CFL commissioner: Amar Doman's delivering "spectacular" to B.C. Lions fans
Article content
As you'd expect, Stewart Johnston is an Amar Doman fan.
Article content
Johnston's main talking point since taking over as CFL commissioner in April has been that the league needs to find ways to attract younger fans.
Article content
Article content
Doman, who's the B.C. Lions owner, has brought in high-profile musical acts to perform at the team's home opener the past four years in that bid to get new eyes on the product. On Saturday, it was rapper Snoop Dogg putting on a pre-game concert before the Lions' meeting with the Edmonton Elks, and that was a driving force in an announced crowd of 52,837 to B.C. Place.
Article content
The stands thinned out as the night went on — those who left missed an impressive second half from the Lions in a 31-14 victory — but the game undoubtedly brought out people out who had never seen any CFL action before.
Article content
'What Amar is delivering for the fans of Vancouver is spectacular,' Johnston said. 'The investments he's making, the marketing he's putting behind it, the focus on the youth and how he's engaging them.
Article content
'I'm very confident in this market. The owner is the starting point. You have the strength of someone like Amar, with the passion he brings and his overall focus on the entire market. It's the B.C. Lions. It's the entire province. You've seen him move games around.
Article content
'I think what he's done is just spark something that was maybe simmering but hadn't been there in that kind of a full-out fire of energy for a long time.'
Article content
Rejuvenated Nathan Rourke drops Elks like they're hot in B.C. Lions' opener (& 12 other thoughts) https://t.co/iWVOh2R9Mk #CFL #BCLions #RoarAsOne pic.twitter.com/uAdCHaqSqV
— JC Abbott (@TheJCAbbott) June 8, 2025
Article content
Johnston, 54, joined the CFL from TSN, where he began in 1997 as an intern. He had worked his way through the ranks there, all the way to taking on the vice-president of programming role in 2006 and then being named president in 2010.
Article content
Article content
TSN has been paramount to the success of the league. Friday Night Football on the network has become a mainstay for both sides of the equation.
Article content
The current TSN/CFL agreement is up after the 2026 season. Johnston will get to negotiate the next deal from the opposite side of the table.
Article content
'It'll be strange in the fact that I've been on the buyer side for 28 years. That's going come with a different dynamic,' he said. 'However, that experience has shown me how the mechanisms work and it puts me in a good place to understand what the value of this product can deliver to a broadcast partner, a media partner.'
Article content
Saturday's attendance was the ninth best in the Lions' history at B.C. Place. Last year's home opener against the Calgary Stampeders, which featured a pre-game concert from rapper 50 Cent, is seventh on that list, with an announced attendance of 53,788.
Article content
Article content
The team's announced attendance average for last season was 26,883, which was up from 23,208 in 2023 and 20,261 in 2022. Doman, who's originally from Victoria, bought the team in August 2021. The attendance had slipped to 17,803 in 2019.
Article content
Article content
On Saturday, the Lions became the first CFL team since the Montreal Alouettes in 1978-79 to draw 50,000 in their home opener in consecutive years.
Article content
Snoop Dogg's concert had been announced as a 5:45 p.m. start, but the building was only about half full by then. Various fans complained on social media about long lines to get into B.C. Place. The music eventually started up at 6:25 p.m.
Article content
B.C. Place released a statement afterwards, explaining: 'Whenever attending a large sold-out event like today's game at B.C. Place, we recommend people arrive as early as possible.
Article content
'We received a large influx of people approximately 30 minutes before the advertised start time for the Snoop Dogg pre-game concert. While our teams worked hard to get fans safely into the building and as efficiently as possible, there were wait times at certain gates that averaged 10-20 minutes. By the time Snoop Dogg went on stage, 95 per cent of attendees were in the building.
Article content
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Alford's 99-yard kickoff return for TD lifts Riders to wild 39-32 win over Argos
Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver Mario Alford (2) runs down the sidelines ahead of Toronto Argonauts defensive back Mark Milton (27) to score a touchdown during second half CFL football action in Toronto Friday, June 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker Mario Alford's 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with nine seconds to play rallied the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a stirring 39-32 win over the ailing Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. Alford's return right came after Toronto's Nick Arbuckle made it 32-32. Arbuckle capped a 70-yard, nine-drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital, then found Dejon Brissett for the two-point convert. Arbuckle's heroics came after Brett Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal at 12:58 to put Saskatchewan (3-0) ahead 32-24 and keep Toronto (0-3) in the game. Tommy Stevens' two-yard scoring run at 4:38 put Saskatchewan ahead 31-21. Lirim Hajrullahu's 25-yard field goal at 8:02 pulled Toronto to within 31-24. Saskatchewan's wins have all come against East Division teams. Toronto -- 0-3 for the first time since 2019 -- came into the contest short-handed. Quarterback Chad Kelly (leg) and receiver/returner Janarion Grant both missed their third straight game for Toronto. Joining them among the Argos walking wounded were linebackers Wynton McManis (knee) and Jack Cassar (adductor), running back Deonta McMahon (ankle), receiver DaVaris Daniels (hip), defensive lineman Demarcus Christmas (Achilles) and offensive linemen Sage Doxtater (knee), Dylan Giffen (back) and Darius Ciraco (foot). Then in the first half, Toronto lost linebacker Kenneth George Jr. (leg) and defensive lineman Derek Parish (foot). The contest was a chippy one as the teams combined for 29 penalties for 307 yards (Saskatchewan had 18 for 178 yards, Toronto had 11 for 129 yards) before a BMO Field gathering of 12,025. Brissett and Jarret Doege also scored touchdowns for Toronto. Jake Herslow added a two-point convert, while Hajrullahu booted a convert and three field goals. Dohnte Meyers, with two, and A.J. Ouellette scored Saskatchewan's other touchdowns. Lauther kicked five converts and a field goal. Hajrullahu's 24-yard field goal at 8:42 of the third pulled Toronto to within 24-13. But Doege scored on a one-yard run at 12:59 before Arbuckle hit Herslow for the two-point convert to cut Saskatchewan's lead to 24-21. Harris opened the second half with a 70-yard TD strike to Meyers at 1:16, giving the Riders a 24-10 advantage. Hajrullahu's 56-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Saskatchewan's halftime lead to 17-10. It followed Saskatchewan's goal-line stand with 56 seconds left as Kevin Brown was stopped at the Riders' one-yard line to end a 17-play, 97-yard drive that took 7:25. Both quarterbacks were sharp as Harris was nine-of-11 passing for 123 yards and a TD, guiding the Riders to 17 points in their first three drives. Arbuckle completed 13-of-16 attempts for 118 yards and a touchdown. Saskatchewan converted five-of-eight second-down chances while Toronto was 7-of-12. But it was a chippy half as the two teams combined for 15 penalties (Saskatchewan eight for 79 yards, Toronto seven for 79 yards) for 158 yards. Lauther gave Saskatchewan a 17-7 advantage with a 16-yard field goal at 1:25. Harris put Saskatchewan ahead 14-7 with a 32-yard TD strike to Meyers at 11:54 of the first. The two-play, 45-yard drive was set up by Alford's 35-yard punt return. Ouellette capped Saskatchewan's 70-yard, six-play opening march with a 25-yard TD run at 8:26. It was Ouellette's first carry of the contest. Arbuckle opened the game completing all six of his passes for 80 yards, the last being a five-yard TD strike to Brissett at 4:50. The score capped a solid 80-yard, nine-play march. UP NEXT Roughriders: Host the B.C. Lions on Saturday, June 28. Argonauts: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday, June 29. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
National Post
17 hours ago
- National Post
10 Thoughts: Top takeaways from the Roughriders win in Toronto
For a third straight game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders sealed a victory in the final minute. Article content While it was the Green and White's defence securing wins in the first two weeks of the season, on Friday in Week 3 of the CFL season it was Mario Alford and the special teams unit helping Saskatchewan improve to 3-0. Article content Article content After the Toronto Argonauts tied the game 32-32 with a touchdown in the final minute, Alford returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to clinch the victory. It was the highlight of the game, which featured plenty of good and bad for the Green and White. Article content 10 Thoughts Article content 1. This game was destined for overtime until Alford's kickoff return sealed the victory for the Roughriders. We highlighted Alford last week after his strong performance against Hamilton and he had another strong game on Friday, highlighted by his game-winning return. Earlier in the game, he also had a 35-yard return which he cut back inside to gain a few more yards instead of going out of bounds like he started doing last year. The league's top special teams player in 2022 has silenced any and all doubters at this point. Article content 2. Either the Roughriders defence wasn't ready to play or the Argonauts dialed up the perfect play calls on their opening drive. Nick Arbuckle was six-for-six and threw a touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett on the opening drive of the game to give the home team a 7-0 lead. Bend and break. However, Saskatchewan's defence rebounded nicely with three straight two-and-outs before forcing a turnover on downs on the next drive. But then the group couldn't get a stop in the final minute like they did in the previous two weeks. They're still one of the best groups in the league. Article content Article content 3. Speaking of that turnover on downs, it came at the end of a 17-play, 76-yard drive. There aren't too many 17-play drives that end in zero points. There aren't many 17-play drives in general. Article content Article content 4. A.J. Ouellette is back to his all-star form. Following a 96-yard performance last week against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ouellette had 91 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Argos. He also pulled off a near identical touchdown run this week as he rumbled 25 yards into the end zone off the right side of the offensive line. He's looking like a patient runner this year and you have to wonder if the weight he dropped this off-season is also helping his game. Article content 5. It was Samuel Emilus leading the way in Week 1 and KeeSean Johnson in Week 2. On Friday night, it was Dohnte Meyers' turn as he had a team high 125 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the Riders. With Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker on the injured list, the rest of Saskatchewan's receivers are stepping up, including Meyers and veteran Mitch Picton, who had a highlight-reel 33-yard catch in the game.
National Post
19 hours ago
- National Post
Alford, Roughriders stun Argonauts in dying seconds to win 39-32
Mario Alford returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the dying seconds as the Saskatchewan Roughriders stunned the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. Article content After the Argonauts tied the Week 3 CFL contest 32-32 with 23 seconds left on Friday night at BMO Field, Alford brought back the ensuing kickoff to secure Saskatchewan's second straight 3-0 start to a season. Article content Article content Article content 'Coach told me before we went out there, 'Let's get it to the 40-, 45-(yard line),' ' Alford told TSN's Brit Dort after the game. 'Then I saw the hole and I did what I do best. Article content 'I try to put my team in the best position possible to win. We were able to execute; shoutout to the blockers.' Article content While the defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts —who fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2019 — scored the opening points of the game on their first drive as quarterback Nick Arbuckle engineered a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett, it was the Roughriders who led the way for the majority of the game. Article content On Saskatchewan's first series, quarterback Trevor Harris and company put together a six-play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown run by running back A.J. Ouellette, who had a similar 47-yard touchdown run last week against Hamilton. Article content With the convert, the game was tied 7-7 midway through the first quarter. Article content After a two-and-out by Saskatchewan's defence and a 35-yard punt return by Alford, Saskatchewan's offence went back to work as Harris connected with Dohnte Meyers for a 13-yard gain before the duo connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass on the very next play to put Saskatchewan on top 14-7. Article content Following another two-and-out by the Roughriders' defence, Harris and company went back to work as Mitch Picton made a highlight-reel 33-yard catch which led to a 16-yard field goal by Brett Lauther to make it 17-7 Riders. Article content Article content Near the end of the first half, the Argonauts got down to Saskatchewan's one-yard line on a 17-play, 76-yard drive which lasted more than seven minutes, but they couldn't come away with any points as Saskatchewan's defence forced a turnover on downs after a goal-line stand. Article content The Argos got the ball back before the half was up, and after Riders defensive back Marcus Sayles couldn't come down with an interception, Argos' kicker Lirim Hajrullahu nailed a 56-yard field goal to make it 17-10 at the break. Article content On the opening drive of the second half, the Riders added to their lead as Harris hit Meyers on a slant pass before the second-year slotback broke free and rumbled 70 yards to the end zone for his second touchdown of the game to make it 24-10.
