With BC Place’s facelift finally finished I wanted to attend a sporting event there before I headed off on another cross-ocean adventure. I attempted to go to the final Vancouver Whitecaps’ game but the only tickets left cost $100 and after the abomination of a season they ‘played’ there was no way I would pay that much to see the Whitecaps find a new way to lose. And… whaddaya know… they found a way to lose and be shutout.
I’m glad I didn’t go, it would have spoiled the walk down memory lane I enjoyed when I revisited Empire Field.
While I’m on the subject, the Whitecaps should have remained out at Empire Field – the site of their greatest triumphs instead of sliding into BC Place to play backup to the BC Lions. The Lions called BC Place home since it opened around 1986, so they should be ensconced there.
***
This past Saturday was the final game of the regular season for the BC Lions. I managed to coax the legendary SDM to meet up with me before he worked the night shift at his place of employment.
We grabbed some burgers and fries at the restaurant in the hotel SDM night-manages. SDM kindly took care of the bill, as the football game was my shout. We hopped on the bus to Main Street Station, one of the scruffiest of the Vancouver Skytrain Stations – some in New Westminster and Surrey can out scruff it. We opted not to sardine ourself into the first Skytrain that stopped, which led to a conversation about how various phobias, the second train, while full at least allowed a whiff of personal space. We both were pleased by adding 90 seconds to our commute.
We joined the shambling orange, black and white clad mob shuffling towards BC Place Stadium. A Canadian Football crowd varies vastly from a hockey or soccer crowd, definitely a more blue-collar, roughneck sensibility. Part of that stems from the hard-nosed hitting of the gridiron game. The cost also plays into things, going to a hockey game can put a family of four into debt, that same family pays for their entire trip to the cheap seats for the price of one average NHL hockey ticket. (Canadian markets pay dearly for their beloved icy sport).
I purchased the tickets through the vile TicketBastard… er Master… the day before and opted for Will Call (or Pick-Up) choice, meaning I’d pick up the tickets at the stadium. It only cost me $7.25/ticket for that privilege. Thanks TicketBastard! Equally jerkwadish… buying the tickets on-site cost an extra $5.25, some sort of stadium fees. Way to learn how to be assholes BC Place!
I jumped the queue at the Ticket Office, accidentally intentionally. I wanted up to a window where four employees engaged in a discussion. When it drew to a completion I intended to ask if I needed to get in line with everyone else or if there was a Will Call pick-up booth. The girl inquired about the tickets and rather than take the information and return to the spot in line SDM held for me, I allowed her to fetch me the tickets.
Oops.
Returning with the tickets SDM asks, “will we be above the ozone?” I look at him blankly. Then he explains and I cotton on to what he means, knowing me to be exceedingly frugal he assumes I’ve purchased the cheapest of cheap seats. I admit, I did consider them, but for an extra $10 each, we moved from Upper Bowl Row DD to Lower Bowl Row P. Right in the corner of the endzone. When we take our seats SDM is impressed with the sight lines and seats and I am too.
I can be cheap, but I also know the value of splurging now and again, I wanted good seats to increase the experience. The last time I saw something in BC Place was before the ‘roof lift’, it the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
These seats were much better, but not nearly as memorable.
The seats were good, great views of the endzone the Lions would assault in waves as they demolished the Montreal Alouettes in the first and third quarters. The inside of the arena looks amazing and the old fixtures have been completely redone and refurbished. The seating has been downsized from 60 000 to 52 000. A sign of the times and the fact that Canadians seem to be putting on more weight. The seats are fine for me and SDM (taller and heavier than I) found them snug but not cramped. Also, the stadium seemed fuller with over 35 000 roaring fans making BC Place 67% full.
The roof now retracts, although on this chilly November evening it remained closed, but by raising the roof a bit, the arena now boasts clear ‘windows’ that allow some natural light into the facility. It’s a small touch, but one that I appreciated.
As for the game itself?
BC won in a romp, trouncing their Eastern rivals 43-1. Yes, Montreal managed one meagre, feeble point over 60 minutes. It was a big game for both teams. Since the winning side would win their division and receive a bye week, as this was the final game of the regular season. The playoffs begin next week, Montreal will be in action, BC earned an extra week to heal up nagging injuries.
At halftime, the stadium celebrated the veterans of the Canadian Military by having the football field nearly filled with Scottish Highland marching bands, while veterans circled the edge of the arena in cars. There were veterans on motorbikes. Plus some black musket gun salutes.
SDM, the Felions and the fans made the event for me. The steamrolling of the Alouettes simply the icing upon the revamped BC Place cupcake.
SDM and I bantered back and forth about everything, occasionally even touching upon CFL Football. Only rarely though. The Felions offered cheerkitten distractions (far too briefly and infrequently – as if I came to the game to watch football) my favourite moments of their appearances were twofold. In the second quarter when they cheered in our half of the field, one poor Felion sat on the sideline, perhaps the first injury of the game. I wanted to console her. Damn security claiming something about ‘lack of passes’ or was it ‘too many attempted passes’?
I could have been a quarterback with the number of passes I threw up that night!
In the forth quarter, on their second (and final) visit, with the game well and truly out of hand, the fans needed no increase in pep, as while the Felions performed, BC Place performed the wave. And may I just add, stadium waves are the most fun to be had in a sporting venue.
With 9 minutes left in this blowout, there must have been a tweet or an alert on some app, because suddenly people started leaving in droves. SDM and I stuck it out to the bitter, blissful end. Which worked out well, as the row in front of us vacated, I asked a woman two rows down to snap a picture of SDM and I. She complied, and the two guys to my right tried to pose for the camera, only they weren’t in frame. Being me, I quickly asked her to take another one with my two new friends.
“We ain’t gay,” said one.
“We’re just sloshed,” added the other.
“My two drunk gay grandpas!” I replied.
We all laughter and the picture was snapped.
It was a great end point on a great night.
Byron and his backpacks 