Seems like there is a pretty poisonous culture stemming from a small group of Canadian NFL fans who shit on the CFL and continueto bash the teams like the BC Lions for not being a high enough calibre of football.
Do they seriously want to see the league and teams dismantle? Most of these folks will happily watch the Whitecaps, and acknowledge the skill gap between MLS VS Bundesliga/Premiere/La Liga.
So serious question to the haters of CFL (not those who simply don’t watch and don’t care), but the vocal haters who actively put the league down - what gives? Why not accept that the CFL is a league with lower a skill calibre and that that’s okay since it’s not the NFL
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It really goes back to the same issue: the Lions need a new owner. An absentee owner just won’t cut it anymore. You can’t rely on just the football filling your stadium these days. The CFL has had issue with the product that the rule changes haven’t helped it. The fact of the matter is you shouldn’t have four hour football games and expect to have fans come back (which is what has happened).
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Especially since it’s a different game. Do people compare squash players to racquet ball players? Baseball players to fast pitch softball players? Five pin bowlers to ten pin bowlers? High jumpers to long jumpers?
???
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Thats a good question.
This is just my personal speculation as to potentional reasons.
Vancouver seems to have gone in the direction of Toronto.
Proximety to seattle has pretty much known that they are NFL Seattle Fans.
MLB baseball fans of Seattle.
Obviously the biggest league in the Vancouver is the Big $$$$ NHL.
MLS has also become much bigger in Vancouver. With Seattle & Portland rivalry in the cascade cup cup.
Now with Seattle entering the NHL The Canucks will have a natural regional rivalry.
How & if that can be fixed I dont have a clue.
Could it be an ownership connection with Vancouvers WHL team.
MLS Whitecaps
Or Vancouver canucks buying and cross promoting the Lions under one umbrella.
It has worked in Ottawa with OSEG & OHL 67s.
Not worked for MLSE ownership of Argos.
I would not say “so many Vancouverites” hate the Lions/CFL. It’s a vocal minority and these types are usually found on social media so they can show off to their friends/followers how sophisticated and discerning they are (rolls eyes) in their football tastes. I can usually shut the “inferior product” argument up really fast when I point out that college football (featuring rank amateurs - most of whom will work in careers other than football) is more popular than the NFL in many US markets.
I will say that yes Steve, the Seahawks’ success in the Pete Carroll era has done the Leos no favours whatsoever. It has repeatedly exposed a wide chasm between the passion, excitement and fervour of the Seahawks experience and the sterile, often listless experience of BC Place watching the Lions stumble and fumble, at least for the past few years. It has been low-hanging fruit to pick on the Lions with their meagre marketing budget and mediocre play. I didn’t hear nearly as much bashing in the mid to late-2000s.
Question for you all. How would the Whitecaps do if Manchester United played 2 hours away?
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Yup. I agree its not about people hating the Lions orCFL.
Its more about a multitude of sports & different leagues options.
People are going to prioritize what they are support the most.
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Bingo, and these trolls go to various CFL sites posing as 'fans" crap on the CFL and we let it happen. All it takes is the tiniest amount of pushback (with a little support) and they slither away.
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I lived in Vancouver for 25 years. What would you rather do on a nice weekend, sit indoors and watch a lacklustre football team or sit or your deck watching a lacklustre football team on tv, at 2.00 a beer ?
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The Lions will say they are doing all they can, and they probably are within their means and budget but I just don’t see a big marketing presence here. Still, even with a pretty mediocre product and little presence in the market, I still believe they pull in decent local TV numbers. At least, I invariably see the Leos among the Top 2 for the 4 CFL games that week. While I don’t know the exact numbers, there has to be some correlation to viewership in Greater Vancouver and the total number.
At least this can be seen as an encouraging metric.
IMO it’s not about a hatred for the team in Vancouver or the CFL.
It is similar to What has been going on with Toronto.
I’m Toronto. The Agros interest is being of course The Leafs & NHL.
Behind the Jays and MLB & Raptors and NBA. Worse yet is a whole generation in the GTA has grown up with NBA Raptors. Now the GTA has become a hotbed of basketball talent in not just Canada but around the world.
Soccer and Toronto FC and MLB passed the Argos fairly quickly since its inception.
Lacrosse has become very popular in Canada, especially the indoor NLL pro league. So arguably the Rock rank ahead of the Argos in popularity & share the Scotia Bank Arena with the Leafs an Raptors.
I’m Vancover, the Obvious in Canucks & NHL.
Also The MLS Whitecaps with regional rivals Seattle & Portland. The well promoted Cascade Cup. That is very popular in Vancouver metro.
The Regional proximity of the Seatle Seahawks NFL. The recent success of the Seahawks over the last decade has vaulted the Seahawks well ahead of popularity of the Lions & CFL.
Then there is the Lacrosse & NLL pro lacrosse. The Vancouver team is owned by Canucks S&E. They moved the MLK team to the suburbs of Vancouver to Langley & The fairly new Langley Events Center.
Also moving to the Langley Events Center is the Junior Hockey WHL Vancouver team. So now that suburban area has to very popular sports at a reasonable cost w\o traveling into the city for the bigger expense & second most popular Pro Football team in Vancouver Metro. IMO opinion it’s not helping the Lions cause.
I would say the Lions are getting strangled by the Seahawks’ popularity (lots of bandwagoners) and of course, the Canucks who own this market 12 months of the year.
To a lesser extent, the Leos compete for media exposure with the Whitecaps. It’s a different demo (they attract a much younger, urban crowd) so not a huge amount of crossover. They get what we covet in the way of fans.
NLL is barely a ripple here, not to mention the seasons don’t overlap. I would say the Vancouver Canadians (baseball) pound-for-pound are a bigger threat than all the other teams (Ravens, Giants, Mariners - who only seem to attract Lower Mainlanders when the Blue Jays are in town). People constantly talk about how great it is to be outdoors in the summer watching baseball. It’s only Single-A but people here have a real attachment to Nat Bailey stadium and experience.
I would agree about the Seahawks.
It seems as though the Lions steady decline in ppopularity coincides. With the Seahawks success.
Hey Flutie, do you have a source for these supposed media reports of the Toronto Rock only selling 5,000 tickets ?
I would say it’s not about skill calibre at all . The skill level is on par .
Every coach and player who were in both leagues exclaim this part . Its the salary that makes people think there is such disparity . They may have never played the game in Canada and fail to understand the level of play is not that different .
My belief It’s the experience and atmosphere over all .
Seahawks game is a POP , Country , Rock n Roll , Rap concert packed with fans.
The Lions are a nostalgia band .
Change the story , atmosphere and experience and you will attract them again .
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Good points made in both posts above (naman and hank)
Since you live in Vancouver. Do you think that with Vancouver & the BC province playing HS football under USA Football rules, field size, 4 downs, etc.
Is this affecting the the apparent growing lack of interest in The CFL canadian rules?
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Canadians hate Canadians unless its in hockey sadly
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I do
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Not living in Vancouver but knowing the situation. I could only speculate that would be the case.
The BC conference in the CJFL. Appears to still have a big presence in and around Vacouver Metro and across the province.
I recall that Wally was a huge proponent of BC Junior Football in both support & as being a feeder of players to the Lions.
I hope this is still the case under a new regime.
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