Blacked out!
It's a term which is about to disappear from the lexicon of the Canadian Football League.
But not in time for Friday's Labour Day replay!
Nor in time for the home game to follow which already features the annual billboard outside Commonwealth Stadium purchased by Saskatchewan Roughriders fans which this year proclaims: "Hey Eskies fans! We'll save a section for ya!"
Both games, Sun Media has learned, will be blacked out.
INFURIATED
Two televised games in each city are allowed to be blacked out each year and the Eskimos, some fans will be infuriated to find out, have saved the big two September games to black out this year.
There was a time, not long ago, when all games in the gate-driven CFL were blacked out with the universal belief that everybody would go out of business if they ever gave the games away for free on TV.
But increased TV revenue resulted in chipping away at the number of blackouts from one TV contract until the next.
"I think this will be the last TV contract which will involve games blacked out," said Eskimos CEO Rick LeLacheur.
"With all the technology changes, like high-definition TV, it's getting more difficult."
Three years remain on the current deal with TSN with the two-game blackout clause.
This year, following the lead of several teams in several sports, the Eskimos have designated 'A' games and 'B' games with different price tags for non-season-ticket purchase in advance or walk-up sales. The next two are 'A' ticket games. And blacked out.
Having the 'B' games cheaper hasn't really helped as four straight Thursday games with iffy weather drew 30,650, 33,661, 33,206 and 33,065 while a Saturday 5 p.m. start against Hamilton attracted 35,036.
Those are great numbers anywhere else in the league, but not great Edmonton numbers. The Eskimos annually lead the league in regular-season attendance.
But they don't this year.
With 10,000 extra seats already installed for the Calgary Grey Cup, the Stampeders set an all-time franchise attendance record Monday with 40,729 for the Labour Day Classic -- the largest crowd of the season in the league so far.
Going into Friday's rematch, the Stampeders are averaging 36,156 and the Eskimos 33,151.
That should all change with Friday's game and the Sept. 26 visit of the Roughriders, which both have retro-theme promotions and, yes, those blackouts.
BACK TO SCHOOL
In fact, if the Eskimos still had their back-to-school promotion for the Labour Day replay, the Alberta rivals could be looking at the first 100,000 doubleheader between these two teams.
"We stopped using the Labour Day replay game for the back-to-school promotion because it was becoming too much trouble making sure all the kids got their vouchers in time," said LeLacheur of the promotion which is now hooked to the Saskatchewan Sept. 27 game.
The promotion, which provides a free ticket for the future fans, usually results in a couple of tickets being sold to accompanying parents as well.
With the promotion in place for the Labour Day replay game the Eskimos have had crowds of 62,444, 61,481, 57,843 and 57,444 in the past. Following are the crowd counts for all the Labour Day replay games over the years: 41,327, 57,444, 57,843, 54,324, 51,180, 49,434, 40,729, 43,913, 50,856, 52,458, 53,248, 48,279, 61,491, 62,444, 50,366, 42,654, 47,965, 42,329 and 46,014.
That's an average of 47,544.
The Eskimos have sold a solid 38,000 for this one so far.
The blackout won't hurt. But really, it is time for the blackout business to end.
Exposing the product like the Aug. 13 game between the Eskimos and Stampeders -- arguably one of the greatest regular-season games of all-time in the CFL -- is going to help sell a lot more tickets for future games than if that game had been blacked out.
TERRY.JONES@SUNMEDIA.CA
