If you owned the Argos!

[Argoscflguy]

Ya I know it will never happen! But it's nice to dream, what would you do if you owned the double blue?

[tc23]

Braley is doing a good job, just needs to get the product out there a little more. Get more kids involved, Start selling merchandise all over Toronto, ex. retail stores. gas stations.

The GAME DAY ! should be an EVEVT ! Tailgate, even if its Corporate !! And you cant have games on week nights unless its a holiday

[argotom]

Like in the 60's have buses from all over the GTa bringing fans in.
It will take a while to fill up, but surely some sponsors can look after the initial loss.

[1argoholic]

Get an Argonaut store going and sell TiCat toilet paper for starters. Get the rivalry heated up again. Just like Michigan and Ohio St. They hate each other.

[Argoscflguy]

That's more like it!!!!!!! We need that rivalry heated up again!!!! Come on argo nation!!

[argofandave]

Like in the 60's have buses from all over the GTa bringing fans in.
It will take a while to fill up, but surely some sponsors can look after the initial loss.

The Ticats are experimenting with something like this. For 3 games (home opener, labour day, final game), there will be 56 person shuttle buses leaving Ancaster, Brantford, Burlington, Grimsby, Kitchener, and St Catharines and arriving at IWS 45 minutes prior to kickoff and leaving 30 minutes after the game ends. Sun Media, Rona, and Coach Canada are all sponsors. I think the pick up takes place at Rona stores.

[Hollaway]

LOL 1argoholic, why not.

[Argoscflguy]

Why don't the Argos organize something like this?

[Hollaway]

I think it would be great, but would the front office go for it?

[1argoholic]

Just read on the Argonaut site about the things going on at the game tonight. Seems like they're trying. I have no clue who the singer is there talking about though. Not my kind of music obviously. Pinballs daughter Rachell is going to be doing give a ways and helping in the booth with the stadium announcer. I wonder how old she is now. I remember when she was a baby. She's got to be pushing 20.

[Will]

Just read on the Argonaut site about the things going on at the game tonight. Seems like they're trying. I have no clue who the singer is there talking about though. Not my kind of music obviously. Pinballs daughter Rachell is going to be doing give a ways and helping in the booth with the stadium announcer. I wonder how old she is now. I remember when she was a baby. She's got to be pushing 20.

I don't know if this is his oldest daughter--wasn't one born around 1996 or 1997? I remember this from his biography.

[Invader]

As owner of the Argos, he should realize that if enough fans don't want to come out to the stadium to watch games live, the team cannot exist and perhaps should not exist. A CFL team can't survive with mainly TV fans, the Argos need a core of at least 25,000 fans buying tickets to pay the bills.

Job #1 should be to build the seasons ticket base to a minimum of 16,000 or hopefully nearer the CFL average of 20,000. Tickets need to be sold and telemarketing is the tried and true method.

Every effective marketing campaign needs a gimmick...or a good reason why you're calling, emailing or twitting people. Announce the Argos have made the decision to blackout their TV broadcasts (in SD and HD) in the GTA when ticket sales are under 26,000 (48 hours before kickoff.) This would be a 3-year pilot project to ascertain the viability of the Argos in this marketplace. A maximum of 6 home games could be blacked-out each season (in accordance with the new TV contract). The media will be all over this saying how stupid the Argos are = more free advertising!

Contact 1 million people in the GTA and inform them that starting next season Argo home games will not be televised in the GTA (if ticket sales are under 26,000.) To guarantee they can still watch the Argo home games they need to buy a ticket: single game, flex packs or preferably seasons tickets. To compensate for the blackouts and to encourage fans to buy tickets, prices will be slashed by 20%-40% across the board. This is the reason why people are being contacted... to BAN THE BLACKOUT and save money on tickets to watch Toronto's Football Team!

Everybody could chip in to sell tickets and Ban the Blackout, including the players, coaches, management (if only in the off-season), fans (earn discounts and commissions) and professional sales reps. Make 150 calls per day per agent. Don't give up until all sales targets are met. Call former subscribers, subscribers of other teams, people out of the phone book...wherever they are. Just sell those tickets.

On game day have ticket kiosks/buskers at busy downtown intersections selling tickets. Have a boogie bus with loudspeakers announcing Argo game day with ticket agents walking alongside on the street. Partner with businesses on busy streets to become ticket agents with the Argo signs in their windows, sandwich boards, etc., announcing Argo game day. Of course, this would be a multi-media, multi-platform campaign that would leave no stone unturned to Ban the Blackout! Let's Pull Together and fill the stadium!!

[eiben35]

I love what David Braley and Chris Rudge are doing in Toronto. The one thing that they should get done immediately is buy a practice facility. It is absolutely disgusting and an embarassment to the CFL and Toronto. I can`t believe they had the 1971 Argos do their press conference there.

[1argoholic]

I think Pinball has Rachell, Raven and Riley if I remember right. Oh yah Rachell has to be 18-20. I can remember the cutie at some events. She had to be 7 or 8 when we moved and that was ten years back.

It would be sweet if they could build a nice facility where they are now. The setting is great.

[flafson]

Put buses all over the GTA to take people to the game, open the whole stadium and price it all to sell out everytime. They already have the hard part covered when they brought Rickey Ray who gives us some winning chance.

[jerrym]

I simply want to thank Braley for taking over the Argos when no one else wanted to. Braley and Bob Ackles took five years to rebuild the Lions fan base in Vancouver after it collapsed, so be patient. Rudge seems to be doing a good job.

[argonaut11xx]

I simply want to thank Braley for taking over the Argos when no one else wanted to. Braley and Bob Ackles took five years to rebuild the Lions fan base in Vancouver after it collapsed, so be patient. Rudge seems to be doing a good job.

UM...while i agree with your comments...the "lions fan base" has dropped off ...after all the work done by Braley, Ackles, Buono, winning a Grey Cup, having a young upcoming star QB..a refurbished awesome stadium....and the folks in BC dont show up?...maybe they shouldnt have won the cup so quickly, and teased the fans for a few seasons?

I think being close every year builds a better fan base, than winning it all....look at the Argo's fluke win with Damon Allen...they were building a nice fan base, then won, and interest declined.

Rudge is doing a good job in the corporate world for sure, but the Argo's need a guy who will be in "johnny lunch-pails" face as well...cause those Johnnys are the bums in the seats...

[Gill The Thrill]

Someone mentioned a real practice facility which is really needed, especially in connection or in combination with a 30,000 seat Canadian Football field Stadium with the Argos owning the majority of it, in partnership with possibly the CIS, Football Canada, Rugby Canada, or Football Ontario which all could benefit from this facility.

This would give the Toronto Argonauts tremendous credibility in this marketplace and throughout the league. The CFL and the entire sport of Canadian Football in general would get a real boost with such a facility.

I think being close every year builds a better fan base, than winning it all....look at the Argo's fluke win with Damon Allen...they were building a nice fan base, then won, and interest declined.

You sound like an MLSE executive talking about the Leafs from 1998-2004. I have to disagree with you about the 2004 Grey Cup Argo victory as it was neither fluke and did not result in declined interest....the attendance was better in 2005 than it was in 2004 and was steady in '06 and '07. Attendance always tapered off when the Argos would raise ticket prices, that's the way it's been for 20 years, maybe even upto 27 years with this organization.

Markets like Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal have always shown some volatility unfortunately and have had crowds that have gone up and down depending on on-field success, and possibly pricing points.

BC did win the Grey Cup and do play in the refurbished stadium, but fans won't show up even in a new stadium if you've outpriced them to the point of making it unaffordable. Let's face it, walk up tickets between the goal lines for Argo games don't probably sell at all...look at where everybody sits..that's got to tell you something.

[argonaut11xx]

Hey Gill...i dont disagree with your thoughts, or Invaders ideas above....i really think a smart combination of ALL idea's is what is required...The Argo's are an excellent product, no one can argue.

That said, you may disagree with my comments above...but i will only quote the legendary "Smokey Robinson" to further my arguement...

"A taste of honey is worse than none at all"....

Keep the fans hungry.....after a huge meal, dont you want to go for a nap?

[jerrym]

UM...while i agree with your comments...the "lions fan base" has dropped off ...after all the work done by Braley, Ackles, Buono, winning a Grey Cup, having a young upcoming star QB..a refurbished awesome stadium....and the folks in BC dont show up?...maybe they shouldnt have won the cup so quickly, and teased the fans for a few seasons?



I think being close every year builds a better fan base, than winning it all....look at the Argo's fluke win with Damon Allen...they were building a nice fan base, then won, and interest declined.



Rudge is doing a good job in the corporate world for sure, but the Argo's need a guy who will be in "johnny lunch-pails" face as well...cause those Johnnys are the bums in the seats...

It has always been hard to attract fans to BC Place in the all too brief summer. Attendance usually increases from Labour Day onward. Furthermore, the last home game drew 28,000 plus, still way ahead of the crowds in the teens at the lowpoint of Lions attendance in past seasons. BCers are notorious fair-weather fans who have jumped on and off many bandwagons including their soccer, baseball, lacrosse, football and even hockey teams (there was a time when the Canucks were only getting 8,000 to 10,000 fans at their games). Could it happen again? Yes. However, the Lions are doing a good enough job to be moderately successful economically and Braley deserves complements for this.