CTV talk back TO poll on now, Fav TO sports team.

[AngeloV]

Well said, rdavies. This poll is statistically meaningless but the results could be useful nevertheless.

I can't help but wonder how this type of thing can be useful? You tell a Toronto CFL hater about the ratings, and they'll come back and say things like "well what else is there to watch in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta?".

They see the league as minor league and no ratings info will change that.

[rdavies]

The argument that 95% (exaggerating) of people who watch Argos games are not from Toronto is ludicrous. What about vs Hamilton? If the southern Ontario market is so moribund then why does that game get big numbers, Saskatchewan people have a thing for Hamilton?

Yes, it's an unscientific poll, that is open to anyone across Canada to vote, but it is most likely that it is people from southern Ontario going to the Toronto Star website. Do you go to the Halifax Chronically Horrid to vote on polls very much?

Canoe.ca often runs polls and I can almost always forecast what the results will be. They almost always echo public sentiment and that's what I think this poll does.

Just wonder why some people here seem to be fighting it. With friends like that who needs enemies. You do what everybody else does. Spin, spin, spin and this has given you something to work with.

Argos hanging in there, get over there and vote, this poll can be used (when it is closed) to show the importance of the CFL in the GTA market.

[LLB997]

But how can the Argos be ahead of the Toronto No Names. Any No Names fan will tell you none of their friends ever talk Argos or CFL. A true barometer of accuracy. XD

[rdavies]

Do you not think that if TFC were ahead in this poll their fans wouldn't use it to further try and sink the Argos. They wouldn't give two hoots about how "accurate" it was. And time to give the "no names" thing a rest.

[ArgoGabe22]

But how can the Argos be ahead of the Toronto No Names. Any No Names fan will tell you none of their friends ever talk Argos or CFL. A true barometer of accuracy. XD

I think you can stop refereeing to Toronto FC as a no names after their signings. I never understood really understood it in the first place.

Regarding polls, 1,325 responses really means nothing. It does show that people do support the Argos but we all could have voted every 10 minutes. It's like the CFL.ca or TSN polls. They're all pointless because Rider fans just vote for their own even if they don't deserve the credit.

[rdavies]

Regarding polls, 1,325 responses really means nothing. It does show that people do support the Argos but we all could have voted every 10 minutes. It's like the CFL.ca or TSN polls. They're all pointless because Rider fans just vote for their own even if they don't deserve the credit.

Sorry but these kind of comments are just as ludicrous as giving Rider fans credit for skewing everything. There's only one million people in Saskatchewan and contrary to popular belief they're not all Rider fans, they're not skewing the TV rating in a Toronto vs Hamilton game that rates over a million. Hard as it may be to believe but it's the people from the GTA watching it.

A sample of 1,600 people gives you a margin of error of 2.5 percent, which is pretty good for a poll. Yes, I know it isn't a proper scientific poll but I can't help but wonder WTH is wrong with people here questioning a gift that has been thrown into your lap.

It's no wonder the Argo/CFL haters have gained the ascendancy when the supposed Argo fans question what little good news they get instead of shouting it to the heavens.

And if people think I'm being naive about this I'm not. I have a marketing and TV background. I'm not being naive, I'm lying. Remember? Lies, damned lies, and statistics! The context doesn't matter, it's the numbers and perception and they show the Argos in a much better light than what we are being told (whether true or not)

[Wobbler]

I can't help but wonder how this type of thing can be useful? You tell a Toronto CFL hater about the ratings, and they'll come back and say things like "well what else is there to watch in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta?".

There's no point in trying to change the mind of "haters", but I suspect that most people who dismiss the Argos aren't haters. It is easy for a reasonable person to walk the streets of Toronto and never realize that it has a football team. Polls like this (and TV ratings) provide evidence that can be used to remind such people, and the media, that there is meaningful interest in the Argos.

[rdavies]

^Praise Allah!

[ArgoGabe22]

Sorry but these kind of comments are just as ludicrous as giving Rider fans credit for skewing everything. There's only one million people in Saskatchewan and contrary to popular belief they're not all Rider fans, they're not skewing the TV rating in a Toronto vs Hamilton game that rates over a million. Hard as it may be to believe but it's the people from the GTA watching it.

Rider fans are not only in the province of Saskatchewan. Most fans who attend Rider games in Toronto are actually locals. Every cfl fan forum knows that all polls are dominated by Rider fans. TSN asks for game of the week to replay on TSN2 and most often a Riders game will be selected even though a better game was played that week. Not sure who's talking about tv ratings.

[rdavies]

TSN asks for game of the week to replay on TSN2 and most often a Riders game will be selected even though a better game was played that week.

Do ya think that may be because their home games have atmosphere and are sold out and not played in a half empty concrete mausoleum.

Look, all I wanna do is get some positive PR for the Argos and I'll use whatever is at my disposal, be it popular cheerleaders or an unscientific poll that has favourable results. Really can't understand the pushback from this, helps me understand why the Argos are having the problems that they are.

[ArgoGabe22]

Do ya think that may be because their home games have atmosphere and are sold out and not played in a half empty concrete mausoleum.

Ummm...no. It's because fans voted for that game.

[rdavies]

And why do you suppose that is?

[bluto]

The argument that 95% (exaggerating) of people who watch Argos games are not from Toronto is ludicrous. What about vs Hamilton? If the southern Ontario market is so moribund then why does that game get big numbers, Saskatchewan people have a thing for Hamilton?

Yes, it's an unscientific poll, that is open to anyone across Canada to vote, but it is most likely that it is people from southern Ontario going to the Toronto Star website. Do you go to the Halifax Chronically Horrid to vote on polls very much?

Canoe.ca often runs polls and I can almost always forecast what the results will be. They almost always echo public sentiment and that's what I think this poll does.

Just wonder why some people here seem to be fighting it. With friends like that who needs enemies. You do what everybody else does. Spin, spin, spin and this has given you something to work with.

it's ludicrous because in the same articles which publish the ratings, it is not uncommon for them to give the GTA ratings along with them. the Argos kill in the ratings. end of.

[LLB997]

This Is not the 1st of these polls, they do it yearly at the sun with there best of Toronto lists and the last few years have shown the exact result Leafs,Jays,Argos with no mention of nonames or raps. I do believe it has validity but according to the media the Argos are still worth zero dollars and they have 10 thousand fans at most. these polls will be touted when they get the desired result and ignored until then.

[rdavies]

Regarding how accurate or scientific this poll is, it's interesting that over the course of over 400 votes since I've been tracking it, that the voting has been pretty consistent which says to me that it is a fairly accurate assessment of the original question.

[paulwoods13]

A sample of 1,600 people gives you a margin of error of 2.5 percent, which is pretty good for a poll. Yes, I know it isn't a proper scientific poll but I can't help but wonder WTH is wrong with people here questioning a gift that has been thrown into your lap.

Find me one actual pollster who would credit an online survey that anyone can answer with any kind of margin of error. You won't be able to.

[rdavies]

Had this been a targeted poll (which it wasn't) it could be given a margin of error. I assume you are questioning it as an untargeted poll rather than the fact it was done online. Bruce Paul, VP, International Research AC Nielsen concludes; moving research from telephone or mail or face-to-face to the Internet can increase speed, add accuracy and save costs. But each case should be evaluated carefully, preferably with a parallel test, to make sure that it truly merits the switch.

Do you think this poll would be much different with proper sampling, I don't because it has remained consistent as the number of respondents increases.

[paulwoods13]

Had this been a targeted poll (which it wasn't) it could be given a margin of error. I assume you are questioning it as an untargeted poll rather than the fact it was done online. Bruce Paul, VP, International Research AC Nielsen concludes; moving research from telephone or mail or face-to-face to the Internet can increase speed, add accuracy and save costs. But each case should be evaluated carefully, preferably with a parallel test, to make sure that it truly merits the switch.

Do you think this poll would be much different with proper sampling, I don't because it has remained consistent as the number of respondents increases.

My opinion of opinion polls -- the scientific "pull" ones, not the random "pull" ones, which IMO don't merit consideration at all -- is that they are always overblown and over-credited. At best they represent a snapshot of how a selected group of individuals responded to properly designed questions over a given time period. They do NOT represent how any population thinks NOW. And the recent track record of professional pollsters (vis-a-vis elections in Canada) is atrocious as a predictor of what will happen.

[argotom]

This Is not the 1st of these polls, they do it yearly at the sun with there best of Toronto lists and the last few years have shown the exact result Leafs,Jays,Argos with no mention of nonames or raps. I do believe it has validity but according to the media the Argos are still worth zero dollars and they have 10 thousand fans at most. these polls will be touted when they get the desired result and ignored until then.

Very good summary.
On top of which no one watches them and we know that is another big lie to the tune of 800,000 viewers per game, only a close second to the NHL figures!

[Fumblitis]

There's only one million people in Saskatchewan and contrary to popular belief they're not all Rider fans, they're not skewing the TV rating in a Toronto vs Hamilton game that rates over a million.

. Actually, the non Rider fans that like other CFL teams in Saskatchewan can easily be fit into an average sized lecture hall on any university campus. They are few and far between. Any other non Rider fans are either 1) Not football fans and 2) Have a symptom called "NFL onlyitis" much the same as many from the 416.