In the Vancouver sports lexicon, the BC Lions were the definition of incognito during the spring of 2011.
The Vancouver Whitecaps’ ascended to Major League Soccer before the Vancouver Canucks’ unsuccessful Stanley Cup run.
“It’s raised the bar, it’s a competitive sports landscape out there,” said Lions’ president Dennis Skulsky.
The 8-10 Lions were third in the West in 2010. Travis Lulay became the No. 1 quarterback after Casey Printers was dispatched in controversy. The club narrowly lost the West semifinal in overtime to the eventual Grey Cup runner-up Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The biggest player move the orange and black made during the off-season was the release of star kick returner Yonus Davis. The exciting Canadian Football League rookie was destined for a hefty raise after earning a reported $43,000, but was punted after a high-profile ecstasy bust in California.
For 2011, the club is employing the “Pride of All B.C.” tagline, a multi-year, provincewide positioning lifted from the lyrics of “Roar You Lions, Roar.”
“We’re much more than a Vancouver team, we have a fan base that’s broader than that by our radio numbers and our email database of fans throughout the province,” Skulsky said.
The Lions opted to stay with Bell Radio’s Team 1410, despite more money from Corus to be on CKNW and an innovative partnership offer with Shaw TV. The Lions won a coin toss with the Whitecaps and will re-open BC Place Stadium on September 30 against the Edmonton Eskimos. The biggest commercial deal of the off-season was the partnership with A-B InBev’s Labatt. The three-way deal made Budweiser the official beer of the Lions, Whitecaps and BC Place Stadium.
Owner David Braley revealed last fall that 1,000 customers representing 1,600 to 1,800 season tickets didn’t make the move outdoors with the team, but have pledged to return downtown. Only the home opener with the Roughriders was a sellout at 27,500-seat Empire.
“It’s a temporary venue, Porta Pottys and longer lineups and the small footprint.... Neat from the point of view of the sight lines and being close to the action, not so nice if you’re trying to get a beer because the lineup’s longer,” Skulsky admitted.
Until the Canucks moved into the Western Conference finals, Skulsky said the Lions were ahead of last year’s season tickets sales pace. Packages included discounts on Grey Cup tickets. By last week, 16,000 subscriptions were sold with Skulsky predicting 18,000 or better.
The strong Canadian dollar has become a bonus for the Lions in recruiting import players who get paid by the loonie. The club held seven free-agent tryout camps throughout the U.S. and drew 464 candidates for up to 15 positions at training camp.
Skulsky credits that with the exposure last season of a weekly game on the NFL Network. The new deal means two games a week, and maybe more, as the NFL feverishly negotiates with players to avoid losing its entire season.
“It’s still small numbers in the big scheme of things, but it is exposure,” Skulsky said. “It’s going to have more players and people be aware of our league. For recruitment purposes and retention purposes.”
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