MARK’S LABOUR DAY WEEKEND: FUN, FOES AND FIGHTS FOR FIRST
Labour Day classics to serve up fierce battles for first place in each division
(TORONTO) For the second consecutive season, Mark’s will be the presenting sponsor of the Canadian Football League’s Labour Day Weekend. The Week 11 schedule will see highly anticipated match-ups between fierce rivals in front of boisterous capacity crowds as the CFL reaches its pivotal mid-way point of the season.
The B.C. Lions and Montreal Alouettes will kick off the weekend tonight on TSN's Thursday Night Football, as the two teams are currently trying to solidify themselves as playoff contenders and climb up their respective division standings.
On Sunday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will travel to a sold-out Mosaic Stadium to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders – a team they have not beaten on Labour Day Weekend in the past 10 years. In 51 Labour Day Weekend games between both teams, Saskatchewan has won 33, compared to Winnipeg’s 18 wins.
Monday afternoon will feature the Battle of Ontario, where the Toronto Argonauts aim to shake the confidence of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in front of another sold-out crowd at Tim Horton’s Field. In 44 Labour Day Weekend matches, Hamilton has won 30 times, compared to Toronto’s 13 wins (one tie in 2004). The winner of this year’s clash will take sole possession of the top spot in the East Division.
The Battle of Alberta will wrap up the Labour Day classics later on Monday in Calgary, where the Stampeders will be looking for their 4th straight Labour Day win against the Edmonton Eskimos. Overall in 54 Labour Day Classics, Edmonton has been victorious 29 times and Calgary 24 times (one tie in 1978). Monday night’s winner will become the leaders in the West Division standings.
Starting this weekend, in collaboration with TSN, Mark’s is bringing together experiences and shared moments of CFL fans across Canada in a truly engaging way. New technology within the existing TSN GO app will capture and curate content to encompass the CFL Game Day fan experiences from pre-game tailgates, in-stadium celebrations or private viewing parties. Canadians can submit their photos and videos using #MarksFanCam on social media from Labour Day Weekend through to the 103rd Grey Cup. TSN will use fan curated footage to create and share seven 30-second spots on TSN’s CFL broadcasts and social media platforms.
During the Labour Day Classics, Mark’s will also be engaging with fans through highly visible pre-game and in-game activations.
Mark’s Labour Day Weekend marks the mid-way point of the 2015 CFL season, where 63% of games have been decided in the last three minutes of play. The 103rd Grey Cup, presented by Shaw, will be played on November 29, 2015 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba and will be aired LIVE on TSN/RDS and ESPN2.
Quotes
“Labour Day Weekend is a fun, important and exciting tradition for CFL fans across our great country. In a crucial part of the year for our teams, Mark’s brings our passionate fan base closer to the action in unprecedented ways. We are proud that two of our partners – Mark’s and TSN – will take social media to new heights to give fans an inside look at all the unique celebrations in our football markets.” -Jeffrey L. Orridge, CFL Commissioner
“As a CFL partner, Mark’s is honoured to return as the presenting sponsor for the 2015 CFL Labour Day Weekend to celebrate Canadian football alongside the fans. Together with the CFL and TSN, we are bringing favourite CFL moments captured by fans on social media to Canadians during one of the biggest football weekends of the year.”
-Rick White, Chief Operating Officer for Mark’s
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