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B.C. Lions’ president Dennis Skulsky guarantees a win against Riders after seeing billboard

andrew bucholtz

The Saskatchewan Roughriders' stunt of putting up a billboard outside B.C. Place ahead of their game against the B.C. Lions Sunday certainly got noticed, and it's sparked an even bolder response from Lions' president Dennis Skulsky. Skulsky went on Vancouver sports radio station TEAM 1040 Thursday and guaranteed a B.C. win against the Riders, saying that the team would offer comparable tickets for a future game to anyone in attendance Sunday if the Lions lose. Here's what Skulsky said about how the Riders' billboard inspired this move:

“The Saskatchewan Roughriders have challenged this community,” said Skulsky. “They have purchased billboards promoting their team and they’re hosting a ‘Rider fan party and rally in our backyard. We’re a very good football team and we’re here to proudly represent this city and this province. The best way to do that is to win on Sunday and we guarantee that will happen.” ...

“I know our fans will bring the Roar Factor on Sunday and when you combine that with the hard work and determination of our coaching staff and players, it gives everyone in our organization the confidence that together we can achieve great things,” added Skulsky.

Skulsky also told Lowell Ullrich of The Province that the Riders' billboard brought this on:

Club president Dennis Skulsky said Thursday that the team would guarantee a win Sunday and in the event the result went the other way, the Lions would offer fans a ticket of similar value for a remaining regular season home game. ...

Skulsky admitted the sight of a billboard purchased by the Riders that can be seen on Pacific Bvld., plus the fact the visiting team is hosting a free soiree for Rider Nation starting at 1 p.m. at the Commodore as part of a season-long, cross-Canada series, has prompted a response.

“We don’t want to come across as arrogant or cocky. This is about making a statement,” Skulsky said. “This is our backyard.”

A backyard that has a bit of green at the front door presently.

While this is potentially much more costly than the Riders' billboard move, and done by a team in a much less robust financial position, it also makes a lot more sense both on and off the field. B.C. home games against the Riders in recent years have been remarkable for the amount of green in the stands, minimizing the Lions' home-field advantage. With a promotion like this, Skulsky may be able to entice more B.C. fans out, which would in turn boost the home-field advantage and lower the chances he'd have to pay up with free tickets for later games. Moreover, it's not like the Lions are huge underdogs here; Saskatchewan's 5-2, but B.C.'s 5-3, so there's quite a good chance they'll pull off a home win.

This is also a great way to fuel the flames of the B.C.-Saskatchewan rivalry, which is an underrated one. Yes, the Blue Bombers are always going to be the Riders' first rival, but the team in green has become one of the Lions' most hated opponents over the last decade given both teams' success (and the Alberta teams' tendencies to prefer fighting it out with each other). Saskatchewan setting up a billboard on B.C.'s turf is provocation, and the Lions have answered it. This helps build up the anticipation for what otherwise would be an interesting game, but not necessarily a huge one. Both sides are making it a big deal, and that's always cool to see.

Guarantees have a long history in football, with Joe Namath's Super Bowl III one being the most famous. Of course, that was a little more outrageous; few at the time gave Namanth's AFL champion Jets much of a chance against the Colts, so his guarantee (and then the way he fulfilled it) was remarkable. However, there was nothing tangible guaranteed there; Namath wasn't offering to buy tickets if his team didn't live up to the hype. That's why, in some ways, a challenge like this from the business side of the operation actually makes more sense than if a player says it. There are real stakes here, and that makes it much more interesting.

Even if Skulsky does lose his guarantee, the penalty's not that stiff, though. Sure, it makes the Lions give out a lot of free tickets, but those free tickets would boost the team's attendance and its home-field advantage for later games, and they could pay off financially in the long run, encouraging people to come back for more and more games. Beyond that, this is at least a promotion that's actionable, unlike the Riders' billboard. While putting a billboard up in Vancouver is unlikely to draw people to Regina's Mosaic Stadium, guaranteeing a victory and offering a potential chance for B.C. fans to get two tickets for the price of one seems likely to have a tangible effect on the Lions' box office. Skulsky would undoubtedly like his team to win here, but regardless of if they can pull off a victory, his gambit may still not work out badly. Still, you can bet B.C.'s business office will be watching Sunday's on-field action closely...