How to Fix the Argos

[paulwoods13]

We're a midst of an 11 week period in which the Argos are only at home during ONE of those weeks. (And, that week (week 8) they play twice.) Pretty hard to build any kind of momentum when you have 7 road weeks and 3 bye weeks during an 11 week span.

Yes, this three-month (!) stretch is probably the most insane such time period any pro sports team has ever been forced to unleash on its fans.

[1argoholic]

Typical crap from year to year at Rogers Cave.

By the way I used to love the dome and it's location. Anyone else notice how at least in Level 200 the place looks like a dirty pit.
The seats are covered in grime and gunk. Real classy joint.

[argolio]

Anyone else notice how at least in Level 200 the place looks like a dirty pit.
The seats are covered in grime and gunk. Real classy joint.

I bet they'll clean that up when they put in grass after the Argos get evicted.

[Cordo]

Just read the ratings for last week and the Argos got a great number vs Sask which of course leads to the usual BS that it's only Sask people watching (most of the province apparently). And yet the other numbers the Argos have drawn this year are still better than the Jays vs the Yanks and were only 38 times larger than the TFC game.

And yet the perception still exists (aside from the early Argo games this year) that the Argos are public failures and TFC is a going concern. The Argos have outdrawn TFC every year but one for TFCs entire existence and near 6x the TV audience at the very least.

How can the reality be used to change the perception? Of course the optics of a small, fuller stadium would be a good first step, but the perception might still exist. I just use the numbers to hammer people on the head, people can spin them as they wish (ie only Sask people watch) but it's hard to argue with the numbers.

It all goes back to the stadium issue. Outside of the 100th Grey Cup, the last time the Argos got any legitimate buzz in this city was when people thought they were building a stadium. TFC has a better perception around it because they have their own home & the stands are full when they play. Still, it's not like they have generated a ton of interest, even with bringing in guys like Defoe & Bradley. Those TV numbers are pretty bad.

[Argo57]

Typical crap from year to year at Rogers Cave.

By the way I used to love the dome and it's location. Anyone else notice how at least in Level 200 the place looks like a dirty pit.
The seats are covered in grime and gunk. Real classy joint.

Agree with you, we sit in the 200's as well and it is pretty shabby. That stadium has not aged well at all.

[Mulder]

Mulder my wife and I just took that drive on Sat. We ended up heading past Bon Echo and down through Flinton and back home. Just that drive from Bancroft was beautiful along 28. Areas that look like small mountains on BC. Love being in this area. I still like Hwy 7 as it beats the 401.

The area around Algonquin Park & in Algonquin Park is my favourite in Ontario. Love driving up that way.

I recently drove though the Adirondack's on our way back from Boston and it was just as stunning.

[dans41]

i was thinking this week
can the argos reduce prices or make deals to draw people in?

[ArgoRavi]

i was thinking this week
can the argos reduce prices or make deals to draw people in?

The problem with that is that you will tick off the people who have already paid full price.

[Ron]

The problem with that is that you will tick off the people who have already paid full price.

He has a point and people here do bitch about attendance.

Cheapest ticketmaster seat for an Argo game is $37. Cheapest ticketmaster seat for a Jays game is $11. Now tell me 3X more $$$ does not matter when they see a Argos game full of empty seats.

[Ron]

Agree with you, we sit in the 200's as well and it is pretty shabby. That stadium has not aged well at all.

Funny how the owners talk about spending millions to put in grass yet can't fix a hand dryer.

[AngeloV]

Funny how the owners talk about spending millions to put in grass yet can't fix a hand dryer.

LOL..I was thinking the same thing last game. They've had the same crappy hand dryers for 25 years. You'd think they can change to the new high powered ones that pretty well every food establishment now has.

[Skinny G]

I say bring back the "Family Zone" - cheaper tickets cause they were under the jumbotron. We had 7-11, Pizza Pizza, and Metro as sponsors for that. It's an area in the stands that they don't really sell, but could offer cheap tickets to get more casual fans out? When it was the Pizza Pizza family zone it used to do pretty well from what I remember.

[ArgoGabe22]

I had asked this question elsewhere but is it time for a rebranding?

In modern sports the average lifespan of a logo is quite less than in the past. Our logo has morphed over the years from a boating past to more of a Greek warrior look. We had the "A" shield for 10 years now, Jason had been for 10 years and the blank "A" in the 90's only lasted 4 seasons. Should we revisit a newer updated version of a boat for some nostalgia?

They could also go back and re-use the retro logo/jersey for a few more games. One thing Saskatchewan has done well over the past few years was to focus on retro merchandise as well as wear the uniforms multiple times. Our next home game will feature some sort of third jersey, which I bet will try to emulate what the Lions have done.

I ask this question because of the many experiences I have witnessed when wearing my vintage Condredge Holloway jersey. Many people on countless occasions have come up to me on the streets to talk about the Argos, except they always talk of the “good old days” with Greer and Holloway and have sadly admitted they no longer follow the team or go to the games. You could compare Ray and Owens with Holloway and Greer so the product on the field isn't the problem. It is as if the people of Toronto who used to follow the Argos have somehow forgotten that they even exist.

A rebranding may happen when MLSE takes over but not sure what direction they will take.

[gilthethrill]

I had asked this question elsewhere but is it time for a rebranding?

In modern sports the average lifespan of a logo is quite less than in the past. Our logo has morphed over the years from a boating past to more of a Greek warrior look. We had the "A" shield for 10 years now, Jason had been for 10 years and the blank "A" in the 90's only lasted 4 seasons. Should we revisit a newer updated version of a boat for some nostalgia?

They could also go back and re-use the retro logo/jersey for a few more games. One thing Saskatchewan has done well over the past few years was to focus on retro merchandise as well as wear the uniforms multiple times. Our next home game will feature some sort of third jersey, which I bet will try to emulate what the Lions have done.

I ask this question because of the many experiences I have witnessed when wearing my vintage Condredge Holloway jersey. Many people on countless occasions have come up to me on the streets to talk about the Argos, except they always talk of the “good old days” with Greer and Holloway and have sadly admitted they no longer follow the team or go to the games. You could compare Ray and Owens with Holloway and Greer so the product on the field isn't the problem. It is as if the people of Toronto who used to follow the Argos have somehow forgotten that they even exist.

A rebranding may happen when MLSE takes over but not sure what direction they will take.

I think it was either 1994 or 1995 when the Argos changed the logo from the "A" to the Warrior holding the shield & changing the powder blue with teal. That essentially eliminated the "Double Blue" & upset long time fans.

[paulwoods13]

It was 1995. "Slate green" replaced light blue. A gigantic error by Bob Nicholson to toss out a beautiful colour scheme that was then about 121 years old. Rectified (thankfully) by Cynamon and Sokolowski, and refined by the current regime to restore the true (slightly greenish-hued) Cambridge Blue.

As to ArgoGabe22's question, I don't think there is any question that reviving the 1979-88 boat logo and some version of that era's uniforms would be received with almost 100% support, from Argo fans, fans of other teams and even former/non-fans. Everyone seems to love the boat logo. It could, if necessary, be slightly modernized but it is a classic design and colour scheme. Bring it on!

[ArgoRavi]

Will we ever see the Argos wear their third uniforms from last year again (i.e., the 1981-88 ones)? I know that I didn't get much support for this but I would have loved to see them wear those uniforms for the East Final last November.

[paulwoods13]

They are wearing "new uniforms" for the Aug. 17 game. I think all teams are busting out third unis in the next two weeks. Probably all variations on B.C.'s "gun-metal black," I bet.

[ArgoRavi]

They are wearing "new uniforms" for the Aug. 17 game. I think all teams are busting out third unis in the next two weeks. Probably all variations on B.C.'s "gun-metal black," I bet.

I really hope that they aren't actually black though.

[VANRIDERFAN]

What is this fascination with black uniforms anyway? I hated it when the Roughriders went all black and I have no idea why the Argo's would go black at all.

[Argo57]

It was 1995. "Slate green" replaced light blue. A gigantic error by Bob Nicholson to toss out a beautiful colour scheme that was then about 121 years old. Rectified (thankfully) by Cynamon and Sokolowski, and refined by the current regime to restore the true (slightly greenish-hued) Cambridge Blue.

As to ArgoGabe22's question, I don't think there is any question that reviving the 1979-88 boat logo and some version of that era's uniforms would be received with almost 100% support, from Argo fans, fans of other teams and even former/non-fans. Everyone seems to love the boat logo. It could, if necessary, be slightly modernized but it is a classic design and colour scheme. Bring it on!

That boat logo is one of the best I have seen in all of pro sports, perhaps the 1991 style uniforms with the boat logo helmet.