CGY - HAM blackout?

[Scrambler]

Hi all,

What are the chances this game isn't blacked out. I don't like the odds as I highly doubt there'll be more than 24,000 at the game. I wish I could go, but that won't work out so I was hoping to catch the second half when I get home tonight.

Cheers

Go Stamps!

[ken0042]

I know last season a lot of games that were blacked out were still available on the TSN-HD channel.

[albertGQ]

The season opener was blacked out so I am guessing this game would be too. Too bad, I wanted to watch it, but it looks like I'll be watching the Jays game tonight

[Calgary Flames]

I hate these blackouts. They really keep fans away. Get a casual fan to watch as many televised games as possible so they can get to know the team and they'll possibly turn into die hards and go to every game.

Just makes no sense to me

[Eddie Bronze]

Tonight was a perfect example of why you NEVER leave a game early, particularly a CFL game. Hamilton ball, up by one. Missed FG from the 40. Calgary concedes the single, Hamilton by 2. Calgary ball on their 30 with 13 seconds left. Burris to Howell for 13. Burris to Rambo for 24. DeAngelis kicks the winning FG from 45 with no time on the clock. We Win!!! People were filing out in droves after the missed FG.

[KevanGuy]

Wow, wish I could have seen it on the tube. The Stamps sure are cutting these games close.

[hah]

Watched on Directv channel 644 (Altitude.)

Terrible game, almost like watching game 7 of this years SCP

[calf]

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

I hate these blackouts. They really keep fans away. Get a casual fan to watch as many televised games as possible so they can get to know the team and they'll possibly turn into die hards and go to every game.

Just makes no sense to me

I can see your point, but it's mainly because the CFL is a gate driven league. this is what Ted Hellard had to say after the home opener:

Actually believe it or not we are running a business, the business is entertainment, we were playing our arch rivals and only 27000 tickets were sold, 25000 which were season ticket holders and safeway.....this coming on the heels of 27000 for our western semi final for last season against the eskimos our hated rivals...our organization believes it owes it to the fans both season ticket holders and game day ticket holders to honor their commitment to our team in the stadium....the league requires us to lift a certain number of blackouts and we will meet this requirement....we are not looking for sell outs but it only makes business sense if less than 3000 seats are sold other than season tickets that we do not lift the blackout...as well if we do lift the blackout we are required to pay a penalty to our radio partner for lifting the blackout....something we would be happy to do if our sales surpass the 32000 mark well short of a sellout...I am sure this policy does not please everybody but we will continue to support our ticket holders first...Ted Hellard

[browna]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

Tonight was a perfect example of why you NEVER leave a game early, particularly a CFL game. Hamilton ball, up by one. Missed FG from the 40. Calgary concedes the single, Hamilton by 2. Calgary ball on their 30 with 13 seconds left. Burris to Howell for 13. Burris to Rambo for 24. DeAngelis kicks the winning FG from 45 with no time on the clock. We Win!!! People were filing out in droves after the missed FG.

Yeah, I was listening on the radio and turned it off after the no yards on the punt with 1:20 to go.
Only an hour alter when I went to tsn did I see the result....and went to cfl.ca to see the play by play.
Poor clock management by the Ti-cats, thats for sure....with a 1st down and less then a minute to go, no way you should give that up.

[ken0042]

And it looks like my old trick of TSN-HD didn't work either. They were showing poker in HD, while the TSN-alternate was showing a Hamilton-Calgary game from when we had Barrett.

While I agree with the non-blackout rule, perhaps the current owners should look at why attendance was down. I know I'm not the only one who didn't renew their season tickets due to the cash grab.

[Calgary Flames]

Originally Posted by calf

I can see your point, but it's mainly because the CFL is a gate driven league. this is what Ted Hellard had to say after the home opener:

Gate driven league or not... If you want to build and grow you have to start by allowing people with the means to go to games ($$$) the ability to get excited about the team, television is that place. Once their into it, the more games they'll be going too..

Sports blackouts in general seem counter productive to me.

[CalgaryDesi]

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

Gate driven league or not... If you want to build and grow you have to start by allowing people with the means to go to games ($$$) the ability to get excited about the team, television is that place. Once their into it, the more games they'll be going too..

Sports blackouts in general seem counter productive to me.

Why should you be able to watch the games for free when others are watching for $50.00

You build and grow by winning. Go back to 2000, where McMahon stadium was nearly sold out, and averaged 35,000 +, near capacity.

Winning is the only reason people will come...that or Calgarians are thinking they are too good for the CFL.

There should be no reason to draw 27, and 28K. Those are bad numbers compared to what we used to draw

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by CalgaryDesi

Why should you be able to watch the games for free when others are watching for $50.00

Well I guess they'd better stop televising the CFL period.. and the NFL.. and MLB.. and the NHL.. and Tennis.. and everything else.

The stadium experience is totally different than the TV experience. This is part of what you pay the money for.

Unfortunately, unless there is exposure for the experience and the product, nobody is going to want to pay money for it.

I'm with CF on this one. Publicity and exposure is key to building and keeping a market - in this case, the fan base. Eliminate one of these on a regular basis, and most people won't care enough about the product to want to pay for it.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Well I guess they'd better stop televising the CFL period.. and the NFL.. and MLB.. and the NHL.. and Tennis.. and everything else.

The stadium experience is totally different than the TV experience. This is part of what you pay the money for.

Unfortunately, unless there is exposure for the experience and the product, nobody is going to want to pay money for it.

I'm with CF on this one. Publicity and exposure is key to building and keeping a market - in this case, the fan base. Eliminate one of these on a regular basis, and most people won't care enough about the product to want to pay for it.

I think history has shown otherwise though.

- Teams like the Stamps have done well for years with blackouts in place. It has not appeared to hurt them at all and may indeed help their attendance.
- When not sold out games have no blackout..attendance has suffered. There have been playoff games with poor attendance even when there is no blackout.
- The issue is complicated by the poorer weather that happens as the season progresses. Even the die-hards need the motivation to brave the weather to see a game and a black out does this.

[Eddie Bronze]

Jiri is 100% correct. I can honestly say I was one of those fans who was considering not getting the season ticket this year for a few different reasons, but knowing I wouldn't be able to see a number of them on TV is the main reason I went back. And I go by myself so it's not about the 'stadium experience' for me, I just want to watch the game.