Fansite for New Ottawa CFL franchise launched

[KsprayDad]

Hi all.....

Just to let you know I've started up a FANSITE for the Ottawa Steelback CFL team....still a little rough but bookmark it and I'll have news releases and a forum for fans soon....

Ottawa Steelback Football (http://ottawasteelbackfootball.com)

[KsprayDad]

Bump...

Decisions are being made and the Steelback are in the mix...bookmark
ottawasteelback.com to keep up on the news.

The site is run for fun and free by myself...advertising on the site is only due to free hosting...don't click on it..it's all American anyway! (or just Adblock it like I do!).

Drop on by.

[gordholio]

This Ottawa situation is like a soap opera. :)

[pegger06]

I don't even know why they care to bring the CFL back to ottawa. It has failed TWICE before. As much as I want to love this league it is ran by a bunch of morons that seem to NOT want to do anything right.

[Yaowsers]

Ottawa has a CFL team?

[KrazyKanadian]

Stick another team out west.. they love their CFL out there. Unlike us snobby east-siders. Heck, I'm sure something in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia would be better than Ottawa.

[canabiz]

I was actually planning to go see a Renegades game this season for the first time but the team folded before the season.

While hopeful, i doubt if a 3rd attempt to bring back the franchise would be successful.

[lip1978]

The city WILL have a team next year. There are 3 groups bidding for it.
I'm going to be evil and say I want the guys who will get the RoughRiders name back to win it :)

What pisses me off is that Ottawa had to sit through 4 years of expansion football, and now they get reset AGAIN.
They should be able to get back some of their players from last season.

[gordholio]

The city WILL have a team next year. There are 3 groups bidding for it.
I'm going to be evil and say I want the guys who will get the RoughRiders name back to win it :)

What pisses me off is that Ottawa had to sit through 4 years of expansion football, and now they get reset AGAIN.
They should be able to get back some of their players from last season.
From what I've heard, football can make it in Ottawa, it's just been a case of poor ownership and management.
They need to put a good team in there within a couple of years to have a good chance.
It looks like they will have the original Roughriders name, which is good.

[lesnar]

Will Canada have a NFL team anytime soon????

[pegger06]

^ There are two groups trying to get one in Toronto and they seem to be working together at times as well (Rogers and MLSE). Obviously the NFL is huge in Toronto, when I listen to the FAN 590 for Raptors news they are always talking about the NFL. The NFL wants a team in L.A. First and foremost, but I do think down the road Toronto will get a team, it might not be anytime soon, but the way the Toronto groups have been pursuing it the process can take only so long. Same way the Raptors came to Toronto, there were 3 groups at the time and two groups in the 80s. How vancouver got a team with hardly any movement boggles my mind.

[skanji]

25 years of losing football, crappy ownership and we still got 10,000+ per game...

Montreal, Hamilton and toronto are proof of how good ownership can turn around a franchise....if it can happen there, it can happen here.

[Big D]

I could not care less about Ottawa having a CFL team. Like many people I've always said, "Oh I should check out a game" but then have only gone to 2 EVER! I don't know if it's lack of interest in Canadian football or just a ****** product on the field but they hardly inspired me to spend my cash on a game.

[canabiz]

I could not care less about Ottawa having a CFL team. Like many people I've always said, "Oh I should check out a game" but then have only gone to 2 EVER! I don't know if it's lack of interest in Canadian football or just a ****** product on the field but they hardly inspired me to spend my cash on a game.

A lot of negative stuff surrounding the team the past couple of seasons i believe

Everything from poor ownership and management (what else is new ?) to poor on-field product (a lot of NFL Rejects come up north) to logistics problem (parking was outrageous i have heard and the washrooms simply stink, literally)

If the team does come back, I will probably check out a game or 2 just for the heck of it but I don't know if they will make significant progress.

[skanji]

A lot of negative stuff surrounding the team the past couple of seasons i believe

Everything from poor ownership and management (what else is new ?) to poor on-field product (a lot of NFL Rejects come up north) to logistics problem (parking was outrageous i have heard and the washrooms simply stink, literally)

If the team does come back, I will probably check out a game or 2 just for the heck of it but I don't know if they will make significant progress.

All they have to do is put a competitive product on the field, and the fans will be back. There is no Stadium in the league that is as scenic as Landsdowne Stadium...

[Big D]

All they have to do is put a competitive product on the field, and the fans will be back. There is no Stadium in the league that is as scenic as Landsdowne Stadium...

I certainly applaud the efforts of all those involved including die-hard fans like KsprayDad, but I fear that the team just doesn't have enough support to go through those building years that all expansion teams must go through.

Unfortunately when it comes to the CFL I'm a fair weather friend :(

[skanji]

I certainly applaud the efforts of all those involved including die-hard fans like KsprayDad, but I fear that the team just doesn't have enough support to go through those building years that all expansion teams must go through.

Unfortunately when it comes to the CFL I'm a fair weather friend :(

not to repeat myself (but I will)...how does a team with a 25-year losing history and absolutely brutal ownership/promotions still manage to bring 10,000+ fans to games, even when the team is out of the playoffs 1/2 way through the season??

[Big D]

not to repeat myself (but I will)...how does a team with a 25-year losing history and absolutely brutal ownership/promotions still manage to bring 10,000+ fans to games, even when the team is out of the playoffs 1/2 way through the season??

That's a very good question. :)

According to the CBC and The Score their season ticket sales were at around 2000 for the 2006 season. So an even better question is how did they get 8000 walk-up tickets sales (assuming your 10000+ fans/game is correct)? That's 4x walk-up sales VS season holders. That kind of uncertainty can't be helpful.

[canabiz]

My memory is kinda blurry now but i do believe there were some type of rowdy promotions a la Mardi Gras last year to attract the 18-35 males.

People will go see football in the capital, there's no question about it. The question is will the franchise stabilize and be successful on the field and off-the-field ?

[skanji]

That's a very good question. :)

According to the CBC and The Score their season ticket sales were at around 2000 for the 2006 season. So an even better question is how did they get 8000 walk-up tickets sales (assuming your 10000+ fans/game is correct)? That's 4x walk-up sales VS season holders. That kind of uncertainty can't be helpful.

As you probably know, BigD, the Sens have the same numbers too (10,000 walk up tickets a game)...

Ottawa is simply that kind of town...completely a walk-up crowd...

[skanji]

Schultz: How to make it work in Ottawa

TSN.ca Staff
8/15/2006
Here we go again.

There is serious talk about CFL football in Ottawa, and I don't know whether to be excited, depressed, optimistic or pessimistic.

Maybe I'll just stay numb and see what happens.

My various states of emotion are of course based on previous experience and observation around football in the nation's capital. And my apprehension is that this will not be a professional situation.

Football will once again return to Ottawa, last for two year and pull Winnipeg between divisions like a yo-yo. And once again, the perception of the CFL will take another punch in the mouth.

But maybe, just maybe, it will be done right this time. And with football back in Ottawa, a tenth team in Halifax becomes a motivational force. It could help pave the way for a league that truly reaches the country from coast to coast, employs Canadian citizens and promotes an original style of football.

If the inclusion of Ottawa is done correctly, this could be a reality.

So how do you make it work?

Well, the city already has a stadium situated in a fantastic area of the city with a new turf ready to be abused. There's plenty of room for fans and their transportation, as well as any amenity you want to bring with you to a game.

But another issue is fans - namely bringing them all together. How do you do it?

I don't have a single, definitive answer, as there are many situations that need to be resolved. The most obvious issues are the talent and competitiveness of the team, and the feeling of being in the stadium. And that brings the front office - player personnel and marking staff - into play.

Allow me to make some suggestions to the future minds that will mold CFL football in Ottawa:

First, bring on the Canadians.

They will make or break your team both on and off the field. A new football team needs ambassadors for the city, namely people who are from the city and can make appearances on behalf of the team. And you have to pay them. Not an obscene amount, mind you, but enough to make it worthwhile. Now I love my American neighbours, but Canadians can relate more to that player from Waterloo than the player from Washington. Granted, there are Americans who become Canadians over time and some have even become more Canadian in nature than most Canadians! Well let's use their know-how as well and build a core group to represent the team everywhere. It helps a player learn new social skill sets in communication and helps the team in providing the best sales pitch for the community.

The second tip: accept a loss before a profit.

A five-year plan is good, but a 10-year plan is more realistic. You'll lose money in the first three or four years in Ottawa, but with patience and persisitance, there is a positive breaking point. People in Ottawa and Hull want to know that this team is for real, and that change is not going to happen negatively if they're putting their hard-earned money down on season tickets. Hire a head coach and give him a five-year contract. Hire a marketing executive and give him the same commitment. If Ottawa gets another team in 2007, you probably need a 10,000 seat ticket base to start. If your goal is to raise that base to 1,500 a year - a reasonable number in my opinion - your season ticket base should reach 25,000 by Year 10. It's simple math, and realistic at that.

Tip number three: Learn and don't re-invent on the job. When it comes to making decisions, there are eight other teams you can refer to. Success leaves clues on how to be successful. Avoid the emphasis on individual gains, it only promotes arrogance. Bring some humility and appreciation to your job. Whoever is charged with the task of running, coaching and controlling the team will be surprised how much everyone else is willing to help make things work. When it comes to luring fans to the stadium and keeping them there, look no further than B.C., Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto and Calgary. They are great success stories about business rejuvenation and all five of them attribute it to different reasons. You also have to succeed in selling the city to the players. Ottawa is one of the best cities to live in, and the coaches, players and management from the previous team will tell you that. Learn from others and you'll know what to do.

Number Four: Commit to sensory overload. The days of fans coming to a football game to see a football game are gone. People want to go to the stadium for fun. They want to eat, drink, listen to music in the first half, in the halftime, in the second half and then watch football. There must be something to see and hear constantly. And don't forget to add a sense of morality and balance. Impossible, you say? Just look at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who had more than 29,000 fans recently for a 2-6 team. It's all in the feel and atmosphere of the stadium.

Five: Find people who smile. Have you ever checked into a hotel, bought groceries, or made a bank transaction only to be brought down by the person behind the counter? There is nothing more emotionally suppressing than ordering a hot dog at a football game and having the guy serving you act as if you have offended him in some way. Hire people who smile from top to bottom. You don't need a security guard with an attitude or a ticket collector who doesn't say anything to you when you walk in. Keep the miserable people out of sight. It only takes one negative interaction with an employee to destroy your evening, and it will only take one positive interaction with an employee to make your evening special. Attitude is everything and you have to hire an enthusiastic person who genuinely likes people. They don't have to look like magazine covers or be able to split the atom - just be polite and courteous. You're out to create a good feeling and have it permeate to those around you. Make the paying fan feel respected and wanted, all you have to do is smile.

I guess I'm an optimist when it comes to selling football in Ottawa and Halifax. I have visited both cities and they look like very special places to live. Success or failure will not depend on the cities themselves, but on the people involved. Their commitment, emotional intensity, personality and intelligence is what makes things work. If you hire the right people, everything falls into place.

I have always respected the Wetenhalls, Sokolowskis and Cynamons and Youngs of the league. They show that leadership is not aboutbeing demanding, it's about being intelligent.

That being said, let's hope the possibility of football in Ottawa becomes a reality soon. It is, after all our nation's capital, our patriotic centre and the identity we need to re-establish Ottawa and Canadian football.

[Big D]

As you probably know, BigD, the Sens have the same numbers too (10,000 walk up tickets a game)...

Ottawa is simply that kind of town...completely a walk-up crowd...


What? No they don't. They sold 10,000 season tickets last year. SBP has a seating capacity of ~18,500. That leaves at most 8500 walk up tickets available.

Frank Clair has a seating capacity of 28,826. So there are ~25,000 walk-up tickets available.

There's a HUGE difference between 2000 and 10,000 season ticket holders.

[skanji]

What? No they don't. They sold 10,000 season tickets last year. SBP has a seating capacity of ~18,500. That leaves at most 8500 walk up tickets available.

Frank Clair has a seating capacity of 28,826. So there are ~25,000 walk-up tickets available.

There's a HUGE difference between 2000 and 10,000 season ticket holders.

Compartively across the league, especially in NHL Canadian markets, the number of 10,000 season tickets is extremely low.

I believe the number of 3,000 season tickets were at the bottom of the Gliberman era (#2). When football came back to Ottawa, I believe we had about 8,000 or so season tix sold.

[phd1969]

Last season, Ottawa was ranked 5th in NHL attendance even beating out Toronto! Ottawa is slowly getting it when it comes to sports, concerts, and special events. We're still a town full of prudes but things are starting to change and I have no doubt that CFL can survive in Ottawa if we get the right type of ownership.