Attendance predictions for Aug 6th

[Argos]

It's a day off, but also a weekend where much of suburban Toronto takes off to a cottage. Combined with an early start that means it'll be hotter, I'll guess 22K but with a lot of no shows. It seems to me summer long weekends are a tough sell (Labour Day being different as more people stay close to home with school starting).

[Argos]

i think we will be close to 25,000, but being a 5pm game on a holiday and not 1pm or even 3pm, do you think that might hamper the numbers?

I think 5 is better than 1 or 3, it's been a hot summer and at least it'll start to cool off late in the game. Personally, I think 7 would be better. It's not like the next day's a school day or anything, and it'd be cooler. Then again, I've never enjoyed afternoon sports at all, to the point I often skip those games, so I'm biased!

[Argocister]

Wonder if we could get to 27,000 in attendance ...... With it being family day, and a long weekend, and the Argos are tied for first...... Good combo

[1argoholic]

Not sure if BC has ever drawn very good crowds in TO. I know there won't be any Lion fans there. Not many travel. I was surprised to see some in Calgary. I hope we get 25,000.

[Will]

I suspect we'll see a couple of Lion fans come out of the woodwork as they are the defending Grey Cup champions.

[ArgoZ]

I bought prime 200 level seats from someone going away that weekend. Summer holiday weekends unfortunately are a great excuse to miss a game. There is only so many long weekends for us to enjoy.

[1argoholic]

I never bought the excuse of summer weekends. While having seasons my schedule revolved around the Argos. Even living out west we plan everything around CFL tv games which pretty much means we do squat other than shopping for grub. My wife and I just love CFL ball. We have friends that have talked about taking us out on there nice boat but don't even ask because of out CFL passion. My view might change if we are lucky enough to get waterfront in the Peterborough area when we move.

[AngeloV]

I never bought the excuse of summer weekends. While having seasons my schedule revolved around the Argos. Even living out west we plan everything around CFL tv games which pretty much means we do squat other than shopping for grub. My wife and I just love CFL ball. We have friends that have talked about taking us out on there nice boat but don't even ask because of out CFL passion. My view might change if we are lucky enough to get waterfront in the Peterborough area when we move.

Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, there are only so many diehards in any sport. The teams (and leagues) that are successful, make it on hooking the casual fan more often.

[Argos]

I never bought the excuse of summer weekends. While having seasons my schedule revolved around the Argos. Even living out west we plan everything around CFL tv games which pretty much means we do squat other than shopping for grub. My wife and I just love CFL ball. We have friends that have talked about taking us out on there nice boat but don't even ask because of out CFL passion. My view might change if we are lucky enough to get waterfront in the Peterborough area when we move.

I'm like you. But there's lots that aren't like us, unfortunately. I agree, if you have a sold out building and a large, passionate fan base, it's not a factor. But.....unfortunately, that's not the case here.

[flafson]

Only way to improve that is start winning. Hopefully we will be able to do that this year.

[1argoholic]

Toronto is a hard nut to crack. When I started going to games in the early 70's the Argos were toast of the town and the thing you did in summer before hockey season started. That held true with good support until Skydome when the Argos made there biggest mistake. As I've mentioned before instead of giving very long time season ticket holders a shot to purchase their same type of seats at Skydome they opened it up for everyone. That one move lost so many fans. These were the oldtime fans who had primo seats for decades. The type of folks who's kids all followed the team. Then they thought that just because there was a big new stadium it would be filled. They've never been able to recover and frankly their marketing has pretty much always sucked. If companies like McDonalds,Pepsi and Coke still have to advertise in a big way don't you think the Argonauts would have to? These are companies known by everyone.

[AngeloV]

Toronto is a hard nut to crack. When I started going to games in the early 70's the Argos were toast of the town and the thing you did in summer before hockey season started. That held true with good support until Skydome when the Argos made there biggest mistake. As I've mentioned before instead of giving very long time season ticket holders a shot to purchase their same type of seats at Skydome they opened it up for everyone. That one move lost so many fans. These were the oldtime fans who had primo seats for decades. The type of folks who's kids all followed the team. Then they thought that just because there was a big new stadium it would be filled. They've never been able to recover and frankly their marketing has pretty much always sucked. If companies like McDonalds,Pepsi and Coke still have to advertise in a big way don't you think the Argonauts would have to? These are companies known by everyone.

I agree that was a huge mistake, but truth be told, their attendance at CNE was not great at the end. The last 2 years their, they went to the Grey Cup in '87 and went 14-4 in '88 and still couldn't draw 24k. It's almost as if after the 31 year drought, when they won the cup in '83, people stopped coming out.

[gilthethrill]

I agree that was a huge mistake, but truth be told, their attendance at CNE was not great at the end. The last 2 years their, they went to the Grey Cup in '87 and went 14-4 in '88 and still couldn't draw 24k. It's almost as if after the 31 year drought, when they won the cup in '83, people stopped coming out.

I was at the 83 East Final, it was sold out. I went to the 2nd game of the total point Eastern Final in 84 & had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I could not help but notice all the empty seats. I can't recall the attendance in 84, but it was far from sold out.

[Will]

I was at the 83 East Final, it was sold out. I went to the 2nd game of the total point Eastern Final in 84 & had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I could not help but notice all the empty seats. I can't recall the attendance in 84, but it was far from sold out.

You are thinking of 1986 Gil; the '84 Eastern Final drew 48,000 I believe.

[gilthethrill]

You are thinking of 1986 Gil; the '84 Eastern Final drew 48,000 I believe.

Perhaps you are right...I do recall the game I am speaking of was Joes Barnes last in an Argo uniform...he was unhappy about Obie's offence....something about not being a robot.....

PW, AV Ravi, AT or any other Argo fan vet, please feel free to join in....

[Will]

Barnes did leave the Argos after the 1984 season. The Argos lost that game 14-13 in OT to Hamilton.

[gilthethrill]

Barnes did leave the Argos after the 1984 season. The Argos lost that game 14-13 in OT to Hamilton.

Yes, a rainsoaked game, I think Hamilton db Felix Wright had 4 pics...but as AV pointed out, fans stopped coming out after the 83 season.

[AngeloV]

Barnes did leave the Argos after the 1984 season. The Argos lost that game 14-13 in OT to Hamilton.

A horrible game all around. IIRC, Holloway had a TD drive on the first series of that game, and was injured later in the first quarter. Joe Barnes worst performance ever as an Argo. Add some very questionable coaching decisions by Obie, and it was a horrible day--the one that comes to mind was last play of regulation time, in a tie game, rather than let Ilesic try a 48 yard field goal, he elected to try and punt for a single. Argos should have won the cup that year as well.

[paulwoods13]

A horrible game all around. IIRC, Holloway had a TD drive on the first series of that game, and was injured later in the first quarter. Joe Barnes worst performance ever as an Argo. Add some very questionable coaching decisions by Obie, and it was a horrible day--the one that comes to mind was last play of regulation time, in a tie game, rather than let Ilesic try a 48 yard field goal, he elected to try and punt for a single. Argos should have won the cup that year as well.

Yeah, that team was probably as good, certainly close to as good, as the 1983 Argos. They had lost Minter, Mohr and a few others, but most of the pieces were still there. The decision to try for the punt single drove me nuts. I got home that day and I was so mad I slammed the front door hard enough to break the window.

[ArgoRavi]

Yeah, that team was probably as good, certainly close to as good, as the 1983 Argos. They had lost Minter, Mohr and a few others, but most of the pieces were still there. The decision to try for the punt single drove me nuts. I got home that day and I was so mad I slammed the front door hard enough to break the window.

That decision still makes me angry. The Argos were a far superior team to the Ticats and there is no way that they should have lost that game. BTW, as argofan87 stated, there were 48k at that '84 EF. It was in '86 for the second game of the EF that the Argos/Ticats drew a little over 32k. There had been 54k for the '83 EF so there was a significant drop-off in playoff attendance in a very short time.