Quote:
Originally Posted by Muta
Your post is completely anecdotal, but I respect it and you absolutely have the right to believe it. However, first and foremost, the Stamps are the best team in the CFL and they're not selling out the stadium; they can't even draw the casual fans anymore. Bo Levi Mitchell was on 960 last week saying as much - why would you go to a game at a dilapidated McMahon, when you can watch TV at home and enjoy from the warm pleasantries of your living room?
...
I believe almost the complete opposite when it comes to indoor stadiums than you. They attract fans (casual and hardcore) - for the pleasant, consistent environment. It's also all in how you design the stadium that matters. I would wager to say, and this is anecdotal just like yours, that people would have a roofed stadium over an open one if given the choice... particularly for northern climates.
|
I do see where you're coming from, as originally I had the same opinion. The benefits of a indoor stadium means you would have a consistent draw of spectators, which should pay dividends in the playoff period of the season.
What has made me change my opinion though is the problem you mentioned in the first paragraph that is plaguing the CFL as a whole, watch the game in person, or watch it on TV? If someone is going to pay to view the game live, they're going for the in-game experience. I feel a big component for that is the weather.
You're right that it plays a big role in whether one goes or not. If the weather is crappy, it'll effect attendance. But if the weather is great, it'll boost attendance. I figure for the casual fans, and myself personally, when I attend Stamps games, it's a group experience. I'll go with a number of friends on a nice day to tailgate and enjoy the weather outside while taking in the football game atmosphere.
If the stadium was indoors, I'm not sure I'll have as high of a desire to go to the games since being inside takes away a part of the experience I like. I'm not a big enough fan of the brand of CFL football to go despite that. And that's the question for the casuals that CSEC needs to draw. How many more would come since it's indoor? And how many would they lose because it's indoor? One friend of mine who has season tickets said he probably wouldn't go to games anymore if it moved indoors. This is a dilemma with the ordeal. Although games in October and November may be a bit more tempting than it is currently. It's possible it could balance out, since as you said, you get the perks of consistent draw since weather isn't really a factor anymore.
The NFL does have a number of indoor stadiums, but there is a massive difference in quality of prestige and play between the NFL and CFL, so the CFL has to sell more than the game itself to draw people in. The NFL can get away with indoor stadiums, and it not mattering to fans as much because it's the best quality of football players you'll come across. The product is good enough in the consumers eyes to miss out on the outdoor experience.
And over half of the season is during the cold weather months of the year. There's only one month of the regular season where the weather is likely to be hot at all cities. So the NFL schedule is a cold weather schedule. It's more of a necessity for NFL teams than it is with the CFL. The CFL is opposite of that; and because of that, I feel the teams of the league need to embrace the summer elements since I believe spectators would rather be outside, than inside during the summer months. Indoor venues haven't worked well for teams in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Granted, just the venue simply being indoors wasn't the only issue for the last two.
Like I said though, if Stamps could get a venue like US Bank Stadium, and you can make it feel like your outside whereas you're actually in an indoor stadium, that's great. However it's completely cost-prohibitive. I remember when Hamilton made their new stadium, I was surprised with how bare-bones it looked; especially compared to Regina's and Winnipeg's new stadiums. But with the landscape of the CFL now, it makes complete sense to build a cost-efficient venue that meets your demands.