Amar Doman on Larry Tanenbaum - A Must Listen

[ArgoRavi]

BC Lions owner Amar Doman was on Matt Sekeres and Blake Price's radio show this week in Vancouver and had some pointed criticism of Larry Tanenbaum at around the 23 to 24 minute mark. You can access his comments by going to https://gogoatsports.com/the-sekeres-price-show/ and then click on the Doman episode towards the bottom of the page.

[bannedforlife]

‘If that’s your problem, fix it’: B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman rips MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum for criticism of CFL, lack of investment in Argonauts
3Down Staff August 5, 2022

MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum may not be happy with the current structure of the CFL but he’ll find no support from the league’s newest franchise owner.

Nearly a year after taking over the team, Amar Doman of the B.C. Lions joined popular Vancouver sports talk show Sekeres and Price on Friday to talk about the state of the franchise. When asked about Tanenbaum’s recent comment criticizing the CFL and the financial status of the Toronto Argonauts, Doman made his displeasure clear.

“It’s certainly not helpful,” he said frankly. “They run everything in Toronto and I understand their strategies might be a little bit different on maybe where they want to go with the CFL but certainly, there’s no one to blame except ourselves when you talk about a lack of fans coming.”

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has owned the Argonauts since 2015, taking over full control of the team in January of 2018. The oldest continuously existing professional sports team in North America joined an MLSE portfolio that includes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Marlies.

The team has struggled to find success since, averaging a league-worst attendance figure of 8,603 fans per game in 2021 — dead-last in the CFL for a sixth consecutive season. The figure also marked a 31.1 percent decrease in ticket sales from 2019, though some games were affected by Ontario’s COVID-19 regulations.

In June, Tanenbaum expressed his dissatisfaction with the league’s current state of affairs in an interview with the Globe and Mail, complaining that the Argonauts had not increased in value like his other sports properties.

“My concern is, in the major cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, it’s not attracted the younger fan engagement. You look at value creation and, you know, quite unfortunately, these teams are not worth that much money,” Tanenbaum said at the time.

“The hockey, basketball or soccer teams are trading at hundreds of millions of dollars, in some cases billions of dollars. And you see the Argos, you know, a 106-year-old league, and what value creation are these franchises trading at? You’ve got to look at that and say, Is that success?”

MLSE was widely speculated to be in favour of a potential merger with the XFL and Tanenbaum went on to complain that the CFL’s community-owned teams — Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg — were too satisfied with the status quo.

Doman took issue with that assessment, as well as Tanenbaum’s attempt to lump the Lions in with his approach.

“There’s nothing wrong with the stuff that’s going on in the midsection of the country, the fans that have been built up over the years. We’re going to build that here in B.C., starting with the youth,” he insisted.

“Everything we’re doing, me being on the sidelines, helping children get into football, and rebuilding the fan base, I don’t hear any of that in Toronto. I hear someone blaming the fans and blaming something else, except blaming internally. I think you’ve got to take responsibility for your fan base. You have to take responsibility for your lack of attendance. If that’s your problem, fix it.”

Fans have long complained of a lack of effort from MLSE in marketing their CFL team, something that Doman can not be accused of in B.C. The Lions drew more than 34,000 fans for their 2022 season opener, making it the largest crowd in eight years. While attendance numbers have not spiked that high since, a slow build has been evident.

MLSE has achieved similar grassroots success with their soccer franchise, Toronto FC, which shares a team president with the Argos, but the CFL franchise has not received the same amount of attention.

“TFC has done well there and the Argos, it feels like a faceless team,” Doman said. “I have a lot of friends in Toronto. I went to last year’s road game where we had the kicking issues. It was a very dull vibe in there.”

Many owners have tried and failed to bring stability to the CFL in Toronto, but it’s clear from Doman’s comments that fans are not the only ones who believe MLSE is doing the bare minimum.

If nothing else, his passionate rebuttal of their approach should make for some tense moments at the league’s next board of governors meeting.

[bannedforlife]

I wonder who their first opponent will be : )

B.C. Lions in Langford? Annual CFL game eyed for Starlight Stadium

[paulwoods13]

I can't find the episode on that page. Ravi, are you able to provide a more precise link?

[bannedforlife]

I can't find the episode on that page. Ravi, are you able to provide a more precise link?

Amar Doman (BC Lions)
August 5, 2022

The Owner of the B.C. Lions, Amar Doman, joined Matt and Blake for President’s Week. Amar talked about what it’s been like to own the team as he approaches the one-year mark since the purchase. Amar dropped some hints as to when we could see another street party, which worked so well, on opening week. Amar talked about the process of a tenth team coming into the league and where and where not it might work. Amar is not interested in being a 2nd tier league. Amar addressed the fans to finish the show.

[paulwoods13]

Amar Doman (BC Lions)
August 5, 2022

The Owner of the B.C. Lions, Amar Doman, joined Matt and Blake for President’s Week. Amar talked about what it’s been like to own the team as he approaches the one-year mark since the purchase. Amar dropped some hints as to when we could see another street party, which worked so well, on opening week. Amar talked about the process of a tenth team coming into the league and where and where not it might work. Amar is not interested in being a 2nd tier league. Amar addressed the fans to finish the show.

I heard that one, but Ravi had indicated he was on this week, not in August. Perhaps he was referring to the August broadcast.

[bannedforlife]

BC Lions Making The Right Moves Heading Into 2023
Marcus Aurelius Nielsen cflnewshub.com December 15, 2022

...

The team has also released a 3-year season ticket special that will lock in prices for each season (2023, 2024 & 2025) as well as give season seat holders a 25% discount for Grey Cup tickets when BC hosts in 2024.

The 2023 schedule will see the BC Lions playing their weekend home games at 4PM, making it more accommodating for those travelling from outside the city.

The team is bringing back the Shrum Bowl between UBC and SFU, investing in youth football and also doing whatever possible to make it easier for fans to make it to games no matter where they reside, are all steps to bring this franchise back into the public’s conscience. This all adds up to making BC Lions home games the place to be in 2023.

[OV Argo]

BC Lions Making The Right Moves Heading Into 2023
Marcus Aurelius Nielsen cflnewshub.com December 15, 2022

...

The team has also released a 3-year season ticket special that will lock in prices for each season (2023, 2024 & 2025) as well as give season seat holders a 25% discount for Grey Cup tickets when BC hosts in 2024.

The 2023 schedule will see the BC Lions playing their weekend home games at 4PM, making it more accommodating for those travelling from outside the city.

The team is bringing back the Shrum Bowl between UBC and SFU, investing in youth football and also doing whatever possible to make it easier for fans to make it to games no matter where they reside, are all steps to bring this franchise back into the public’s conscience. This all adds up to making BC Lions home games the place to be in 2023.

The Shrum Bowl was resurrected (Doman's input) this past Dec. - UBC with a narrow victory over SFU.

Why couldn't (and decades ago) the Argos/CFL have set-up a GTA Bowl (York vs. U of T) to be played every year (part of reg. season or end of year game?), and hype the hell out of it, with Argo brass/players appearing and lending a hand, to promote Canadian football in an area that badly needs it. The traditional Panda Game in Ottawa - Ravens vs. GGs - has lately featured SRO crowds at Lansdowne that beat all CFL Ontario teams for attendance #s; mostly a big student drunk fest and party (with recent post-game rowdy problems), but still it celebrates Canadian football and increases interest and exposure, even if just for game day.

Doman gets it; MLSE are totally clueless = very sad.

[ArgoRavi]

I heard that one, but Ravi had indicated he was on this week, not in August. Perhaps he was referring to the August broadcast.

No, my original post from August was referring to that month's broadcast and comments. I haven't made any further posts about Doman's views on MLSE.

[paulwoods13]

No, my original post from August was referring to that month's broadcast and comments. I haven't made any further posts about Doman's views on MLSE.

OK, my mistake. I saw a new post on the thread and thought yours was new as well. Thanks Ravi.