Touchdown Pacific, which begins in earnest Thursday with activations at Ship Point and Langford, is part of the move to reconnect the Canadian Football League to the country. But in a fresher, cooler, more vibrant way, says CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
An assumption is the typical CFL fan is an aging boomer still reminiscing about the days of Warren Moon, Peter Liske, Joe Kapp, Angelo Mosca, Ron Lancaster, Kenny Ploen, Bernie Faloney and Joe Zuger.
“Everything we started to build seven years ago is clicking for us,” said Ambrosie, 61, who took over the commissioner position in 2017.
“It’s important that we remember these generational players. But we have become fun, fast and entertaining into a new era and are reaching a different audience and a younger demographic that consumes entertainment differently than we did. Now it’s through digital and videos with more interest in things such as player profiles. We have great quarterbacks of which younger fans are growing aware and exciting games. Our TV ratings have been really strong, even up against major world sporting events this summer like the Euros, Copa and Paris Olympics.”
One of the departures from the former business-as-usual model are the games in unusual locations. The Touchdown Pacific game between the host B.C. Lions and Ottawa Redblacks, on Saturday at 4 p.m. at a temporarily expanded Royal Athletic Park, follows the Touchdown Atlantic model which saw CFL games in the Maritimes the past few seasons. This will be the first Lions game in the 70 years of franchise history to be played outside of B.C. Place, Empire Stadium or Empire Field.
The 14,000 game tickets sold out in less than hour after going on sale.
“It is going to be a mini-Grey Cup with all the events we have planned around Greater Victoria,” said Lions president Duane Vienneau.
“We see it as more than a football game. We see it as a festival. Fans from every team in the league have bought tickets to Touchdown Pacific.”
The quick sell-out necessitated an overflow watch party on big screens at adjacent Central Park: “You’ll be able to smell the popcorn from the watch party,” quipped Vienneau.
The Touchdown Pacific events include the entertainment, musical and artistic celebrations at Ship Point from noon to 7 p.m Thursday and Friday, and an open Lions practice today from noon to 2 p.m. at Starlight Stadium in Langford with pictures and autographs with the B.C. players in the final half hour. (Open practice tickets are free but must be reserved through the Lions website).
The game in Victoria is particularly close to the heart of Lions owner Amar Doman, the Oak Bay High graduate who grew up in the capital, while being thrilled by the explosive exploits of the 1980s B.C. teams of Mervyn Fernandez, Roy Dewalt, Nick Hebeler and Duncan’s Al Wilson. But then the CFL fell out of fashion and all the “cool” kids started watching the NFL.
“Amar [Doman] says we missed a generation,” said Vienneau. “That is why as a team we have put a lot of focus on attracting elementary school- age kids provincewide. Our 4 p.m. starts have been a game-changer in making it easier for kids, and fans from the Island and Interior, to attend games. [Commissioner Ambrosie] is culture-building and we are re-imagining the league right now and making the games fun, fast and entertaining. It’s back to the future and we are reaching a younger, newer generation that is looking for Canadian things to do.”
It is that new CFL wave that rolls on to the Island this week.
“We have come full circle and are showing the power of the CFL to a new generation,” said Vienneau.
“The response on the Island has been unbelievable.”
The CFL commissioner concurred: “The excitement here is real. You can feel it. The support has been great,” said Ambrosie, who won a Grey Cup during his nine-season CFL career as an offensive lineman.
So much so that the commissioner did not rule out doing Touchdown Pacific again on the Island in future seasons, even as interest is also being shown and pressure mounting for potential Touchdown Prairie and Touchdown Quebec games.
“One hundred per cent we would like to come back,” said Ambrosie.
GRIDIRON NOTES: Ambrosie said he sees flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as “an opportunity” for the sport and the CFL taking a leadership role with Canada’s team.
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