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If You Build It They Will Come

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The football tradition of tailgating has a long history, especially in the United States. The two go hand in hand and some enjoy the pregame festivities of a good tailgate more than the game itself.

This week, the BC Lions hinted that this tradition could eventually take place in the shadows of BC Place Stadium. A survey sent out to season ticket holders included this question:

“ If there was a pre-game tailgate experience in a parking lot adjacent to BC Place, where you could bring your own picnic-style food, set up lawn chairs and enjoy pre-game beverages (provided by a licensed 3rd party) up to 2 hours before the game, would you be interested in purchasing a parking pass for your vehicle at this event?”

As someone who has tailgated for almost 13 years, and has fought for the right to do so, I am encouraged that the club has decided to explore this idea. There are obstacles to overcome of course, and in the e-mail, the club acknowledges that “There are still many steps that need to be taken in order to bring some of these great ideas to life…”.

One of those steps would be to work with the various levels of government, and the people who own the parking lots surrounding BC Place Stadium, which has always been brought up in my discussions with the Lions about tailgating and the lack of it in the past.

The quote above also speaks of  “bring your own picnic style food”. It’s unclear whether that would include barbeques being permitted, which has also been an issue we have fought for in the past. And really, without a BBQ, a lot of the fun of tailgating is taken away. The smells of the food wafting throughout the lot, the competition between tailgaters to cook elaborate meals are all part of it.

Currently, our group tailgates at the parking lot at Quebec and Terminal, across the street from Science World, thanks to the fine folks at Easy Park, and some help from the city of Vancouver, I was able to get permission to use the lot. As a community, we police ourselves and after we have left, you would never know a tailgate party happened. We leave the lot free of garbage and have never had an incident that would put this privilege in jeopardy.

The perception of some is that tailgating is about drinking, but it isn’t. It’s about cooking yourself and your friends a nice pregame meal and having a few beverages. But most of all it’s about the social aspect and spending time with friends and fellow fans to get geared up for the game. We’ve hosted fans from other teams and Lions players have popped by on their way to and from games.

One thing that is missing from our tailgate is that we aren’t near the stadium. It takes away a little of the atmosphere, and we have about a 15-minute walk to and from the stadium.

The Lions proposed model seems to be following one implemented in Toronto last year, their first at BMO Field. From all accounts, it was a success there and while you can argue it didn’t help their attendance, those that took part enjoyed the experience. Barbeques are permitted, and while you can’t bring your own alcohol, an ice-cold beer is reasonably priced at $4.00.

In Calgary, the tailgating capital of Canada, season ticket holders are sold tailgate passes and there is a waiting list to get one. I would imagine this would be a part of the Lions plan as well, and it’s a good way to do it. It’s another perk of being a season ticket holder and if you abuse the privilege you lose your pass.

Some, even in my group, won’t like this and may even choose to just stay where they are without the imposed rules of any sanctioned tailgate. However, the Lions need to start thinking out of the box to get fans back inside the stadium. This is a good start, and one I would likely support depending on the cost. Making going to a game an event is a key, especially to the younger demographic that the Lions have seen stay away from attending games.

Hopefully, the Lions can work out the issues and make this happen. If you build it, they will come. I’ve seen it happen myself.

From the Stands – BC Lions 16 Roughriders 20

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Guarantees in sports get thrown out the window as soon as the first whistle blows, and after three quarters of tough defensive football, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were the team that found the plays they needed, coming from behind to defeat the BC Lions and give 33,196 fans a free ticket to another game. Here are my thoughts, From the Stands.

No Offence

The Lions exploded out of the gate thanks to the spark plug known as Tim Brown, but sadly he was the only player could provide a Lions touchdown on the night on a first quarter punt return. Kevin Glenn and the offence had no response to a Riders defence that contained Andrew Harris and Stefan Logan. There were slips on receptions that looked promising, dropped balls and untimely penalties. In a game that featured no turnovers for either side, the offence failed to deliver the points the Lions needed.

The offensive line did a decent job protecting Glenn for the most part despite giving up three sacks, none of those to John Chick who was held to just one tackle. What they were unable to do was open holes for the running game which was stymied all night. Andrew Harris had just 11 yards on 8 carries, while Logan only had just 1 carry for 1 yard, a stat that is hard to fathom after Logan’s success last week. But with Glenn and the Lions unable to sustain drives, there wasn’t many opportunities to establish the run, much to the credit of a stingy Riders defence.

Second guessers are wondering if the Lions should have given Travis Lulay the second half but with the bye week coming up, now is the time to hand over the torch. Glenn didn’t have a strong game and the Lions playoff hopes are starting to look in doubt in the tough CFL West. Lulay has to return and return ready to go when the Lions take on Ottawa on Sept. 5th.

Big Plays Given Up

In the second half it was Riders backup Tino Sunseri that ran on the field after an injury took Darian Durant to the bench. Sunseri almost made an immediate impact but had a sure touchdown pass dropped by a wide open Rob Bagg. But Sunseri made multiple big throws to keep Riders drives alive and the Riders started to have success with their running attack, which was often gaining solid yards on first down. A huge run by Will Ford setup the touchdown the Riders needed and they rode it out for the win.

The Riders running game really took hold with the loss of Solomon Elimimian, and Lions fans hope the bye week will be enough to mend whatever took him out of the game.

The Riders made a few big plays, the Lions didn’t make any, and that was the difference in the game.

Random Thoughts

Whenever the Riders come down the atmosphere is always ramped up and Lions fans were ready to their part. Riders fans were there as usual but were fairly quiet until the final two minutes of the game, but certainly had a lot to say outside of the stadium after the game.

Officiating was in no way the reason the Lions lost this game, but there was more mind boggling stuff on pass interference reviews, as a play very similar to what was deemed pass interference in the Bombers/Alouettes game was ruled as insufficient evidence in this contest. It’s become a crapshoot for coaches and the league is going to have to really look at whether this experiment is helping or harming the game.

Just how many yards does a receiver have to be offside before a linesman throws a flag? If anyone has the answer, please let me know.

The Lions are doing a good job establishing the “Roar Factor” among the fan base. Fans are making noise on their own most of the time, or at least they were on Sunday. It was also great to see the B-C chant slowly returning to BC Place, a tradition that has been lost for several years now.

The guarantee aside, 33,196 football fans will get a free ticket courtesy of the home side and if that turns a few more onto the game on a regular basis, a positive can be taken from the loss.

The Lions may have lost the game, but they secured the season series against the Riders on point differential. It could be a valuable tool to have in their back pocket, but they’ll have to rely on other teams to bring the Riders back to the pack, and they’ll have a lot of work of their own to as well.

It was the best tailgate of the season in Tailgate Empire. The lot was packed and a great time was had by all with many football traditionalists getting to the lot around 10:30 am. Kudos to all who attended for another great party, and another spotless lot after the game.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the game. Post a comment, or hit me up on Twitter @BCLionsDen. Make sure to check out BCLionsDen.ca for all of our Lions coverage and Pawdcasts as well.

An Important Message for Tailgaters

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On Saturday June 28th, BC Lions fans enjoyed another great Tailgate party in Tailgate Empire, otherwise known as Easy Park Lot 16 at Quebec and Terminal. Rain didn’t dampen our spirit and a great time was had by all.

Following last weekend’s game, I was contacted by Easy Park who has asked me to relay a reminder to all tailgaters that each stall you use must be paid for. On Saturday because of the weather, several tailgaters brought pop up canopies and set them up in the stall next to their vehicle, but only paid for the spot their vehicle was in.

Easy Park recently changed the metering system in our lot to a license plate registration system. Only one license plate can be registered for a given time period. I have been asked to tell tailgaters that if you need a second stall, you must purchase a second ticket using the number that is painted in the stall, and you must be prepared to show the attendant your ticket for that second stall if requested. You must purchase a ticket for the amount of time you wish to use the second stall.

Easy Park has been incredibly cooperative with us, allowing us to do what we love before BC Lions games, and to ensure we are allowed to continue to do so in the future, I ask that all tailgaters follow this rule, without exception. They will be speaking with their enforcement officers to let them know this will be the case.

I want to thank all of you who have joined us and continue to join us each game for following our few simple rules. The lot continues to be spotless after the game, and that is a testament to you the fans who value what we have built here.

I want to send thanks to Easy Park for working with us and for their patience with this matter. Let’s not let them down. I would also ask that if you’re parking downtown, please try to give this company your business, it’s the least we could do after all they have done and what they continue to do for us.

To refresh yourself on the other rules we follow, please visit our Tailgating Page.

Thank you,

Brian Wawryshyn

BCLionsDen.ca

From The Stands: Stampeders 44, Lions 32

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Our post-game report as first published in The Fifth Quarter on The Province.com

Usually for a road game this blog is entitled From the Couch, but seeing how I was in Calgary to witness the carnage that was the Lions opening game of 2013, the title fits.

First of all let me say I was truly impressed with the resolve and the feeling of pride the city of Calgary displayed amidst the worst tragedy to hit in the history of their city. One of the best things about going to a game in Calgary, is a pastime near and dear to my heart, tailgating. I was invited to several parties around the lot through various friends I have met through my CFL travels. Ray Greenland, a 20 plus year tailgater, rolled out the red carpet for us, while Brock Shepard and the members of Nik Lewis Nation welcomed us with open arms and put on a spread fit for royalty, despite being displaced from his home because of the floods. To me this is what the CFL is all about, and I was only too happy to donate to the relief efforts there after seeing the resolve of these people and their city.

As for the game itself, it was a tremendous letdown from a Lions fans point of view. The first half was one of the worst I’ve witnessed by any BC Lions team, while the Stampeders were ready to play and get a win for their devastated city. Here is how I saw it, from the stands.

Defence

The Lions had no answer for Jon Cornish who did what he wanted, when he wanted. There were far too many runs where he was 10 yards downfield before being touched by a Lions defender. The pass defending wasn’t much better, and finding themselves down 31-6 at half time, the mountain was too far to climb, despite a better effort in the second half.

Anton McKenzie struggled throughout the night and with Solomon Elimimian back at home nursing an injury it was the Jon Cornish show. The interior of the Lions defensive line was no match for the Calgary offensive line, and one was left to wonder if the Lions should have given Khalif Mitchell more time to work out his issues with the club.

Drew Tate looked confident and effective in the first half, connecting with receivers at will and once again, receivers were left open, especially on underneath and sideline routes.

Offence

Travis Lulay looked shaky and ineffective in the first half. There were still way too many miscommunications with receivers resulting in incompletions. There were multiple snap issues as well, letting everyone know that the loss of Angus Reid is going to be a troublesome one at least to start the season.

The Lions continue to struggle to find ways to get Andrew Harris involved in the game, and this is a serious issue. With no hint of anything resembling a successful running attack, and getting down big early, the Lions were forced to go to the air, and even screens to Harris were snuffed out quickly by the Stamps. This has to change, but with new pieces on the offensive line, this is also going to be a work in progress, unfortunately. The heat will be back on Jacques Chapdelaine quickly, if it isn’t already, to get this fixed. Near the end of the game, a frustrated Harris stood alone on the sidelines, and he has to be getting a little concerned about the lack of success the Lions are showing in his area of the game.

One bright spot was Manny Arceneaux who had a nice deep ball connection with Lulay for a touchdown, and looked as though he will be a force to be reckoned with once again in the CFL.

Special Teams

Tim Brown was the returner on the night. Not sure where Korey Williams was but it would have been nice to have him back there with Brown on kickoffs rather than Stu Foord. The Stamps coverage was outstanding on the night, and Brown had little to work with on almost every kick.

Hugh O’Neill landed himself on the all-time blooper reel, botching an extra point that he kicked before the ball was placed. His kickoffs were good and deep, but it’s clear that Paul McCallum will still have value to this team when he is healthy.

It’s only one game, but the Lions have plenty of things to fix. The Stampeders made a statement Friday night, and now it is up to the Lions to make one next week against the 1-0, Grey Cup Champion, Toronto Argonauts at BC Place stadium.

It’s hard to believe they could play any worse.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. Give me a tweet @BCLionsDen or comment below.

Edit: I wrote this blog after seeing the game live and without seeing a replay of the O’Neill point after attempt. It should be noted the hold was not perfect and O’Neill was not entirely to blame for the botched kick.

 

Tailgate Empire lives on in downtown Vancouver as we return “home”.

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Remember the days of tailgating at the PNE fondly Lions fans…it’s unlikely you’ll ever have it that good again. That said, Tailgate Empire will live on in the streets in Vancouver thanks to our friends at Easy Park.

The BC Lions sent out e-mails to their season ticket holders yesterday offering parking 6 blocks away from the stadium under Pacific Centre Mall. And while the price is definitely right at $21.36 including taxes for all four games at BC Place, an underground parking lot obviously can’t facilitate tailgating.

The Lions staff took some much appreciated time to speak with me yesterday and while they wished us the best of luck in our tailgating future, there isn’t much they can do about it. Parking lots around the stadium are disappearing at the expense of real estate development and those that remain are privately owned lots that refuse to allow tailgating.

The PNE model proved once again that if tailgating is done with planning and some simple rules in place, it provides a great game day atmosphere for fans and even creates new ones for the team. Tailgate Empire will continue to pursue this tradition in Vancouver until we simply have no options left.

With that said, our regular group of tailgaters will be setting up shop at the Easy Park lot at Main and Terminal. The great folks at easy park gave us this lot during the last season at BC Place, and have graciously offered it to us once again on our return. The lot is one skytrain stop or a 10 minute walk to BC Place.

This is a small lot so spots are limited. Also there are some critical rules you must adhere to of we wish for this to continue.

1) Your spot must be paid for apon arrival. If that means you pay extra for arriving early, that means you pay extra.

2) NO CHARCOAL BBQ’s

3) All garbage must be removed by tailgaters. COME PREPARED.

4) All beverages must be in plastic cups.

5) There are no washrooms on site. Do not make the lot your washroom.

6) Eachl tailgater vehicle can only take up one parking spot.

There is another option for Lions fans pregame entertainment and that is the official club Street Party outside of Terry Fox Plaza on Beatty Street. The Lions staff have put a lot of effort into providing a great atmosphere for fans of all ages and on September 30th it will be their biggest event yet to celebrate the reopening of BC Place stadium.

I want to thanks the great people at Easy Park, in particular Greg Watrych who has gone out of his way to give us a home! Whenever you park downtown, please consider their lots for your parking needs!

So Tailgate Empire, we’ll see you on Sept. 30th at our new/old home!

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