CFL 2025 Season

[craner]

Originally Posted by elly63

26K may be disappointing for the Riders but pretty good for anyone else. Plus it was up 1K from last year, it's early June and Ottawa is usually not a good draw.

I was just going on how empty the stadium looked on TV. Must have been a fair number of tickets sold to people who didn’t show.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by craner

I was just going on how empty the stadium looked on TV. Must have been a fair number of tickets sold to people who didn’t show.

I have posted about an LDC game in Hamilton where I could see the upper yellow section look empty but I knew that had sold one thousand tickets more than capacity. It was a beautiful day and they were more than likely in the fan plazas instead of their seats. Maybe they didn't show up in Regina, early season games are less attended, but as I said they sold 1K more seats than last year's opener.

It's interesting that big games in Hamilton will tell you the exact number of tickets sold that are sometimes more than 1000 over the capacity but in places like Montreal and Winnipeg the capacity number is used.

[Coldrsx]

Exceptional numbers from the Lions over the Elks last night.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Exceptional numbers from the Lions over the Elks last night.

Some wild plays in this one

• Video Link

[BlackDog204]

I was at the Bombers game yesterday against BC. Probably over 90% capacity, with a few empty seats in the upper deck corners. Bombers clearly are still a powerhouse, as they were the better team.

The stadium experience is great, considering the team allows tons of tailgate parties, where fans BBQ, play music, and party before game time.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

I was at the Bombers game yesterday against BC. Probably over 90% capacity, with a few empty seats in the upper deck corners. Bombers clearly are still a powerhouse, as they were the better team.

The stadium experience is great, considering the team allows tons of tailgate parties, where fans BBQ, play music, and party before game time.

Maybe the people were at the Rum Hut because it was a sellout.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

I was at the Bombers game yesterday against BC. Probably over 90% capacity, with a few empty seats in the upper deck corners. Bombers clearly are still a powerhouse, as they were the better team.

The stadium experience is great, considering the team allows tons of tailgate parties, where fans BBQ, play music, and party before game time.

While I'd love to see games in every single CFL city, Winnipeg is at the top of my list (I've been to all the East stadiums for games, Ottawa and Montreal pre-renovation, but nothing in the West yet)

[craner]

One summer when I’m retired I’m going to hit a game in each of the 9 cities (hopefully 10 by then).

[elly63]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

While I'd love to see games in every single CFL city, Winnipeg is at the top of my list (I've been to all the East stadiums for games, Ottawa and Montreal pre-renovation, but nothing in the West yet)

You might want to hold off for a few years until 2029 to see Montreal and Ottawa again.

They will likely play a season opener (possibly with concert like BC) and late season games in Olympic Stadium when it is finished. It is going to be something but the problem still remains; too many seats and too far from the field and they won't have the money to do a Copps Coliseum like rebuild of the interior, which is a shame.

In Ottawa the final decision on the new Lansdowne will be on October 22. Hopefully then the project will finally begin.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by elly63

Maybe the people were at the Rum Hut because it was a sellout.

I was there, and there were empty seats in the four upper level corners. The Rum Hut is nowhere near that area.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by elly63

You might want to hold off for a few years until 2029 to see Montreal and Ottawa again.

Why?

Olympic Stadium is a horrible venue, and no amount of money or renovations, are going to solve the issue.

PS...both of the designs are far inferior to the stadiums built in Regina and Winnipeg. I've been to most CFL stadiums, and these two venues put all others to shame.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

Olympic Stadium is a horrible venue, and no amount of money or renovations, are going to solve the issue.

That's your usual bloviated opinion. Yes, the Regina and Winnipeg stadiums are the newest and the nicest but leave the hate-on for the Big O until we see the finished roof and where they go from there.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

I was there, and there were empty seats in the four upper level corners. The Rum Hut is nowhere near that area.

Doesn't matter if they were somewhere else or stayed at home, the tickets were sold, it was a sellout.

[TimB09]

I've got a feeling Montreal builds a new stadium in the next 5-10 years with Pierre Karl Peladeau at the helm.

As an outsider of the Monteal area maybe I'm wrong but...here's hoping!

[elly63]

Originally Posted by TimB09

I've got a feeling Montreal builds a new stadium in the next 5-10 years with Pierre Karl Peladeau at the helm.

As an outsider of the Monteal area maybe I'm wrong but...here's hoping!

I've thought about that but there are a number of things against it. Both Saputo and PKP want new stadiums. PKP has a history of getting money to build an expensive arena that unfortunately still hasn't fulfilled its original promise.

There had been speculative talk that someday the two could get together but as long as the Olympic Stadium got that huge amount of money, there's no way another stadium will be built, that I can foresee.

Unless the interior of the Big O is gutted, capacity reduced and seats brought closer to the field there will only be token early and late season games played there. And even then CFM will not play on artificial turf on a regular basis.

A new stadium would have to be privately funded, and have turf for a surface to satisfy CFM which would add to the maintenance cost. That would leave three stadiums without a professional tenant.

For PKP to go it alone, he likely could afford something along the lines of what he already has, but I suppose he could control the revenue streams

[Coldrsx]

Pumped to go to the Elks, EE, Eskimos home opener tonight, even if it's POURING at the moment.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Pumped to go to the Elks, EE, Eskimos home opener tonight, even if it's POURING at the moment.

Esks had a chance to win that game. They threw two low percentage long bombs when they could have used Ford to run to get a first down. Disappointing.

[Coldrsx]

I'm not so sure I saw it that way, but it was entertaining.

I tells you though, the energy level in that building is non-existent and sure it has a lot to do with on-field, but man o man they must continue working on trying to bring people back with promos, fun, food etc.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I'm not so sure I saw it that way, but it was entertaining.

I tells you though, the energy level in that building is non-existent and sure it has a lot to do with on-field, but man o man they must continue working on trying to bring people back with promos, fun, food etc.

I'll admit I'm biased but they can't give up on Ford. He has too good an arm and legs and no import will be better than him in that department. Where he lacks is in consistent execution and in the end that's all that matters (and winning)

Teams that have been constantly bad usually undergo a similar timeline. They're terrible with no hope, they get better and make games closer, then they lose close games, then they win a few of those close games, and then they win consistently.

I know they don't like him to run but they really have to use that more and they really had a chance at coming back and winning that game. The guy had (still has?) national level sprint speed. The Als couldn't touch him on the touchdown he scored.

Where I get hope is that they didn't quit and they scored 28 points, that's something to build on.

[elly63]

Another wild one
Suitor: Do you kick it to Mario Alford?
Nielson: I wouldn't

• Video Link