Lionbackers.com

I know exactly which lot you're talking about David. I often walk thru it on my way to and from the game to my usual digs at HoJo or Ramada on Granville. Always lots of spots about the time a person might be heading towards the stadium. It doesn't hold a lot of cars but with exits on both Seymour and Richards as well as the alley leading to Robson or Smithe it couldn't possibly take more than 2 or 3 minutes to be out of there and into traffic after a game.

There's also an Impark underground parkade on Seymour between Helmcken and Nelson that might be reasonably priced. I had to park there this summer because the HoJo lot was already full. It was actually cheaper for overnight parking than the hotel and was literally empty. I think it's probably full during the day Monday to Friday but mostly empty at night and over weekends.

Overall though while some grumble about the game experience I've heard a lot of praise this year about how much fun it was going to games. That comes from Lions fans with families and kids. It's also come from fans of other teams who traveled in from other cities to see their team. The fact that they came out winners may have helped but they were very complimentary about the experience of attending a game at BC Place.

Hambone wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:17 pm

Overall though while some grumble about the game experience I've heard a lot of praise this year about how much fun it was going to games. That comes from Lions fans with families and kids. It's also come from fans of other teams who traveled in from other cities to see their team. The fact that they came out winners may have helped but they were very complimentary about the experience of attending a game at BC Place.

Agreed. I hope the Lions’ 2020 marketing campaign focuses on the sights and sounds of fans having fun in the stadium. The game-day atmosphere is much better than it has been in recent years, and the in-house music makes it seem like there are twice as many people in the building. Television doesn’t
capture it well. Lions’ games probably provide the best family entertainment value of any major local sport, with cheap ticket prices for children and teens.

Hambone wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:17 pm

There's also an Impark underground parkade on Seymour between Helmcken and Nelson that might be reasonably priced. I had to park there this summer because the HoJo lot was already full. It was actually cheaper for overnight parking than the hotel and was literally empty. I think it's probably full during the day Monday to Friday but mostly empty at night and over weekends.

Yes! There are those type of deals to be found.
We have used an Impark underground lot in an alley between Smithe and Robson (just east of Richards) and it's $6 after 6 pm until 11 pm. The price has not changed in 20 years. It's part of a residential building so the main entrance gate comes down at 11 so you don't want to be late.

Rick Dhaliwal seems to be the only local reporter with an open line to David Braley. He offers this update in the wake of the Montreal Alouettes' sale:

Rick Dhaliwal
@DhaliwalSports
David Braley was waiting for the sale of the Alleouttes and now that it has happened, he wonders if it will speed up talks for his #BCLions.

Rick Dhaliwal
@DhaliwalSports
Braley says there has been good discussions with 3 groups in the last 2 weeks.

https://twitter.com/DhaliwalSports/stat ... 85383?s=20

With my unpredictable work schedule (and my friend's evening work sked change) I've just been going to a few games a year (after we had seasons in 2010-11).

Lions had a 3 game pack + 1 FREE offer just before Christmas that was too good to pass up. Worked out to the lowest price per game I've seen in years. (But I'm one of the few who likes sitting in the upper end zone right behind the goal posts.)

David wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:56 am

A good marketing/advertising campaign couldn't hurt either (Rhymes With Orange was a disaster).

Agree, could never figure out what slogan meant.

Hambone wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:37 pm

For 5 outlets that's not much return especially given the rabid Rider market where everybody wants to be dressed head to toe in Rider gear. One would think at least 1 or 2 of those outlets are barely breaking even or would be at the point where any other retail company would close the doors on some locations.

Damn I wished I had this sort of crystal ball gazing ability on Sports Action or the stock market. Riders will be merging their 2 Saskatoon locations into one new location transfering all staff and closing the old locations.

https://nationalpost.com/news/local-new ... 5e440257ee

TheLionKing wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:50 pm

David wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:56 am

A good marketing/advertising campaign couldn't hurt either (Rhymes With Orange was a disaster).

Agree, could never figure out what slogan meant.

Apparently there is no word that rhymes with orange (omitting the word sporange for the time being). I suppose it was a play on the idea that there was nothing like the Lions who of course wear orange uniforms. Something unique, something special. If that is what it was, it was pretty darned esoteric. Interesting though that they were allowed to use that phrase given that it was the name of Rock Band from here in Vancouver.

Okay, we are in awe. I guess it didn't work for Lotto Max though.

Sir Purrcival wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 09, 2020 12:31 am

Apparently there is no word that rhymes with orange (omitting the word sporange for the time being). I suppose it was a play on the idea that there was nothing like the Lions who of course wear orange uniforms. Something unique, something special. If that is what it was, it was pretty darned esoteric. Interesting though that they were allowed to use that phrase given that it was the name of Rock Band from here in Vancouver.

Not to mention the name of a certain poster on the CFL fan forum where I think they got the inspiration for the name.



I agree, I think it was a slogan that played on the uniqueness of the club. A slogan that a few may ponder and trace back to the BC Lions but most would quickly dismiss as meaningless and forget right after they view it. The renegade campaign of "concert" type ads spackled to telephone poles and construction site boards all across town was a low-budget in-house attempt to get noticed by the elusive younger crowd.

The problem was the cartoon silhouettes of Burnham, Reilly, Claybrooks, Carter etc were fine for a market like Regina or Winnipeg where CFL stars are household names but the wrong approach for Vancouver where these athletes are largely unknown....and remained so with this campaign. The Lions need to connect these great athletes and their stories to market. Don't waste entire ad budgets on GenXers and Millennials. Get existing fans (the "lost" 10,000-15,000) back on board first.


DH

The Nothing Rhymes with Orange campaign was all produced in-house by the Lions' staff. I agree that it didn't seem to resonate with the public. I probably follow the team as closely as anyone and I had trouble identifying one or two of the caricatures.

Here's an interesting look back at Rick LeLacheur, DeVone Claybrooks, Duron Carter and Odell Willis explaining the campaign and how it tied in with Claybrooks' coaching style of giving players the freedom to express their uniqueness and individualism. We know how that played out.

LeLacheur and the Lions’ marketing and digital teams have followed the team’s spirit with their promotional work. All over Vancouver, there are ads with cartoonish silhouettes of Lions figures. There’s Carter, Reilly and Claybrooks together on a bus. There’s Bryan Burnham with his arms folded at a stop on the SkyTrain. The Lions digital team produced a 30-second ad that makes Hervey look like a mad scientist behind a two-way window, with Reilly strapped into brain-monitoring devices, unconsciously drawing up the purrfect play.

The team has branded all of this with their slogan for this year, Nothing Rhymes With Orange. It’s a play on the team’s uniqueness, this collection of individuals working together to try to win a Grey Cup.

“It’s sort of out of the box from the traditional,” LeLacheur said of the slogan and the ad that’s run. He said they have more on deck, while giving praise to their marketing and digital people, who have put the ads together completely in-house.

NOTHING RHYMES WITH ORANGE: LIONS UNIQUENESS DRIVING 2019 SEASON

Out of curiosity does anybody know what the 2019 marketing slogans were for any of the other 8 clubs?

Winnipeg's was "For the W".
Riders pushed the 13th man schtick. Not sure they had an actual slogan tied to it.
I can't find much else.

Hambone wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:50 pm

Out of curiosity does anybody know what the 2019 marketing slogans were for any of the other 8 clubs?

Winnipeg's was "For the W".
Riders pushed the 13th man schtick. Not sure they had an actual slogan tied to it.
I can't find much else.

Yes, the Bombers have definitely gone far with the "For the W" campaign. It seems to have been largely adopted by Winnipegers.

As for your question, the Alouettes went with "Toujours Game" and MontreALS. Not the most inspiring. I believe the Eskimos still go with "One Empire" as their battle cry. It was developed in 2017 and used in '17 and '18. Not entirely sure about '19.


DH

Bejebus, that Montreal thing reads like Montreal ALS. What are they the Lou Gerhig's Disease team of the CFL? Does nobody look at the letters of things to see what else they may stand for? Anbody remember the Conservative Reform Alliance Party suggestion.

Moray Keith, local auto dealer, Waterboy and possible part of an ownership consortium for the BC Lions is at the Barrett - Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale Arizona this week with 42 cars up for auction. So far this week, his cars have sold for $899,700 US (including buyers commission of 5%?). There are 16 cars up for bids today and another 11 cars on Sunday in the "Moray Keith Collection"

Is this part of a plan to come up with a down payment for the Lions or merely time to pare down the cars in the garage? Enquiring minds want to know.....