The NFL comes to Winnipeg....

[AdmiralsFan24]

Can't stop laughing.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Was it really that hard for them to plug that hole in for this game?

 

[cutchemist42]

How can this game be such a joke by a billion dollar league? Packers not playing starters and now this?

 

[Ted Hoffman]

This makes Illinois vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field look very well thought-out.

 

[Tkachuky]

Doesn't suck for Winnipeg at all.

I can get tickets to a ****ing Minnesota Vikings regular season game for less than these tickets are going. Not paying $150 to go watch starters play a quarter and a bunch of nobodies **** around for the rest of the game.

Promoters were absolutely out to lunch on these ticket prices.

Eh... Vikings tickets are expensive. You may find something under $150... maybe.

Either way... wtf NFL.

 

[LadyStanley]

And they cut the field to 80 yards. C'est la vie.



WRT high prices..... Assuming they handle neutral site games similar to how NHL does it.... The league will cover the travel costs for the home team, and officials, and the "extra" travel costs for the away team. They probably also give the "home" team the equivalent of ticket revenue for a home game. And perhaps a few other $$s to cover costs divided by # of seats. YMMV

 

[Mightygoose]

Bush League

The MVP for today is to be shared with everyone who didn't buy tickets to this.

 

[Mightygoose]

With the field 80 yards, they should be changing to 3 downs

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

With the field 80 yards, they should be changing to 3 downs

No, no. As the field gets bigger, you get fewer downs. This should be 5-down football.
Seriously though, this is the saddest thing I've ever seen. I like the CFL, but it's obvious that nobody gives a shit about this game, which is a sign that it never should have been put together in the first place.

 

[Mightygoose]

At least a trip to the restroom should be quick

 

[Ted Hoffman]

No, no. As the field gets bigger, you get fewer downs. This should be 5-down football.
Seriously though, this is the saddest thing I've ever seen. I like the CFL, but it's obvious that nobody gives a **** about this game, which is a sign that it never should have been put together in the first place.

I agree with this, though there's a few critical points to keep in mind:

1. It's a preseason game.
2. Clearly tickets were overpriced for this. At say $40-50 per, it's got a lot better chance of selling out even if starters don't play.
3. Did I mention the starters weren't playing? Only a few of them did; I don't know how many of the big-name starters even made the trip, which gives those wanting to go less of a reason to do so. I mean, you could perhaps make the argument to drop $40-50 per seat if you were going to see Rodgers and Carr, et. al. just standing around on the sidelines. If you're being asked to pay twice that to see mostly guys who are going to be 2nd/3rd string guys or not even make the roster, ... well, I'm sure there's all kinds of better things to do in Winnipeg.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I agree with this, though there's a few critical points to keep in mind:

1. It's a preseason game.
2. Clearly tickets were overpriced for this. At say $40-50 per, it's got a lot better chance of selling out even if starters don't play.
3. Did I mention the starters weren't playing? Only a few of them did; I don't know how many of the big-name starters even made the trip, which gives those wanting to go less of a reason to do so. I mean, you could perhaps make the argument to drop $40-50 per seat if you were going to see Rodgers and Carr, et. al. just standing around on the sidelines. If you're being asked to pay twice that to see mostly guys who are going to be 2nd/3rd string guys or not even make the roster, ... well, I'm sure there's all kinds of better things to do in Winnipeg.

If they were selling tickets at twice the $40 - $50 per seat it would have been a success. The entire lower bowl were originally priced at $240 or higher. Half the upper deck seats were $200 or higher. Cheapest seats were $75 and there were only 1000 of those seats. Average ticket price was about $240ish.

In the end ticket prices were too high to watch backups and the city responded accordingly...with indifference.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

If they were selling tickets at twice the $40 - $50 per seat it would have been a success. The entire lower bowl were originally priced at $240 or higher. Half the upper deck seats were $200 or higher. Cheapest seats were $75 and there were only 1000 of those seats. Average ticket price was about $240ish.

In the end ticket prices were too high to watch backups and the city responded accordingly...with indifference.

Thanks for the details, I hadn't seen this in the thread. [And, as you were typing this, the Packers network was doing an interview with Rodgers who's standing on the sidelines in street clothes.]

So yeah, overpriced for a preseason game.

 

[LadyStanley]

I don't know how many of the big-name starters even made the trip, which gives those wanting to go less of a reason to do so.

Caught beginning of Fox Raiders coverage. Seemed to indicate most starters traveled.

YMMV

 

[nickp91]

Imagine if the teams played by CFL rules That would be interesting

 

[Fenway]

Raiders-Packers pre-season tilt a debacle of epic proportions

I’d love to tell you about the fantastic football game that went down at IG Field on Thursday night, with a raucous, packed house looking on as star NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr took turns going deep to their talented crop of receivers such as Davante Adams and Antonio Brown.

Except I’d be lying. Absolutely none of that happened.

What actually played out was nothing short of a sham. A boondoggle. A complete and utter embarrassment. And anyone who shelled out their hard-earned dollars to take in the action — and I use that term loosely in this case — has a right to feel like they got completely ripped off. Because they did.

 

[Mightygoose]

Yup.

Outside of a good finish, there was nothing redeeming about this event.

If the new stadium in Vegas opens on time, the Raiders won't need to sleep on someone's sofa next year and this boondoggle should be a one off.

I don't think we'll see an NFL game played in 'Alberta' for the foreseeable future.

 

[member 157595]

Yup.

Outside of a good finish, there was nothing redeeming about this event.

If the new stadium in Vegas opens on time, the Raiders won't need to sleep on someone's sofa next year and this boondoggle should be a one off.

I don't think we'll see an NFL game played in 'Alberta' for the foreseeable future.

That sure sounds familiar.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

And anyone who shelled out their hard-earned dollars to take in the action — and I use that term loosely in this case — has a right to feel like they got completely ripped off. Because they did.

Not going to feel too bad for the people that were dumb enough to buy tickets to this in the first place. It's an exhibition with stupid prices, so if you bought tickets, well, you're kind of stupid.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

In hindsight this article is kinda funny to read. The promoter seemed to be completely clueless.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/nfl-preseason-winnipeg-1.5217883

Billion dollar corporations doing their “we are doing this to be generous to the public” farce is my favorite.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Billion dollar corporations doing their “we are doing this to be generous to the public” farce is my favorite.

I wonder if he is going to grant any more interviews? That would be a treat to read.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Raiders-Packers pre-season tilt a debacle of epic proportions

I’d love to tell you about the fantastic football game that went down at IG Field on Thursday night, with a raucous, packed house looking on as star NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr took turns going deep to their talented crop of receivers such as Davante Adams and Antonio Brown.

Except I’d be lying. Absolutely none of that happened.

What actually played out was nothing short of a sham. A boondoggle. A complete and utter embarrassment. And anyone who shelled out their hard-earned dollars to take in the action — and I use that term loosely in this case — has a right to feel like they got completely ripped off. Because they did.

I haven't been this happy that Edmonton missed out on something since the Oilers missed out on signing David Clarkson in free agency.

 

[LadyStanley]

If the new stadium in Vegas opens on time, the Raiders won't need to sleep on someone's sofa next year and this boondoggle should be a one off.

It's on schedule. Topped out a few weeks ago. Supposed to be complete 7/31/2020 IIRC.

 

[cutchemist42]

I think the NHL and NFL have both learned lately that you cant charge premiums for crappy preseason games.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

What a disaster that was. A shortened field due to unsafe playing conditions? Perhaps the NFL will learn its lesson and stick to Britain when it wants to wander outside of its comfort zone.