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...and it is a very sad thing . I was in Toronto two weeks ago and visited 6 different stores that sold sportswear and merchandise looking for a men's Argonauts T-shirt with their beloved logo on it. Not one store had the T-shirt and only two had anything Argos related - one full rack of merchandise. The Leafs, Blue Jays and Raptors on the other hand? Entire sections of the stores were devoted to them. At one store, a sales clerk told me he never even heard of the Argonauts before and asked me if they played American football . His fellow associate had to tell him "Umm, that's our team, dude!" At another store, the clerk said they carry only merchandise of the "Big Three" and I already told you who they were. At yet another store, the clerk told me two Argonauts players actually went there one time looking for Argonauts merchandise only to be told "Sorry we don't have any". Ouch, that hurts!
I digress though. In general, CFL attendance will never top NFL or even NCAA Division I attendance but the plight of the Argos attendance and popularity has plummeted to near absurd levels. I mean how can a professional team possibly sustain 12,000 attendee games, poor merchandising, and little to no hype and this from one of the biggest metro areas in North America. The Bills and the Tiger-Cats play in smaller cities and have better attendance and more hype. So what can Toronto and its beleaguered team who btw is the reigning Grey Cup champion do to regain their fan base? The three articles below suggest different ideas but could there be others? Is the Argonauts' problem endemic of Toronto or perhaps their own franchise or is it emblematic of the CFL's problems? Would (and this to me is a highly unlikely scenario) leaving the CFL and joining the NFL or even the XFL or USFL and play American football boost popularity for the team? What do others think?
I'm sorry what are the Toronto Argonauts - some sort of Football team I guess. Never heard of them.
I know There were a few NFL games up here with the Bills playing at Rogers Centre but that was a few years ago. From what i've heard - the NFL isn't hankering to come up here that much. Football just isn't really that big here. Even Soccer is probably bigger.
Well, first of all, it should be said that CFL is extremely popular in western Canada. So what's wrong in Toronto?
The links posted by the OP put forth some persuasive arguments. The multicultural nature of today's Toronto has meant that sports fans who did not grow up with any kind of North American football, and who are more interested in cricket and soccer have come into the city; the success of the Blue Jays in the World Series and any number of playoff appearances means more people are interested in baseball; and the "elites'" desire to get an NFL team; among them. So, some very good, very sound reasons.
But I'll add one more: Marketing.
I've noticed that the Argos do a poor job of selling themselves. I'm watching what is likely the Blue Jays last game this season today, and in between innings, the announcers are promoting another baseball game tonight, or if you prefer hockey, they announce that the Xs are playing the Ys at 8:00 pm over on Channel Z. This is a Toronto Blue Jays game, and they cannot even find time to say, "And the Edmonton Elks take on the Toronto Argos, Friday at 7:00 pm; catch it on TSN," or similar. Of course, they haven't been paid to do so, but if hockey and basketball can get those kind of promos, then the CFL as a league and the Argos specifically, should be able to do the same.
I recall being in Hamilton a number of times back in the spring of 1990 or so. Billboards and city buses all proclaimed "The Cats are Back!" with a phone number to call for Tiger-Cats' season tickets. Yet in all my years of living in Toronto, I never saw any kind of advertising or promotion for the Argos. Oh, there was a big celebration when John Candy and Wayne Gretzky took an interest in the team, but never any billboards, bus or subway ads, special deals on tickets, no promo nights, contests, or similar. In a city with four big-league pro sports teams, three do a great job of selling themselves. By choice or chance, the Argos do not; and it should not come as a surprise that the OP's store clerk had never heard of them.
I have a few more thoughts, but they need time to gel. Let's start with the above for now.
I'm sorry what are the Toronto Argonauts - some sort of Football team I guess. Never heard of them.
I know There were a few NFL games up here with the Bills playing at Rogers Centre but that was a few years ago. From what i've heard - the NFL isn't hankering to come up here that much. Football just isn't really that big here. Even Soccer is probably bigger.
Yeah, I remember, that ploy of the Bills to play half their games at Rogers Centre really worked out swell for them right? That's why I don't think any American league much less the mighty NFL is ever going to set up shop in Toronto. There isn't really demand for live NFL games there. Besides, TSN already screens NFL games so Torontonians and all other Canadians in general can watch from their living rooms. That does not explain why the Argonauts are the worst in attendance and hype among all CFL teams though. You might be right, there's simply too many other things to enjoy in Queen City. Just like how one of the articles alluded to Toronto being like Los Angeles where not one but two NFL teams (the Rams and the Raiders) ran out of town because it was not a football town.
Too bad because this year is the Argonauts' 150th birthday, in fact just yesterday. https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/toro...pand_article=1 I did not see one piece of merchandise while up there that celebrated this milestone of theirs or others I would have snapped up an item or two.
Just to point out that........Since 1873 the name of the team has not changed at all. One hundred and fifty year history. No NFL team can make that claim. And of course the Grey Cup was first awarded in 1909, many years before any US football pro trophy was unveiled. A 114 year history for the Grey Cup.
Yeah, I remember, that ploy of the Bills to play half their games at Rogers Centre really worked out swell for them right? That's why I don't think any American league much less the mighty NFL is ever going to set up shop in Toronto. There isn't really demand for live NFL games there. Besides, TSN already screens NFL games so Torontonians and all other Canadians in general can watch from their living rooms. That does not explain why the Argonauts are the worst in attendance and hype among all CFL teams though. You might be right, there's simply too many other things to enjoy in Queen City. Just like how one of the articles alluded to Toronto being like Los Angeles where not one but two NFL teams (the Rams and the Raiders) ran out of town because it was not a football town.
Too bad because this year is the Argonauts' 150th birthday, in fact just yesterday. https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/toro...pand_article=1 I did not see one piece of merchandise while up there that celebrated this milestone of theirs or others I would have snapped up an item or two.
I think you look at the younger generation in Toronto. Of course Hockey still reigns supreme but Basketball has really taken a foothold on the city. It is much much more a sport that has resonated with the youngins here and now there are good number of Toronto born players in the NBA - some are top tier players. Baseball is also big but football just hasn't gained traction with the young like other sports. I think Soccer is much bigger now than even football.
For what it is worth though - I do wish the Argo's well and they have a great anniversary.
Well, first of all, it should be said that CFL is extremely popular in western Canada. So what's wrong in Toronto?
The links posted by the OP put forth some persuasive arguments. The multicultural nature of today's Toronto has meant that sports fans who did not grow up with any kind of North American football, and who are more interested in cricket and soccer have come into the city; the success of the Blue Jays in the World Series and any number of playoff appearances means more people are interested in baseball; and the "elites'" desire to get an NFL team; among them. So, some very good, very sound reasons.
But I'll add one more: Marketing.
I've noticed that the Argos do a poor job of selling themselves. I'm watching what is likely the Blue Jays last game this season today, and in between innings, the announcers are promoting another baseball game tonight, or if you prefer hockey, they announce that the Xs are playing the Ys at 8:00 pm over on Channel Z. This is a Toronto Blue Jays game, and they cannot even find time to say, "And the Edmonton Elks take on the Toronto Argos, Friday at 7:00 pm; catch it on TSN," or similar. Of course, they haven't been paid to do so, but if hockey and basketball can get those kind of promos, then the CFL as a league and the Argos specifically, should be able to do the same.
I recall being in Hamilton a number of times back in the spring of 1990 or so. Billboards and city buses all proclaimed "The Cats are Back!" with a phone number to call for Tiger-Cats' season tickets. Yet in all my years of living in Toronto, I never saw any kind of advertising or promotion for the Argos. Oh, there was a big celebration when John Candy and Wayne Gretzky took an interest in the team, but never any billboards, bus or subway ads, special deals on tickets, no promo nights, contests, or similar. In a city with four big-league pro sports teams, three do a great job of selling themselves. By choice or chance, the Argos do not; and it should not come as a surprise that the OP's store clerk had never heard of them.
I have a few more thoughts, but they need time to gel. Let's start with the above for now.
Good post, Chevy! I cannot rep you again. I think you nailed the primary reason I suspect why the Argonauts are faltering and oh man do they need some serious marketing help. If both Fusion and the article by The Athletic are correct, gridiron football is just not that popular with the younger generation in Toronto anymore but the Argos - and perhaps the CFL as an extension - aren't doing enough to invigorate enthusiasm for the sport. That means the Argonauts have to work twice as hard as any other CFL Team to attract audience. Remaining silent and wishfully thinking that the crowds and support would show up doesn't work and thinking that it's still 1983 out there doesn't work either. I no longer buy the excuse that cultural demographics have to dictate how popular a sport in a region can be however. At one time that may have been true but in this 21st century with all that social media out there, anyone can be a fan of any sport, it's no longer Blacks like basketball, Irish like football, Chinese like table tennis, Asian Indians like cricket only, etc. but in the case of the woebegone Argos, it will take a good deal of astute marketing to attract those fans. Anything is surely better than 12,000 audience members right?
(Interestingly enough, the Argonauts were the first CFL team I had ever heard of and it was from an ad on the back of a TTC subway map from sometime in the 1990's that my father had given me. I had no idea what Canadian football or the CFL was back then of course and over the years kept wondering why the Argos or any other Canadian football team never showed up to play our NFL teams. It was only much later that I realized that they played in a separate league from the NFL.)
I pay no attention to the CFL, but... Argonauts is one of the best franchise names in all of North American sports, period.
You're missing out on a lot of fun, that's for sure. I started watching for good this year, at least as many games as I can stream via the CFL+ livestream, and I'm hooked. As I tell other Americans, the game is a little different that's all. It's kind of like driving with manual transmission. There are some things players can do and some things they cannot do under Canadian football rules. So the level of talent is not NFL level but it's still fun and exciting to watch IMO.
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. I was in Toronto two weeks ago and visited 6 different stores that sold sportswear and merchandise looking for a men's Argonauts T-shirt with their beloved logo on it. Not one store had the T-shirt and only two had anything Argos related - one full rack of merchandise. The Leafs, Blue Jays and Raptors on the other hand? Entire sections of the stores were devoted to them. At one store, a sales clerk told me he never even heard of the Argonauts before and asked me if they played American football 
. His fellow associate had to tell him "Umm, that's our team, dude!" At another store, the clerk said they carry only merchandise of the "Big Three" and I already told you who they were. At yet another store, the clerk told me two Argonauts players actually went there one time looking for Argonauts merchandise only to be told "Sorry we don't have any". Ouch, that hurts!
That's why I don't think any American league much less the mighty NFL is ever going to set up shop in Toronto. There isn't really demand for live NFL games there. Besides, TSN already screens NFL games so Torontonians and all other Canadians in general can watch from their living rooms. That does not explain why the Argonauts are the worst in attendance and hype among all CFL teams though. You might be right, there's simply too many other things to enjoy in Queen City. Just like how one of the articles alluded to Toronto being like Los Angeles where not one but two NFL teams (the Rams and the Raiders) ran out of town because it was not a football town. 
