Quote:
Originally Posted by flameswin
I just don't see it as surprising. Our fanbase has been eroding these past few years, and even though it's only one game, it looks like that trend will continue. The atmosphere is starting to take a hit as well.
Football's not hockey in Canada, you have to offer more of an experience and with a garbage stadium (ha, like moon would say!) and the Stamps cracking down on the biggest draw at Stamps games; tailgating, it's no surprise that people are starting to watch the games at home, or just not follow the Stamps as much.
7 or 8 seasons ago, the stadium wasn't quite as outdated as it is now, AND we had a tailgate scene that was the envy of the league. TSN would always talk about it back in the day, saying how it was almost US like in the all day party atmosphere at McMahon leading up to a game.
Now that's all gone, and a Stamps game just isn't the experience it used to be. Really too bad, too, as we used to be known as the King of CFL fanbases.
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With respect to the Stamps current management, tailgating (and all the activities included in tailgating) is something that is now embraced and encouraged (Current President Norrie has personally let it be known that this is the case). I have been part of a tailgate for 10+ years it was only in the 'Ackles era' around 2008-2009 that it was a war on tailgates. That era did significant damage though as I think a lot of long time tailgaters quit and dropped their tickets. Pre-2008 the guy who runs our tailgate would have to show up 3 hours plus before every game to get the spot we usually occupy in the parking lot. Now there are free spaces in our area an hour before game time for most games.
As for the fanbase, I think there are four reasons for the attendance drop over the past 10 years:
- The price increases over the last decade has driven a lot of the marginal attendees from coming out. You used to be able to get Season tickets for $100 in some sections. No longer even close to that now and in the premium seats it's approaching or sometimes exceeding $100/game walk up
-The decline of the Edmonton Eskimos. Now I know most Calgary fans think Edmonton sucking is always a good thing, but longtime fans can recall when the Eskimos fans would occupy an entire section on Labour Day and the games between the two teams decided the division. Now there's only token Eskies fans who come out to witness the Eskimos get bent over every game they play here and the games mean so little. Edmonton should always be Calgary's natural rival for everything.
-The Rise of Riders and their diaspora. Riders fans in the stands in large numbers at McMahon actually takes away from people's fandom in the Stamps and ruins the family-friendly atmosphere at the games. Personally I think this phenomenon has jumped the shark as Stamps-Riders games aren't as crazy in the stands as they were 5 years ago, but the reputation these games have had keeps families away.
-McMahon Stadium - as it's been said, if they want to charge these kind of prices for CFL football it needs to be in a venue better than a Stadium built for a city of 250k in the early 1960s.