BC Lions vs Calgary Stampeders; West Semi Final Gamethread

[jayswin]

Oh boy, I almost wish this was in BC. It's looking like a historically low, embarrassing turnout for tomorrow's game. I know playoffs are usually a little less attended than some regular season games, just like junior hockey, but this isn't a small dip.

I've checked regular season games the day before gameday and have seen tons of tickets available with the final attendance being 26-27k. The interactive map currently has way more tickets available than those games. Ouch, this is going to be horrendous.

Without the ability to quickly estimate seat numbers it looks to be about 12 - 15000 unsold tickets right now. :eek:

[MissTeeks]

Lots of $30 tickets on StubHub too.

[jayswin]

Geez, yeah just looked. The stands are going to look just a little over half full, this will truly be an embarrassment for the organization on national TV. I bet they'll ask TSN to try to minimize crowd shots that show empty seats.

I'm going to look for that, as I bet it will happen.

[JiriHrdina]

Geez, yeah just looked. The stands are going to look just a little over half full, this will truly be an embarrassment for the organization on national TV. I bet they'll ask TSN to try to minimize crowd shots that show empty seats.

I'm going to look for that, as I bet it will happen.

The stadium is uncomfortable on the best days - in cold weather - it is an easy choice to stay home for many.
The CFL can solve this simply moving the season up. They refuse to do it.
I'll enjoy the game more in the comforts of my own home.

[jayswin]

The stadium is uncomfortable on the best days - in cold weather - it is an easy choice to stay home for many.
The CFL can solve this simply moving the season up. They refuse to do it.
I'll enjoy the game more in the comforts of my own home.

Totally, I get all that for sure, it's always been the case and HD TV and every game being televised made winter games even worse for attendance in the mid 2000's.

I'm just stating that this is worse than anything I've ever seen in Calgary, and is going to look horrible on TV and I'd imagine the players won't be too happy about playing in front of a half empty stadium regardless of Stamps fans explaining that they're still supporting them, just not in person.

[corporatejay]

Isn't the ssame wan ticket holder base like 25k. That alone would only leave 10k unsold.

[Da_Chief]

The stadium is uncomfortable on the best days - in cold weather - it is an easy choice to stay home for many.
The CFL can solve this simply moving the season up. They refuse to do it.
I'll enjoy the game more in the comforts of my own home.

Meh, its more the stadium then the timing (doesn't help its going up against NFL too). If it was closed roof with somehwhat comfy seating more ppl would go. But the bleacher style seating and cold does not make it fun.

Huff talked about moving the season up but he said the spring is too unpredictable and that's where you're building you're team and you want to give these guys a chance and evaluate then properly. With the 2 a days and unpredictable weather moving the season back is not something the team wants to do. I'm sure the other GMs probably feel the same way.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

The forecast is saying a high of 10 tomorrow. If it gets close to that then there won't have been a single bad weather game this year. That's unheard of, and awesome. No excuse for anyone not go to, especially if it is above zero. Stamps fans go support your team... I do buy the Stadium sucks argument a little, it is falling apart. Blows my mind how people want a fricken hockey rink before a new Stadium in this town

[jayswin]

The forecast is saying a high of 10 tomorrow. If it gets close to that then there won't have been a single bad weather game this year. That's unheard of, and awesome. No excuse for anyone not go to, especially if it is above zero. Stamps fans go support your team... I do buy the Stadium sucks argument a little, it is falling apart. Blows my mind how people want a fricken hockey rink before a new Stadium in this town

Well that's because hockey is infinitely more popular in Calgary, like every other major Canadian city. The analogy would be like deerfoot trail and a secondary country side highway needing upgrades. The country highway may be bumpy and in worse condition, but the priority and public grumbling is going to be larger for Deerfoot trail, and it will likely get fixed and way before it reaches the poor conditions of the country highway.

[jayswin]

Isn't the ssame wan ticket holder base like 25k. That alone would only leave 10k unsold.

Yeah, that may be true, as I said I'm not great at eyeballing attendance by those interactive seat maps (Resolute seems to be able to do it down to the person, lol), but if our season ticket base is 25k, than it looks like only our season ticket base purchased post season tickets so far.

[MoneyGuy]

Well that's because hockey is infinitely more popular in Calgary, like every other major Canadian city....

Not in Regina. Wait, you said major city. 😁

The Eskimos have a big ticket push on for the western final and look to have fans numbering in the mid-30s. I love CFL football, especially the playoffs, but they should push the season up three weeks. The Grey Cup game won't sell out either.

[tvp2003]

Hmmm... if only they had an indoor field house they could play in...

Anyways, it doesn't matter how many are at McMahon -- Stamps have to get the lead and control the clock by balancing the run and pass. Big test for Messam -- I think he'll be up for the challenge.

On defence, just have to limit the big plays because Jennings will push the ball downfield. Need a strong game from the secondary.

Special teams could be our downfall -- punt/kick coverage better be on point because it has been a weakness all year.

[Sainters7]

10 degrees in mid-November is too cold? C'mon...

I'm all for moving the season back 3-4 weeks, but this is pretty fortunate weather right now. Should be an interesting game, still can't believe 14-4 wasn't enough to win the division, but that loss to Edmonton here cost them big in that regard. Stamps clearly are the heavy favourites, but after watching what happened to another favoured Calgary football team against a Vancouver based one at McMahon today, it's got me on edge a bit.

Can't speak for everyone else, but I'll be there, should be a good time. Wonder if they'll break out the signature units for this one.


Posted from Calgarypuck.com App for Android

[rubecube]

I don't really follow the CFL anymore but has this attendance issue been a growing problem? I remember going to playoff games in the mid to late-90s and them being packed, regardless of the temperature.

[Sainters7]

It's definitely not the 30K+ every game like it was back when I was a kid or even a teenager, but they still seem to draw fairly well (comparatively to other CFL cities anyway). I was at the West Final last year, and while it wasn't a sellout, I don't recall the crowd being horrible or anything. Was still respectable. Not sure what the reason is for so few tickets sold, but I'll wait for game-time first before just assuming it'll be under 20K. Still hopeful for a good turnout. I think it being B.C. isn't helping, just doesn't have the same oomph as the Esks, Riders or even Bombers. Plus at least those teams have fans who will travel. No-one even cares about the Lions in B.C., so the OOT Lions crowd will be very small I'm sure.

The main problem seems to be the CFL has lost an entire generation of fans to the NFL. People can blame it on bleachers and cold weather, but I have a feeling even if it was an indoor stadium (blech) in leather recliner seating with a sushi and latte bar, it still wouldn't be a sell-out. Just the way it is now unfortunately.

EDIT: While we're at it, if people want a dome so badly, why don't we just scrap the Field House altogether, and use that extra $$$ for a retractable roof instead? Why the hell do we need a field house anyway??

[rubecube]

^^Has there been any correlation with the rise in the NFL's popularity in Canada and the decline in CFL attendance?

[Party Elephant]

EDIT: While we're at it, if people want a dome so badly, why don't we just scrap the Field House altogether, and use that extra $$$ for a retractable roof instead? Why the hell do we need a field house anyway??

$200 million in public funding

[Sainters7]

^^Has there been any correlation with the rise in the NFL's popularity in Canada and the decline in CFL attendance?

I'm really not sure to be honest, that was just my own thought. I could probably have stopped that sentence at "The CFL has lost an entire generation of fans", as I've heard that discussed by media several times in the past, and why it's so concerning.

I suppose I just said that because over the past 10-12 years I feel I've met way more NFL fans than I had run into previously, it feels like it's a lot bigger up here than it was when I was growing up. And at the same time, interest in the CFL seems to be slowly but surely plummeting. Feels like whenever I'm at the pub or back in my college days chatting with an NFL fan (usually someone in their 20s or early 30s) and the CFL comes up, they basically roll their eyes and talk about what a joke it is. The league doesn't seem to garner nearly the same respect with younger Canadians as it did before. Just something I've noticed.

At least in my experience, it's been very rare to meet someone who's both a die-hard NFL and CFL fan. So that's probably why I came to that conclusion. Would be interesting to look at #'s on it.

[jayswin]

It's definitely not the 30K+ every game like it was back when I was a kid or even a teenager, but they still seem to draw fairly well (comparatively to other CFL cities anyway). I was at the West Final last year, and while it wasn't a sellout, I don't recall the crowd being horrible or anything. Was still respectable. Not sure what the reason is for so few tickets sold, but I'll wait for game-time first before just assuming it'll be under 20K. Still hopeful for a good turnout. I think it being B.C. isn't helping, just doesn't have the same oomph as the Esks, Riders or even Bombers. Plus at least those teams have fans who will travel. No-one even cares about the Lions in B.C., so the OOT Lions crowd will be very small I'm sure.

The main problem seems to be the CFL has lost an entire generation of fans to the NFL. People can blame it on bleachers and cold weather, but I have a feeling even if it was an indoor stadium (blech) in leather recliner seating with a sushi and latte bar, it still wouldn't be a sell-out. Just the way it is now unfortunately.

EDIT: While we're at it, if people want a dome so badly, why don't we just scrap the Field House altogether, and use that extra $$$ for a retractable roof instead? Why the hell do we need a field house anyway??

Its definitely not going to be under 20k, its just looking like it will be comparable to some of our weakest turnouts over the past two years. Likely 26-28k.

[Sainters7]

Yeah, too bad on a day like this. It doesn't even feel all that long ago when the Stamps had that seemingly never-ending 30K+ attendance streak going. It kind of ended quietly, and has never recovered.

To be honest I've been fairly sick for well over a week now (it's ridiculous what a lingerer it is), and was thinking of even passing on this game because of it. But all this depressing talk of low attendance #'s has me feeling like I have a responsibility to go now. I'll just get myself bundled up and drugged up and head down. DayQuil and CFL playoffs, WEEE-OOOO!!!


Posted from Calgarypuck.com App for Android

[dash_pinched]

Still stinging from the Dinos loss yesterday, come on Stamps, lay a whooping on the Leos today.

[Addick]

Huff talked about moving the season up but he said the spring is too unpredictable and that's where you're building you're team and you want to give these guys a chance and evaluate then properly. With the 2 a days and unpredictable weather moving the season back is not something the team wants to do. I'm sure the other GMs probably feel the same way.

Surely it must be cheaper to move pre-season training indoors than moving teams to indoor stadiums no? If the local city doesn't have a fieldhouse that can be booked in the srpind, a couple of fields inside of a bubble could be a decent investment.

[jammies]

NFL has the star power and the marketing. That watching an NFL game on television has far more commercial and analysis time than actual gameplay seems to be no obstacle to its popularity. People like running their fantasy leagues and like discussing the big name players, the big name teams, and the minutiae and cruft around the league. The actual football seems almost incidental.

I like watching the CFL more than the NFL because it is less structured and much more wide open, making it (to me) much more exciting. People who think the NFL has technically better football miss the point, if the CFL used American rules, what would be the point of it at all?

That being said, I rarely go to McMahon, and I won't be there today. It's just not a great experience in such a terrible facility, the Stamps do their best but I enjoy the games more on TV than live. Which is sad.

[Sainters7]

Very true jammies. Actually I think in this HD era, especially with much more affordable TVs and surround speakers, watching football at home is better than the stadium even in newer, NFL stadiums (especially when you factor in things like the Red Zone channel).

I've been to several NFL games, obviously some stadiums are better than others in terms of atmosphere, and big games like playoffs are special when you're there, the crowd is electric which makes it fun. But just your average regular season game, especially in less-historic/loud places like Arizona, I honestly think it's better on TV. Just the nature of the sport. I've read the NFL is very aware of this emerging issue as well, and looking for ways to improve the stadium experience.

Ice hockey is one of the rare sports that's still significantly better live. Which is good news for a primarily gate-driven league like the NHL.


Posted from Calgarypuck.com App for Android

[Sainters7]

Well thankfully the Saints have embarrassed themselves enough today that I'm ready to not even see the end and get the hell out of here, heading down to McMahon now. Go Stamps Go! Huck it chuck it football BLM!

[adc]

Not sure if this is the right thread but the Hamilton-Toronto game is just awful football.

I guess someone has to win and go onto the East final and crazy things happen in the CFL but I am not sure either of these two teams come with in 25 points of the 3 West teams remaining and should get whipped by Ottawa next week.

[HotHotHeat]

Pretty sure that field house only needs 15k seats judging by the attendance at this game.

[JiriHrdina]

Ugh. I forgot that by staying home to watch I'd have to listen to Rod Black.

[transplant99]

Lavertu is the last guy you want to see injured....yeesh.

[JiriHrdina]

That's PI?
God the officiating in this league is a joke.

[PostandIn]

That is the worst PI call in, well ...... weeks.

[Finger Cookin]

Overturned?

EDIT: Great challenge, glad the call was properly corrected.

[flamesfan6]

how is this taking so long? clearly not PI

[JiriHrdina]

Well at least they got it right, but should not have ever been called.

[PostandIn]

The ref that made that call should be immediately replaced.

[flamesfan6]

shouldn't need to use a challenge on that.. brutal call by the ref

[Skaloper]

Big defensive TD!

[White Out 403]

Mitchell some kind of awful so far

[transplant99]

Pretty sure that field house only needs 15k seats judging by the attendance at this game.

I dunno...looks like a decent crowd to me.

i'd guess 27, 000+

[MissTeeks]

Starting to roll now.

[octothorp]

Nice drive from the whole offense!

[socalwingfan]

Big turnover!!!!!

[octothorp]

I think that's a fumble.

[JiriHrdina]

Idiotic play by the Lion player to kick the ball

[flamesfan6]

owch lets bc back into the game :/

[Roof-Daddy]

Hold onto to the godamn football.

Only way we lose this is if we give it away.

Hold onto the godamn football.

[adc]

Guys stretching out/fighting for an extra half yard is the stupidest play in football. Especially when not even close to the first down marker.

If he just makes the proper play and holds onto the ball good chance BC is done. That extra half yard isn't worth close to as much as giving the ball up.

[MissTeeks]

I will now forgive his fumble. Great TD!

[White Out 403]

Stamps totally pulling away. Should be a nice BOA next weekend

[flamesfan6]

don't say it's over until it's over though, still an entire 2nd half.

[JiriHrdina]

Stamps' tackling has been excellent today. Those are the fundamentals that win you playoff games.

[flamesfan6]

I will now forgive his fumble. Great TD!

worked out great! 2 point safetey + TD

[JiriHrdina]

worked out great! 2 point safetey + TD

Questionable decision - they have a good kicker and the wind - why not boot it out. I hate giving up the safety.

[Mr.Coffee]

Wow, the Stampeders look terrific today. Doing almost everything well.

[flamesfan6]

Questionable decision - they have a good kicker and the wind - why not boot it out. I hate giving up the safety.

not for us to question - I'll take it

I agree - I don't know why they didn't kick it.

[MissTeeks]

O line is cursed.

[midniteowl]

Hold onto to the godamn football.

Only way we lose this is if we give it away.

Hold onto the godamn football.

Agree 100%!!!
I was screaming at the TV yesterday during the Dinos game :mad:

[octothorp]

Tough to have that drive-killing high snap, but long drives and field-goals are going to make it hard for BC to come back.

[midniteowl]

Hahaha...go to the well a little too many times 😊

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[Roof-Daddy]

What a job by Huff to add Messam. Thanks Riders haha

[Nammer403]

Wow! What a run

[dash_pinched]

Love Messam owning Eric Fraser (lol)

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I haven't watched every game this year but this is the best I've seen the Stamps play this season.

[browna]

Love Messam owning Eric Fraser (lol)

And Adam Bighill, formerly whom TSN had a big crush on.

[octothorp]

So what are the prospects of the o-line healing up a bit by next weekend?

[Roof-Daddy]

I haven't watched every game this year but this is the best I've seen the Stamps play this season.

Yeap. Hopefully peaking at the right time.

Sure would be nice if the injuries would F off though.

[jayswin]

Great game, I'd say Rogers will definitely get an NFL look next season.

[browna]

And Adam Bighill, formerly whom TSN had a big crush on.

OK, maybe not formerly. A 4 minute Bighill love-in.
Cannot be said enough how annoying Rod Black is. Shame Forde has to be saddled with him.

[dash_pinched]

Plug in two defensive linemen as o-line tackles, move Spencer Wilson to center, and give up no sacks to the Lions? That's incredible.

[sureLoss]

So what are the prospects of the o-line healing up a bit by next weekend?

Prospects? We aren't trading any prospects. - John Hufnagel

[dash_pinched]

Lions fans chirping me yesterday about UBC beating the Dinos, those same Lions fans are very quiet today.

[Sainters7]

WEEE-OOO!! Glad I went, that was a good time. My hand's actually kinda sore from high five's. Too bad to see the corners of the stadium empty, but those who were there brought the noise, was a fun atmosphere.

On a side note, can't remember the last time I was at a football game and didn't have a beer. stupid sinus infection. But I still had fun. Who knew?


Posted from Calgarypuck.com App for Android

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Keon is a stud. His play completely changed the game and it was all Stamps from there

[tvp2003]

Hope the o-line can heal up for next week -- reminds me of the 2013 West Final when our D-Line lost two starters in the previous game. Don't want a repeat of that this year...

[calf]

I have been going to Stamps games for 20+ years. Unless the Riders are playing, the crowds are weak due to TV, weather, etc. But the crowd always seems to get it in the playoffs. Loud on D, quiet on O, and it seemed consistently so. Great win.

[You Need a Thneed]

It didn't help attendance that there were pretty much no Lion fans at the game. Edmonton or Sask in town, and attendance grows.

BCs not great season led people to believe that this wasn't going to be a great game, which it wasn't.

Stamps did what they needed to do. Bring on the rusty Esks.

[midniteowl]

Stamps firing on all cylinders, even the ST played great. Can't wait for the game against the Esks!

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[M*A*S*H 4077]

If anyone is still complaining about CFL refs I suggest you go watch the Seattle-Arizona game. These refs are clueless

[dash_pinched]

26,306 was the attendance yesterday according to the cfl.ca website.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Love Messam owning Eric Fraser (lol)

How is Eric Fraser still in the league. It took me two years to stop having nightmares of his blown coverages when he was a Stampeder. Just shows how far a passport can take you in the CFL.

[jayswin]

26,306 was the attendance yesterday according to the cfl.ca website.

Wow, does anyone have access to Stamps attendance history? That honestly may be the lowest attended game in decades, including regular season!

I know we've had a few 27k's over the past three years, but I don't know if I've ever seen under 27. And before the past three seasons we were rarely under 30k since I started watching in the 90's, so yeah, this may very well be the lowest attended game in our history, and for it to be a West semi final playoffs game and +10 weather.............my goodness.

[corporatejay]

Wow, does anyone have access to Stamps attendance history? That honestly may be the lowest attended game in decades, including regular season!

I know we've had a few 27k's over the past three years, but I don't know if I've ever seen under 27. And before the past three seasons we were rarely under 30k since I started watching in the 90's, so yeah, this may very well be the lowest attended game in our history, and for it to be a West semi final playoffs game and +10 weather.............my goodness.

https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/calgary-stampeders/attendance/2015/#


It's definitely on the bottom end but it's not the worst, there are some 25kers in there from the 200s. In the 90s and 80s it was high-teens.

[dash_pinched]

It's not just in the stands jayswin, but on tv as well.

On the other hand, two consecutive years of ratings decreases is not a good trend. Ratings on TSN have dropped 23 per cent since 2013 and that kind of trend is often hard to reverse. There are about 165,000 people a game who've lost interest in two seasons and getting them back may not be easy.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/the-great-canadian-ratings-report--cfl-151836213.html

[jayswin]

Oh wow, that's not good. I figured the lowered attendance were people like JiriHrdina who were still fans but would rather watch at home than support them in person, as you hear lots of people make similar commetns. So it looks like CFL really is faltering in a major way in this country.

[JiriHrdina]

Oh wow, that's not good. I figured the lowered attendance were people like JiriHrdina who were still fans but would rather watch at home than support them in person, as you hear lots of people make similar commetns. So it looks like CFL really is faltering in a major way in this country.

I watched the entire game. But overall the CFL product isn't great right now. There are, in my opinion, 2 good football teams in the entire league. The Red Blacks are nice story but they aren't up to the level of Edmonton/Calgary.
That game yesterday, while good for the Stamps, was a terrible one for the league. No drama.

The product feels very stale right now.

[Cowboy89]

Oh wow, that's not good. I figured the lowered attendance were people like JiriHrdina who were still fans but would rather watch at home than support them in person, as you hear lots of people make similar commetns. So it looks like CFL really is faltering in a major way in this country.

I wonder how much of it was CFL faltering or other factors:

1) 3-15 Riders team. Losing the Saskatchewan Dispora ratings-wise is a big chunk of the audience right there. Despite being the self proclaimed 'best fans in the CFL' a lot of them stopped watching their games and other league games as well

2)The Blue Jays success. I found myself missing watching Stamps road games on TV this year because the Jays were on in important games down the stretch. I'm a big Stamps fan, but a chance at watching a playoff bound Jays team for the first time in 22 years was very compelling.

[dash_pinched]

I still enjoy CFL games (I attended the Grey Cup at BC Place with my daughter last November) and I'm very excited for the game against the Eskies next Sunday. However, I'm also part of the demographic that is likely driving the majority of attendance and viewership (i.e. in the 40 to 55 age category). My fear is that the CFL has lost a generation of Canadian football fans. I hope I'm wrong, but there are definitely signs that the league isn't attracting the young fans that it needs to stay healthy.

[Cowboy89]

I watched the entire game. But overall the CFL product isn't great right now. There are, in my opinion, 2 good football teams in the entire league. The Red Blacks are nice story but they aren't up to the level of Edmonton/Calgary.
That game yesterday, while good for the Stamps, was a terrible one for the league. No drama.

The product feels very stale right now.

Agree. Without Messem's late game screen reception contributing YAC yards, BLM was en route to less than 200 yards passing. A lot of the Stamps wins this year were in games not unlike yesterday. The fact that BLM is the West's nominee for MOP, and that Burris at age 40 was able to look so relatively good this year is indicative of the poor Quarterbacking and tight defensive play that has stifled a lot of the usual excitement in the CFL product. The league was at it's best when most games among top teams featured a high scoring air show where taking a 4-point lead with 2 minutes left usually meant you scored too early and were likely to lose the game.

[You Need a Thneed]

Oh wow, that's not good. I figured the lowered attendance were people like JiriHrdina who were still fans but would rather watch at home than support them in person, as you hear lots of people make similar commetns. So it looks like CFL really is faltering in a major way in this country.

My guess at a couple of factors:

1. Injuries this season deprived the league of star power. Backup QB battles mean less interest.

2. Gong show in Toronto - The Argos home game situation this season was an embarrasment to the league. How many "home" games did the argos play on the road this season?

10 "Home" games locations: Varsity Stadium (UofT), Fort MacMurry, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Ottawa, Hamilton, Hamilton, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre

So, 5/10 in thier preferred field.

3. Saskatchewan was awful - By quite a bit the biggest draw for TV, was terrible all season. TV ratings, and road attendances probably hurt from this.

4. Overall lack of quality teams. Most teams wer mediocre, or worse.

Most of those factors could be better next year.

[jayswin]

I wonder how much of it was CFL faltering or other factors:

1) 3-15 Riders team. Losing the Saskatchewan Dispora ratings-wise is a big chunk of the audience right there. Despite being the self proclaimed 'best fans in the CFL' a lot of them stopped watching their games and other league games as well

2)The Blue Jays success. I found myself missing watching Stamps road games on TV this year because the Jays were on in important games down the stretch. I'm a big Stamps fan, but a chance at watching a playoff bound Jays team for the first time in 22 years was very compelling.

My guess at a couple of factors:

1. Injuries this season deprived the league of star power. Backup QB battles mean less interest.

2. Gong show in Toronto - The Argos home game situation this season was an embarrasment to the league. How many "home" games did the argos play on the road this season?

10 "Home" games locations: Varsity Stadium (UofT), Fort MacMurry, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Ottawa, Hamilton, Hamilton, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre

So, 5/10 in thier preferred field.

3. Saskatchewan was awful - By quite a bit the biggest draw for TV, was terrible all season. TV ratings, and road attendances probably hurt from this.

4. Overall lack of quality teams. Most teams wer mediocre, or worse.

Most of those factors could be better next year.

For sure, but you guys are talking about this season, however that article seems to indicate drastic TV drops since 2013.

On the other hand, two consecutive years of ratings decreases is not a good trend. Ratings on TSN have dropped 23 per cent since 2013 and that kind of trend is often hard to reverse. There are about 165,000 people a game who've lost interest in two seasons and getting them back may not be easy

It seems popularity is on a steady downward trajectory, rather than a one season dip.

[JiriHrdina]

For sure, but you guys are talking about this season, however that article seems to indicate drastic TV drops since 2013.


I believe the problems I mentioned in my post are not new this season - they have been growing problems for a few years. A gradual that appears to be a suddenly - but isn't.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I'm a longtime season ticket holder, and I think this year will be my last. I used to get amped for the games, watch the road games religiously, and even watched most games not involving the Stampeders on TSN. I've been to the Grey Cup and use to drive up to Edmonton with some buddies every time the Stamps played there.

I'd like to say it's because i'm getting older and have more responsibilities in my life, but I really don't think that's it. I simply just don't care anymore. Am I spoiled from having a team at the top of the standing for the past 8 years or so? Probably, but I'm just not entertained anymore. The quality of the league has dropped so far the games aren't worth watching. It's not just the quality of the players either, the officials play a big part. The officiating is nothing short of horrendous, and the new rules have absolutely ruined the flow of the game. This league is a shadow of it's former self. I also think TSN plays a big part in that. Terrible game times, Thursday night games, and the same stale broadcast year after year. I had to force myself to use my tickets and go to the game yesterday. The only reason I did is that I like the atmosphere of a live sporting event much better than watching it on tv. Truth be told, I would have prepared to be sitting on my couch watching the NFL flipping the channel to TSN for a few minutes here and there to keep up with the Stamps score once I got there and saw a half empty stadium and an opponent that Calgary could have beaten with one hand tied behind their back.

This league is in big trouble league wide in my opinion. The CFL's core fan base are old, and they aren't making any in roads with the new generation. I'm 33 years old and I can count on one hand the amount of my friends and colleagues that even watch a game on the tv let alone be willing to spend money on it. Often times one of our group will miss a game for some reason, and I can't even give the extra ticket away to someone.

I'd personally would like much rather go to a Roughnecks game than a Stamps game. I never would have said that 5 years ago.

[TheAlpineOracle]

My guess at a couple of factors:

1. Injuries this season deprived the league of star power. Backup QB battles mean less interest.

2. Gong show in Toronto - The Argos home game situation this season was an embarrasment to the league. How many "home" games did the argos play on the road this season?

10 "Home" games locations: Varsity Stadium (UofT), Fort MacMurry, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre, Ottawa, Hamilton, Hamilton, Rogers Centre, Rogers Centre

So, 5/10 in thier preferred field.

3. Saskatchewan was awful - By quite a bit the biggest draw for TV, was terrible all season. TV ratings, and road attendances probably hurt from this.

4. Overall lack of quality teams. Most teams wer mediocre, or worse.

Most of those factors could be better next year.

I don't think the quality of the teams and injuries will be any better next year. If you look at the NFL, they are now taking all the type of players that made the CFL great. Also, from a quality/injury perspective, the new collective bargaining agreement has left little time for coaches to practice with the players and develop game plans. Hard to improve quality with that, and injuries are a direct result.

[troutman]

The CFL is really lacking elite passing QBs.

[TheAlpineOracle]

If the CFL wants a short term fix to improve the game they need to reduce (or get rid of) the Canadian Ratio. It would dramatically increase the talent, and thus the product being sold to the consumer.

Some people won't like that suggestion and say the ratio is necessary to keep Canadians playing the game at the grass route level, but I call BS on that. There's not many Canadian kids that play football growing up with the end goal of playing in the CFL, or start watching it simply because their are Canadian athletes in the league. Kids play in this country because they like the sport or have had it pushed on to them by their football loving parents. Having 4 less Jabari Arthurs or Eric Frasers on the field isn't going to change that.

[Hockey Fan #751]

Oh wow, that's not good. I figured the lowered attendance were people like JiriHrdina who were still fans but would rather watch at home than support them in person, as you hear lots of people make similar commetns. So it looks like CFL really is faltering in a major way in this country.

You only need to look to this thread to see the lack of interest. Not even 100 posts with close to half talking about attendance.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I know for fact the CFL and CFLPA are well aware of the lack of interest in the league in the under 40 crowd. They are working together to try and market the league to the youth of today and make it exciting to bring back the crowds. It's too bad as I really believe that the CFL is a superior game to the American version

I think one thing that gets overlooked is that when the NFL expanded the practice roster a few years ago that all of a sudden a lot of guys who would be some of the better players up here were sitting around being wasted on practice rosters for the paycheque.

[jayswin]

I think their attempt to get better at calling penalties really hurt the flow of the game, even more so than anything else, and when you combine that with the exciting air game and quick point switches seemingly gone and you've got a completely different viewing experiences than four years ago.

Over the past couple seasons my viewing experience with others has basically been a a couple hours of;

"We have a flag on the play"

*Audible sigh from the people watching

*big exciting pass for a touchdown

"We have a flag on the play

*Audible sigh

"The play is under review, and we have three flags on the play"

*Audible sigh

[jayswin]

The one poster nailed it too, CFL used to be a game of quick lead changes to the point where you could almost routinely watch a touchdown in the late stages of the game to take the lead and go "Ohhh, I hope that works out, you're leaving them a full minute to counter!!!".

Games were just more exciting for any number of reasons, and yes, I think parity is a huge one too. It used to be the West that was strong as hell year in and year out, and then you'd have the Alouettes and one other team each season in the east. Now it's just a big clump of mediocrity with the Stamps and Esks battling it out, with no real storylines.

[tvp2003]

QB depth/health is the biggest change in the last decade. Before you could hang your hat on guys like Burris, Ray, Calvillo, Dickenson, McManus, etc all playing the whole season, year in, year out. How many teams had to play third and fourth stringers this year? With absolutely no CFL experience? I think only Calgary and Ottawa had their QB's stay healthy all year -- it's no surprise that scoring is down and games are not exciting to watch. The star power simply isn't there at the marquee position; nobody is excited to watch Rakeem Cato versus Jonathan Jennings.

[jayswin]

I actually used to wonder why TSN seemed to constantly downplay the Stamps when I figured they'd be boasting about the year to year success of our franchises and how well run our organization is.

Where as they would almost leave us out of the conversation and talk about how team so and so may be a force this season, so "keep your eye on them!" when it was teams you'd look at and go "these guys might be a force? Based on what?. Now I realize it was never a grudge or incompetence by the analysts - of course they know a contending team that will roll through most of the season when they see it - it was likely a mandate in meetings;

"Hey guys, ratings are way down, the only parity in the league right now is the race for the bottom of the standings, do whatever you can to keep as many team's fans watching as you can. Leave the Stamps out for the most part, everyone knows what they are, but don't hold them and the Esks up above the heep of garbage too much or people will see this and tune out this year".

[TheAlpineOracle]

I actually used to wonder why TSN seemed to constantly downplay the Stamps when I figured they'd be boasting about the year to year success of our franchises and how well run our organization is.

Where as they would almost leave us out of the conversation and talk about how team so and so may be a force this season, so "keep your eye on them!" when it was teams you'd look at and go "these guys might be a force? Based on what?. Now I realize it was never a grudge or incompetence by the analysts - of course they know a contending team that will roll through most of the season when they see it - it was likely a mandate in meetings;

"Hey guys, ratings are way down, the only parity in the league right now is the race for the bottom of the standings, do whatever you can to keep as many team's fans watching as you can. Leave the Stamps out for the most part, everyone knows what they are, but don't hold them and the Esks up above the heep of garbage too much or people will see this and tune out this year".

TSN cares about Saskatchewan and the Argos. That is it. The rest of the league solely to play those teams in their mind.

[octothorp]

Since we're griping about ways that the CFL is not endearing itself to fans, I have to say that the lack of a non-cable option for legally watching the CFL affects my viewership a lot. I can watch just about other sport on some sort of annual subscription plan without cable, and the CFL isn't going to be the thing that makes me change my mind on cable... it'll just mean I watch less of it overall. I'd happily pay a bit to get a subscription, watch more CFL, and boost TSN's online viewership ratings in the process. Not sure if there's enough people like me to make it worthwhile, but given that they've already got the whole streaming system set up, a subscription system shouldn't be that hard to tack on.

[Hockey Fan #751]

I think one factor that hurt TV ratings was the 3-15 Riders being non-factors from the start and one factor that hurt overall attendance was the Argos being nomads for most of the season, playing to empty stadiums.

[Dan02]

As a casual fan of the stamps, the quality of the games is just atrocious right now.

I think I caught 4 games this year and the only thing that stood out was that there will be a penalty called on EVERY punt or kickoff return. It used to be that it seemed like both teams were a threat to score on any drive, now it seems like 2 and out is the default, any long plays are just hail marrys designed to try and draw a PI call that occasionally work out.

It's just unwatchable right now.

Look at the #1 seed, the 2 Edmonton quarterbacks combined have fewer then 3500 passing yards, that's right your league leader didn't even manage 200 yards passing a game.

[adc]

As many posters have mentioned there are numerous factors that are in play as to why the numbers are down but to me the biggest reason is the shift in the NFL focus to mobile QBs and the roster size that allows them to keep more guys.

Football at all levels is a QB driven sport but even moreso in the CFL with the bigger field and only 2 downs. Even if every QB stayed healthy this year the crop of QBs is really poor.

Mitchell, Collaros and I guess Reilly are the best of the "young" guys and I am not sure any of them are at the level of Garcia, Ham, Flutie, Calvillo, Dickenson etc. Mitchell and Collaros may get there in a year or two but not right now. Then you have the old guys Ray, Burris, Durant that are clearly a step or 3 below what they were. Throw in the garbage in Montreal and Winnipeg and the QB situation is really poor.

I am not sure how long they would have stayed and they may have been drafted anyways but guys like Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick seem like guys that in the past would have been CFLers. I am sure there are other back-ups that I am forgetting as well.