Blackout Era returning ?

[R.J]

Just read that BC will be blacking out their game on Friday, Stamps C.E.O/President Lyle Bauer had been contemplating blacking out Thursday's game, and Len Rhodes new C.E.O of the Eskimos has also been looking into it.

Attendance is down throughout the league with exception of the Riders and Ticats.

[anthonyrussell]

When it comes to blackouts, I point people towards the Chicago Blackhawks and tell them to kindly be quiet about it.

[argonaut11xx]

I cannot say whats happened in other cities...BUT...to blackout a single game in southern ontario would be the most retarted thing to do EVER...

The blackouts caused a lost generation of CFL fans in this area,

[1argoholic]

The friggin Lion game better not be blacked out here. When we first moved here we had a Lion game blacked out. It's not like Vancouver Island is to Vancouver what Burnaby is. It takes us 45 minutes to get to the ferry to sit and wait after paying $80 odd then one and a half hours on the ferry. Then another 20 minutes or so depending on traffic to hit the downtown Vancouver core. If we go over we stay at a hotel. So for an overnight it's not cheap. Between ferries, food,hotel,gas,tickets your looking at $600 or more for two at least. They can black out the lower mainland.

[R.J]

I should remind people that the blackouts are only on the SD channel not the HD.

[anthonyrussell]

Point still stands, the logic that blackouts will make more people go to the games is stupid because it's been proven not to work. I can only imagine if they tried blacking out Premier League football here. There'd be uproar.

[Hollaway]

I cannot say whats happened in other cities...BUT...to blackout a single game in southern ontario would be the most retarted thing to do EVER...

The blackouts caused a lost generation of CFL fans in this area,

Totally agree!

[KCargosfan]

This would be categorically dumb. The problem in BC is prices are too high, I don't see a problem in Calgary as attendance is supposed to be over 30K (why would they even think of this?), and why Edmonton would do this is beyond me? Edmonton has drawn well its first 2 games.

Dumb.

[1argoholic]

Well I'm pissed. The Lion/Ed game is blacked out as we don't have high def. We are 40 minutes by car to the ferry. Hour and a half ferry followed by 20 or more mintues into downtown Vancouver and we get blacked out. Not like we're lower mainland.

This makes me not want to go to the Argo/Lion game on Sept 15th.

This turns me off bigtime.

Not to mention we have ZERO on TSN. Are we not paying for service to see something on this network?

I'm so pissed! This kind of crap make this league look bush. Man I'm pissed. So every non Lion CFL fan on this island can only watch Friday Night Football if they have High Def. Everyone is loaded with all the new tech crap. SHITE!!

I had e-mailed the CFL, Lions, TSN and Shaw Cable. The game came on at some point in the first half but we were outside picking raspberries by then. By the time we came in a friend had called saying the game was on. We saw the last three minutes of the third on. I just found an e-mail reply from Shaw saying they realized there mistake for non high def folks on the island that shouldn't have been blacked out.

[AngeloV]

I cannot say whats happened in other cities...BUT...to blackout a single game in southern ontario would be the most retarted thing to do EVER...

The blackouts caused a lost generation of CFL fans in this area,

yet 10's of thousands flock to Bills games in Buffalo despite the fact that almost all their home games in the 70's an mid 80's were blacked out. I never have bought that argument.

The only thing that caused the CFL to lose fans was in the mid-80's when NFL salaries became much higher than CFL salaries. It caused many to believe that the CFL was a 2nd rate or "minor" league. Unfortunately, people equate money with success in this market.

[argofandave]

I don't remember anyone in southern Ontario flocking to Bills games until after the Bills started selling out their games and lifting the blackout. It was the combination of the Bills lifting their blackout and Argos and Ticats keeping their blackout which hurt the CFL in this area.

[1argoholic]

I agree that many in the GTA think big money means better. I have no use for people who have that mentality.

[AngeloV]

I don't remember anyone in southern Ontario flocking to Bills games until after the Bills started selling out their games and lifting the blackout. It was the combination of the Bills lifting their blackout and Argos and Ticats keeping their blackout which hurt the CFL in this area.

My point being: Why didn't the years of blackouts before that not have an effect on their crowds? The Argos haven't blacked out games in over 20 years. This is a non issue now, and I'm tired of this B.S. excuse still coming up now. Plain and simple, many in the GTA, see the CFL as a minor league because of the disparity in salaries.

[argofandave]

When I was a kid (born in 1958) and the Argos blacked out their games, I would either listen to the game on radio or go play outside since there were very few other sports to watch on TV. That changed at least 30 years ago so when more sports including the NFL became available on TV in the GTA. When the Argos continued with their black out, the kids at that time would just turn to another channel to watch other sports. The Argos waited too long to lift black outs and should've started lifting them 30 years ago not 20. Black outs only work when teams are popular and the Argos haven't been popular since the early 1980's. I remember the Argos experimenting with lifting blackouts during the last few seasons at CNE stadium and it had no effect on attendance. The disparity in salaries did have an effect as well. I've had several people tell me that if the players in the CFL were any good, they'd in playing in the NFL. These people can't understand how the CFL can be a more entertaining game if the NFL pays much higher salaries. I remember this one woman who I used to work with told me she prefers the NFL over the CFL since she "heard" that the NFL is better. Image is everything and until the CFL can rid itself of its minor league image in the GTA, it's going to be a tough sell.

[1argoholic]

I do think that many have just gotten used to being able to stay home and watch. I think marketing has always been lacking. They need to hire a top notch marketing firm on a long term basis and flood the area with unique ads and the like. As I've mentioned I still remember the funny ads plastered around about 12 to 15 years back. They were like a throw back 50's style ad with a head and comic book type look with silly comments. I just can't remember exactly but there where great at the time.

[argonaut11xx]

I agree that many in the GTA think big money means better. I have no use for people who have that mentality.

The folks who think this way are NOT real football fans anyway....they are the same mellonheads who think that fancy cars, big houses and bling is what life is all about...

When you come across one of these folks....CHALLENGE them to watch 20 mins of an NFL game with the TV on mute...if they are still awake, then ask them to do the same with a CFL game...then after the chalenge is over, ask them which game is more exciting/entertaining......

[1argoholic]

I have to agree with that. Bigger homes, expensive cars blah..blah..blah. Did plenty of landscaping in Oakville and it just got be be another posession to them. Half the time I never even got a thanks. When the hell did life turn.