Casual and hardcore BC Lions fans alike were looking forward to the transition to Empire Field last year because it would be the first time in almost 30 years they’d be seeing professional outdoor football. With a smaller venue consistent sellouts during the regular season were all but guaranteed…right?
Empire sold out once, ONCE! The season opener last year was all but assured a sell out considering the curiosity and hoopla surrounding the new venue. What’s more alarming is the clubs attendance record trending the wrong way since 2009. See Graph
2007 season
292,108
Average 32,456
2008 season
306,744
Average 34,083
2009 season
257,494
Average 28,610
2010 season first at empire
216,956
Average 24,106
2011 season
Game 1 average 22,738 – lowest since Ackles/Buono arrived!
So what’s the problem here? Armchair analysts have thrown plenty of theories around since the lackluster opener July 8th. Let’s dissect a few:
- The location of Empire and the issues with parking, transit and long line ups for concessions are negatively impacting the walk up crowd and casual fans who are biding their time for the move back to BC Place.
- The drop in average attendance began the year before the transition to Empire – a dramatic 5,000 per game drop from 2008 to 2009. The first couple of games at Empire admittedly had challenges with concession and washroom lineups but they were quickly rectified to reasonable levels. Interestingly enough, the average attendance the first four games at Empire was 25,671, which was 93% capacity, the highest average of the year.
- The Vancouver Canucks long playoff run has “burnt fans out”. This one is reaching. The argument would have more validity if these were similar sports for example, if the Vancouver Giants were starting their season now. Football in terms of style and pace is a completely different experience than hockey and a sports fan that enjoys both sports should have the ability to easily separate the two. I would argue that a long and grueling and ultimately frustrating end to the hockey season should motivate the sport fan to look for something different.
- The Whitecaps FC are popular and have taken some fans away. The Whitecaps have always been around; play at the same location fans complain about, have only 2 wins this year and can’t score. Next.
The Lions record is impacting attendance. This suggestion is interesting because there certainly appears to be a correlation. See graph.- The decrease in attendance began in 2009 with the sub .500 overall and home records and has consistently decreased as the record worsened.The affect could be two fold. Not only do fans hate losing, and losing at home for that matter, which the Lions in recent history do on a remarkably regular basis. But with the losses have come a poor entertainment value during the home games.
- Poor offensive and defensive starts to a game coupled with a lack of success can be frustrating, not entertaining.
- Here’s a potential factor that I feel needs to be considered. The increased role television broadcast has in fans attendance. See Graph:
Since 2007 there has been a dramatic increase in television viewership on TSN, we have also seen a steady increase of high definition televisions and broadcasts in the past 5 years.
At this time TSN cannot black out a teams home games on the HD feed. If you are a sports fan you’re going to purchase the HD sports package that includes TSN and you will have the option of watching a Lions game from the comfort of your home, with friends and family, broadcast in beautiful HD by a great broadcast crew. Very tempting.
My final point, which quite frankly I’m surprised others haven’t spent more time discussing and which links with the poor record, location, and HD broadcasting is this -
The Lions, over the course of 5 years, might have begun pricing some of their fans out of home games.
I will focus more time on this issue with more specific information in a future article but I have heard grumbling from fans recently. One went so far as to show me the increase in their season tickets from the 2008 season to 2011 a 64% increase in price during three straight losing seasons of football!
Fans were disappointed that prices increased when the team moved to Empire, a nostalgic venue but a downgrade in quality from the previous venue. Fans were disappointed when prices increased substantially this year to new venue prices when over 60% of the games will be played at Empire and only a few in the new venue. The pricing at the end zones seem to be a factor – sitting crammed on a cold bench with the elements hitting you for $35 to $45 does not seem appealing to most.
No question the return to the stadium formerly known as BC Place will pique interest and attendance numbers will go up. But with increasing ticket prices, a losing product and HD alternative how long will it last?
With the 2011 CFL season now underway and an exciting season opener to start the year, it’s a great time to hold a contest!
Thanks to our friends at the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel you could be sitting at Empire Field to checkout this year’s edition of the Leos when they take on the Calgary Stampeders to open their home schedule on on Friday, July 8th.
So how do you win these tickets you ask?
1) Comment on this post and tell us what you are looking forward to this CFL Season, or why you love staying at the Rosedale! (1 entry).
2) Tweet or RT the following on Twitter (1 entry):
I entered to win opening night #BCLions tickets @BCLionsDen.ca and @RosedaleRobson http://tinyurl.com/6exyrpo #EmpireOpener
We’ll pick a random winner from the combined entries and announce it on Monday, July 5th.
In the meantime, checkout these awesome packages from the Rosedale!
Recent rumblings have the BC Lions toying with the idea of bringing non-import receiver Kamau Peterson to training camp. The big question that has to be asked is how is the health of the 32 year old former Edmonton Eskimo, following surgery to reattach his Achilles tendon 6 months ago?
The Eskimos were obviously wary of the answer to that question, and despite paying Peterson a 20,000 bonus earlier in the off-season, they released him.
We stumbled across this video of Peterson working out 6 months after the procedure and if the evidence is any indication, the Lions might do well to indeed add Peterson to the roster in 2011. Hampered by injuries in 2010, Peterson came into his own as an Eskimo and is a dedicated player who can provide some great leadership.
Take a look and see what you think, but it looks like the surgery has been successful, at least in these controlled workouts.
With information now surfacing over the serious nature of the legal issues that Yonus Davis is facing, it’s sounding more and more like the shifty and dangerous returner has played his last game in the CFL for the BC Lions and possibly his last football game ever.
We’re not going to get into the charges. You can read more about the legal issues from Lowell Ullrich here and the Lions will hold a conference call on Thursday to address the situation but clearly this is a blow the club did not need.
The Lions had had talks to extend the contract of Davis, who had been looking for a hefty raise after being nominated as the top special teams player in the CFL West last year. Those talks will now almost certainly cease and judging by the serious nature of the charges and the ramifications of them, it’s likely Davis is done as a Lion.
That leaves the club in need of a kick returner, a position they looked to be set at just over a month away from training camp.To make matters worse the team already lost Andrew Harris to a torn pectoral muscle and Jamall Lee is recovering from major knee surgery. Neither may be 100% for the beginning of the season. With their free agent camps winding down it leaves the Lions with few short term options.
Looking at the current roster, there is newcomer Will Cole, who didn’t play football in 2010 after surrendering a year of eligibility. He also suffered a knee injury but is listed a “promising wider receiver and kick returner” in his bio on the Lions’ web site.
There is Edward Britton whose bio states, “A penchant for big plays on special teams his career included a 58-yard kickoff return versus Iowa State and a 46-yard return versus SMU. Britton was also a key player for Texas Tech in the 2088 Cotton Bowl and the 2007 Gator Bowl.”
There is the possibility of bringing back former Lion Ryan Grice-Mullen, who left to try the NFL and returned last year to finish the year with Saskatchewan before being released in the off-season.
No doubt Roy Shivers and company will be busy looking for returners to bring into camp as well and it will likely take time to find a replacement.
Despite the inconvenience to the Lions and their fans, the saddest part of all is that a promising player with a great future ahead of him as allegedly thrown all of that away.
Related: Yonus Davis detained in California: Official Club Statement.
There is no doubt that social media has become a valuable tool for many businesses and professional sports teams have taken advantage of this exciting new platform to engage with their fans like never before. News is now updated in real time and teams that have a strong social media presence are expanding their brand.
The BC Lions are no exception, and over the last year the club has made a strong effort to take advantage of social media to promote their product.
Jacqueline Blackwell is the Communications Coordinator and Website Administrator for the BC Lions. She also runs the Lions Facebook and Twitter accounts. She agreed to talk with us about how the Lions are embracing social media as an organization and where they plan to take it in the future.
Interview with Jacqueline Blackwell, Communications Coordinator and Website Administrator for the BC Lions:
Q: Jacqueline thanks for taking the time to discuss your social media program with us. Maybe we can start with when the club really started to utilize social media?
A: We started our Twitter feed and Facebook page in 2009.
Q: There are several BC Lions players on Twitter. Angus Reid, Geroy Simon, Dante Marsh are all prominent on that platform. Does the club offer any social media training to its players or have a policy in place to deal with social media use?
A: As far as media policies go, we treat social media as we would traditional media sources. We provide overall media training to players who we believe require it or request it. The vast majority of players who join the club have gone through media training at some point in their college career. As it applies to Twitter and Facebook however, we ask that they use caution refrain from making statements via social media that they wouldn’t state publicly. Such statements can include criticizing fellow players or coaches, officiating, the league or any other remarks that the club would impose a fine for if they were said to a member of the media or in another public manner.
Q: The Lions recently held a live Twitter chat where fans got to ask coach Wally Buono questions. I thought it was very successful and a great initiative that I haven’t seen other CFL teams do. Does the club have plans to do more of these types of fan interactions in the future?
A: Yes, Wally was the CFL’s first coach/GM on Twitter and is still the only professional head coach on Twitter in Vancouver. He was very receptive to the idea from day one since our overall success as an organization comes from the support of our fans. He will continue to be available via the Q & A’s but has indicated that other coaches should also have an opportunity to speak directly to our fans. We’ll be hosting Q & A’s with both coordinators and other members of the organization moving forward, during training camp and throughout the season.
Q: The Lions were one of the first CFL teams to jump into social media. I believe they are second only to the Montreal Alouettes when it comes to Twitter followers, and your Facebook page has over 26,000 followers. What plans does the club have to build on that momentum in 2011? Will the club explore the use of other tools like Foursquare?
A: We’re always looking new ways to connect and we’re trying to create a variety of reasons to follow the Lions on Twitter or Facebook. Whether you’re after football content, prizes, player profiles etc. we try to touch on all areas of the club. There are challenges to keep the messaging strong at certain times of the year so promotions such as 100 Days to Training Camp allow us to not only start ramping up to the season, but allow us to give away great prizes and shoot cool videos. Tools like Foursquare are interesting but we want to concentrate on elements we know we can do well rather than spreading ourselves too thin.
Q: Obviously, a big part of social media is engaging and networking with others. How is the club planning to do that in 2011?
A: Yes, 2011 is shaping up to be a very exciting year both on and off the field – our first tweet-up last year was a success we’ll be engaging some new partners to host them more frequently. We’re always pushing our players for more content too, so we’re looking at getting one of the guys to commit to a blog in 2011. We’re looking at some social media-specific contests and content which gives us some freedom to use creativity and a little fun. We have always been a leader in bringing behind-the-scenes content to our fans and we’ll continue to do that as well. Our customer service staff has also recently launched their own twitter feed specifically designed to keep fans updated on ticket-related info and then in-game information during home games which will help make everyone’s game day experience the best it can be.
Q: How about Grey Cup? Will social media play a role in the festivities?
A: The 2011 Grey Cup committee has some huge plans for this November and they will be rolling out an independent social media program in weeks to come.
Our thanks to Jacqueline for taking time to discuss the Lions’ social media initiatives with us. It’s going to be an exciting year to be a Lions fan and we’re looking forward to watching the Lions brand grow!
Want in on the BC Lions social media scene? Here is the information you need to be in the know:
BC Lions on Twitter: @BCLions
BC Lions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BC.Lions
BCLionsDen.ca on Twitter: @BCLionsDen
BCLionsDen.ca on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCLionsDen.ca
CFL on Twitter: @CFL
CFL on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CFL
BC Lions coaches/players on Twitter:
Geroy Simon @geroysimon
Dante Marsh: @dantemarsh
Korey Banks: @24Banks
Brent Johnson: @brentjohnson97
Cauchy Muamba: @CauchyMuamba
Wally Buono: @Coach_Brillo
Dante Marsh: @dantemarsh
Steven Black: @itSblack
David Hyland: @hylander37
Nick Moore: @NickMoore_1
Paul McCallum: @PaulMcCallum4
Sean Whyte: @SeanWhyte10
The Felions:
Staff:
BC Lions Customer Service: @bclions_service
BC Lions Vault: Photos from the past: @BCLions_vault
Jamie Cartmell: Lions Communications: @SweetJimmyC
It’s been a while Lions fans! I hope you’ve all been having a great off-season. If you’re like me, it’s already too long. I miss my Friday Night Football, tailgating and all the good times that come from being a CFL fan.
That said there have been some interesting things going on around the league so I thought it would be a good time to touch on a couple that will have an affect on the BC Lions.
Bye Bye Mannie
If you follow Emmanuel Arceneaux on Twitter you probably know by know that the Lions receiver is not likely returning to the team in 2011. Arceneaux has been actively tweeting about his NFL tryouts, and has stated he’s close to signing with an NFL club. His agent confirmed those statements in a recent articleby Matt Sekeres of the Globe and Mail.
Bardia Ghahremani, told the Globe that five NFL teams have shown interest and Arceneaux could make more in signing bonus money than he would on a new deal with the Lions. He also doesn’t think there will be an NFL lockout, which may be wishful thinking on his part. If there is a lockout and Arceneaux is under contract to an NFL team, he won’t be able to return the CFL, and could miss a year of football. A year he could be honing his skills in the CFL in preparation for even a bigger pay day, similar to the one Cam Wake received from Miami (A 1 million dollar signing bonus).
The Lions had an offer on the table for Arceneaux, and Wally Buono felt a deal was doable.
“The numbers [Arceneaux] put forward to us, we felt were doable,” Buono said. “They just felt that maybe it was best to see what the NFL would offer.”
Buono told Arceneaux to make it wothwhile if he decided to bolt for the NFL.
Of course every player deserves to chase his dreams, and we wish Mannie all the best, whatever decision he makes. The departure will leave a hole in the Lions receiving corps but should allow for Steven Black, Andrew Harris and Jamal Lee to assume larger roles. No doubt the club will be looking for more replacements in their upcoming free agent camps as well.
Ottawa Expansion
The guidelines for the expansion draft that will bring Ottawa back into the league were announced recently. You can find the full details on BCLions.com but here are some of the key points unveiled by the league:
- If everything proceeds as planned, the Ottawa team could take the field for the 2013 season. In that case, the expansion draft would be conducted on or about Thursday, December 13, 2012. It will consist of three rounds: one for imports, and two for non-imports.
- Ottawa will be able to select a total of eight imports and 16 non-imports, including two quarterbacks, from existing teams.
- If the team is ready to start play in 2013, Ottawa will pick first in all six rounds of the 2013 CFL Canadian Draft, after picking as many as four underclassmen from the NCAA in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft.
- Ottawa will have the ability to select not more than two quarterbacks and not more than one kicker or punter (for clarity, Ottawa may not select a kicker and a punter). A Member Club cannot have both a quarterback and a kicker or punter selected from its roster. A Member Club cannot have more than one quarterback selected from its roster.
Round by round here are the rules that Ottawa and the member clubs will follow in the three round draft:
Round One:
- Member Clubs may protect one quarterback, and ten additional Import players.
- Ottawa will select one Import player from each Member Club.
- Import quarterbacks, kickers, and punters are eligible for selection (and protection), provided that:
- Each Member Club may protect a maximum of one quarterback in the Import Draft.
- All other quarterbacks on a Member Club’s roster at the time of the draft are eligible for selection in this section.
- Ottawa will only be able to select two quarterbacks in the Expansion Draft.
- If a quarterback is selected from a Member Club in the Import Draft, such Member Club will be able to protect the names of an additional two Non-Import players in the first round of the Non-Import Draft.
- If a kicker or punter is selected from a Member Club in the Import Draft, such Member Club will be able to protect one additional Non-Import player in the first round of the Non-Import Draft.
Round Two:
- Each Member Club will protect six Non-Import players.
Non-Import quarterbacks, kickers, and punters are eligible for selection (and protection), provided that:
- If a Member Club had a quarterback selected from its roster in the Import draft, it will be permitted to protect eight Non-Import players in the first round of the Non-Import Draft (instead of six); and
- Ottawa will be prevented from also selecting a kicker or punter from that Member Club.
- If a Member Club had a kicker or punter selected from its roster in the Import Draft.
- That Member Club will be permitted to protect seven Non-Import players in the Non-Import Draft (instead of six); and
- Ottawa will be prevented from also selecting a quarterback from that Member Club.
Any kicker or punter selected in the Non-Import Draft must be selected in the first round. If a Member Club had a kicker or punter selected from its roster in the Non-Import Draft, such Member Club would be eligible to protect eight Non-Import players in the second round of the Non-Import Draft, instead of six.
Ottawa will then select one non-import player from each Member Club.
Round Three:
- Member Clubs will then submit a second list of an additional six Non-Import players for protection.
- If a Member Club lost a Non-Import kicker or punter in the first round of the Non-Import Draft, such Member Club would submit two additional Non-Import player names for protection.
- Ottawa will then select one non-import player from each Member Club.
- The Commissioner will resolve any dispute related to player eligibility for the Expansion Draft process.
Not a bad deal for Ottawa if they should get some good football people in place and draft wisely. It will no doubt hit some of the Member clubs hard depending on the players they lose. The idea will be to have Ottawa competiive right out of the gate to ensure the public support the club. Several member teams, including the Lions benefited greatly through the dispersal draft the last time Ottawa folded.
Lightning never strikes twice? Tell that to the BC Lions who for the second straight game saw a win slip away in the fourth quarter against a team that they really could have buried in the CFL West. Instead, they now share a 1-4 record with the Edmonton Eskimos, and with the next four games on their schedules against CFL powers, have dug themselves a pretty deep hole.
This game was as sloppy as the rain-soaked turf at Commonwealth Stadium as the Edmonton Eskimos eked out a 28-25 win over the BC Lions as the Lions were again victimized late.
Late turnovers were the killer again, with Travis Lulay picked off by the Esk’s Chris Thompson on another ill-advised throw just before the three-minute warning completing a momentum shift. On the Lions’ ensuing possession, Lulay lost the ball on a questionable fumble, the ball being ruled to have come out of his hand before his arm started forward in a throwing motion. This thwarted a burgeoning drive which had seen the Lions go 55 yards in five plays and position themselves at least well enough for Paul McCallum to attempt a game tying field goal in the final minute.
As with the other losses, there were bright spots in this, with Yonas Davis ripping off an 88-yard kickoff return keyed by a Jason Arakgi block after the Lions forced Edmonton to concede a safety, lifting the Lions to a 25-21 edge with under eight minutes to play. Davis Sanchez had a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown very similar to the one BC gave up late against the Argos last week.
Sanchez was by far the defensive player of the game for the Lions, with the touchdown off of the interception and a game-high nine tackles. The running game was improved again, racking up 163 yards on nineteen carries, with Jamal Robertson accounting for 84 of those on eight carries, among them a sixty-nine yard gallop which keyed a ninety-nine yard, five play drive culminating in Lulay finding pay dirt from nine yards away just in time for an electrical storm to knock out power in the stadium and lead to an early halftime observance/weather delay lasting forty minutes, leaving the Lions with a 10-6 advantage.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the power came back on, and both the lights and the Eskimos proved resurgent. After emerging from the locker room, the balance of the first half ended harmlessly, with Noel Prefontaine attempting and missing a 49-yard field goal.
The power was back on for Edmonton, though. Their first possession of the third quarter culminated in a Prefontaine FG from thirty-five yards. Lulay’s first of two interceptions to Thompson gave the Eskimos the ball back at the BC 42, and three plays later Ricky Ray found Kelly Campbell in the end zone for the major to put the Lions down 16-10 at the nine minute mark of the third, and the tide had again turned against the visitors.
The Lions would sputter deep in their own end of the field and concede two more points after a two-and-out from their own seven. Edmonton was unable to sustain offence either, setting the stage for Sanchez’ pick-six to open the final frame. The two-point conversion attempt would fail, with Paris Jackson catching Lulay’s toss but being ruled down after falling at the two.
Prefontaine would tally another three, making it 21-16 early in the fourth, but it was clear that Edmonton was finding their wheels at the same time the Lions were struggling mightily to keep theirs from all coming off.
Paul McCallum saw his consecutive field goal streak snapped, missing wide right from forty-five yards at 9:50 of the fourth, and it was just one more ominous sign that things weren’t going to end on a positive note for the Lions.
The Lions now face the monumental task of digging themselves out of this deep hole. Their next four games are against CFL powerhouses and if they continue to falter, this season could be over by the midway point.
Quick Hits:
The win by the Eskimos was their 100th all-time versus the Lions with 53 of them at Commonwealth Stadium.
Quotable:
“You’re in field goal range. If it’s not there, you’ve got to be smarter. You’ve got to take a quick look and throw it. If you don’t…” – Wally Buono
“The reality of our offence is, we make too many mistakes and our quarterback is too inconsistent.” – Wally Buono
Saksatchewan 37 Lions 18
Brian Wawryshyn, BCLionsDen.caIt was the first regular season CFL game played outdoors in Vancouver since Nov. 6, 1982, and while the atmosphere for the return to Empire Stadium was outstanding, the Lions themselves showed they have a lot of work to do if they hope to contend with the big boys on the CFL’s west division.
BC had no answers for Saskatchewan’s defence who pressured the Lions quarterbacks at will, exposing an inexperienced offensive line that is going to have to get better if Casey Printers, Travis Lulay and Jarious Jackson want to finish this season on the active roster and not the injured list. Printers left the game just before the half as a result of a bruised or strained quad muscle trying to evade the pressure of Riders rookie Brent Hawkins.
The constant pressure rendered the Lions offense useless, with quarterbacks and receivers having no time to make reads or run their routes. The running game had flashes os success, but was otherwise ineffective with JamallRobertson netting just 54 yards on 10 carries. Withthe Riders offensive line firing on all cylinders, Durant was able to findreceivers seemingly at will on second down, and the green machine churned out 188 yards along the ground, 93 of them going to Wes Cates.
When the Lions weren’t allowing pressure, they were taking penalties. 16 all together on the night for 116 yards.
Withthe Lions defence on the field so much, they were worn down in the second half, and the Riders had no problem putting together drives to close out the game. Their defence sealed the deal with another blindside hit on Lulay who fumbled, giving the Riders an easy touchdown.
Slotback Geroy Simon was one of the lone bright spots for the Leos, scoring both Lions touchdowns on a 32-yard pass from Printers in the first quarter, then gave the faithful something to cheer for connecting with Lulay on a 92-yard play when the game was already decided.
Paul McCallum hit on a 16-yard field goal and added a 45-yard single, while also coming up short on a fake punt that exposed the kicker’s lack of blinding speed.
The Lions had few wrinkles in their offense to throw at the Riders, prompting Dean Valli to say in a Lowell Ullrich piece that “They know what we’re going to do.” That’s not a ringing endorsement of the offensive game plan that at this time of year, should have had the Riders guessing. The talents of Jamal Lee and Andrew Harris are sparingly used, and if these players are going to have an impact, the Lions have to give them chances to do so.
Once again the team had trouble stopping the run. Possibly a product of being worn out in the second half, but on the last couple Rider drives of the game, they ran the ball down the Lions throats.
Things won’t get any easier for the Lions as they next take the field on Friday, July 16th at 7:00pm versus the Grey Cup Champion Montreal Alouettes.
Quick Hits:
The game was a sellout, at 27,528 fans…The Lions Brent Johnson played in his 152nd consecutive game…The atmosphere at Empire Field was fantastic, the tailgate parties were outstanding and had little to no issues, but inside some work needs to be done to address the concession lines. Reports of 30 to 45 minutes in the beer lineups had fans thirsty and cranky, and there were no options for refreshments in the stands. Fans on the west side of the stadium who were baking in the sun in the first half had few options but to brave the lineups and miss large chunks of the game if they wanted anything. All part of the learning process that comes from a temporary facility, and hopefully all involved can work out some of the kinks in time for Friday.
There are moments in our lives that we just remember. It doesn’t matter how young we are, some things are just imprinted on our brains. My first professional sports event was a Vancouver Whitecaps game at Empire Stadium. Following that there were cold nights in the end zone, a stint as a ball boy and other memories that provide me with great Empire memories of my childhood.
When I think of Empire Stadium, I also think of my Dad. He was never much of a sports fan, but sure supported my brother and I in our sporting ambitions. Whether it was taking us to a game, or standing around outside with us after a game as we stood with our autograph books, Dad was patient and treated us when he could.
Introducing me to sports peaked my interest as a child, and fueled the love I have for sports today, and in particular my BC Lions and the CFL. My mom was a staunch Edmonton Eskimos supporter, so my childhood was a difficult one. My dad used to get a kick out of mom screaming watching the games, as I looked for any opportunity on those days to stick it to her. The chances were few with the dynasty the Eskimos had, but another great memory would come when I watched this new phenom named Mervyn Fernandez weave through a bunch of Eskimos at Empire Stadium from my grandmothers house in Dauphin, Manitoba. The Lions won that game, and oh did my Dad and I enjoy needling my Mom.
So Empire Stadium was pretty much the location of my introduction to sports. It’s fitting then that Sunday is also Fathers Day. It will be the first one without my Dad, who passed away suddenly in January. I would have liked to take him to this game, to return the favor. But when I take my seat and look around, I’m going to remember him vividly. I’m going to look around and see all the young fathers with their sons or daughters and smile.
My dad will be with me Sunday, and so will the ghosts and memories of Empire Stadium. And for that, I am forever grateful.
Thanks, Dad! I love you!
