Lionbackers.com

The Lions have released a schedule for their 2024 training camp in Kamloops. Rookie camp opens Wednesday, May 8, and main camp on Sunday, May 12, featuring a mix of morning and afternoon sessions, and a scrimmage and Play with the Pros event on Saturday afternoon, May 18. Practice times are subject to change on short notice but I hope there will be no disruptions this year due to wildfire smoke or double bookings of Hillside Stadium.

As usual, I hope to attend most, if not all practices.

https://www.bclions.com/training.camp

I see after the long weekend they have 3 evening practices. Avoiding conflicts with the track meet I presume?

Revamped FanFest format for Kamloops. In the past everything happened up at Hillside Stadium. This year Play With the Pros clinic will go in the morning 9:00 - 11:00 followed by the scrimmage in mid-afternoon 1:00 - 3:15. Then things will adjourn for a street festival in downtown Kamloops starting at 4:00.

https://3downnation.com/2024/04/08/b-c- ... d-fanfest/

Hambone wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 11:15 am

Revamped FanFest format for Kamloops. In the past everything happened up at Hillside Stadium. This year Play With the Pros clinic will go in the morning 9:00 - 11:00 followed by the scrimmage in mid-afternoon 1:00 - 3:15. Then things will adjourn for a street festival in downtown Kamloops starting at 4:00.

https://3downnation.com/2024/04/08/b-c- ... d-fanfest/

The change is disappointing in the sense that FanFest at Hillside Stadium has always had a festival atmosphere, even though attendance has dwindled over the years. The FanFest scrimmage risks becoming just another practice in front of football diehards. The downtown Kamloops FanFest may attract more locals and tourists, but I don't know how that will translate into ticket and merchandise sales.

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:37 pm

Hambone wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 11:15 am

Revamped FanFest format for Kamloops. In the past everything happened up at Hillside Stadium. This year Play With the Pros clinic will go in the morning 9:00 - 11:00 followed by the scrimmage in mid-afternoon 1:00 - 3:15. Then things will adjourn for a street festival in downtown Kamloops starting at 4:00.

https://3downnation.com/2024/04/08/b-c- ... d-fanfest/

The change is disappointing in the sense that FanFest at Hillside Stadium has always had a festival atmosphere, even though attendance has dwindled over the years. The FanFest scrimmage risks becoming just another practice in front of football diehards. The downtown Kamloops FanFest may attract more locals and tourists, but I don't know how that will translate into ticket and merchandise sales.

Unless they cut back on peripherial activities up at Hillside the festival atmosphere should remain. I expect they will still have the bouncy castles, facepainting, food trucks, adult beverages and be hawking tickets and merchandise etc as usual. The only difference I'm seeing is that post-scrimmage activities will move downtown where they can continue with many of those activities with potential to have far more people partaking. I really don't know what happened up at Hillside post-FanFest scrimmage because while I might loiter around for 10 minutes or so I'm out of there. Seems to me at least half those who attended FanFest have already beaten me to the parking lot by the time I leave.

Fireworks, which I find boring after 5 minutes, always seemed to be the focal point of whatever happened. Given the drought conditions the area has been under, which might be even worse in 2024, if the City of Kamloops hasn't already banned fireworks they should. If not for the fireworks display what was left to happen up at FanFest with the scrimmage having ended?

I think the taking things downtown should only expand opportunities to get their brand out sell merch and promote tickets. Many know Lions training camp is on, but certainly not everybody. As we see from our perches not many come up the hill to take anything in other than FanFest. I see taking things downtown as being a way to take the Lions to the people instead of relying on people to come to the Lions. I always stay right downtown at The Plaza. One thing I've noticed is with Kamloops being the Tournament City there are always lots of families with kids who are in town participating in a soccer or ball tournament on the long weekend. The Plaza was full of 10-13 year old soccer players last year. Being from out of town many may not even be aware of the Lions' presence in Kamloops but definitely would with the downtown event happening in the evening when most tournament play is over for the day.

Interesting roster addition with Joe Beckett. 6'4" linebacker.

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:37 pm

The change is disappointing in the sense that FanFest at Hillside Stadium has always had a festival atmosphere, even though attendance has dwindled over the years.

Why do you suppose that is? I would have expected attendance to increase over time as popularity builds with exposure and engagement (in theory).

One theory for going downtown is that the club wants to experiment some fan-friendly street concepts for Victoria (or Grey Cup?). This could be a trial run for what works/what doesn't.


DH

David wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 12, 2024 10:56 pm

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:37 pm

The change is disappointing in the sense that FanFest at Hillside Stadium has always had a festival atmosphere, even though attendance has dwindled over the years.

Why do you suppose that is? I would have expected attendance to increase over time as popularity builds with exposure and engagement (in theory).

One theory for going downtown is that the club wants to experiment some fan-friendly street concepts for Victoria (or Grey Cup?). This could be a trial run for what works/what doesn't.


DH

The attendance decline at training camp and FanFest probably correlates to the decline in game attendance in the past decade or so. Post-pandemic restrictions at Hillside Stadium made it difficult even for diehards to get close to players. Many fans from the Lower Mainland seem to have abandoned the ritual of attending FanFest and taking in a few other practices while in town.

Moving the festival to downtown Kamloops allows for the addition of a music stage. It may draw a bigger crowd, but not necessarily a football crowd.

David wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 12, 2024 10:56 pm

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:37 pm

The change is disappointing in the sense that FanFest at Hillside Stadium has always had a festival atmosphere, even though attendance has dwindled over the years.

Why do you suppose that is? I would have expected attendance to increase over time as popularity builds with exposure and engagement (in theory).

One theory for going downtown is that the club wants to experiment some fan-friendly street concepts for Victoria (or Grey Cup?). This could be a trial run for what works/what doesn't.


DH

It could be a good combination. The Lions have experience with the street concepts thanks to running the Robson St Block Parties and like last year when they turned all of Terry Fox Plaza into a dueling tailgate party for the Riders/Lions game. Kamloops has a lot of experience running street parties and like events downtown on Victoria St. which is a two way street lying in between 2 major downtown streets being Lansdowne a 2 lane thru way running westbound and Seymour another 2 lane thru way running eastbound. It makes it easy to block off a couple blocks of Victoria to turn it into an excellent street festival location. A couple of times in recent years I've happened to be in Kamloops when such a festival has been on and they were vibrant, fun place to be. Didn't hurt that one was a craft beer event. Lol.

What may have been hurting FanFest in post-Covid is that FanFest has fallen on the May long weekend. While that might make it easier for some to attend May long has always been the unofficial start to camping season in BC. Whatever their family priorities are folks are more likely to hit the road to go somewhere for the first summer like 3 day weekend of the asummer. To attend it really means surrendering a 3 day weekend for a 1 day event. I think that aspect hurts FanFest attendance more than it helps. If they had a full practice on the Sunday morning it could be more attractive for Lions fans to come in for out of town but all they do is hold a 45 minute walk thru which makes Sunday a wasted day.

I will of course be attending but will be rescheduling my hotel bookings. For the past couple years I've been doing a vacation relief gig at a PG Sawmill immediately following May long that required dropping in to the mill late the week before to get some office keys and to get briefed by the Buyer so I can hit the ground running Tues morning. I'd travel down Thu morning and travel home after the Monday practice. I had booked my hotel this year based on that timeline but now won't be doing tha be doing that gig until early June. So I will be rebooking to travel down Tue or Wed and checking out Sun morning after FanFest to get more bang for my buck.

When they changed TC practices to more walk throughs than actual hitting and play making, I lost interest in attending as it just seemed more difficult to figure out what was going on.

DanoT wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:07 am

When they changed TC practices to more walk throughs than actual hitting and play making, I lost interest in attending as it just seemed more difficult to figure out what was going on.

Yes, that's another factor. There are still some padded practices in camp but I don't even try to evaluate line play. The lack of contact also makes it tough to evaluate running backs. The real test of the roster comes in the first few games of the regular season.

Edit to my earlier post it looks like they will be doing things like some of the peripherial activities such as the bouncy castles and face painting down to the street festival. Although I suppose they might still be doing some of that up at Hillside as well.

https://www.bclions.com/2024/04/08/one- ... ning-camp/

IMO the most important thing is they are willing to try new twists to see if they can't make FanFest an even bigger event. I can't say as I've noticed a big decline in attendance. Perhaps it's been a subtle decline. If there has been that's good reason to try something new.

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:25 am

DanoT wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:07 am

When they changed TC practices to more walk throughs than actual hitting and play making, I lost interest in attending as it just seemed more difficult to figure out what was going on.

Yes, that's another factor. There are still some padded practices in camp but I don't even try to evaluate line play. The lack of contact also makes it tough to evaluate running backs. The real test of the roster comes in the first few games of the regular season.

When the CFL went from a 16 game season with 4 pre-season games to 18 games and only 2 pre-season games, it felt like now we have 2 pre-season games that count in the standings. That said, I don't really have a problem with the current 18 game set up, but I just have to accept the fact that early season there will be lots of errors on the field.

DanoT wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:20 pm

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:25 am

DanoT wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:07 am

When they changed TC practices to more walk throughs than actual hitting and play making, I lost interest in attending as it just seemed more difficult to figure out what was going on.

Yes, that's another factor. There are still some padded practices in camp but I don't even try to evaluate line play. The lack of contact also makes it tough to evaluate running backs. The real test of the roster comes in the first few games of the regular season.

When the CFL went from a 16 game season with 4 pre-season games to 18 games and only 2 pre-season games, it felt like now we have 2 pre-season games that count in the standings. That said, I don't really have a problem with the current 18 game set up, but I just have to accept the fact that early season there will be lots of errors on the field.

I'll take the current format any day of the week over the old 16 & 4 split. I only had full STs for the last 3 years of that and hated 20% of my ST cost going to 2 meaningless-in-the-standings preseason games I would not be attending.

That aside the current format really changes the priorities of training camp. Back in the day it took 20 to 25 days just to get the 4 preseason games played. Camps likely opened upwards of 5 weeks before the first regular season games. Two-a-days were frequent with likely every practice being in pads. Twice as many preseason games made for a lot more game reps for competition and evaluation. Looking at BC's 2024 practice schedule they'll be getting roughly 33 hours of practice time over 12 sessions plus a few walk thrus. Camps must end 18 days after they start today.

Back in the day players probably need the first week just to burn off the offseason fat and get somewhat close to the shape all players show up at camp in today. With relatively limited practice and preseason time today compared to pre-1986 a lot ot time is still sent on teaching of technique but the main focus is to start Installing the offensive and defensive schemes. Teams now are likely to be just as prepared for Week 1 as they were back in the 70s because of that early focus shift.

DanoT wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:20 pm

When the CFL went from a 16 game season with 4 pre-season games to 18 games and only 2 pre-season games, it felt like now we have 2 pre-season games that count in the standings. That said, I don't really have a problem with the current 18 game set up, but I just have to accept the fact that early season there will be lots of errors on the field.

Could be to do with the CBA or perhaps just the fear of a player being injured in a meaningless game but teams don't play their starters for anything more than a token appearance for the home crowd in most exhibition games anyway.

In the old days exhibition games without paying player salaries under the guise of "trying out" generated a lot of working capital for the team. As we transition to more gambling generated revenue my guess is meaningless games that you can't bet on will soon be gone. Agree that early season football may be less polished but don't feel the exhibition games have much to do with it.

UFL did not play exhibition games this year.