Edmonton Eskimos cater to the Selfie Generation

This item hasn't anything directly to do with the usual subjects of this blog, but it does serve as a snapshot of current conditions. The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League are recognizing characteristics unique to Millennials (aka the Selfie Generation, aka the Retarded Generation)--as reported by Ryan Tumilty of Metro News, June 6, 2016:

The Edmonton Eskimos are hoping a new generation of football fans will help them boost struggling attendance numbers and bring new life to Commonwealth Stadium.

With the season set to get underway in just a few weeks, the club has introduced a new standing section that it hopes will appeal to younger fans.

“We created a tiered deck system in both north end corners of the end zone,” said Scott Murray, the team’s vice-president of ticket sales.

He said the new section will be sold online during the week and they hope it will allow for a more social experience.

“They like some freedom to move around, as opposed to being assigned to a specific seat,” he said.

Last year, the team averaged 31,517 fans per game – part of a downward trend they have seen in recent years. Murray said they do hope to improve those numbers, but it’s also about making sure the team is offering something for everyone.

“This helps us engage a different group of people that we don’t think we have engaged enough,” he said. “We think they will come for the social experience and maybe do two or three games a year.”

Jay Ball, the general manager of FC Edmonton, said he believes the Eskimos are on the right track trying to attract millennial fans.

Ball said his team already has much of that younger audience and they’ve attracted them in part by advertising where they are.

“The live on social media, they live on mobile devices and tablets and computers. You can’t reach them through billboard advertising,” he said.

He said they also encourage people to get excited about the game and have a good time, much like what the Esks are planning for the new sections.

“We’re not selling soccer. We’re selling a really unique sports experience.”

I approve of giving the Selfie Generation its own section. Anyone who's had the misfortune of being at a game (or anywhere else) in the vicinity of these life forms can verify that they spend their time running around and playing with their smartphones, and don't bother watching the game. It's a good idea to give them their own playpen, and leave the rest of the stadium for people who want to watch a football game.

Let's see now: they can't remain in one place for very long, and are unable to sit still and concentrate on the activity at hand. This is the sort of behaviour that has historically been true of 5-year-olds, and now it's being recognized as acceptable behaviour for 15-year-olds. And some people are still so deluded as to believe that society is progressing.