Jump to content

Lynx new ownership????


Recommended Posts

quote:Originally posted by JayWay

When? Attendance was down this year at Centennial
Yes. but lets face the facts about that, the team has never been

a playoff contender, and that always hurts attendance in any sport.

Moving away from Varsity (i know that wasn't their fault) hurt too,

i went to a lot of Lynx games but with their new stadium located

away from downtown Toronto, us out of towners just can't get to

the stadium, without a hell of any effort and would have to leave the game early to catch the greyhound out of town. The quicker the new

Varsity gets built the better, but will the Lynx be around long enough or will the MLS take over,chances are the latter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd say the attendance was actually up. The Lynx now reap the attendance padding figures they announced in prior years. There was less of that this year.

I think this was Michael Clarkson's first story on the team this year. No Star reporter was out for any game that I came across. He must have used figures from somewhere. Every year there's a hatchet job done on the Lynx by the Star. I'm just surprised they waited until the season was over. Maybe the paper felt pressured because he had written a story about Adrian Serioux's transfer the week before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:I'd say the attendance was actually up. The Lynx now reap the attendance padding figures they announced in prior years. There was less of that this year.

If anything attendance padding further worsens actual attendance figures. Overall I'd say that the attendance continues to get smaller and smaller every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Rocket Robin

I'd say the attendance was actually up. The Lynx now reap the attendance padding figures they announced in prior years. There was less of that this year.

Is this based on official figures, or is this based on a hunch?

Even if the attendance did go up (and there's no way to say if that's due to the youth day games), the Lynx have not reached a point where they can say they are satisfied. As far as I can tell, the Lynx have always lost money and continue to do so. So having said that, it's obvious that the current direction the club is taking is not working. They can either continue at this rate and try their best to either limit their losses, or at best break even, or they can come up with new ideas and try to really reach a point where they can claim to be a success. As it is right now, they're just spinning their tires.

To my mind, the problem has to do, not only with the cheesy atmosphere they harbour, but with their 'different game - different target' philosophy. Every game the Lynx aggressively market to a different set of fans. One day it's the Latino community. Next it's the Chinese. Another day it's youth. What the Lynx should be doing is trying to establish a consistent following, one which they push to follow the team based on their progressive results throughout the year. Instead, they push fans to come out for specific games, each for specific reasons. This may work as far as subsistence survival goes (making just enough money every game to get by), but if the Lynx are ever going to be a true success and really establish themselves as a legit sporting presence in the city, then they have to take a risk and start marketing on a long term basis - not game by game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm quite sure there are more loyal Lynx fans other than just the Ultras, or at least there would be if the team starts running itself more professionally.

Vancouver's fanbase isn't all loyal supporters but there are plenty. If Vancouver went to day games and added cheerleaders, you'd get a lot less of the loyal support. I don't see how thats any different in Toronto.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The scrapping of the two day games or the ditching of the cheerleaders wouldn't make any semi-significant difference in Toronto as it stands.

Running the team more professionally all-around would. That requires a wholesale shift in just about everything the Lynx do! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Marc

The scrapping of the two day games or the ditching of the cheerleaders wouldn't make any semi-significant difference in Toronto as it stands.

Running the team more professionally all-around would. That requires a wholesale shift in just about everything the Lynx do! ;)

Thats my point. The new owner could come in there, change things around to run the club professionally, and potential new fans won't be turned off by what is perceived to be bush league antics, and noon weekday games and cheerleaders that are mic'd and do their crap when the game is on are certainly two instances of bush league activity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead

Thats my point. The new owner could come in there, change things around to run the club professionally, and potential new fans won't be turned off by what is perceived to be bush league antics, and noon weekday games and cheerleaders that are mic'd and do their crap when the game is on are certainly two instances of bush league activity.

And my point is that, when it comes to the Lynx and their situation, those are the two most inconsequential changes that any owner could make.

Cheerleaders (non-mic'ed, by the way) and two or three day games are the last things that are turning fans aways, as compared to the crap stadium, crap location, lack of transit, lack of success, acceptance of lack of success, no media coverage, little squad continuity through the seasons, meddling owner, ever-changing in-season roster, lack of visible advertizing, poor marketing (what little there is), kiddy atmosphere, abundant free tickets, SuperfanZ, bad food, no beer in stands, one-off corporate partnerships (they are surprisingly visible, even more so when they disappear the next year) etc., etc. Obviously the owner can't really change the first three (stadium, transit, location) but cheerleaders and day games are nothing compared to these.

Cheerleaders and day games might turn away people in droves if they came to Vancouver - they seem more busleague because you guys have had the foundations of professionality in place for ages.

As far as it goes in Toronto, they are as close to meaningless an indicator as we have. Hopefully we can get to the point where things have improved so that cheerleaders and day games do have a bad effect, and therefore disappear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VANCOUVER FUN & ENTERTAINMENT

More Than a Game

As with all Whitecaps games at Swangard Stadium, Friday will be a total entertainment experience. The pre-game show will feature the Whitecaps street festival on the concourse, and then at half-time and post-game, our spectacular fire jugglers will light up the night! Plus, arrive early and visit the Playoff Poster Corner. We'll have paper, markers, and everything else you'll need to make your own Whitecaps banner. Cheer on your favourite player, or the whole Caps team!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whats your point Leekoo? All of the entertainment takes place before the game, at halftime and post game, unlike in Toronto where the cheerleaders are in your face all night and music blares over the PA all night. Another difference is that Vancouver is relatively professional and fields a team that makes the playoff almost every year and will be filling the stadium for the playoff game.

The markers and paper are there so kids can make banners to support the team. That actually ties into getting kids to support the team and watch the damn game. I can live without the fire jugglers but at least they do their thing when the game isn't on, just like the entertainment at CFL, or NFL games.

What part of the differences don't you understand leekoo? If you want to be confrontational by posting advertisments for the game without any explanation for doing so at least have some ammunition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Marc

Heck you can probably add the Ultras to that list, the way our numbers have dwindled since Varsity. I mean, it's gotta look hokey to have all of six or eight guys singing (an an avg turnout.)

It might look hokey, but it doesn't sound that way. Hey, you have to admit, we had our most creative year for chants this year, and considering our past repetoire, that's impressive. Most impressive. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

It might look hokey, but it doesn't sound that way. Hey, you have to admit, we had our most creative year for chants this year, and considering our past repetoire, that's impressive. Most impressive. ;)

Yeah, you can't put down a supporters group because of it's lack of size. If there are only 6 singing and chanting thats not the supporters group/hardcores fault, it's the fault of all of the wusses who are afraid to join in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't see the cheerleaders the WHOLE 90 minutes of the game and I didn't hear the music playing ALL night. Just music when there was a timeout like the trainer on the field to treat an injury. Someone in the booth would say 'cut it' when action resumed. Cheerleaders maybe once per half while the game was on for max three minutes leading a "Go Lynx Go" chant. About as the distracting as the Ultras but better looking :). They don't block anyone's view.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Krammer

Yeah, you can't put down a supporters group because of it's lack of size. If there are only 6 singing and chanting thats not the supporters group/hardcores fault, it's the fault of all of the wusses who are afraid to join in.

Thanks for the kind words...maybe as the ownership changes things will pick up again.

quote:Originally posted by Rocket Robin

I didn't see the cheerleaders the WHOLE 90 minutes of the game and I didn't hear the music playing ALL night. Just music when there was a timeout like the trainer on the field to treat an injury. Someone in the booth would say 'cut it' when action resumed. Cheerleaders maybe once per half while the game was on for max three minutes leading a "Go Lynx Go" chant. About as the distracting as the Ultras but better looking :). They don't block anyone's view.

Actually, this year we were defeinitely better looking. Though their leader was cute, as was the girl with the magic button.

GL, you just like to party all the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead

Yeah, you can't put down a supporters group because of it's lack of size. If there are only 6 singing and chanting thats not the supporters group/hardcores fault, it's the fault of all of the wusses who are afraid to join in.

What? you just put down the Portland crew in another post thread...and as you claim they have a hardcore group of 50 at the least.

So what is it? you can or you can't?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Krammerhead

Whats your point Leekoo? All of the entertainment takes place before the game, at halftime and post game, unlike in Toronto where the cheerleaders are in your face all night and music blares over the PA all night. Another difference is that Vancouver is relatively professional and fields a team that makes the playoff almost every year and will be filling the stadium for the playoff game.

The markers and paper are there so kids can make banners to support the team. That actually ties into getting kids to support the team and watch the damn game. I can live without the fire jugglers but at least they do their thing when the game isn't on, just like the entertainment at CFL, or NFL games.

What part of the differences don't you understand leekoo? If you want to be confrontational by posting advertisments for the game without any explanation for doing so at least have some ammunition.

i agree with you ...

hey, i was at the impact / rochester game in montreal and the crowd giveaways (balls & tees) were done during the player introductions and at halftime ... it was great to see two good teams in an important game, in a great atmosphere ... the game was definitely the reason why people were in the stadium and that's the way it should be ...

certainly the caps rank well ahead on the professional side but the lynx do not have cheerleaders and the music blaring all night long ...

the point was this ... i'm saying it was a hokey pokey way of selling a game ... do the caps really have to pander to sell tickets ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...