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Voyageurs' Cup 2017


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1 hour ago, Kent said:

I get that everyone is at their own level of support, but am I the only one that finds "traffic" a poor excuse for showing up late? I mean, I get it. I went to the game tonight with someone who was late, and I don't hold any ill will towards him. I am happy he came out tonight. He is a general sports fan, not really a soccer fan, though he has been to a handful of TFC games. But I think if we were going to a Leafs game he would have left home or work earlier. I think the lack of urgency to get to games on time is an accurate reflection of the popularity of the games. You can point to average attendances all you like, but we all know that if hockey and basketball could be decently viewed by 30k at the same time, the Leafs and Raptors would outdraw TFC.

I think it's a mixture of popularity like you pointed out and location. The Leafs, Raps and Jays are at or within walking distance of Union Station, which is obviously a huge plus over BMO, which is only street car accessible plus being a stop on a grand total of one Go Station line, Lakeshore West.

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8 hours ago, Macksam said:

I think it's a mixture of popularity like you pointed out and location. The Leafs, Raps and Jays are at or within walking distance of Union Station, which is obviously a huge plus over BMO, which is only street car accessible plus being a stop on a grand total of one Go Station line, Lakeshore West.

Yes, that's a good point. But I still maintain that people are showing up late because TFC still isn't as popular as we on this board like to think. I believe NFL stadiums are typically in the suburbs, but it's not like they have a problem getting people to arrive on time.

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42 minutes ago, Kent said:

Yes, that's a good point. But I still maintain that people are showing up late because TFC still isn't as popular as we on this board like to think. I believe NFL stadiums are typically in the suburbs, but it's not like they have a problem getting people to arrive on time.

NFL largely plays on a Sunday afternoon and far fewer home games. The weeknight games for TFC are the ones where traffic is the biggest issue, I live in Markham right next to the highway and yet it will take me two hours to get to a game that starts at 7:30 on a weeknight. In comparison its about 45 minutes for me for a game on a Saturday or Sunday taking the exact same route. Heaven help the people coming from locations much further away than I am. So, the lateness from traffic is not an issue of popularity IMO. I think the lateness effect gets exacerbated for the games which start at 7pm as well.

Last night's game was a bit of a different issue - not sure what the actual attendance was, there was a decent crown in the end but I suspect it was less than the MLS regular season games because of the opponent & the expectation of a TFC 2nd string squad. I expect the CCL game(s) against Montreal to do better (though hopefully they won't start them at 7).

Incidentally also see people showing up late all the time for Blue Jay games, it's been a long standing local joke long before the days of TFC (in fact going back to the days of the Blizzard) that Jays fans will arrive in the 3rd inning and leave by the 7th.

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The be honest even on Friday evening and Saturday games the stands are 75% empty until about 15 mins in for TFC games (except the supporters section behind the goal).

I have a bit of a different take on it - I think it has to do a bit with popularity and who actually goes to sporting events. I think many of the people there for TFC games are just there cause it is 'trendy'. Don't get me wrong some are fans who care about the game but there are a whole lot more concerned with drinking a beer and taking 20 selfies to post on facebook about being at BMO Field. 

Im not picking on TFC here either. Ever notice a leafs regular season game when the puck drops??? Tons of empty seats.

I have a theory that processional sports in big markets are pricing their true hardcore fans out of the market. I mean how many working class guys in Toronto can take their family to a leafs game? Good TFC tickets are also not cheap.

Also im not just picking on Toronto many big sporting league all over the world are pricing their fans out. More and more the fans are being filled up with hipsters who get free tickets from the boss for kissing their butt. People who have a casual interest in the teams, while the true fans are home watching on TV cause they cant afford to go.

 

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Besides the traffic factor (which is a very real problem) and the attachment or loyalty to the team/league/game;   there might be a third factor that might explain why so many people arrive late.  And its that, unlike the Raptors and the Leafs,  the season ticket holders for TFC seem to be mostly individuals rather than companies.  I dont know for sure, but thats my impression. 

Hence, most people who go to TFC games are going to be there for many more games.  Its not a novelty.   Whereas for the Hockey and basketball teams,  the vast majority of seats are also owned by SSH but its corporate enties instead of individuals. And they might give them to clients, employees, charities, raffle winners...etc etc.   some might even get scalped. A season seat for the Leafs and Raptors games, might be occupied by some 20-40 different people throughout a season.  When you have only one chance to go an NHL or NBA game, you are not going to show up late. 

I arrived late last night :) . At around 12th minute.  Thats not the norm for me.  Thats because i was catching up on things at work. My thinking was that its not a big deal because i will be there for many more games this year and i have been going for eleven years.  

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55 minutes ago, grasshopper1917 said:

The be honest even on Friday evening and Saturday games the stands are 75% empty until about 15 mins in for TFC games (except the supporters section behind the goal).

I have a bit of a different take on it - I think it has to do a bit with popularity and who actually goes to sporting events. I think many of the people there for TFC games are just there cause it is 'trendy'. Don't get me wrong some are fans who care about the game but there are a whole lot more concerned with drinking a beer and taking 20 selfies to post on facebook about being at BMO Field. 

Im not picking on TFC here either. Ever notice a leafs regular season game when the puck drops??? Tons of empty seats.

I have a theory that processional sports in big markets are pricing their true hardcore fans out of the market. I mean how many working class guys in Toronto can take their family to a leafs game? Good TFC tickets are also not cheap.

Also im not just picking on Toronto many big sporting league all over the world are pricing their fans out. More and more the fans are being filled up with hipsters who get free tickets from the boss for kissing their butt. People who have a casual interest in the teams, while the true fans are home watching on TV cause they cant afford to go.

 

I agree. But not 75%

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You can't generalize why people show up late or don't come at all to TFC games. In the area near my seats most of the STH's have been there from day 1. I have people in front of me who come 2-3 games a year another person only came for the final game. These people are not corporate stiffs, but just ordinary working crowd. There hasn't been anybody in the seats beside me since the opener this season.Most of these ticket holders are there because of soccer , not because it's trendy.Everyone has their own reasons. I know that when my boys where younger and playing competitive sports we missed a lot of games as well. Sometimes I gave the tickets away, sometimes they were unused. Traffic is one reason, but a lot of fans go to Liberty Village for dinner and drinks prior to the game and depending on the timing of the meal you might not make it on time either. I know I've done that. I love coming early and watching the warm-ups, but that is not always possible. I've been to a Leaf game where my son and I were the only people in our row till late in the first period.

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On 6/1/2017 at 2:12 PM, Big_M said:

^ Great work but someone please help this Gentleman get a new website or make it look better. Looks like a site from the mid 90's...big turnoff

Robin's articles also get re-posted, unedited, on NSXI which is a fair bit more appealing to view. He's an exceptionally frequent author, so his articles do tend to get grouped together a little bit so it doesn't overwhelm people and hide the great work from other authors. He doesn't pass along all of the photos that he uses on his own record, but enough to add a bit of spice to the article.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Weird as it sounds, TFC caught a break VCup wise with Bradley getting the yellow suspension for Friday.  This way (theoretically) they can balance the squads a bit more than they did in the first leg in Ottawa.  Plus I'm sure the rivalry aspect of the game will help tons.

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21 minutes ago, Rheo said:

Weird as it sounds, TFC caught a break VCup wise with Bradley getting the yellow suspension for Friday.  This way (theoretically) they can balance the squads a bit more than they did in the first leg in Ottawa.  Plus I'm sure the rivalry aspect of the game will help tons.

That was actually pretty huge in the context of the V Cup.  TFC could always have played him for at least some minutes in both games anyway, but they are pretty close together and this makes it a given that he will go 90 tonight baring injury.  Montreal can't like that a whole lot.

Curious if AJH will be healthy for this one.  Would love to see him again after the way he played for the Nats.  

At the risk of being melodramatic, this tourney really is an absolute beauty.  I don't know how much exposure it gets outside the circle of footy supporters, but the idea of watching Canadian players play on Canadian teams for the Canadian championship is pretty goddamn awesome. 

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4 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

That was actually pretty huge in the context of the V Cup.  TFC could always have played him for at least some minutes in both games anyway, but they are pretty close together and this makes it a given that he will go 90 tonight baring injury.  Montreal can't like that a whole lot.

Just read a projected US Gold Cup article on SI and they had both Bradley and Altidore skipping the group stage so that they could play in the VCup.  That was something I hadn't considered.

6 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

At the risk of being melodramatic, this tourney really is an absolute beauty.  I don't know how much exposure it gets outside the circle of footy supporters, but the idea of watching Canadian players play on Canadian teams for the Canadian championship is pretty goddamn awesome. 

Agreed.  Just seems to bring out the best in everyone and every team.  I don't think I'll ever forget that Will Johnson goal last year...

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I'm hoping and predicting it'll be 2-1 Montreal tonight.  Think TFC will try and do enough to keep close but not all out.  Unfortunately I think they'll view the league game Friday as more important.  Not much more but enough to just try and scrape by tonight.

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1 hour ago, Rheo said:

Just read a projected US Gold Cup article on SI and they had both Bradley and Altidore skipping the group stage so that they could play in the VCup.  That was something I hadn't considered.

The last game of the VCup is June 27th, and the first game for the USA in the Gold Cup is July 8th. Maybe they would show up late to camp (not sure when that starts) but I don't see why they would have to miss the group stage to be able to play in the Voyageurs Cup.

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Just now, Kent said:

The last game of the VCup is June 27th, and the first game for the USA in the Gold Cup is July 8th. Maybe they would show up late to camp (not sure when that starts) but I don't see why they would have to miss the group stage to be able to play in the Voyageurs Cup.

No clue, just going by what the article said and it was just a projection.  Could be wanting fresh legs, new blood, World Cup qualifying, who knows.  They're not taking Pulisic

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