Can the Argos put 25K+ into the seats this season? [Archive]

Ron

01-13-2012, 07:26 PM

Just saw that the TFC game coming up has passed the 25K mark in sold tickets
http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/01/reds-reach-attendance-high

T (http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/01/reds-reach-attendance-high)his ain't a TFC thing ... but what are they doing as a business that the Argos are not doing that translates into actual ticket sales? And this isn't a stadium debate for the game is at Rogers Center ... so that evens out.

We all know that the Argos actually have a bigger base of fans to draw from based on TV numbers and it's not like TFC is some winning juggernaut.

Will

01-13-2012, 08:02 PM

David Beckham is a draw. It also being a one-off in Skydome also helps them too.

I won't lie...I'm going to the game at Skydome...because T-Bone invited me. I don't know if I could do seasons for Toronto FC or anything, but going to a few games here and there hasn't been offensive for me.

As for the Argos...I hope attendance starts creeping up again...you'd think Ricky Ray would help, but then again Flutie didn't either, but there was also no marketing back in 1996-1997.

marcwagz

01-13-2012, 10:29 PM

i could never watch a live soccer game
it just takes way too long and isn't exciting enough for me.
that said I think a couple games this year will get more than 25,000
but I think we will average 24,000 fans or so which would still be an improvement

1argoholic

01-13-2012, 10:51 PM

ArgoRavi

01-14-2012, 12:24 AM

I went to the old Toronto Blizzards or whatever they were called once at the CNE in like 82 or 83. Went with a college buddy who was a soccer fan. Haven't been to another soccer game since. It's like basketball to me, CRAP!!!!!!

Was there the animosity between Blizzard and Argo fans back then that there appears to be between TFC and Argo fans today? As argofan87 mentioned, Beckham is a big draw for this game but I would also suggest that facing "Los Angeles" as opposed to Hamilton or Saskatchewan doesn't hurt either. BTW, the Argos can absolutely draw 25k this year with what should be an increase in season ticket sales due to the 100th Grey Cup being played in the city this year and if they can get off to a reasonably good start (unlike the 1-6 start of 2011).

argolio

01-14-2012, 01:41 AM

Was there the animosity between Blizzard and Argo fans back then that there appears to be between TFC and Argo fans today?None at all from what I remember.

bender

01-14-2012, 06:58 AM

David Beckham is a draw.

Beckham is a big draw for this game

David Beckham is unattached to a club and up until last week almost had a deal to play in France. The majority of tickets sold so far have been to season ticket holders and people looking hard enough for access to presale. General public tickets only went on sale yesterday. The majority of season ticket holders either know he no longer has a contract with L.A, or don't care whether he is there or not. So far, I don't think I can say his name has brought any meaningful impact to this game to date.

This game will most likely sell out the Rogers Centre and there's a couple of key reasons why.

Ticket prices: TFC ticket holders have seen their tickets jump 100% in 5 years. MLSE finally did something right and priced this game at Rogers Centre fairly. Tickets will range from $12-$69, with 73 per cent of them priced under $30. It's a real bargain compared to BMO Field.

Meaningful game: This game is the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. The winner of the tournament plays in the Club World Cup against the best team from each federation (7 teams total). Montreal Impact were in this same situation in 2009. They were a NASL club (league below MLS) and managed to sell at Olympic Stadium with 55,000+ fans against Mexico's Santos Laguna.

First game of the year: Offseason is slow. It's a countdown to the first game. This game will be the main topic until March.

I don't think there is anything for the Argos to take away from this. TFC got lucky and the stars aligned for a game that could sell itself. After years of playing in a 20,000 seat stadium, i'm sure a one off game with 40,000 to 50,000 people is somewhat exciting on its own. They didn't need a Beckham to sell this game, although i'm sure it wouldn't hurt. Other than the fact this game will take place at Rogers Centre and on turf, that's where the similarities end.

argonaut11xx

02-28-2012, 08:21 AM

TSC fans are almost all completely HAMMERED..drunk out of their minds..PRIOR to the start of a game..

thats why they can sit through an entire soccer game...

I`ll say this, the TSC, or Toronto Soccer Club did get one thing right...they have created a `party atmosphere`...which they needed to do. because the game itself is painful to watch.

AngeloV

02-28-2012, 09:45 AM

Just saw that the TFC game coming up has passed the 25K mark in sold tickets

Truth be told, this TFC game is a special attraction. It is likely the first meaningful game the team has ever played. Unless they get a big walk up, I would guess that their management would be disappointed with a crowd of below 30k.

T-Bone

02-28-2012, 11:22 AM

Truth be told, this TFC game is a special attraction. It is likely the first meaningful game the team has ever played.
It is not the first meaningful game that TFC has played but it is the most meaningful game to date.

Unless they get a big walk up, I would guess that their management would be disappointed with a crowd of below 30k.

the team has sold a record setting 43,500 tickets. Rogers Centre’s capacity seating for a soccer match is 45,000 with a limited number of suites still available for the match. (http://www.argofans.com/showthread.php?66-The-Toronto-FC-Thread&p=3689&viewfull=1#post3689)

1argoholic

02-28-2012, 11:53 AM

Back in the day there was no issues between any of Toronto's sports teams. Seems like that started when certain teams got to big in the head and all the media started this world class BS.

AngeloV

02-28-2012, 11:54 AM

It is not the first meaningful game that TFC has played but it is the most meaningful game to date.

My bad. I should have looked at the date that this thread was started.

T-Bone

02-28-2012, 12:11 PM

My bad. I should have looked at the date that this thread was started.No worries. I was just providing the updated info (http://www.argofans.com/showthread.php?66-The-Toronto-FC-Thread&p=3689&viewfull=1#post3689).

Will

02-28-2012, 10:48 PM

Back in the day there was no issues between any of Toronto's sports teams. Seems like that started when certain teams got to big in the head and all the media started this world class BS.

The attitude on here towards other Toronto sports teams frankly isn't helpful either.

R.J

02-29-2012, 01:57 PM

The attitude on here towards other Toronto sports teams frankly isn't helpful either.That's what happens after years of Argo fans having to defend their team and League.

T-Bone

02-29-2012, 02:05 PM

That's what happens after years of Argo fans having to defend their team and League.So two wrongs make a right? At least Argos fans have had a team and league to support all these years.

R.J

02-29-2012, 03:21 PM

So two wrongs make a right? At least Argos fans have had a team and league to support all these years.I suppose so, I've gone on record stating that I could care less about TFC, Raps and Blue Jays, not that I'd want them to leave, but wouldn't lose sleep over it.

matchuk

02-29-2012, 08:10 PM

I suppose so, I've gone on record stating that I could care less about TFC, Raps and Blue Jays, not that I'd want them to leave, but wouldn't lose sleep over it.

i guess this is proof that your earlier point
Toronto seems to have a core sports fan base and you don't see much overlap for sports. is true...

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 07:46 AM

Toronto is somewhat "ARTSY-FARTSY"..which sucks....

Thats why i'd like the Argo's to become the Edgy, politically IN-correct, testosterone filled, party team...

Hell thats what it used to be when i'd go to the EX to watch games, and even when Skydome opened, and the Jays were drawing 50K +...the Argo fans (20 something K) were known to consume as much or more "beer per game"

Im going to be 47 in july, and i'd rather the place be full of loud rowdy twenty somethings...than a bunch of sit on your hand, hardcore's...the more the old foogies complain, the better...it just means more new blood in the stands.

With regards to all the sensitive people on this forum, who are extremely touchy when it comes to Toronto's OTHER teams...lighten up...Im an Argo Fan FIRST...i dont give a rats behind about soccer, basketball, or the blow jays. (The rock are fun to watch, and i suggest everyone in Toronto is a leafs fan deep down).

and i dont much like Hall and Oates either...(at first i thought they were a breakfast cereal)...hehe

(musta woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning)

T-Bone

03-01-2012, 08:30 AM

With regards to all the sensitive people on this forum, who are extremely touchy when it comes to Toronto's OTHER teams...lighten up...Im an Argo Fan FIRST...i dont give a rats behind about soccer, basketball, or the blow jays. (The rock are fun to watch, and i suggest everyone in Toronto is a leafs fan deep down).There is a diffrence between someone being sensitive or someone calling someone else out for being disrespectful.

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 08:38 AM

I'd suggest that some folks cant handle a solid difference of opinion, simply because they are too sensitive.
disprespectful, here? no way.....it all just a bunch of different ways of looking at things...thats all...

T-Bone

03-01-2012, 10:28 AM

a solid difference of opinion
What's an unsolid diffrence of opinion?

disprespectful, here? no way.....it all just a bunch of different ways of looking at things...thats all...Expressing irrational hatred towards something is a different way of looking at things but it's still disrespectful.

Mulder

03-01-2012, 10:33 AM

Toronto is somewhat "ARTSY-FARTSY"..which sucks....

I disagree, Toronto is a trendy city. People like what other people like. The persona of "fitting in" I relate this to High School.

It all stems from the "Need" the media/people of the city portrays of being "World Class" in my opinion. Toronto can't and probably never will develop it's own identity as a city. And will continue to strive to be like New York/Chicago.

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 10:37 AM

Expressing irrational hatred towards something

Irrational...thats a matter of opinion...

hatred?....never seen that by anyone , ever on this forum...

Thats a pretty strong word,
...anyways...make you a deal, i'll take "sensitivity training", if you thicken up your skin a little bit....(haha--joke--laugh)..

that said...this thread has gone completly off the rails.. The Argo's will have 25K in the stands, and if they make a playoff run, push for the Grey Cup watch those numbers top 30K for the last few games

T-Bone

03-01-2012, 12:15 PM

disprespectful, here? no way

Irrational...thats a matter of opinion...

hatred?....never seen that by anyone , ever on this forum...

Thats a pretty strong word,

The BEST senario for the ARGO's would be that the Toronto Soccer Club go's the same route as the Toronto Blizzard did....then BMO is free'd up completely and it becomes the home of the Argonauts. The Ex is the perfect site in terms of parking, transit, etc. being downtown you can make a the game experience a full day, or evening experience.You don't think the statement above is disrespectful to TFC and their fans? You don't even call the team by its name. Why is that the "BEST" senario? Is it not because you hate the team and the sport as you have expressed in other posts that were deleted by moderators?

Treblecharger1

03-01-2012, 12:16 PM

T-Bone

03-01-2012, 12:23 PM

I agree with T-Bone, I think it is awesome if TFC does well and continues to do well! People in this city need to support all teams. At the end of the day an exceptional athlete is putting on a Jersey with Toronto on the front of it and playing for our home!
I don't know if I would say everyone in Toronto should support every team. It's understandable that not every person is going to like every sport but people can at least show respect for other teams and their fans even if they don't like the sport. I'm not a big fan of basketball but when the Raptors made the playoffs a few years back I was watching and cheering them on because like you said the jersey says Toronto on the front and I take pride in my city.

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 01:00 PM

...anyways...make you a deal, i'll take "sensitivity training", if you thicken up your skin a little bit....(haha--joke--laugh)..

um..ok T-Bone....guess you didnt want the deal...haha...

T-Bone

03-01-2012, 01:55 PM

um..ok T-Bone....guess you didnt want the deal...haha...If you want to continue being disrespectful, so be it but at least don't be a hypocrite about it.

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 02:26 PM

moving right along....

"how about those blue jays"...

geesh

(please note: tongue firmly planted in cheek)

R.J

03-01-2012, 02:33 PM

I disagree, Toronto is a trendy city. People like what other people like. The persona of "fitting in" I relate this to High School.

It all stems from the "Need" the media/people of the city portrays of being "World Class" in my opinion. Toronto can't and probably never will develop it's own identity as a city. And will continue to strive to be like New York/Chicago.
Would have to agree Mulder, Toronto suffers from never getting out of the High School mindset. I do find it odd in that other Countries around the world seem to look at Toronto as a World Class City, yet Toronto doesn't see itself as such, until they become excepted by Americans, Toronto will never be happy. IMO Toronto has lost its Canadian Culture.

argonaut11xx

03-01-2012, 02:39 PM

IMO Toronto has lost its Canadian Culture.

SnowRogue....i agree wholeheartedly...its sad...

Will

03-01-2012, 06:10 PM

Argo fans and CFL fans in general can be some of the most sensitive fans in sports. I guess that goes with the territory when you have to defend your league on what seems like a daily basis from nay-sayers. I realize that nobody is going convince anyone to become fans of the Raptors, Blue Jays and Toronto FC, heck I'm not a huge NBA fan or MLS fan myself, but I wish both teams nothing but success in the market and have no wishes for them to simply disappear. So just like when one is apt to be sensitive about the CFL getting ripped on, I`m going to be sensitive about the Blue Jays getting ripped on when I feel the reason is simply because that person hates baseball or has some notion that the Argos woes can all be pinned on the baseball team's arrival in 1977.

R.J

03-01-2012, 06:14 PM

I`m going to be sensitive about the Blue Jays getting ripped on when I feel the reason is simply because that person hates baseball or has some notion that the Argos woes can all be pinned on the baseball team's arrival in 1977.Blue Jay fans seem to put some of the blame on the Raptors for their woes, seems like the circle of life here in Toronto.

Will

03-01-2012, 06:16 PM

Blue Jay fans seem to put some of the blame on the Raptors for their woes, seems like the circle of life here in Toronto.

The Raptors came into the league in 1995--right after the MLB strike and the subsequent decline of the Blue Jays as an AL East contender. I don't know if I'd chalk that one up as little more than a coincidence.

Ron

03-01-2012, 06:36 PM

Ron

03-01-2012, 06:42 PM

Would have to agree Mulder, Toronto suffers from never getting out of the High School mindset. I do find it odd in that other Countries around the world seem to look at Toronto as a World Class City, yet Toronto doesn't see itself as such, until they become excepted by Americans, Toronto will never be happy. IMO Toronto has lost its Canadian Culture.

If you read stuff from across Canada ... ALL cities act the same way. (The new World Class BC Place for example) People just single out TO because they did it first.

And Toronto has never looked to America for acceptance. Only Toronto sports media. Until people can evolve to see the difference between some hire sports hacks and the ideals of a people who live in a city. Then crap like this (IMO Toronto has lost its Canadian Culture) will always prevail.

T-Bone

03-02-2012, 08:55 AM

moving right along....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMR5JVo21wQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

IMO Toronto has lost its Canadian Culture.What is Canadian culture? A few words off the top of my head, multiculturalism, progressive, hockey, etc. We are one of the most multicultural cities in the world. We have the largest gay pride celebration in the world. Did you go to Yonge and Dundas Square after we won gold at the Vancouver Olympics? I have to disagree with you.

LLB997

03-08-2012, 02:35 PM

argonaut11xx

03-09-2012, 08:58 AM

Thanks T-Bone..

thats what i was trying to say...it was a much more important game that a regular MLS game...agreed...hence the inflated crowd

and back to Topic....(i am sure theres a soccer thread someplace)

The Argo's will draw 25K this season, and closer to 30K if they are in the running for the playoffs, and Grey Cup

Argonauter

03-09-2012, 12:32 PM

47,000 in attendance

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/08/galaxy-toronto-fc-deserved-their-draw (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/08/galaxy-toronto-fc-deserved-their-draw)

http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1331083419730_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x

argonaut11xx

03-09-2012, 03:38 PM

yes the Argo's will have 25k at the games this year...and 30k + if they are in the running for the GREY CUP.....

T-Bone

03-09-2012, 03:40 PM

yes the Argo's will have 25k at the games this year...and 30k + if they are in the running for the GREY CUP.....
I hope so.

Invader

03-10-2012, 03:18 PM

How would Steve Simmons know how many tickets were sold to the Argo games? I doubt they told him. Another columnist said there was "only 15,000" in attendance. I highly doubt the Argos gave away 6,000 seats for each game. Mr. Braley is known to release accurate attendance figures, so somebody is blowing smoke. Maybe Simmons was using Marty York as his "source"...if he even had one.

Argoscflguy

03-10-2012, 10:49 PM

i realy hope so, with ricky ray in the lineup, corey boyd ready for another exciting season, this should be a realy good year!(GREY CUP)lol the thing i notice though, is that theres not enough of advertising for the argos, the fan 590 mentions them next to nothing! not enough meet the players or autogragh sighnings! and another thing i cant believe is NO car flags, you see them for every other sport or league, like realy how we suppost to show our argos pride in the community?

shayman

03-11-2012, 11:33 AM

and another thing i cant believe is NO car flags, you see them for every other sport or league, like realy how we suppost to show our argos pride in the community?

I show mine with my Argos car flag - which I bought at the Jays Shop at Skydome.

It is weird that you can't seem to get one online. cflshop.ca has the West Division ones though. http://www.cflshop.ca/istar.asp?a=29&class=15&dept=9&search=flag*&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

argofandave

03-11-2012, 11:48 AM

I made my own Argo car flag by buying an Argo mini flag and a Canadian flag car flag. I bought a Canadian car flag from Dollarama for $1-2 and take off the Canadian flag and put on the Argo flag. It's a tight fit but it works. I find the Canadian car flag from Dollarama works best since the flag is held on the post by a clip at the top and the flag slides off easily. You can re-use the clip to hold the Argo flag in place. I used my Argo car flag all last season and it worked perfectly. Other Canadian car flags seem to have a thicker post which makes putting on the Argo flag impossible and some other Canadian car flags are either glued or stapled to the post which again makes it impossible to take off.

argonaut11xx

03-12-2012, 01:41 PM

The ARGONAUTS will draw 25K, and 30K plus if they are in the hunt for the Grey Cup....Go Argo's....

LLB997

03-12-2012, 03:17 PM

i have a feeling its going to be an exciting season for the Argos and the attendance will go up to a consistent 22 thou a game, which although it doesnt sound like much more, i notice the difference at the dome. I Think it was the riders game last yr that had 22 thou attendance and the dome was more rocking than usual that night. Just support the hell out of them, i know i will.

Mulder

03-12-2012, 03:28 PM