Edmonton football fans loyal despite ‘brutal’ home winless record

It’s hard being an Edmonton Elks fan.

The Elks are coming off an eighth loss this CFL season, a second shutout – and the worst run of home losses in North American professional sports history.

Edmonton has lost a record 21 consecutive home games – a string of futility stretching back to Oct. 12, 2019.

While fans are obviously frustrated, many remained hopeful in speaking to CityNews this weekend.

“We’re not going to take this record as a whole, as a city, it’s something we will get by,” said fan Adam Zuniga. “Hopefully this season it’ll be done, it shouldn’t continue anymore. I hope this is the end of it. It’s the record-setter but the record-ender. It should be, I hope so.”

“I’ve been to three (games) and all I can say is don’t stop coming, support the team,” added Jason Tchir. “Even though it’s a rough stage right now, support the team and hopefully in the future they will get back to their roots and will turn this around.”

“I still had a great time,” said Samuel Vandrmeer, who was at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday evening to see the Elks lose 27-0 to the B.C. Lions. “It’s always a great atmosphere no matter what, but I wish they won.”

Edmonton Elks head coach Chris Jones reacts to an interception on his team while playing the B.C. Lions during second half CFL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday July 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson.

Fan loyalty is tough to shake, according to sportswriter Avry Lewis-McDougall.

“A lot of fans are loyal to the team, win loss or draw,” he said. “Some fans have gone away but some have stayed because there are a lot of fans who want to see this team turn things around. And they’re going to keep coming, and they’re going to keep that hope up that the team will find a way to get that one win, to turn things around.

“When you’re a fan for 10, 15, 20 years, or in some cases 35 or 40 years, it’s hard to walk away and say you’re done because it’s been engrained in you for generations to support this team through thick and thin.

“You can voice your displeasure, you can be mad at it, but it’s tough for some fans to say they’re done completely.”

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Saturday’s blowout loss surpassed the longest run of consecutive home losses held by Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Browns, who lost 20 straight in 1953 before becoming the Baltimore Orioles the following season.

“It’s too bad to have that record but I know that this organization as a whole, they have pride,” said Elks fan Zuniga. “You see the numbers, people walking out here no matter what.”

Edmonton has also lost 12 straight games overall.

Blame it on the name?

One fan told CityNews the name change in 2020 – from Eskimos to Elks – ultimately hurt the team.

“I really believe if they want to survive, they need to go back to their home roots, go back with the original plan that they had back when they were the Eskimos,” said Tchir.

“When you break tradition, it ruins the team.”

Another believes a team is about more than a name or logo.

“Absolutely brutal,” said Jaxson Thys. “These guys, they come in and think if they change the name things will be alright, but things don’t change with that. You change the name but you don’t change the players, that’s going to create some problems.”

WATCH: Elks match North American professional sports record for consecutive home losses

Sportswriter Lewis-McDougall agrees with that sentiment.

“I think the idea of blaming this on a name or a brand is silly because teams from many leagues from the last few decades have changed their names,” he said.

“A name can’t win a football game, a name can’t throw a pass, a name can’t run the ball.”

Coaching changes could be forthcoming

Lewis-McDougall envisions potential personnel changes in the team’s future as a way to shake things up.

“There’s a cap on coaching hires, so they can’t do much right now, which is unfortunate for them,” he said. “They will have to ride things out with what they have for the next little bit. I know fans don’t want to hear that.

“Even with the cap, it’s hard for me to think that the team won’t do something in that aspect, because when you keep running back the same thing over and over and over again, and the same results keep happening, it doesn’t make much sense. So I don’t see ownership changes, but I could see many an assistant coach is let go, or maybe someone else is promoted to try to and get something changed.”

Lewis-McDougall believes Elks fans, in terms of the bigger picture, already need to set their sights on next year.

“Starting the year 0-8, it’s going to be really tough to recover,” he said. “So right now unfortunately they are looking forward to next year.

“I think they will recover. Every team has an era where they lose a bit and struggle. No team in pro sports – outside of the Vegas Golden Knights – has had all sunshine and roses. They will find a way to get through this, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

—With files from The Canadian Press