Sports in Canadian culture

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The interest of many Canadians in the NFL is not so much the issue, as it is the disinterest in the CFL on the part of so many Canadians.

I'm not sure why this is an issue, but other preferences Canadians have is fine.
No one raises a stink when Canadians follow the NHL over the AHL, or European soccer leagues over MLS.

If this is an issue over supporting Canadian products, ask yourself how much of the entertainment you consume is actually Canadian. Is it a big deal that Canadians ignore Canadian-made film/shows/books and only consume American entertainment? Because every time I hear complaints about not supporting the CFL, it comes from people who completely ignore all other types of Canadian entertainment - which seems hypocritical to me.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I'm not sure why this is an issue, but other preferences Canadians have is fine.
No one raises a stink when Canadians follow the NHL over the AHL, or European soccer leagues over MLS.

If this is an issue over supporting Canadian products, ask yourself how much of the entertainment you consume is actually Canadian. Is it a big deal that Canadians ignore Canadian-made film/shows/books and only consume American entertainment? Because every time I hear complaints about not supporting the CFL, it comes from people who completely ignore all other types of Canadian entertainment - which seems hypocritical to me.

I can't speak for the others, but it's kind of odd that you should reply about not paying attention to one's homegrown culture to a francophone living in Quebec...

[Acajack]

Local Super Bowl Hype Report

Rousseau's post reminded me of how when I lived in Ontario on Super Bowl weekend you used to get these ''Happy Super Sunday'' wishes on occasion from retail staff. And not just when buying obviously Super Bowl-related stuff like beer or chips... I got it from gas station attendants or when depositing a cheque at the bank.

That said, although I've never had anyone do this since moving to Quebec, it's virtually impossible not to know it's happening tonight. It's not the number one item on the news or even the sports news (the Habs play Sat and Sun afternoons on Super Bowl weekend, and that gets top billing), but it's certainly getting regular mentions by the francophone media all the same.

You hear about certain people having parties planned and sports bars have thematic nights, but it's not as if everything shuts down to focus on the Super Bowl. I am sure pizza delivery guys will have a busy night here.

All in all - there is definitely something happening but it's not obsessive or even pervasive. Kind of like the World Cup phenomenon, but maybe a tad more widespread. (Different demographics at play in some cases.)

I actually went to a dinner party last night with three other couples and the Super Bowl did not come up at all amongst the dads present. And two of the three other days have boys playing hockey so they are not indifferent to sports. Most of the sports-related discussion was about that.

If I had to guess, my guy friends are divided into three groups: one third are fairly pumped, one third have a passing interest because of the ''event'' factor, and the other third are totally indifferent.

My friends of immigrant origin are all in the indifferent group BTW.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I'm not sure why this is an issue, but other preferences Canadians have is fine.

And Torontonians act bewildered when Canadians tell them that they have tunnel vision for the US at the expense of their own country. This is a prime example of that.

I went to Loblaws (at Maple Leaf Gardens) today and they're broadcasting the Super Bowl right in the store. That they'd go to such great lengths to celebrate the national football championship of the US but they won't do the same for their own country speaks volumes. Sorry but that's plain sad.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if Londoners ignored the Premierhship in favour of the NFL they'd be roundly lambasted by Brits nationally. Londoners arguing that they're allowed their own preferences would ring hollow.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I went to Loblaws (at Maple Leaf Gardens) today and they're broadcasting the Super Bowl right in the store. That they'd go to such great lengths to celebrate the national football championship of the US but they won't do the same for their own country speaks volumes. Sorry but that's plain sad.

.

It wouldn't be such a head-scratcher if they did that for BOTH the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl.

You know, I don't live under a rock and realize we live in North America, American football is popular, we have close ties to the U.S., and the Super Bowl is a huge event.

But doing it for the Super Bowl but NOT the Grey Cup is just a big WTF. Even though I am used to it. Nothing surprises me on this topic anymore.

[isaidso]

And that's just it. That don't do anything for the Grey Cup. I was in there that day and you'd never know it was Grey Cup Sunday. It wouldn't be an issue if they went to the same lengths for their own country.

That they don't just leaves me shaking my head.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by isaidso

And Torontonians act bewildered when Canadians tell them that they have tunnel vision for the US at the expense of their own country. This is a prime example of that.

I was a bit amused when I saw a CBC documentary about Canadian-produced TV shows and the "struggle" for Canada to differentiate itself from the US.

I missed parts of it, so maybe my characterization in unfair, but this is what I saw:

- A bunch of generic shows set in Toronto. Question: why do Canadians imitate the US so much?
- Counterexample: shows with unique "Canadian" character - Trailer Park Boys and Republic of Doyle
- Commercial is for Book of Negroes, again explicitly set in NS
- No mention of French-language production whatsoever, at least during the parts I saw

There was no connecting of the dots to suggest that maybe there is a regional aspect to what is going on. Whether it's right or wrong, I think the lack of Canadian content in our national media is a direct result of the fact that the media is disproportionately concentrated in Toronto (even our public broadcaster) and there isn't a very strong local or Canadian identity there. Many people in Toronto have only recently moved to Canada and Toronto is more closely connected to the US than most other Canadian cities. The handwringing over Americanization is another Ontario-specific thing from what I can tell; you don't hear about it much in Eastern Canada. Meanwhile I think the West is more Americanized but most people here don't seem to notice or care as much.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by isaidso

And Torontonians act bewildered when Canadians tell them that they have tunnel vision for the US at the expense of their own country. This is a prime example of that.

I went to Loblaws (at Maple Leaf Gardens) today and they're broadcasting the Super Bowl right in the store. That they'd go to such great lengths to celebrate the national football championship of the US but they won't do the same for their own country speaks volumes. Sorry but that's plain sad.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if Londoners ignored the Premierhship in favour of the NFL they'd be roundly lambasted by Brits nationally. Londoners arguing that they're allowed their own preferences would ring hollow.

Broadcasting any NFL game in a supermarket, much less the Super Bowl, is totally unacceptable. I would complain to the nearest employee and walk out, especially if the volume was in any way audible. That this is happening at the MLG store on Carlton is seriously beyond the pale. My self-loathing for Canadian "culture" just went up a notch. I should not have been born in this fucking cultural wasteland.

A point of clarification, though: It's not really Toronto being "American" in contradistinction to the rest of the country (that mind-bloggingly idiotic example at the Loblaws notwithstanding). It's more southern Ontario outside of Toronto that is beholden to the NFL in this way. Toronto has massively large populations of cosmopolitans, creatives, immigrants and just generally people who are uninterested in sports in general or who have class and taste. The rest of Ontario is not like that.

The Super Bowl draws in lots of fairly passive viewers who go along to the party at somebody's house because it's the thing to do. In Toronto, chances are far greater that the passive potential viewer will have something else going on with friends in a much larger pool of people with no interest in the NFL. That's not true in smaller places outside of the city.

But I think the percentage of Super Bowl viewers in other cities across the country is probably larger than in Toronto anyway, save for in Quebec. I mean, I lived in Winnipeg. Just because the Bombers and the Grey Cup are huge there doesn't mean that the Super Bowl isn't just as big, or even bigger. It certainly was when I lived there. You could not escape it.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by isaidso

And that's just it. That don't do anything for the Grey Cup. I was in there that day and you'd never know it was Grey Cup Sunday. It wouldn't be an issue if they went to the same lengths for their own country.

That they don't just leaves me shaking my head.

Maybe they're reacting to demand? The same way there are a lot more theatres Canada-wide that will play American films than Canadian films.
I'm able to catch a 6.5 hour Super Bowl preview on a Canadian channel. That's available to all of Canada - not just Toronto/Ontario. They wouldn't be playing that if there wasn't demand for it (as ridiculous as a 6.5 hours preview is).

Like it or not, part of Canada's culture is enjoying some of Americas culture and offerings - even if it means not paying attention to the equivalent Canadian product. I believe in capitalism and democracy - so if you want people to buy your product, give them a product they want/enjoy. It's not the buyers fault - it's the sellers. Compete or perish.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I'm able to catch a 6.5 hour Super Bowl preview on a Canadian channel. That's available to all of Canada - not just Toronto/Ontario. They wouldn't be playing that if there wasn't demand for it (as ridiculous as a 6.5 hours preview is).

Like it or not, part of Canada's culture is enjoying some of Americas culture and offerings - even if it means not paying attention to the equivalent Canadian product. I believe in capitalism and democracy - so if you want people to buy your product, give them a product they want/enjoy. It's not the buyers fault - it's the sellers. Compete or perish.

Is there a demand for all the NCAA hockey that is now being shown on the new TSN channels? I would say not, but because it is cheaper to acquire and is being exposed and people are being conditioned to it instead of CIS, eventually that will create demand.

Canadians will embrace their own stories but they are not being given that choice on a fair level. The Super Bore (which I didn't even know was today) will be broadcast on a national network which has at least a 10 percent larger coverage audience than does the cable outlet TSN.

I wish I would have marked the poll I read a few days ago. The most popular sports story in Canada in 2014 was the medal haul in Sochi easily beating everything else, American stories and World Cup of soccer included. Canadians want Canadian stories but are being stymied by people who think they don't.

These thick people don't understand that people have the capacity to appreciate different things and not the mainstream. The most successful Canadian programs overseas are not the ones that pretend Toronto is Chicago or New York but the ones that embrace Canada. ie Trailer Park Boys, Corner Gas, Slings and Arrows (which some have hailed as one of the best TV programs of all time)

[Pinion]

There are tons of Seahawks jerseys/shirts/hats in Vancouver right now. More than Canucks logos these days.

I personally don't see the CFL as very Canadian. I hear the guys interviewed and most of them sound like Americans. Plus if no one else in town cares it's kinda contagious apathy.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Maybe they're reacting to demand? The same way there are a lot more theatres Canada-wide that will play American films than Canadian films.

You might want to look up the little story of Flora MacDonald and Jack Valenti.

People made the same complaints about Canadian music until we legislated the beginning of an industry and through volume came quality and some of the top talent in the world.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by elly63

The Super Bore (which I didn't even know was today)...

You must've been camping for the last week at least - with no access to TV, radio or internet then.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

You must've been camping for the last week at least - with no access to TV, radio or internet then.

I assume you live in southern Ontario, I don't.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by elly63

I assume you live in southern Ontario, I don't.

I assume you live in the Yukon.

[GlassCity]

Even when the Seahakws aren't in it it's all you hear about in Vancouver in the week leading up to it. And it is true that you see way more Seahawks stuff than Canucks stuff, but that's cause we're a terrible sports town in general. As far as local apathy to CFL goes, it definitely doesn't make it easy to be a fan. I love the Lions and go to almost every game, but it's annoying that I don't have anybody to talk to about them. I know TV ratings say the opposite, but it's so rare when you meet someone and they actually know any of the players or things like that.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by elly63

I assume you live in southern Ontario, I don't.

Do you honestly think it's this massive thing here? I saw a sign in the grocery store around the chips and pop mentioning the Super Bowl because they're trying to sell shit. If you're a sports fan or get any US TV stations, which most Canadians do, it would be driven pretty hard no matter where you are in Canada. Some of you people talk like it's an Olympic gold medal game here or something.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I assume you live in the Yukon.

Why, are there less American wannabees there?

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by elly63

Why, are there less American wannabees there?

Ah, I see you're back to your standard response.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by elly63

People made the same complaints about Canadian music until we legislated the beginning of an industry and through volume came quality and some of the top talent in the world.

Oh, this is too awesome. If there is a better example of how pathetic the Canadian music scene is, I don't know it.

Hey Canadians! Feeling left out because all of the great music is coming from places like London and Manchester and Athens, Georgia? That's okay, we can "legislate" quality by government bureaucracy! We can protect our music to make it better!

That's sad. Because the answer isn't protectionism. It never is. Though I don't know what the actual answer is for the CFL, I just know what it isn't, which is some sort of legislation against NFL broadcasts, or whatever. My complaint about a supermarket in downtown Toronto playing the Super Bowl is that it is an offence against good taste and reason. The supermarket should be convinced not to show it, it shouldn't be forced by government fiat not to show it.