Paralyzer
Oilers Win Cup in 2025
Yep. My friend and I were one of those. I stopped supporting them 2-3 years ago already, and my friend kept going with them until this year when they said the cost was like $100 more than what he had it back then and on the sides of the stadium. So he declined.Closing the upper bowl makes some sense in a vacuum, but it's a gamble. I know some season seat holders that had good 55 yard line seats in the upper bowl that basically got punted to the corners for the lower bowl and a requirement to pay significantly more to get an actual good view.
I imagine the calculus is that they will draw more fans with a better atmosphere that will make up for any seat holder attrition, but it is definitely a gamble.
It's more than just the name. Off the top of my head:
- The dumb "Elks" logo that they originally promised not to introduce when they first announced the name change (whole point of a name starting with E was to keep the EE logo)
- For zero reason whatsoever they went away from the traditional gold letters/numbers on the uniforms that had been a standard since forever
- Began referring to all aspects of the organization as "Elks." "Elks legend Warren Moon; the '86 Champion Elks"
- The force feed of "antlers so cool!" type nonsense
- The dumb antlers on the helmets the first year that were mercifully changed, but not to the normal logo, but a weird hybrid substitute instead
Name and logo are a major, major part of a team's identity and history. It can't just be brushed off.
Honestly, they would have done a lot better to change absolutely nothing other than calling the team the "EE Football Club" or even just "Edmonton Football Club" and maintained every other aspect of the operation. "Esks" is the most common sense compromise that covers every base, but they chose to throw the baby out with the bathwater instead.
You also forgot that annoying obscene Elk call that people bring to the games, and play after every Touchdown...UGH. I HATE IT.