CFL - 2024 Regular Season - Discussion Thread

[Pete]

16 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

100%. Add to that the constant complaints from fans about any kind of quality game/pre-game/post game experience etc and this is what happens. The team needs to take notes from Wade and engage fans outside of the stadium, add entertainment to draw fans to games early and most importantly put a winning product together.

Changing the team name and spending all of that money does exactly none of that. But it will create bad press and more drama that takes away from putting attention on what's actually happening on thebfield

Before they adopt the bombers blueprint they should follow bc's example.

1 have an owner passionate about making cfl football relevant

2 Hire a successful coach 

3 get out into the community and surrounding areas and market

4 Bring in some special events to get the potential fan attention and attract younger fans.

5. They have the qbs to build a good team around, offensively their talent is very good. Defensively they need to redistribute some money to dline and linebackers ( Ironic that Jones a supposed defensive guru caused this ie trading Ceresna for Gittens jr, overpaying multiple recievers etc.)

 

Edited August 14 by Pete

[Brandon]

2 hours ago, White Out said:

Edmonton was dumb to cave to the woke mob. Should have kept the Eskimo name.

I'm going to have to request that you change your username to Rainbow Out

 

For the record I think the Elks name is much better and suits a football team name much more.   Fits in nicely with The Lions /  Tiger-Cats.    Maybe with a new owner they can inject money and life into a dying franchise similar to what the new owner for the Lions is doing.

[bigg jay]

12 minutes ago, Pete said:

Before they adopt the bombers blueprint they should follow bc's example.

1 have an owner passionate about making cfl football relevant

2 Hire a successful coach 

3 get out into the community and surrounding areas and market

4 Bring in some special events to get the potential fan attention and attract younger fans.

5. They have the qbs to build a good team around, offensively their talent is very good. Defensively they need to redistribute some money to dline and linebackers ( Ironic that Jones a supposed defensive guru caused this ie trading Ceresna for Gittens jr, overpaying multiple recievers etc.)

 

I think it's still too soon to see if the BC model is effective.  They have done better under Doman and I like a lot of the things he has done but they also have had a fairly good team recently. Can they sustain that with a losing team? 

The new Edmonton owner doesn't have the luxury of buying a winning team and neither did the Bombers when Wade took over.  Wade has been at this for over a decade now so his blue print is proven to work, regardless of the on-field product.

[voodoochylde]

6 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

I think it's still too soon to see if the BC model is effective.  They have done better under Doman and I like a lot of the things he has done but they also have had a fairly good team recently. Can they sustain that with a losing team? 

The new Edmonton owner doesn't have the luxury of buying a winning team and neither did the Bombers when Wade took over.  Wade has been at this for over a decade now so his blue print is proven to work, regardless of the on-field product.

But also .. isn't it largely what the Bombers have been doing already?  

Passionate owner?  Community owned but you can't deny Wade is passionate about the Bombers and the CFL.

Successful coach?  O'Shea was an inspired choice and was allowed to grow without interference or be subjected to knee jerk decisions (THIS WILL BE VITAL for the Elks).

Get out into the community?  We do that .. in spades.

Special events to attract fans?  This is all part of the bigger game day experience and something we've improved upon year over year.

 

The biggest hurdle Edmonton has to face is fan apathy and that cavern of a stadium (which was a similar problem the Argos faced playing in Skydome).   That won't be an easy task but it starts first with removing barriers for families to get out to games - make it cheap.  A butt in a seat at a good price is far better than an empty stadium.   

[ShyGuy]

1 hour ago, TBURGESS said:

I spent a while looking for a source for the 200K marketing money limit, but couldn't find any. Does anyone else have a source?

Section 30.03.B on page 99 of the CBA maybe?

https://media.cfldb.ca/documents/cfl-cflpa-collective-agreement-2022.pdf

 

Quote

In 2023, each Club will include in the Salary Expenditure Cap an additional $60,000 in respect of Non-Football Related Services, such as community appearances, outreach, and promotion. Starting in 2024 and continuing for every year of the collective agreement, each Club will include in the Salary Expenditure Cap an additional $110,000 in respect of those Non-Football Related Services. These special amounts will be the mandatory minimum amount for each Club and will be subject to strict audit rules. The Clubs will have sole discretion on which players shall received these payments and the amounts to each player, but in no case should these amounts be less than $60,000 per Club in 2023 or less than $110,000 per Club, per year thereafter. These amounts will be included in a player’s SPC and noted accordingly.

Although that sounds like $110K and not $200K

[voodoochylde]

2 minutes ago, ShyGuy said:

Section 30.03.B on page 99 of the CBA maybe?

https://media.cfldb.ca/documents/cfl-cflpa-collective-agreement-2022.pdf

 

Although that sounds like $110K and not $200K

Interesting that it doesn't note a maximum amount to spend .. $110K is the floor.

[bigg jay]

Just now, voodoochylde said:

But also .. isn't it largely what the Bombers have been doing already?  

Passionate owner?  Community owned but you can't deny Wade is passionate about the Bombers and the CFL.

Successful coach?  O'Shea was an inspired choice and was allowed to grow without interference or be subjected to knee jerk decisions (THIS WILL BE VITAL for the Elks).

Get out into the community?  We do that .. in spades.

Special events to attract fans?  This is all part of the bigger game day experience and something we've improved upon year over year.

It is to an extent.

BC bringing big name musical acts is far and away bigger and more notable than anything the Bombers have ever done as a special event.  The Bombers have made the game day experience better by having things like having the tailgate area but I wouldn't call those special events, those are an every game feature.

MOS was not a successful coach when we hired him (or for his first few seasons) but yes he was allowed to grow.  Chris Jones was also given room to grow and run things as he wanted but Edmonton saw first hand how that worked out.  The right hire is vital for them but I don't think Edmonton's future success will just be on the coach, just as it wasn't here.  The GM will also play a part in that.

I agree with Wade's passion & our community work though.

[ShyGuy]

6 minutes ago, voodoochylde said:

Interesting that it doesn't note a maximum amount to spend .. $110K is the floor.

It could be that that is both the minimum and the maximum... I know other leagues if a team doesn't spend to the floor they have to give bonuses to their players to ensure that they do.

Could just be verbiage to say you got $110000 (or whatever it is) to spend on marketing... but you have to spend it somehow.

Edited August 14 by ShyGuy

[voodoochylde]

10 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

It is to an extent.

BC bringing big name musical acts is far and away bigger and more notable than anything the Bombers have ever done as a special event.  The Bombers have made the game day experience better by having things like having the tailgate area but I wouldn't call those special events, those are an every game feature.

MOS was not a successful coach when we hired him (or for his first few seasons) but yes he was allowed to grow.  Chris Jones was also given room to grow and run things as he wanted but Edmonton saw first hand how that worked out.  The right hire is vital for them but I don't think Edmonton's future success will just be on the coach, just as it wasn't here.  The GM will also play a part in that.

I agree with Wade's passion & our community work though.

With respect to O'Shea, it was an "optimistic hire" .. he wasn't a re-tread and that's the big take away I think .. Edmonton, if they move on from Jackson, is going to have to look to some of the coordinators around the league and make their own inspired choice.

As for our game day experience - concessions .. tail gating .. communication & responsiveness (people's seating concerns at the start of the year is a prime example), half time entertainment all significantly better since Wade took over - and it's gotten better every year.  They don't *have* to have big special events because honestly, the big event is just a bandaid.  It may get people in the house initially but if everything else is shitty, it doesn't really matter.

[bigg jay]

50 minutes ago, voodoochylde said:

As for our game day experience - concessions .. tail gating .. communication & responsiveness (people's seating concerns at the start of the year is a prime example), half time entertainment.  It doesn't *have* to be a big special event because honestly, the big event is just a bandaid.  It may get people in the house initially but if everything else is shitty, it doesn't really matter.

I agree, our game day experience is much improved but that's not what the OP was talking about.  The bullet point was "Bring in some special events to get the potential fan attention and attract younger fans."  

We're talking about 2 different things here because most of what you just referenced would not qualify as a special event (the exception maybe being the half-time entertainment but I'm not sure you can compare bringing Fred Penner in to bringing in someone like 50 Cent).

Edited August 14 by bigg jay

[Booch]

24 minutes ago, voodoochylde said:

But also .. isn't it largely what the Bombers have been doing already?  

Passionate owner?  Community owned but you can't deny Wade is passionate about the Bombers and the CFL.

Successful coach?  O'Shea was an inspired choice and was allowed to grow without interference or be subjected to knee jerk decisions (THIS WILL BE VITAL for the Elks).

Get out into the community?  We do that .. in spades.

Special events to attract fans?  This is all part of the bigger game day experience and something we've improved upon year over year.

 

The biggest hurdle Edmonton has to face is fan apathy and that cavern of a stadium (which was a similar problem the Argos faced playing in Skydome).   That won't be an easy task but it starts first with removing barriers for families to get out to games - make it cheap.  A butt in a seat at a good price is far better than an empty stadium.   

we definitely did things right...and most of the credit has to go to Miller....and filter on down the pipe

I liked we hired a fresh face as a coach...and gave him the opportunity to grow and develop....but....this total immunity he seems to have where there is no interference, or him having to answer to...orjustify some of the dumb stuff he has done...and yes...it was dumb...and some of it soley based on his own personal bias is not a good thing and has to be reigned back in...or we will just be re-visiting a lot of the same again...and again

We are on the cusp here to turn it around in a big way....and now he wants to park our best dlineman ...most versatile one for no real reason other than he wants to cater to a hold over....or he doesnt want to pull someone else off the roster who is a minimal contributor....or just a guy he has a woody for....which happens to often with this HC

It's ironic too...that he will ramble on about a player not playing in a while...needs reps...time to get back into the lineup....but if it one of his favs...or a tenured vet he thinks is the cats ass...they go in immediately.....cant talk out both sides yhour mouth

[IC Khari]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Before they adopt the bombers blueprint they should follow bc's example.

1 have an owner passionate about making cfl football relevant

2 Hire a successful coach 

3 get out into the community and surrounding areas and market

4 Bring in some special events to get the potential fan attention and attract younger fans.

5. They have the qbs to build a good team around, offensively their talent is very good. Defensively they need to redistribute some money to dline and linebackers ( Ironic that Jones a supposed defensive guru caused this ie trading Ceresna for Gittens jr, overpaying multiple recievers etc.)

 

It’s been 13 years since a Lion Grey Cup Championship. Meanwhile the Bombers have won 2 of the last 4. And have been in 4 straight Cup games. Get back to me with following this vaunted plan when they actually get to a game, never mind win one again …

Edited August 14 by IC Khari

[WinnipegGordo]

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

There is a total team limit. His cap hit is lower because of it, but it's 200k each year they still have to come up with each year because they have robbed Peter to pay Paul.

There is a team limit and he just used up all or almost all of it.

Where did you get your informantion about there being a limit for marketing money?

[GCn20]

How to fix the Shmoes....I mean Elks....WIN!

It's as simple as that. Build a winner.

Just now, WinnipegGordo said:

Where did you get your informantion about there being a limit for marketing money?

News article somewhere. Don't recall. Could be wrong...just the impression I was under. I believe we had a long discussion about this a couple months ago in one of the threads and sources were cited at that time. I was of the impression there was no limit as well, and it was other forum members here that came up with the specifics.

[17to85]

4 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

How to fix the Shmoes....I mean Elks....WIN

For real. Support for the cfl exists in edmonton,  but no one wants to go watch a tire fire.

[Stickem]

4 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

How to fix the Shmoes....I mean Elks....WIN!

It's as simple as that. Build a winner.

AND ....I don't know how the new owner will accomplish this is.... get rid of that 'big empty' look in their stadium....easier said than done but attracting new FANS with a 'winner' would be a good start

[GCn20]

9 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

For real. Support for the cfl exists in edmonton,  but no one wants to go watch a tire fire.

Exactly. If you made a graph of every team in this league's lowest attendance years and compared it to their win/loss record their lowest attendance would come in years with the least wins. I think that goes in every sport. If we went a season and a half without winning a home game I can't imagine our attendance would be all that great either.

Edited August 14 by GCn20

[JuranBoldenRules]

Stadiums are huge issue in Edmonton and Calgary.

Hard to pull off what the Bombers have in those dated dumps.  Amenities are shitty, seating areas are shitty.  Way below expectations of this era.  Think key part of planning for viability in both markets needs to be new facilities.

If I'm the owner I'm literally saying this franchise dies without a new facility in public every chance I get.

[blue85gold]

FWIW John Hodge says no limit to marketing money

 

[voodoochylde]

Don't like that there isn't a cap.

While there's always been under the table stuff that goes on in the CFL, this simply allows an owner with deep pockets (and more money than sense) to just buy their way forward should they feel so inclined.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

35 minutes ago, WinnipegGordo said:

Where did you get your informantion about there being a limit for marketing money?

 

35 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

News article somewhere. Don't recall. Could be wrong...just the impression I was under. I believe we had a long discussion about this a couple months ago in one of the threads and sources were cited at that time. I was of the impression there was no limit as well, and it was other forum members here that came up with the specifics.

 

Maybe @DTonOB can help shed some light on the marketing money and it's max amount.

[GCn20]

9 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

 

 

Maybe @DTonOB can help shed some light on the marketing money and it's max amount.

Yea that would be great. Too many conflicting stories out there in the ether that is the internet. I don't think anyone really knows for sure except Ambrosie...lmao.

[Albertabomberguy]

1 hour ago, voodoochylde said:

But also .. isn't it largely what the Bombers have been doing already?  

Passionate owner?  Community owned but you can't deny Wade is passionate about the Bombers and the CFL.

Successful coach?  O'Shea was an inspired choice and was allowed to grow without interference or be subjected to knee jerk decisions (THIS WILL BE VITAL for the Elks).

Get out into the community?  We do that .. in spades.

Special events to attract fans?  This is all part of the bigger game day experience and something we've improved upon year over year.

 

The biggest hurdle Edmonton has to face is fan apathy and that cavern of a stadium (which was a similar problem the Argos faced playing in Skydome).   That won't be an easy task but it starts first with removing barriers for families to get out to games - make it cheap.  A butt in a seat at a good price is far better than an empty stadium.   

The last few years the stadium elks have offered free seats to kids to come with their parents.  I know last year we went with 20 people and probably only paid for 8 seats.  

[WinnipegGordo]

 

[voodoochylde]

2 minutes ago, Albertabomberguy said:

The last few years the stadium elks have offered free seats to kids to come with their parents.  I know last year we went with 20 people and probably only paid for 8 seats.  

That's awesome (and unfortunate that the team hasn't performed better).