2019 Argos Schedule

[Neely2005]

Great idea, having the Labour Day rematch the following week in Toronto makes perfect sense.
35 days between home dates is ridiculous and makes no sense at all.

I agree this would be a good idea. My only concern is If we finally get that 10th team and then only play Hamilton twice a year the only 2 games would be back to back.

[RB957]

Why should Argo fans (or Als fans) have to be the group that loses a home game to a neutral site? We only get nine of them per year -- as a paying customer I'd prefer to have nine chances to see my team. If the league decides neutral-site games are worth doing annually, they should rotate the host team so no one loses more than one home game every nine years (or 10 if there is ever a 10th franchise).

I don't disagree with you at all on this point, but I think part of the answer to this is economics... the Argos are consistently one of the lower drawing teams in the league. If, as I assume, the ownership was offered a set amount of money to play in a neutral site game and that proposition was financially attractive compared to hosting a home game, then they would take it. For this years Touchdown Atlantic game, I believe that the Als were chosen as the opponent because there is a strong francophone component out east, especially in New Brunswick.

Similarly, when we went to Fort McMurray, our opponent was the Eskimos, as it was assumed there would be a fan base for an Alberta team. Things don't always work out, as we have seen, but I understand the logic.

Ideally, you are right.. those neutral site games should be spread around more, but unfortunately until our local fortunes improve, the Argos may be involved more than we fans would like.

[RB957]

Hear, hear. This schedule is abysmal, and as you say that has been the case for most of the past decade.

My personal wish list:

Four home games in summer (one during Ex), five post-Labour Day.

Bye during Indy.

Start and end season with games against the East.

No three-game (or even two-game) western road trips.

No more than three weeks between home games.

Seven Saturday games (all at 4), one Thursday game (to meet TSN requirements), one Friday game in the fall.

This would be great if it can be implemented. And the Argos should be given more consideration from the league IMO due to all of the other distractions and conflicts we have to contend with (TFC, Honda Indy, Blue Jays etc.) compared to other teams. No other city compares to Toronto so we should be cut some slack.

[AngeloV]

I don't disagree with you at all on this point, but I think part of the answer to this is economics... the Argos are consistently one of the lower drawing teams in the league. If, as I assume, the ownership was offered a set amount of money to play in a neutral site game and that proposition was financially attractive compared to hosting a home game, then they would take it. For this years Touchdown Atlantic game, I believe that the Als were chosen as the opponent because there is a strong francophone component out east, especially in New Brunswick.

Similarly, when we went to Fort McMurray, our opponent was the Eskimos, as it was assumed there would be a fan base for an Alberta team. Things don't always work out, as we have seen, but I understand the logic.

Ideally, you are right.. those neutral site games should be spread around more, but unfortunately until our local fortunes improve, the Argos may be involved more than we fans would like.

TD Atlantic game should have been against Ottawa because they are the team the Argos had 2 home games scheduled against. Makes no sense to have Ottawa make 2 trips to Toronto (oddly over 3 weeks) and Montreal none, especially when you consider how many transplanted Montrealers live here.

[RB957]

TD Atlantic game should have been against Ottawa because they are the team the Argos had 2 home games scheduled against. Makes no sense to have Ottawa make 2 trips to Toronto (oddly over 3 weeks) and Montreal none, especially when you consider how many transplanted Montrealers live here.

Can't disagree with you. It does suck that we do not get a chance to see every team play at least once in Toronto against our home team.

[Neely2005]

I don't disagree with you at all on this point, but I think part of the answer to this is economics... the Argos are consistently one of the lower drawing teams in the league. If, as I assume, the ownership was offered a set amount of money to play in a neutral site game and that proposition was financially attractive compared to hosting a home game, then they would take it. For this years Touchdown Atlantic game, I believe that the Als were chosen as the opponent because there is a strong francophone component out east, especially in New Brunswick.

Similarly, when we went to Fort McMurray, our opponent was the Eskimos, as it was assumed there would be a fan base for an Alberta team. Things don't always work out, as we have seen, but I understand the logic.

Ideally, you are right.. those neutral site games should be spread around more, but unfortunately until our local fortunes improve, the Argos may be involved more than we fans would like.

The problem is that you're not going to build the fanbase / attendance with less home games. Especially when you give away a prime summer weekend afternoon game.

[RB957]

The problem is that you're not going to build the fanbase / attendance with less home games. Especially when you give away a prime summer weekend afternoon game.

I don't disagree.. but it is a business in the end, and short term business decisions sometimes trump what might be best for the long-term.

[Neely2005]

I don't disagree.. but it is a business in the end, and short term business decisions sometimes trump what might be best for the long-term.

Unfortunately short term thinking seems to have been the Argonauts operating philosophy for far to long.
:-(