where are the fans!

It takes time for the team to win the fans back, all the loudest and best fans were likely in that 20,000 at the game as it sounded pretty loud. I think the Cats could easily sell out a playoff game if they hold down 2nd in the East, and that would lead into next year.

Yup, we were loud'n'proud last nite. And the players could hear us. That's what it's all about.

It seems to be just as loud and even rowdier with 19,00 than a sellout at Ivor Wynne, The other ten thousand don't seem to add much.

Nothing but the difference between hoping Bob doesn't lose interest in the money losing business and not being too concerned about Bob's interest since the team is making money

I was surprised at the just 19,000 + fan turn out. After last week I thought there would be in 24-25,000 range. I guess since the freebies have been discontinued Hamilton is only seeing the paying customers.

Probably many people including myself thought Calgary would win, but Hamilton is showing they can play with anybody in the league now.

Like I said in the BC/TO GDT. Look at the empty seats in BC Place, you never gear anyone saying squat about that

As a BB fan I like taking shots at Sask and Ham,and vice versa,but only in good fun :smiley:

But I really hope the HTC's can start getting around the 25.000 mark or even higher for there last games,it would be nice to see,and maybe help save the voices of some of the regulars going to the game. :smiley:

I dont know much about Hamilton other then that saying "I would rather be 1-7,then be from Wpg"-lol.but are there any worries about the lower att figures putting financial hardship on the team again?Cause honestly I dont know how much longer the low att figures can go on for.Cause I remember when the BB's where almost on ice with att around the 23 mark.

I don’t think it would put the team in jeopardy. Of course, it hurts them but with the price of tickets and beer these days, that should cover it :lol: . I think Bob has the resources to keep the team going for a while if he wants to, anyway and he seems committed to doing just that.

You are right except that the NHL and Bassilie are not looking at the average Hamiltonian to go to the game. There will be very few in Hamilton willing to pay over $100 a ticket, especially 42 season tickets!!The GTA especially Oakville/Mississauga has a lot of money to burn on hockey tickets, there a lot of fans who can’t get tickets to the Leafs and will gladly pay the $100 plus for NHL tickets. The NHL will be counting on the suburban GTA fans to spend the money and come to Copps.

The bulk of Ticats fans are from the city and there are 20,000 loyal fans who are willing to pay $40 or $50 for a football game 8 or 9 times, there are another 10,000 who will show up if its sunny, warm and its the Labour Day thing to do. These “fans” will not show up when its cool or rainy. If we get a home playoff game you will see less than 20,000 in the stands.

jaybird, I disagree about us having less than 20000 for a playoff game but do agree about the fairweather fans. As much as some will diagree a new and more comfortable stadium will help entice them on non ideal game days.

Historically attendance has always been poor for a playoff game. Puzzling but true

8) You are right, in fact the attendance for our last home playoff game was far from a sellout !!
 It was a very disappointing crowd (attendance wise), that is for sure !!

The extra fans (beyond the 20,000 level) for each game will only come when the team is winning. The team has stunk the past few years and a general apathy has sunk in for the non-core fan. Normally by this time in the season we are out of contention - and attendance falls. We need to get a big W next week against the Als and then attendance will pick up all the way to the playoffs. I hear people talking about the Cats in the community more this year than in the past few combined. The fair weather fans just do not want to be disappointed as usual (you can only take so many years of sheer futility). They will be back - just have to win....

I think we'll be around 23k for Montreal.

For the other 2 games, we might be in for 20k a piece. Thanksgiving Monday and Halloween are going to be tough sells. "Holiday" games, except Labour Day are tough sells. Hell, any game not on Labour Day is a tough sell.

I personally love the "holiday" games. It would be kool to have a traditional game on Thanksgiving (like we used to with Ottawa).

Honestly, I'd rather have 23K true black and gold fans than sell outs week after week who will disappear when we are losing. I konw Bob wants sell outs, I want sell out to but for the right reasons. I want sell outs even when we are doing bad.

If you only come out when they are winning, sorry you aren't a true fan.

Sorry Alan, every team needs the income from those who say are not true fans. What you are saying by saying you don't want them is that you don't want a team to watch

You want all the fans you can get. Unfortunately there are a limited number of TiCats fans around, a great hard core group but not in huge numbers. Hamilton is actually not a very good sports town in the sense of people really "feeling" sports for the city they live in. We are so close to Toronto and Buffalo that a lot of people really into sports that live here go along with teams in these cities and forget what we have right here. They just go along with the bigger city stuff for whatever reason.

One day if there is no new CFL football stadium development in Toronto or Hamilton, there will be one combined TiCats/Argo team, southern Ontario's team. Just what I think will or could eventually happen if no new stadium(s). And this might not be a bad thing actually although I know some people here will call me out on this.

Trust me, there’s plenty of fans but there’s alot of thing’s that are still keeping them away and only leaving the die-hards.

a) that loss to Toronto last Friday
b) this past decade of mediocrity at best
c) Stamp’s are #1 in the west
d) the ability to watch the game in the comfort of your home
e) the insane prices of beer/food at IWS
f) the people that get drunk or just act like idiot’s in general
g) Limited free ticket give-aways
h) work/family affairs

It will take more than just half a .500 season to bring back > 20,000 fans. The past 3-5 years have done a lot of dammage to the fanbase. I know quite of few people who have been to the occassional game, or have purchased flex packs the past few years, and now are going to no games because they pretty much felt ripped off.

There are a lot of other factors such as the economy, the current price point of tickets and concessions (I think it is a little high), the poor performance last week, and a generally busier time of the year (I didn't go to the game because my kids now have hockey and swimming, and I played golf and hockey this week, making it difficult to add the football game which is an hour away).

More fans will return, but it will take some time. If the 'Cats get on a roll at the end of the year, I think they will sell a lot of tickets for the playoff game. If they limp into the home playoff game, sales will not be that spectacular. If they either do well in the playoffs, and the core of the team stays together going to next year, and they get off to a good start, people will start to show up on a more regular basis. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I think some people won't go to a game if they don't think the team will win. This may have also, been an issue with Friday night. Soon people will realize that unlike the past, this team can compete with anyone, particualarly when they play at home.

This team has turned the corner, the fans will too, but it will take even longer.

PJ

I tell what I'd do if I had crap loads of money. I'd buy both the Argos and TiCats and combine them into one team and build my own 40,000 stadium somewhere in the GTA area that had lots of parking and was close to the Go Train. This would work I think.

I doubt it, people love their Ticats and people love their Argo’s. It might work, but for the sake of the HUGE history between the two teams, I doubt it would. They would have to be Black and Gold and still have the Ticat logo cause the Argo’s still suck :lol: