Toronto and its poor support of the Argos and the CFL

[milehigh]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Cup_Most_Valuable_Player

A lot of us grew up with the CFL, and there is some great tradition. Too many great names to mention, too many exciting Grey Cups.

Check out the MVP names. Brings back a lot of memories.


The CFL was HUGE in Toronto years ago. The NFL only starting hitting really big in the 70's... it was doing OK till then, then better TV coverage furthered it a great deal.

 

[milehigh]

Kind of Wierd.

In the sixties, the Leafs probably won so many Cups up to then that it was just expected.

The Argos took from 1952 to 1973 to win Cups..... it must have felt like a curse.

 

[johnhenrygalt]

And then who go on strike and cry when they don't get what they want.

The CFL has never had a work stoppage. Never. Ever.

I believe the last professional sports union in North America to strike was the MLB union in 1994. The NHLPA has only been on strike once - and the strike only lasted 10 days. The NFL Players association hasn't been on strike since 1987. I don't believe the NBA Players Association has ever been on strike. Every other North American pro sports work stoppage since 1994 has been a lockout.

 

[Bobzilla]

Pretty funny that this thread was supposed to be about a lack of support for the Argos & CFL when a) the game was sold out & clearly a huge success, & b) Rogers can't even get a decent number of fans for Bills games without giving away free tickets.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

It didn't look poor at the Grey cup and a big crowd showed up at city hall yesterday for the Argos

 

[scouser1]

The CFL lost an entire generation of fans like myself in their 30's when they decided on that brilliant marketing idea of black outs in the 90's. So what did those potential fans have to watch in the GTA? why the NFL with the Bills and Browns constantly on every week, add on top of that the flashy lasers and music that the NFL uses, the idea that the CFL is a second tier league which it really is. Using a comparison to a sport many of you despise for no real reason soccer, the NFL is the English, Italian or Spanish league while the CFL is maybe Scotland or Norway.

And please that big turn out yesterday at that parade were people on their lunch break at work who just happened to be on the parade route Rogers do yourself a favour move this team to London, Kitchener etc so we maybe we can get the NFL aka big boy football here. As for Rogers not being able to sell out Bills games, a combination of insane ticket prices when this venture started, a mediocre team and not everyone in southern Ontario is a Bills fan lead to that.

 

[Bobzilla]

No, it's that Toronto won't support anything that's not Leaf related. Worst fans in the world.

The CFL game is far superior to the over-hyped, slow paced & boring NFL crap brand of football & the fact that many NFL "stars" ie. Ricky Williams, Vince Ferragamo, etc. have come to the CFL & failed to be better than average is conveniently overlooked by everyone. Conversely, many CFL players have had success in the NFL: Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, Jeff Garcia, Cam Wake.

The Grey Cup game was sold out even though Toronto has crap fans for the most part. The excuse that "not everyone in southern Ontario is a Bills fan" is the lamest ever. If NFL is actually "big boy football", it shouldn't matter who plays. Fact is, Rogers can't get 18k for the NFL, but the Argos draw around 25k for a regular season game with the Ticats. Inconvenient math, I know...

 

[dirkd101]

IMO the NFL would fail if played at Rogers stadium as well. The NFL is all about the pregame/game day party, better known as tailgaiting. That's why a stadium has to be built outside of the city, with good parking because it's those fans who would rather go to someones house, rather than take public transit and pay exorbitant fees for beer at the game. It has as much to do with the on field product as the tailgate festivities.

 

[Bargnani_]

I found it amuzing that they thanked the fans ... They played to empty stands for most to all of the season

 

[jazzpig]

The CFL lost an entire generation of fans like myself in their 30's when they decided on that brilliant marketing idea of black outs in the 90's.

Not so much the CFL as the Argos and the Ontario based teams.
Fans were being lost way before the blackout rules. The black out rules were instituted because of poor attendance.
I was following the Argos from around 1967-68 and all the home games as well as games in Hamilton were blacked out, including playoffs.
In effect, I was only able to see 7 games a year, the rest I listened to on radio. Those were actually the golden years.
Games were sold out right through to when we won the cup in '83, the Argos were the talk of the town, even as I watched tons of NFL.
Ironically, the Argos began losing support right after they won the cup in 1983.
The reasons are a bit deeper, I think.
Southern Ontario has been sucked into an American centric mind set, and because the CFL doesn't stand up to the NFL in pure technical qualty or hype, we no longer find value in
the Canadian game, IMO.

Having said that, I have lost almost all interest in football, except for some playoffs and the final games.
For pure entertainment as far as the game (without the hype) goes, the NFL doesn't even come close.

 

[wigglee]

To add to that, even though the CFL is minor league football, I think it would get more respect if there were more teams. It's an 8 team league, it's the smallest league by far, if it was a 30 team minor league it would be a much greater achievement to win the grey cup than it is in an 8 team league. Combine that with the fact that Toronto is a supporter of major league teams like the Leafs, Jays and Raptors the Argos never really had a chance to receive that much support amongst Toronto fans.

they should at least get teams in Halifax and Ottawa which would make 2 equal five team divisions, with maybe 6 teams making the playoffs ( 2 plays 3 in each division and 1 gets a bye to the division final.) Thankyou CFL, now give me my consultants cheque for solving all your problems

 

[jazzpig]

Toronto is a world city and the caliber of professional football in the CFL is inferior to US collegiate level. It has nothing to do with Toronto wanting to emulate the US and everything to do with having a real professional level team. NFL players, are stronger, faster, more agile, and the you cannot compare the athleticism and quality of the games. With infinite access to NFL games on mainstream TV, Satellite and online, why would anyone patronize an inferior product like the CFL? And in Toronto real fans of the sport can drive 90 minutes to Buffalo and support a real team live. The CFL is not a feeder league for the NFL either. NFL players come from the NCAA level. The odd NFL player who has one foot in the grave comes to the CFL to avoid going bankrupt. The CFL is a joke. I wish it would fold. It's actually embarrassing that it even exists and would likely do better as a legit farm system for the NFL. That I might consider watching.

I agree with the gap in athleticism between the two leagues. But that never stood in the way of fans packing the stadium in Toronto until the early-mid 80's.

 

[fuji]

I don't like CFL much, too white. I prefer incandescent.

 

[dirkwiggler]

To add to that, even though the CFL is minor league football, I think it would get more respect if there were more teams. It's an 8 team league, it's the smallest league by far, if it was a 30 team minor league it would be a much greater achievement to win the grey cup than it is in an 8 team league. Combine that with the fact that Toronto is a supporter of major league teams like the Leafs, Jays and Raptors the Argos never really had a chance to receive that much support amongst Toronto fans.

I love the CFL and the Argos. I have been going to Grey Cups for many years now (by far the best party in Canada - if you have never been you should put in on your bucket list). As far as being only an eight team league (nine when Ottawa returns in 2014), let me remind all Leaf fans that the Leafs Stanley cup victories came mainly in a 6 team league (1945, 47, 48, 49, 51, 62, 63, 64 and 67). Their 1942 victory came in a 7 team league (Brooklyn Americans were also in the league) while their 1932 victory came in an 8 team league (Montreal Maroons and New York Americans were the other teams and the Red Wings were the Falcons although they played in Detroit. The other Toronto Stanley Cup victories (the Arenas in 1918 and the St. Pats in 1922) were in a four team league. Does this therefore diminish the Leafs achievements?

 

[gcostanza]

It wouldn't surprise me if half the Grey Cup seats were given away for free at Pizza Pizza throughout the year. The league is nothing but a joke and an embarrassment to Toronto.

And you'd be wrong.

 

[Questor]

Southern Ontario has been sucked into an American centric mind set, and because the CFL doesn't stand up to the NFL in pure technical qualty or hype, we no longer find value in
the Canadian game, IMO.

This I think explains most of the lack of support.

 

[LKD]

you'd think they'd have better half-time entertainment, one that caters to the football crowd to start out with... But no.. they bring in Beiber and Carly who perform songs like 'girlfriend', kissme', 'call me maybe' and other highschool teen cheese. >< no wonder they seem to turn away some fans xD

whats the reason for not having NFL teams in Canada like we have NBA, NHL, NBL etc? don't tell me its because we got CFL? xD Half the players in the CFL are probably not even from CAnada so its pretty stupid to call it patriotism and prevent NFL from coming here. All CFL really cares about in the end is profit and their pay.

 

[wigglee]

Sure- that was pre cable & satellite packages (and obviously streaming online) that essentially provide every NFL game in HD with superior home theatre experience.

It wouldn't surprise me if half the Grey Cup seats were given away for free at Pizza Pizza throughout the year. The league is nothing but a joke and an embarrassment to Toronto.

you are a victim of the american hype machine.....even your name represents an American brewery - Coors. This league and the Grey Cup festival is about the fans and the tradition that has brought them together for a hundred years. If you find that embarrassing , go shit on your grandfather's grave and then go live in Buffalo.

 

[johnhenrygalt]

For some strange reason that defies all logic, many Canadian NFL fans are so insecure in their choice of entertainment that they feel the need to denigrate the CFL and its fans. It's really quite bizarre.

 

[The Fruity Hare]

you'd think they'd have better half-time entertainment, one that caters to the football crowd to start out with... But no.. they bring in Beiber and Carly who perform songs like 'girlfriend', kissme', 'call me maybe' and other highschool teen cheese. >< no wonder they seem to turn away some fans xD

whats the reason for not having NFL teams in Canada like we have NBA, NHL, NBL etc? don't tell me its because we got CFL? xD Half the players in the CFL are probably not even from CAnada so its pretty stupid to call it patriotism and prevent NFL from coming here. All CFL really cares about in the end is profit and their pay.

NFL teams have much larger salaries than CFL teams. To make money in a fairly short season they ned to have large seating capacity. Most cities in Canada have no other use for an 80, 000 seat stadium.