I don't think the cost of tickets is the defining factor in the lack of Argo fan support. I could see selling a "family" package with food, drinks and merchandize with discounted tickets, but only in a corner or end zone section.

The CFL's biggest problem is it's the greatest televised sport ever created...yes, even better than the NFL on TV. The CFL is the perfect TV sport...and many fans, even diehard ones, enjoy the games on TV as much or more than attending games live. The markets which are struggling with attendance (Toronto and Vancouver) have downtown stadiums which aren't readily accessible for many football fans who prefer to drive to the games...especially for weekday games. Coupled with the allure of watching CFL games on TV (and getting to watch both games of frequent CFL double-headers) in the comfort of their own big-screen home theatre with $2 beer...is just too enticing.

Nothing against the Argos or CFL but ticket sales are competing with TSN for eyeballs...and increasingly TV is winning out.

I hate to bring up the "B" topic because some will bring up the old cliches about "losing a generation of fans" with blackouts and "NHL, MLB, NBA and MLS don't blackout games, so why should the CFL?"...blackouts are "olde fashioned" and have "gone the way of the dodo bird"...and so on.

The difference is those sports are largely a crashing bore on TV (we have grown up with hockey and are accustomed to it's scrambly, hard to follow action, but in the U.S. football is 10 times more popular than NHL)...while the CFL is highly entertaining on TV.

Toronto fans know they can watch every Argo home game on TV...and many do, the ratings are solid. The Argos have been lifting home blackouts for 30 years or more...with their season ticket base dwindling to a reported 3,500 last year. Is that a concidence, or is it because they hate the Argos and CFL? I don't think so. The TV numbers and social media interaction speaks otherwise. There was just little compelling reason to buy Argo tickets at Skydome when the home TV option was readily available.

We all hoped the transition to a more intimate BMO would entice fans to attend games live but we should remember the Argos have cultivated a generation of football fans to watch home games...at home. This tradition cannot be undone in two games. Fore example, if the Argos had announced they were blacking-out up to half their home games if 90% of the tickets weren't sold (the league's official blackout threshold) and the only way you can be guaranteed to watch every home game is to buy a ticket...that might have spurred some fans off the fence.

Even if the Argos blacked-out 5 games a year, fans would still be able to watch 13 Argo games on TV plus about 70 other CFL games each year. I doubt that would cause the Argos to lose a generation of fans. Blackouts are not necessarily the solution but are a legitimate tool in encouraging fans to buy tickets to home games.

I do think once fans come out to BMO and enjoy the atmosphere of the games, they will come back for more. Now, they just need some incentive to get off the couch!