Grey Cup Fan Base

[JCon]

ETCH YOUR NAME ON THE GREY CUP FAN BASE

https://greycupfanbase.ca/

Etch your name onto the Grey Cup Fan Base, gift it to the biggest CFL fan you know, or in the memory of someone special.

[JCon]

 

[JCon]

 What is the cost?

A: Season Ticket Members can add their names or a dedication to a loved one for $349.00, per name. The price of Non-Season Ticket Members is $399.00, per name. Taxes and applicable fees apply. 

[Bigblue204]

Good way to drum up some revenue. But there's no way I'm paying that price.

[Noeller]

That was my thought... 400 bucks? No, sir.... 

[Bomber_fanaddict]

Yup. Looked at it and was ready to put our 4 names down but not for $1,400+....

[Mr Dee]

I’m not buying either.
My name is already all over the cup...just not with the letters in consecutive order.
 

[johnzo]

I would kick into this for a memorial or as a tribute to a great CFL fan but wouldn't buy it for myself.

[BBlink]

As someone who has paid for most of his season ticket for this year and can use the credit.... Sold. I've already signed up.

If it was 400 dollars that wasn't spoken for it would be a more difficult conversation 

[JCon]

Only if I can use my full legal name?

Riders Suck IV

 

[TrueBlue4ever]

The Cup is won by the players and coaches, they have worked to earn their right to have their name engraved on it. Even if it is just a "fan base", I see no reason why I should get to immortalize myself on a part of the Cup as a fan. Already have my name in the concrete paving stone in front of IGF, so they have honoured my fandom in that fashion. JMO.

[Eternal optimist]

This just reeks of cash-grab to me... every aspect of it just seems such a gimmicky way of doing things... the fact that the certificate of authenticity is digital and I can have an 'augmented reality' of the Grey Cup in my home?

So... $400 for a bad photoshop and a PDF? Yeah...hard pass. The missus and I already got our photo (which was free, by the way) with the real Grey Cup, went to the game when they won... oh and speaking of the Grey Cup... just wanted to point out this gimmick costs MORE  than an actual ticket to the Grey Cup?

[Eternal optimist]

1 hour ago, JCon said:

Only if I can use my full legal name?

Riders Suck IV

Could we do a quote instead? "Too many men on the field.... Saskatchewan"

[Noeller]

44 minutes ago, Eternal optimist said:

Could we do a quote instead? "Too many men on the field.... Saskatchewan"

:"Dirty Four Stripe"

[TrueBlue4ever]

1 hour ago, Eternal optimist said:

This just reeks of cash-grab to me... every aspect of it just seems such a gimmicky way of doing things... the fact that the certificate of authenticity is digital and I can have an 'augmented reality' of the Grey Cup in my home?

So... $400 for a bad photoshop and a PDF? Yeah...hard pass. The missus and I already got our photo (which was free, by the way) with the real Grey Cup, went to the game when they won... oh and speaking of the Grey Cup... just wanted to point out this gimmick costs MORE  than an actual ticket to the Grey Cup?

Of course it is a cash grab. Not that there is anything wrong with that per se. If a league finds new ways to generate income and there is fan interest, more power to them.

And the league certainly needs a cash infusion. The Bombers for example generated $11.5 million on ticket sales alone last year, 32% of their income. Their game day, concessions, and merch  sales were another 24%. All those totals will essentially dry up this year. So they need the cash badly to keep the operation going (paying staff who were not laid off is just one example).

But here is where I have a problem with it. The Bombers are community owned, so their books are public. They made a $3.5 million profit last year, which is in line with their 5 years average. Saskatchewan and Edmonton (the other 2 community owned teams) each lost money - the Riders $200,000 (essentially the cost of their Grey Cup bid and prep) and the "let's not call them THAT anymore" 's lost $1.1 million. We have no idea about the other 6 teams, but each club ponied up $680,000 to keep the Als running when they had no owner, so they were $5.45 million in the glue while they were rudderless. The big issue for me is those 5 or 6 privately owned teams (honestly have no idea where Montreal is at these days). All the private owners (David Braley in BC, Bob Young in Hamilton, MLSE in Toronto, Calgary Flames through Murray Edwards in Calgary, and Roger Greenberg in Ottawa) are all in the $1 billion + net worth range at least (MLSE alone is worth $4 billion). They won't open their books, but they were unable or unwilling to pony up their own money to keep the league operating this season, and now the CFL wants $400 from each fan to generate revenue. 

If the owners are making money off their teams (and the Bombers have shown in the last 5 years that you can generate profits off of your team) then it really sucks that they capsized the year and the league now want the fans to pay to keep it afloat after the Government handout failed. If they are not making money by and large, then it is time to scrap the current version of the league and figure out a financially viable way to run it, or bury it forever. In either circumstance, don't run to the fans first for a cash grab. Get your own house in order, then you can soak us with ticket prices, but at least we get a little entertainment for our spent money, and not just a meaningless engraving on a plaque.

Edited August 24, 2020 by TrueBlue4ever

[Jaxon]

I bought in, more to support the league than a sense of ego or personal legacy.   I respect that some people feel it is a cash grab, but I look at it as a decimal place in my long term support of the team and the league during tough times.

I fully respect the hard work and dedication that the players and coaches put into the game, all with the goal of getting their name on the cup.   I don't want to diminish what they've done, but supporting this initiative doesn't put your name on the cup, only on the fan base.   I've been a season ticket holder since 1970, and rarely miss a home game.   I've been to 20+ Grey Cups including the last 17 in a row.   I've been to games in every CFL city.   I've coached kids at the amateur level who have gone on to play in the CFL.   I believe that the fan base, especially the season ticket holders, are the bedrock of the league.   I would respectfully suggest that I've got as much or more invested in this league as a player who played a half a season, got paid, and lucked out and made the game day roster on a championship team.   

As a note, I renewed my season tickets for the Bombers as a show of on-going support.  I also have a subscription to the WSO, and I donated my "cancelled" tickets to the organization rather than request a refund.   If we want to have these things in our city, we need to support them.  

I recognize that my financial situation is different than others, and that does affect the decision making process.   Certainly years ago supporting the league like this wouldn't have been an option for me, so I don't cast shadows on those who don't participate.  It's really not much different than supporting other charities, many of whom put up a plaque to recognize their donors.

 

[BBlink]

Honestly I think that one day I'd like to tell my kids that my name is on the pedestal that the Grey Cup sits on. And then show them my name at investors group field. And then tell them that our family supports the Blue Bombers and the CFL. It has been a big part of my life and I hope it will be for them too. 

[SpeedFlex27]

On 2020-08-24 at 1:11 PM, Eternal optimist said:

This just reeks of cash-grab to me... every aspect of it just seems such a gimmicky way of doing things... the fact that the certificate of authenticity is digital and I can have an 'augmented reality' of the Grey Cup in my home?

So... $400 for a bad photoshop and a PDF? Yeah...hard pass. The missus and I already got our photo (which was free, by the way) with the real Grey Cup, went to the game when they won... oh and speaking of the Grey Cup... just wanted to point out this gimmick costs MORE  than an actual ticket to the Grey Cup?

 

 

 

 

I agree. If this is an example of the league trying to come up with new revenue streams it's a hard pass by me & a fail. What did I or anyone else do to deserve our names on the Grey Cup "base"? Other than being a fan? Nothing. 

[Noeller]

6 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

 

 

 

 

I agree. If this is an example of the league trying to come up with new revenue streams it's a hard pass by me & a fail. What did I or anyone else do to deserve our names on the Grey Cup "base"? Other than being a fan? Nothing. 

So, I've seen this take a lot online....and my first instinct is to 100% agree with you, because I felt the same way about the Grey Cup rings that you could get as a fan. And in regards to that (not having "earned" it), a buddy at work said this to me:

"As Bombers fans...with everything you've endured...especially in the last 30 years.....have you not 'earned' something special?"

Now that's a fair point.....and maybe it applies to that Grey Cup base as well??

If I could afford to drop $400 for something like that, I might. But I think I'd be more inclined to do something like purchase Bombers seasons tickets to support the team directly, rather than a league-wide initiative...

[BBlink]

I think it takes a certain amount of mental gymnastics to say that as a fan you haven't done enough to be on the Grey Cup fan base.  As we all know, the CFL has been largely able to operate because of the fans sitting in the seats. There has always been a relationship between the fan and the teams/players that no other league can rival. That is one of the great things about our league. This is the league acknowledging that while also providing themselves with a bit of revenue. This (imo) is a win-win

[Mr Dee]

The fan base is not a bad idea, just not affordable by most fan basers.

Now if the Bombers could have their own fan base at say, $100, that likely would be doable.

Maybe after the current promotion so that it doesn’t interfere.

[17to85]

Maybe they should just sell some fake shares if they're that desperate for money. 

[SpeedFlex27]

Maybe if I felt that the the CFL BOG's & Commissioner actually respected the fans I'd be willing to do this but to me, we don't even rate as far as the CFL is concerned. If it did, they would get rid of UFA & one year deals. There is too much player movement & we get the same old BS excuse from the CFL telling us that one year deals are the best because we get better players coming up here. Funny, I don't see any Doug Fluties, Tracy Hams, Dieter Brocks or Tom Clements coming up here as qbs anymore.  Can't tell me that Dan Kepley, Brian Herosian, Tyrone Jones, James West, James Murphy & Willard Reaves aren't as good as the players of today that only want to be here for a year. I'll never buy that argument as I've seen players from different ewras play & they were as good as any players coming up today. UFA causes nothing but chaos. Teams have a hard time building & maintaining a winning team with players coming & going. So until that changes & the CFL realizes they are nothing without US so they better respect us, I wouldn't spend a penny on this initiative. I'd rather spend the money on merchandise.

[Jacquie]

On 2020-08-24 at 1:04 PM, TrueBlue4ever said:

The Cup is won by the players and coaches, they have worked to earn their right to have their name engraved on it. Even if it is just a "fan base", I see no reason why I should get to immortalize myself on a part of the Cup as a fan. Already have my name in the concrete paving stone in front of IGF, so they have honoured my fandom in that fashion. JMO.

You do realize the fan base is not part of the actual trophy, don’t you.

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, Jacquie said:

You do realize the fan base is not part of the actual trophy, don’t you.

All due respect, Jacquie but you can't just dismiss TrueBlue4ever's comments as he's right. The base is part of the Grey Cup. Emblematic of the best team in the CFL which has nothing to do with having enough money to buy a spot on the championship base.  Why not put sponsor's logos on it as well to raise money??? What about that?