game packages (about 8,000). There's also talk of several other free Bills ticket promotions in Toronto...plus tickets are heavily discounted to all Rogers employees nationwide.

NFL tickets have always been a tough sell in Canada (except maybe in Buffalo). The first American Bowl in Toronto had ticket sales stall at 17,000, even with the locally-popular Browns playing and the tickets being dirt cheap…they had to paper the crowd to draw about 30,000, but claimed 42,000. Then the next American Bowl with a dream match-up between the Bret Favre and the Packers against the Bills, saw ticket sales stall at 32,000, despite thousands of cheeshead and Buffalo fans buying tickets. Again they had to give away major promos. P. Godfrey claimed attendance of 56,000, (in a 52,000 seat stadium), which he later admitted was inflated…but there were very empty sections of blue seats at Skydome, so the actual attendance was probably closer to 45,000 (not including concession workers, stadium staff and hotel patrons )

The American Bowl in Vancouver featuring the local Seahawks against the potent 49’ers sold 30,000 tickets, (many of which were part of a promotional package with the Lions), then they papered a few thousand more, claiming 40,000 attendance (in the 60,000-seat BC Place), but it looked more like 30,000.

Rogers this year, after losing $20 million with the Blue Jays and paying $9 million for the rights to the Bills game in Dec., can’t feel too good about announcing this 20,000 ticket give-away, but they have to reasonably fill the stadium or they’d have continental-wide egg on their face…(Rogers is on the hook for another $18 million next year for two Bills games, including an exhibition game. Yikes!)

[Earl]

I find this hard to believe, that can't be true. If it is, what a nightmare for Phil Lind and company, wow!

[sanduskyohiobro]

@"Xvys"

Could Toronto sports fans be experiencing an outbreak of common sense? The fact they aren’t scooping up tickets for next month’s NFL non-event between the Toronto Argonauts of The South and the New York Jets suggests so. Blue Jays season ticket holders who placed their deposit and scheduled payments by Nov. 27, 2009, will receive two complimentary tickets to the Dec. 10 meeting between Our Buffalo Bills and the Jets.

If all the Blue Jay subscribers (mainly corporate) take them up, that's nearly 20,000 free tickets! Hard to believe that some people paid over $500 a ticket as part of an 8-game package. Like the publicized father and son last year who spent $1800 to see the game. You have to feel sorry for them, but Rogers did announce they were giving 25% refunds to anybody who bought 8-game packages (about 8,000). There's also talk of several other free Bills ticket promotions in Toronto...plus tickets are heavily discounted to all Rogers employees nationwide.

NFL tickets have always been a tough sell in Canada (except maybe in Buffalo). The first American Bowl in Toronto had ticket sales stall at 17,000, even with the locally-popular Browns playing and the tickets being dirt cheap…they had to paper the crowd to draw about 30,000, but claimed 42,000. Then the next American Bowl with a dream match-up between the Bret Favre and the Packers against the Bills, saw ticket sales stall at 32,000, despite thousands of cheeshead and Buffalo fans buying tickets. Again they had to give away major promos. P. Godfrey claimed attendance of 56,000, (in a 52,000 seat stadium), which he later admitted was inflated…but there were very empty sections of blue seats at Skydome, so the actual attendance was probably closer to 45,000 (not including concession workers, stadium staff and hotel patrons )

The American Bowl in Vancouver featuring the local Seahawks against the potent 49’ers sold 30,000 tickets, (many of which were part of a promotional package with the Lions), then they papered a few thousand more, claiming 40,000 attendance (in the 60,000-seat BC Place), but it looked more like 30,000.

Rogers this year, after losing $20 million with the Blue Jays and paying $9 million for the rights to the Bills game in Dec., can’t feel too good about announcing this 20,000 ticket give-away, but they have to reasonably fill the stadium or they’d have continental-wide egg on their face…(Rogers is on the hook for another $18 million next year for two Bills games, including an exhibition game. Yikes!)

I think 45,000 is alot for a NFL game in Canada…Really you cant tell me the patriots vs colts wouldnt put 56,000 in the sky dome

[geroy_simon_081]

It looks good on Phill the b*****...

I have hard time believing theyre giving away 20000 tickets, thats alot.

Think back 2 years ago to the day, I can guarantee you there wans`t a single sports station in this country not talking about how the NFL is coming to Toronto and how this will spell the end of the CFL as we know it. Flash forward 2 years and those so called know it all Toronto journalist, who likely never finished school are shut up. We had to listen to Mclown, Kelly, Brunt, Lind and a bunch of other arrogant bums, now they have nothing to say. NFL and Toronto will likely never be put in the same sentence for atleast some time..

[gilthethrill]

This is terrible news............

[Earl]

To be fair Geroy, at the time just think when the series was announced and if Ralph Wilson had of suddenly passed away and at his age that could have happened quite easily and Rogers bought the team etc. There would have been a lot of excitement with the big NFL fans in Toronto and GTA that the NFL was coming. Well, that scenario could have happened. Ok, it didn't, turned out now everyone realizes Toronto was "took" as a money grab and Ralph is still here and the Rogers Centre looks more and more each day as a non-NFL stadium... But at the time who knows.

[rcon]

@"gilthethrill"

This is terrible news…

:roll: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :rockin:

[anon49913191]

@"sanduskyohiobro"

@"Xvys"

Could Toronto sports fans be experiencing an outbreak of common sense? The fact they aren’t scooping up tickets for next month’s NFL non-event between the Toronto Argonauts of The South and the New York Jets suggests so. Blue Jays season ticket holders who placed their deposit and scheduled payments by Nov. 27, 2009, will receive two complimentary tickets to the Dec. 10 meeting between Our Buffalo Bills and the Jets.

If all the Blue Jay subscribers (mainly corporate) take them up, that's nearly 20,000 free tickets! Hard to believe that some people paid over $500 a ticket as part of an 8-game package. Like the publicized father and son last year who spent $1800 to see the game. You have to feel sorry for them, but Rogers did announce they were giving 25% refunds to anybody who bought 8-game packages (about 8,000). There's also talk of several other free Bills ticket promotions in Toronto...plus tickets are heavily discounted to all Rogers employees nationwide.

NFL tickets have always been a tough sell in Canada (except maybe in Buffalo). The first American Bowl in Toronto had ticket sales stall at 17,000, even with the locally-popular Browns playing and the tickets being dirt cheap…they had to paper the crowd to draw about 30,000, but claimed 42,000. Then the next American Bowl with a dream match-up between the Bret Favre and the Packers against the Bills, saw ticket sales stall at 32,000, despite thousands of cheeshead and Buffalo fans buying tickets. Again they had to give away major promos. P. Godfrey claimed attendance of 56,000, (in a 52,000 seat stadium), which he later admitted was inflated…but there were very empty sections of blue seats at Skydome, so the actual attendance was probably closer to 45,000 (not including concession workers, stadium staff and hotel patrons )

The American Bowl in Vancouver featuring the local Seahawks against the potent 49’ers sold 30,000 tickets, (many of which were part of a promotional package with the Lions), then they papered a few thousand more, claiming 40,000 attendance (in the 60,000-seat BC Place), but it looked more like 30,000.

Rogers this year, after losing $20 million with the Blue Jays and paying $9 million for the rights to the Bills game in Dec., can’t feel too good about announcing this 20,000 ticket give-away, but they have to reasonably fill the stadium or they’d have continental-wide egg on their face…(Rogers is on the hook for another $18 million next year for two Bills games, including an exhibition game. Yikes!)

I think 45,000 is alot for a NFL game in Canada…Really you cant tell me the patriots vs colts wouldnt put 56,000 in the sky dome

Well…we can tell you that. Read the post! Historically NoFunLeague doesn’t work in Canada. Why doesn’t anyone get that?

[Earl]

It would work but the prices for tickets have to be realistic and they weren't.

[Xvys]

Tickets for the first American Bowll in Toronto were $15, but they had to massively giveaway tickets to half fill Skydome. So I don't think cost is a big factor. Rogers sold thousands of 8-game packages with an average ticket price of $240 (who were issued partial refunds). I think the promoters just misjudged the appeal of NFL games in Canada. We get to see all the games on TV and many fans can go to Buffalo or Seattle if they want a real NFL fix.

The Bills in Toronto game last year was probably the worst sporting event I had ever witnessed (on TV). The crowd was so silent I thought somebody had died. Despite the boredome, I kept watching hoping for at least one play that was remotely exciting, but there was nothing. :thdn:

For Canadian fans, who are used to the wide-open excitement of CFL games, the NFL is pretty drab fair, especially when there is no allegiance to the teams playing.

The NFL did them little favours by scheduling the start of this game at 8:20 pm, on a school night? It will be midnight before the game's over, but at least the final gun should wake up the remaining fans.

[Earl]

It could be a good game, you never know. I don’t wish bad on any of the true fans that paid top dollar for the game or games. You have to follow your passion and if that’s trying to get the NFL in Toronto or you love the Bills or whomever they play, good on them. People can say they got burned for paying full price but I say good on them. Some people who don’t like the CFL or any teams in the CFL say I get burned by paying top price for my 2 seasons tickets I buy year after year. So be it.

What Rogers should have done is offer a great deal on the Bills series for existing Argo and TiCats seasons ticket holders. I think they would have doubled the amount of packages they sold. But Rogers was too arrogant to do this. Them getting burned on this, I have no problem at all since they were too arrogant for my liking.

[calgaryred]

@"Xvys"

Could Toronto sports fans be experiencing an outbreak of common sense? The fact they aren’t scooping up tickets for next month’s NFL non-event between the Toronto Argonauts of The South and the New York Jets suggests so. Blue Jays season ticket holders who placed their deposit and scheduled payments by Nov. 27, 2009, will receive two complimentary tickets to the Dec. 10 meeting between Our Buffalo Bills and the Jets.

If all the Blue Jay subscribers (mainly corporate) take them up, that's nearly 20,000 free tickets! Hard to believe that some people paid over $500 a ticket as part of an 8-game package. Like the publicized father and son last year who spent $1800 to see the game. You have to feel sorry for them, but Rogers did announce they were giving 25% refunds to anybody who bought 8-game packages (about 8,000). There's also talk of several other free Bills ticket promotions in Toronto...plus tickets are heavily discounted to all Rogers employees nationwide.

NFL tickets have always been a tough sell in Canada (except maybe in Buffalo). The first American Bowl in Toronto had ticket sales stall at 17,000, even with the locally-popular Browns playing and the tickets being dirt cheap…they had to paper the crowd to draw about 30,000, but claimed 42,000. Then the next American Bowl with a dream match-up between the Bret Favre and the Packers against the Bills, saw ticket sales stall at 32,000, despite thousands of cheeshead and Buffalo fans buying tickets. Again they had to give away major promos. P. Godfrey claimed attendance of 56,000, (in a 52,000 seat stadium), which he later admitted was inflated…but there were very empty sections of blue seats at Skydome, so the actual attendance was probably closer to 45,000 (not including concession workers, stadium staff and hotel patrons )

The American Bowl in Vancouver featuring the local Seahawks against the potent 49’ers sold 30,000 tickets, (many of which were part of a promotional package with the Lions), then they papered a few thousand more, claiming 40,000 attendance (in the 60,000-seat BC Place), but it looked more like 30,000.

Rogers this year, after losing $20 million with the Blue Jays and paying $9 million for the rights to the Bills game in Dec., can’t feel too good about announcing this 20,000 ticket give-away, but they have to reasonably fill the stadium or they’d have continental-wide egg on their face…(Rogers is on the hook for another $18 million next year for two Bills games, including an exhibition game. Yikes!)

I was at the American Bowl game in Vancouver got free tix to see them, Ive been to BC Place when it was a sell out, at 30,000 capacity, and even at 17,000 capacity. That audience was more like 10,000 it was the smallest crowd I`ve ever seen at that dome for a football game. I even said at the game, well I dont have to worry about the NFL coming to Vancouver.