WEEK 9 OVERALL LEAGUE AVERAGE @27,590 (27,265 in 05)

CFL Talk
1

The numbers are in after week nine. The overall league average is higher by 411 and the comparison from the same time last year is also higher by 325. This despite the fact all teams with the exception of Winnipeg and Montreal are down from last year at the exact same number of home dates. The reason being of course, is the 06 figures do not factor in the Ottawa Renegades low numbers from 05.
On the individual team side, I note how Winnipeg is slipping somewhat and is only up by an avrerage of 1787(this from an earlier 3000+). Montreal is a constant and the only comparison will be the last game in the Big O and we will compare to 05.
After a healthy comeback, Calgary has slipped and is off 3621 average and so is Edmonton at 2157. Hamilton is virtually the same, down slightly at 407.

WEEK 9

current game(year ave. to date)--- 05 game (year ave after same time)

4-5 HOME DATES

Winnipeg 25,033 5HD(25,946) --- 26,595 (24,159)
Edmonton 39,599 5HD(37,030) --- 44,624 (39,187)
Hamilton 29,010 4HD(27,840) --- 27,443 (28,247)
Calgary 29,452 5HD(29,855) --- 35,652
(33,476)

LEAGUE AVE. 06/ 35 games 27,590 --- 05/ 37
games 27,265

TOP 5 CROWDS:
Edmonton(Cal) 40,491
Edmonton(Sas) 39,599
Edmonton(Win) 37,611
Edmonton(BC)) 35,035
Calgary (Sas) 34,319

WORST 5 CROWDS:
Note, excluding Montreal due to continuous sellout and small stadium.

Sask (BC) 21,082
Sask (Cal) 23,107
Winn (Edm) 23,521
Sask (Cal) 23,942
Sask (Tor) 24,967

2

I'm still really disappointed with Calgary's crowds so far ... considering we were always over 30,000 up until a couple of years ago, and that the Stamps are a decent team this year, and that we've had a game against Edmonton, one against Saskabush and another against the League's best team ... Calgary should really be getting above 30,000 each game. I don't really understand why not (except for the game against the Esks, which was on the same night as game 6 of the Stanley Cup)

3

As an outsider I agree with you CanucKev. You also forgot to mention about now having top notch ownership and management. Which begs the question, are people in general drawn to a "circus" type atmoshpere(except the poor crowds we had in Toronto) like you had with F Troop and what we had here before our current great ownership. Or, did F Troop exaggerate those numbers which were "too good to be true".

4

It just might be that the games are occuring on weekends where the migration to the mountains occur. I would be large crows will come starting with Labor day! Very warm weekends they head to the mountians. I have had several free tickets from fans that are doing exactly that.I do not require a ticket but these situations happens at a last minute. And I can not give them away at the stadium that would not be good for business there. I did find an organization if you get them early enough you can donate to that the tickets go to kids that would not make it to a game. this has happened several times this season.

5

I would also sai i'm disappointed with the Calgary crowd thus far. however, I would put some of the blame on the weather.

The first game of the year against Edmonton it was raining I believe, the Hamilton game was beautiful, however it was on a thursday before a long weekend, BC was a decent crowd, I was really suprised Sask game wasn't sold out, and the Montreal game was supposed to rain all day so i'm sure that drove a lot of walk up buyers away.

During the feterick years a lot of tickets were given away. This inflated the ticket numbers.

The hardcore fan base in Calgary are your season ticket holders. that's 20-25,000 people. Those people will show up almost all the time. The rest will show up when it's nice out or there's an exciting game on.

Also, one thing I can only laugh at is people leaving after the third quarter. People left during the Hamilton game in which Sandro kicked the winning field goal on the last play, and people were leaving this weekend. I guess some people just don't care enough to stick around until the end. But i'm sure if you talked to anyone there on Saturday if it was worth it sticking around till the end, they'd say absolutley. Well, maybe not the als fans.

Despite the smaller crowd on Saturday, the 13th man came up big in the final few minutes. When the game was tied and montreal got the ball back, that place was loud. Everyone left was standing and cheering. Simply amazing.

6

.....something tells me the attendance in Regina will be lower than pathetic this Saturday.....call it a hunch.....

7

the CFL is still growing in ratings, I guess there following the "softy softy" strategy.

8

I hope you’re right. I refuse to support this organisation anymore the way it is ran. No attempt to make any real changes in the off season, at all. The only significant changes came with the departure of Ottawa.

I have went to 3 games this year, but until the Board, Shivers and Barret, heck, all of the coaching staff take some reponsibility, or make changes, they will not get anything more from me.

Heads need to role before they will receive any respect/money from me.

9

but then the team could fold.

10

Its not a matter of the team folding, but a matter of fans being frustrated with the disappointments year after year after year after year... after year. This franchise has had 1 home playoff date since the 1976 season. A game, which they lost. One home playoff date in 30 yrs just isnt going to cut it with a lot of the fans here. This is an 8 team league, surely we can field a good enough team for a home playoff game more times than once every 30 yrs. Ive said it before and I will say it again-- the Roughrider football club needs an overhaul--right from the Board of Directors on down to the Trailblazers. Yes, this team can be in danger of folding again-- until someone over there wakes up to the fact that the fans are tired of teams with records of 9-9 and lower.

11

The problem with the BOG, in my opinion, is that they have neither the gonads nor financial resources to do what is needed and re-do the whole GM/head coach thing - give Shiv/Barrett, or at least one of 'em, their walking papers.....give Cortez the reins for a while - he can't be worse than Barrett has been, and has worked with some decent talent in his career.....

12

Let's just face it.

The weeks we get a high average attendance are the weeks Edmonton plays home games, and Montreal/Saskathewan don't. This week, all of those factors happened and the attendance average was only marginally better.

13

Hard to believe Hamilton and Toronto are no longer on that list.

When is Montreal going to increase their venue? they’ve been talking about adding 5000 seats for the last 5 years.