Molson Stadium, Saputo Stadium and "The Dream Café”

With the attendance struggles at Molson Stadium and Saputo Stadium, I can’t help to think about "The Dream Café”.    If you are a Seinfeld fan, you may know where I’m going with this post.  If not, have a look at the following clip.

Like Babu Bhatt, the people in the marketing offices of the Alouettes and the Impact are no doubt frustrated with the apathy of the Montreal sports fan.   Let’s take a look at what each organization have done to welcome fans to their respective product.

Alouettes

Before Molson Stadium was expanded for the 2010 season, everything was fine and dandy.  Consecutive sellouts, demand for tickets was high and the club was winning seemed like a recipe to go ahead with an expansion of the stadium.  Fans were demanding for more tickets to see the Als and no doubt a 25 000- seat stadium downtown would solidify the long term viability of the team.  Fastforward to the present.   The expansion of the stadium looked like it was a complete faux pas.   With a consistent winner on the field, the football club is still unable to sell out.

Impact

The Montreal Impact has always had their 8000-10 000 hardcore fans in the city for professional footy, regardless of the level.   Some argued that for the football club to be taken seriously on the pro sports landscape in Montreal, it would need to play in MLS, the highest level of soccer in North America.   Ironically, years after the inception of the MLS, Montrealers were told by journalists and people from the Impact that there was not that much of a big different between MLS and USL soccer.  Upon being awarded the 19^th MLS franchise, the Impact expanded their stadium to welcome additional 7000 fans.  As of July 11^th, the side has not been able to sell out the stadium, even with new pricing packages.

“Show me people? There are no people”   

Both sports franchises must be repeating the same statement as coined by Babu.  The issue is simple.   There are not enough hardcore football and soccer fans in Montreal that will show up regardless of traffic problems, ticket prices or whatever the excuse is convenient.

Final Taughts

First salvo  in The NHL’s CBA talks. If you are wringing your hands over the first offer by  the owners in the current NHL CBA’s negotiation, relax.  There will be a lot of back and forth between now and the month of November.  Yes, there will be a season.  A 60-game season.

Memo To The CFL.  Stop messing around with the look of teams, especially their helmets (i.e. Edmonton Eskimos).   If you want fans to buy-in to tradition of the league, leave the green and gold buckets alone.  Could you see the day when the Green Bay Packers roll out onto Lambeau Field with a forest green helmets?

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