Argo Hype

[paulwoods13]

Also - is it possible to move & roam all over BMO stadium - to go on tour for different sight lines or to get food/beer or to visit friends ? This is IMO a nice feature of the new TD Place set-up at Lansdowne and a lot of people take advantage - creates atmosphere/fan friendly.

Yes. You can walk around the entire stadium, and there are viewing points in both end zones. There is also a reasonably decent and varied selection of food; some specialty stands are in one location only.

[OV Argo]

With the bureaucracies at the TTC and GO good luck. And if you did it for the Argonauts then you'd have to do it for the Jays, Leafs, Raptors, TFC...

This is Toronto where you can't even build a set of stairs for less than $65,000...

:-)

??? - last i checked, Ottawa was in Ontario too. ;o)

I don't believe the Senators have any such deals to get fans out to their arena way in the Burbs (but i might be wrong there) - Melnyk would rather get to gouge fans even further with parking charges.

I'm just saying that maybe the Argos could learn from some of the stuff the OSEG guys did to get the RedBlacks going and so successful. Ottawa gets 24K or so crowds for every CFL game, yet Toronnawannabe land - with around 7x the population / demographic to draw from - can barely get 15 K , if they're lucky, to attend CFL games. Sorry, there is just something very pathetic, sad and wrong with that picture, and I hope all efforts are being made to change this ?

[Neely2005]

??? - last i checked, Ottawa was in Ontario too. ;o)

I don't believe the Senators have any such deals to get fans out to their arena way in the Burbs (but i might be wrong there) - Melnyk would rather get to gouge fans even further with parking charges.

I'm just saying that maybe the Argos could learn from some of the stuff the OSEG guys did to get the RedBlacks going and so successful. Ottawa gets 24K or so crowds for every CFL game, yet Toronnawannabe land - with around 7x the population / demographic to draw from - can barely get 15 K , if they're lucky, to attend CFL games. Sorry, there is just something very pathetic, sad and wrong with that picture, and I hope all efforts are being made to change this ?

Ottawa is not Toronto. Toronto municipal government has a level of disfunction all of its own. The TTC can't even roll out Presto on time or on budget.

Unfortunately Toronto just isn't a good football / sports town. Toronto is a leafs town and whoever else is winning and/or cool.

[ArgoZ]

Yes. You can walk around the entire stadium, and there are viewing points in both end zones. There is also a reasonably decent and varied selection of food; some specialty stands are in one location only.

BMO has the best concessions out of the 5 CFL stadiums I've been too including Ottawa. Hamilton, ranks as the worst. Their drinks are ok, but food absolutely terrible.

[Jayahre]

BMO has the best concessions out of the 5 CFL stadiums I've been too including Ottawa. Hamilton, ranks as the worst. Their drinks are ok, but food absolutely terrible.

Concessions at BMO are great, and I hate to say it, but unlike Ottawa and Hamilton you don't have to wait in line. If there is a lineup at the concessions or washrooms on the west side you just walk around to the east side and no lineups at all.

[Argo57]

BMO has the best concessions out of the 5 CFL stadiums I've been too including Ottawa. Hamilton, ranks as the worst. Their drinks are ok, but food absolutely terrible.

Hamilton's concessions are terrible.

[1971GreyCup]

Concessions at BMO are great, and I hate to say it, but unlike Ottawa and Hamilton you don't have to wait in line. If there is a lineup at the concessions or washrooms on the west side you just walk around to the east side and no lineups at all.

No lineups because of low fan turnout?

[OV Argo]

No lineups because of low fan turnout?

Yeah - just a little, small detail.

[Neely2005]

Yeah - just a little, small detail.

The west side stands are usually pretty full and the lines seem to move reasonably well.

[OV Argo]

The west side stands are usually pretty full and the lines seem to move reasonably well.

Aside from the half-time line-ups, there is little problem to get a beer or some food at RedBlacks games; plenty of concession stands + roving beer sellers.

[Neely2005]

Aside from the half-time line-ups, there is little problem to get a beer or some food at RedBlacks games; plenty of concession stands + roving beer sellers.

We've only been to 1 game in Ottawa and that was not our experience. We were there for the stadium opener so I guess they've improved things. When we were there the lines were crawling and they ran out of some food.

[Argo57]

We've only been to 1 game in Ottawa and that was not our experience. We were there for the stadium opener so I guess they've improved things. When we were there the lines were crawling and they ran out of some food.

Somewhat typical when opening a new facility, we had a similar experience at THF.

[Shatto]

Just finished watching CFTO sports news. Now let's set the stage---!) a win in tomorrow's game gives Argos undisputed 1st place--2) the game is a special tribute to Flutie, one of the greatest players in CFL history ---3) the team is desperate for media coverage----4) CFTO is a Bell owned station.

So what do we get on the sports news, on the station owned by one of the major owners of the Argos---golf/baseball/cycling/soccer/athletics--but nothing about the Argos or the CFL. Nothing against the other sports but if Bell owned CFTO, can't even make passing mention of tomorrow's game, then is there any doubt that the team is being ignored?

Why isn't Argonaut management pushing Bell and in particular CFTO, to give better coverage of the team? Or has Copeland and company even noticed?

[Argo57]

Just finished watching CFTO sports news. Now let's set the stage---!) a win in tomorrow's game gives Argos undisputed 1st place--2) the game is a special tribute to Flutie, one of the greatest players in CFL history ---3) the team is desperate for media coverage----4) CFTO is a Bell owned station.

So what do we get on the sports news, on the station owned by one of the major owners of the Argos---golf/baseball/cycling/soccer/athletics--but nothing about the Argos or the CFL. Nothing against the other sports but if Bell owned CFTO, can't even make passing mention of tomorrow's game, then is there any doubt that the team is being ignored?

Why isn't Argonaut management pushing Bell and in particular CFTO, to give better coverage of the team? Or has Copeland and company even noticed?

Pretty bizarre TBH, you would think they would actively promote their own product??

[argolio]

With the bureaucracies at the TTC and GO good luck. And if you did it for the Argonauts then you'd have to do it for the Jays, Leafs, Raptors, TFC...

This is Toronto where you can't even build a set of stairs for less than $65,000...
:-)

They had TTC express buses from subway stations until Blue Jays mania killed Argo crowds in the mid-80s. Nothing to do with bureaucracy, everything to do with no longer drawing 40,000 per game.

Don't tell me you actually bought that stairs story. Naturally Sue-Ann Levy milked it strictly for populist effect. The Star wasn't much better.

Also, the province bungled Presto, not the city.

[Stevoman]

TSN has posted a nice documentary called "Snapshot" - a Dave Naylor Essay. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video Fun to watch some of those 97 highlights again.

[argolio]

TSN has posted a nice documentary called "Snapshot" - a Dave Naylor Essay. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video Fun to watch some of those 97 highlights again.

Nice!

[Neely2005]

Just finished watching CFTO sports news. Now let's set the stage---!) a win in tomorrow's game gives Argos undisputed 1st place--2) the game is a special tribute to Flutie, one of the greatest players in CFL history ---3) the team is desperate for media coverage----4) CFTO is a Bell owned station.

So what do we get on the sports news, on the station owned by one of the major owners of the Argos---golf/baseball/cycling/soccer/athletics--but nothing about the Argos or the CFL. Nothing against the other sports but if Bell owned CFTO, can't even make passing mention of tomorrow's game, then is there any doubt that the team is being ignored?

Why isn't Argonaut management pushing Bell and in particular CFTO, to give better coverage of the team? Or has Copeland and company even noticed?

They already covered it:

CFTO just ran a piece on Doug Flutie and his Bobblehead Night. Also mentioned that you can get 2 tickets for $19.97.

EDIT: The Argonauts ran a commercial for the Flutie Bobblehead Night during the news broadcast too.

[Neely2005]

They had TTC express buses from subway stations until Blue Jays mania killed Argo crowds in the mid-80s. Nothing to do with bureaucracy, everything to do with no longer drawing 40,000 per game.

Don't tell me you actually bought that stairs story. Naturally Sue-Ann Levy milked it strictly for populist effect. The Star wasn't much better.

Also, the province bungled Presto, not the city.

What's not to buy? Even John Tory admitted that the original $65,000 estimate was outlandish. They've been trying to get those stairs built for a decade.

They both bungled Presto. The TTC was part of the process and is taking years to roll out the Presto readers. But hey at least sole souring Bombardier contract is working well for the City and the TTC.

[Shatto]

Since I tuned into the CFTO news hour mid way tonight, I must have missed the item re Flutie and Bubblehead Night. Though, I do recall such an item, on CFTO sometime last week. If, it was repeated again tonight, I stand corrected.

However, it still seems strange that no mention of the game was made during the sports broadcast, considering the importance of the game and the fact that Bell, which owns CFTO, also co-owns the Argos. Considering, just about every other sport imaginable was featured, failure to at least mention the game tomorrow, raises some interesting questions.