Eskimos vs. Lions Game Thread

[TheLionKing]

Edmonton's last touchdown was way too easy. Lions just laid back and allowed them to march down the field. Those points could loom large in the event of a tie.

[Hawkballer 14]

Edmonton's last touchdown was way too easy. Lions just laid back and allowed them to march down the field. Those points could loom large in the event of a tie.

Edmonton is not going to be tied with us at the end of the regular season, I would put money on it.

Over/under: 8 Eskimo wins in 2013, I'll take the under.

[B.C.FAN]

Edmonton is not going to be tied with us at the end of the regular season, I would put money on it.

Over/under: 8 Eskimo wins in 2013, I'll take the under.

I think Edmonton fans would be ecstatic with eight wins and a possible crossover playoff berth. I'll take the under.

[TheLionKing]

Edmonton's last touchdown was way too easy. Lions just laid back and allowed them to march down the field. Those points could loom large in the event of a tie.

Edmonton is not going to be tied with us at the end of the regular season, I would put money on it.

Over/under: 8 Eskimo wins in 2013, I'll take the under.

Odds are you're right. This is the CFL and anything can happen. Who would have predicted the Lions winning the Grey Cup after they started 0-5 ?

[Hawkballer 14]

Edmonton's last touchdown was way too easy. Lions just laid back and allowed them to march down the field. Those points could loom large in the event of a tie.

Edmonton is not going to be tied with us at the end of the regular season, I would put money on it.

Over/under: 8 Eskimo wins in 2013, I'll take the under.

Odds are you're right. This is the CFL and anything can happen. Who would have predicted the Lions winning the Grey Cup after they started 0-5 ?

I think that I might have.

:toots his own horn:
:goes to find his post:

[B.C.FAN]

This is the CFL and anything can happen. Who would have predicted the Lions winning the Grey Cup after they started 0-5 ?

I think that I might have.

:toots his own horn:
:goes to find his post:

I'm not sure about 0-5 but I think a number of us were on the bandwagon at 2-6 in 2011.
http://lionbackers.com/bc_lions/viewtop ... up#p288184

[sj-roc]

It went right over my head as it was in the context where I focused on the 700 yds discussion and missed it.

I think Skulsky's data on incomes is insane and I can't name many that fit the Lions profile for income. He, like me, are from an era where incomes were good and other costs didn't eat up an average family's income. I am shocked that kids sports today cost families a lot plus more user fees. Old dinosaurs with good incomes like myself need to understand the reality of incomes for families today and the Lions just don't. Even my good income earning younger friends are faced with far higher costs of all else than I faced including getting our kid thru univ before they skyrocketed the fees.

If young folks realized how lucky my age group was and how better treated by gov'ts than they are, they'd be outraged. I am outraged and money is not an issue for me.

I'm a little unclear on your context for bringing up Skulsky here, Toppy. Don't tell me he was talking about this in the media again very recently? ****SMH****

[sj-roc]

pathetic. how can we have a million people in the lower mainland and only get 26K out for a good football game?

As an outsider, I find the Lions' attendance to be quite baffling. They have one of the most beautiful stadiums in North America and a gorgeous - at least it looked that way on TV - Saturday summer night game against a divisional rival while they fete Don Matthew and Damon Allen. With a team that remains one of the top ones in the game, that should have been a recipe for 35k+. Is ticket pricing still an issue out there? Was tonight's game blacked out? Is it time to do what the Whitecaps do and close off the upper deck?

Pricing probably is an issue, when parking+food+drinks is added to the price of the tickets. Don't know if it was blacked out on TV, but for most people the HD+home theater+fridge full of beer >>>>>>> sitting at a stadium and getting gouged financially.

Plus, it was a beautiful Saturday in July...

What with a decent fraction of the fanbase being from Surrey and points beyond, the closure this entire weekend of the Pattullo Bridge coming out of Surrey toward BCP probably didn't help matters either.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/pattullo-bridge-cl ... -1.1375630

There are two more weekends in August during which the Pattullo Bridge will be closed but fortunately for the Lions they won't be playing at home during either of these.

I mentioned the folk festival in another post. Check in this article the throngs of people vying for choice stage viewing areas. We're not the only game in town.

http://thetyee.ca/Life/2013/07/20/FolkfestRun/

[BCFC_Fan]

People seem to make it for the Canucks and alot come from Surrey for those games....I remember when I was a season ticket holder back in Matthews reign and it was a full stadium then...60,000 for a game...that was an experience! Being I live in Kelowna now I dont get down for many games but try to get in for 1 a year, I was at the Edmonton Pre season game and was shocked at how quiet the crowd was, I think it was louder at Empire a couple of seasons ago...we just dont seem to have the passion they do in Sask or Winnipeg and I think we need to find a way to get that going!

[DanoT]

K. Smith was a monster again. Nice to see him get 2 sacks in addition to the pressure he and his mates put on Reilly all night.

I thought the Esks would do more to stop Harris, sorta like what the Lions did to Charles...basically make him a non factor.

Nice job by the Lions to keep F. Stamps in check, except for the late drive. I hate prevent D.

Seems like the Esks Munoz (8 tackles) is turning into a better LB than Sherritt (3 tackles) who I have always though to be a bit over rated. When the RB (Harris) gets over 100 yards rushing, it is usually on the MLB (Sheritt)

[1greatmysticbushape]

I think Skulsky's data on incomes is insane and I can't name many that fit the Lions profile for income.

If young folks realized how lucky my age group was and how better treated by gov'ts than they are, they'd be outraged. I am outraged and money is not an issue for me.

Honestly though, what can be done? The governments, be they Liberal/NDP/Green/whomever, simply doesn't give two whits about the middle class. The cost of everything is always increasing, the incomes simply do not.

I bust my ass to make <$40K per year, that leaves me with a couple hundred dollars each month which are unaccounted for after all is said and done. Oddly enough, dropping $150 to watch a Lions game in person isn't anywhere near the top of my priorities list.

My generation (the late 20s/mid 30s) = the debt generation.

At least consider the Peace River, average wage $80,000/year, pick up a sleazy double wide on a dusty block for $200k and live happily ever after hunting, fishing or goofing off.

[Sir Purrcival]

You have to start wondering just how long Kavis Reed has as HC. What is it now, 1-6 going back to last year with more pain likely to follow. As he is now famous for (considering a T-Shirt), there are going to be "consequences" for that kind of record and if the Esks were to lose say the next 3 or 4......

[sj-roc]

People seem to make it for the Canucks and alot come from Surrey for those games....I remember when I was a season ticket holder back in Matthews reign and it was a full stadium then...60,000 for a game...that was an experience! Being I live in Kelowna now I dont get down for many games but try to get in for 1 a year, I was at the Edmonton Pre season game and was shocked at how quiet the crowd was, I think it was louder at Empire a couple of seasons ago...we just dont seem to have the passion they do in Sask or Winnipeg and I think we need to find a way to get that going!

I hate to break this to you but let's do a little exercise, shall we? Let's have a look at the attendances from the first five years of BCP when DM was coach, and count how many times we exceeded 50,000 in attendance in a building with a capacity of over 59,000.

Sun, Jul 24, 1983....SSK 28 @ BC 44......41,801
Sun, Aug 07, 1983...CGY 16 @ BC 32.....37,496
Sat, Aug 20, 1983...WPG 6 @ BC 44.....56,852.....(1)
Sat, Aug 27, 1983...MTL 6 @ BC 28......36,743
Sat, Sep 10, 1983...TOR 32 @ BC 14.....52,656.....(2)
Sun, Sep 25, 1983...EDM 30 @ BC 31....52,430.....(3)
Sat, Oct 22, 1983....HAM 16 @ BC 41....45,513
Sat, Nov 05, 1983...OTT 13 @ BC 40.....42,901

Fri, Jul 06, 1984.....EDM 10 @ BC 44.....43,501
Sat, Jul 28, 1984....MTL 7 @ BC 22.......39,991
Sat, Aug 11, 1984...OTT 21 @ BC 34.....37,560
Sat, Aug 25, 1984...CGY 4 @ BC 15.......38,419
Sun, Sep 09, 1984...HAM 11 @ BC 46.....34,630
Sat, Sep 22, 1984...SSK 37 @ BC 28.......35,955
Sat, Oct 06, 1984....TOR 21 @ BC 21.....49,358
Sat, Oct 27, 1984....WPG 3 @ BC 20......59,421.....(4)

Sat, Jul 13, 1985.....EDM 10 @ BC 25....38,055
Sat, Jul 27, 1985.....MTL 15 @ BC 28....48,281
Sat, Aug 17, 1985....CGY 35 @ BC 32....37,462
Sat, Aug 24, 1985....HAM 11 @ BC 21....34,351
Fri, Sep 06, 1985.....TOR 23 @ BC 32....40,782
Sat, Sep 28, 1985.....SSK 9 @ BC 33.....41,618
Fri, Oct 11, 1985......WPG 31 @ BC 10...59,478.....(5)
Fri, Nov 01, 1985.....OTT 10 @ BC 17....38,661

Thu, Jun 26, 1986.....WPG 17 @ BC 28...41,704
Fri, Jul 11, 1986.......TOR 17 @ BC 28....43,326
Sat, Jul 19, 1986.......MTL 20 @ BC 27...42,158
Sat, Aug 09, 1986.....SSK 24 @ BC 39.....48,984
Thu, Aug 21, 1986....CGY 30 @ BC 14.....49,147
Thu, Sep 04, 1986....OTT 10 @ BC 40.....40,091
Fri, Sep 19, 1986.....EDM 32 @ BC 3......59,478.....(6)
Sat, Oct 18, 1986.....HAM 23 @ BC 17....40,127
Sat, Nov 08, 1986.....WPG 24 @ BC 36....54,723....(7)

Sun, Jun 28, 1987.....SSK 1 @ BC 44.....30,157
Sat, Jul 18, 1987......EDM 18 @ BC 26...43,772
Sat, Jul 25, 1987......OTT 1 @ BC 21.....33,771
Thu, Aug 13, 1987.....TOR 23 @ BC 30...37,843
Sun, Aug 30, 1987.....WPG 23 @ BC 24...38,338
Sun, Sep 20, 1987.....WPG 20 @ BC 30...39,859
Sun, Oct 11, 1987.....CGY 34 @ BC 6......31,244
Sat, Oct 17, 1987.....HAM 11 @ BC 25....34,909 (first home game after firing of Matthews)
Sun, Nov 08, 1987.....SSK 14 @ BC 34 ....38,730

That's 42 regular season games in five years, and we reached 50k a whopping seven times. I've spotted you nearly 10k empty seats and even then we're still below the Mendoza line for Pete's sake, and that was when the Lions were at the absolute peak of their drawing power, with a much higher profile on the sporting landscape compared to the Canucks (who, BTW, have had their own attendance woes at various points in their history as well, but that's another story). You'll notice that the 50k games were also fairly well-scattered: only once did we ever reach that benchmark in successive home games, and even in those days it wasn't unusual for crowds to dip down into the 30k's. In fact, it was downright COMMON: there were 19 such games in the first 42, nearly half of them. That leaves 16 games where crowds numbered in the 40k's. In other words, if you were to bet cash with someone on the first digit of an attendance randomly chosen from that era, the smart money is on....... THREE. The average attendance of these 42 games was 42,394, and the median was even less than that: 40,455, which adds additional credence to the statistical outlier status of those 50k games.

Part of the problem here in agonising over supposedly low attendances is that we're constantly comparing ourselves to a mythology that simply DOES NOT EXIST. But I don't blame you. Even the media buys into this myth. In fact, they're probably the ones responsible (irresponsible?) for perpetuating it. All this week with the focus on Matthews night, when we heard the 1040 crew gushing over how everything was all unicorns and rainbows in Lionland during that era, you could easily get the impression that 50k+ crowds were the norm.

This is simply NOT the case. In fact you could even argue that this entire five-year era is little more than an anomaly against the 60 year history of this ball club. As of last night, there have been 269 home games since BCP opened in 1983. The average attendance in this time is 29,376 and the median is 28,335 (this admittedly includes the 14 games at smaller Tempire in 2010 & 2011, but the numbers don't bump much higher even if you axe these out). So last night was only about 1700 below the historical median.

[Lion Guy]

For the love of God would someone learn to run replays on the big screen. Penalty on the lions no one in our section knows what happened and no replay. Short kickoff PJ gets the ball, long discussion, no replay and then they rekick. Fricken brutal. And while we are at it how about they cut back on that stupid make some noise crap to about 100 a game instead of 1000. Irritating.

[sj-roc]

For the love of God would someone learn to run replays on the big screen. Penalty on the lions no one in our section knows what happened and no replay. Short kickoff PJ gets the ball, long discussion, no replay and then they rekick. Fricken brutal. And while we are at it how about they cut back on that stupid make some noise crap to about 100 a game instead of 1000. Irritating.

Yep. Kinda makes you wonder how we managed to draw over 26k when everyone could have watched on hi-def either at home or just a stroll over to the local neighbourhood pub: replays, timely stats & commentary and none of these headaches (not to mention the traffic).