Canadian Football League commissioner Michael Lysko is throwing cold water on the Toronto Argonauts' plan to play host to pregame parties this season, involving women from a Toronto strip club and wet T-shirt contests.
Lysko believes the events, which the Argonauts are hoping will attract the much-sought-after young male demographic, is taking the league's image in the wrong direction.
"Obviously I was surprised and clearly I'm quite concerned," Lysko said. "I'm not really willing to comment specifically on what direction we will go but I will be speaking this weekend with [Argonaut owner]Sherwood Shwarz.
"It is what I consider to be an inappropriate direction. I think Sherwood is an exceptional owner and I also think that the people at the Argos are well intentioned but, in this case, I'm reluctant to talk specifically about my view on this before discussing with Sherwood."
Using sex to sell football was a tactic wholly endorsed by the XFL, the circuit founded by World Wrestling Federation boss Vince McMahon that folded this spring after only one season.
It was Argonaut president Jeff Giles who, a year ago when he was the president of the CFL, wanted the league to join forces with McMahon and combine the two leagues.
Lysko was known to be a strong opponent of that idea when he was interviewed for the commissioner's job last fall, before the XFL's first season began.
"I don't even think the XFL was this bad," said Ron Rooke, vice-president of the Calgary Stampeders, who lead the CFL with more than 24,000 season tickets sold. "I'm just shocked."
"It's a disgrace," he said of the Argo plan. "They can do whatever they want to market their team but it's disrespectful and it's inappropriate."
Rooke said the Stampeders have gone so far as to turn down sponsorship offers from the popular Hooters restaurant chain, which features busty waitresses in tight outfits.
"We are after the family and grassroots football fans," Rooke said.
Still, there are those who understand the challenge facing the Argos in Toronto, where the team has struggled at the gate for the better part of two decades, and there are only 4,500 season-ticket holders.
"I think it's unfair to take a shot at them because we don't know the market pressure," said Dave Jamieson, director of marketing for the Edmonton Eskimos.
"But I will say this: We wouldn't do that here. But I like that [Argo marketing director Geoff]Fardy and Giles know that they've got to get noticed and they feel this is the way to do it. I can't criticize that because here in Edmonton we have a loyal fan base that is football savvy and a good season-ticket base, so we're not up against the things they are up against. I don't think we should criticize a team that is trying to make a difference in their market."
For some CFL teams, such as the Montreal Alouettes, women are an important part of their fan base. The Als are one of several CFL teams that offer courses on football for women taught by the players leading up to the season.
"Women are 33 per cent of our customers," said Alouettes spokesman Louis-Philippe Dorais. "[Having strippers]is something we've never discussed, but we have to think about the women at our games, too."