Grey Cup game in limbo

[DaveJohnson]

Sportsnet has a story about the CFL post season in jeopardy. Read it <a target="_blank" href=http://www.sportsnet.ca/cfl/story/10292587138926.shtml?sport=football&amp;association=cf l&amp;STORY_OID=10292587138926> here </a>

[SatMike]

That's too bad. I agree some of the players in the CFL don't make much money. Most need to work other jobs in the off season just to make ends meet.

Maybe the Grey Cup winning team members should all get $250,000. That would be a pretty good incentive to get to the final game.

[ab348]

How much interest is there in the Grey Cup or the CFL generally these days? When I was a kid I used to watch it because there was nothing else to watch. But once I saw the NFL I quickly lost all interest. From the way the league has struggled I would say I'm not alone. Is this something that we should just let go of?

[Andrew8468]

The only thing I have seen in the NFL is a sure cure for insomnia.

The TV ratings are very good for the CFL so lots of people are watching, they just aren't going to the games for some reason.

[keenataz]

I think the main problem with the CFL is the roster turnover. Last nigh one on the Sport Networks were saying Calgary should be doing well because their receiving corp has been together two weeks.

Come on, set your roster, including injury reserves at the first of the year and stick with it. Don't keeo bring in NFL cuts through the summer.

[NovaMan]

The Maritimes needs a CFL team to complete the league. How about "The Maritime Midshipman".....We have close to 2,000,000 people in the 3 Maritime provinces and should be able to support a CFL team. Come on Irving or Oland families.

PS... We will have a large stadium in Halifax if we are awarded the Commonwealth Games....

[NovaMan]

That should read the .."Maritime Midshipmen" not "Midshipman" (one player would be given this label).

[MCIBUS]

This battle between the CFL &amp; NFL which is better,has been going on since the NFL started. even though the CFL(to my understanding) is older then the NFL. Is the CFL a better product than the NFL, some say YES!, some say NO! I guess all comes down to your prospective of the sport of football.

The only problem is, if lets say the CFL was to fold, and the NFL was to come Canada, because of the NFL schedule you really could only have three teams in Canada, Vancouver(covered staduim, though not necessarily need in winter), Toronto(Sky Dome, covered staduim, maybe need depending on each season winter) and Montreal(Oylmpic Staduim, same reason as Toronto).

As for the rest of the country, I'm sorry unless you decide to build a cover staduim, your more than unlikely going to get people going. Why? Simple even though you may get ome NFL teams that get snow during their games, its not the snow, its the TEMPS!! Honestly who here would sit in a open field staduim, in a middle of snow storm with the temp. siting at -30C wit windchill factors of -40C. And those say dress warmly, yes you could, but when they say this, its not ment that you sit outside for 3 HOURS and freeze your "TOOZEE'S, YOUR BUM-BUM, YOUR FAMILY JULLIES(BOTH MALE &amp; FEMALE)/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif OFF"

Also if you think going to a CFL game is expensive, wait til you see ticket prices for a NFL game, YOUR EYEBALLS WILL POP OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS, AND YOU'LL SAY "ARE NUTS THATS HIGHWAY ROBBERY" and for those who say "Well your paying for a better product" that all depends on how you see the product. Maybe in your opion its a better product(which your intiled to see in your view, amnd tere's nothing wrong with that), while at the same time, you may have those say its not worth the price(which there's nothing wrong with that either, as your intiled to your opion of the product as well, as for those for it).

Anyway myself I'm not really a FOOTBALL(North American Version)fan, I like FOOTBALL("EUROPEAN SOCCER IN NOTH AMERICA"-LOL), I'm more of a fan of that sport.

Well thats how I see it anyway, if those who agree with me thats oks, /forums/images/icons/smile.gif and for those who disagree with me NO BIGGIE thats ok too. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

PEACE UP TOM /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[Wyatt_Earp]

"Honestly who here would sit in a open field staduim, in a middle of snow storm with the temp. siting at -30C wit windchill factors of -40C."

The fans of Cleveland, Denver, Green Bay, Chicago, Buffalo, and New England thats who /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Granted most of those cities rarely see minus 30, but they certainly see there share of snow, freezing rain, temps below 15 degrees Farenheit etc. I will take a cold snowy day in Calgary over sitting in Soldier Stadium with freezing rain blowing in from Lake Michigan anyday. Of course being a Broncos fan I would be sitting in Mile High /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

[ab348]

I seriously doubt we can either afford or will get the Commonwealth Games (and people care about them even less than the CFL). There is no way Halifax will support a CFL team. Virtually nobody here even cares about the league from what I can tell. I suspect there are more New England Patriots fans here than fans of all the CFL teams combined.

[ab348]

Interesting article in the Globe and Mail today about the potential CFL strike. The gist of it is that it would be suicidal for CFL players to strike because every single one of them is replaceable. The article says that the average salary of CFL players is 2% (incredible) of that of NFL players, and that if they were to strike, the owners would simply bring in replacement "NFL rejects" or graduates from US College ranks who are not playing anywhere. It adds that the result would be the elimination of the Canadian player quota.

It sounds like the CFL isn't even a good minor league these days.

[NovaMan]

Quote: ab348
"There is no way Halifax will support a CFL team. Virtually nobody here even cares about the league from what I can tell."

I disagree. Look how well fans support Dal and SMU football (as well as Acadia and St. FX outside of the Metro area); you give Nova Scotians a good product and we'll support it.
If thousands of fans will support College Ball they can be trained to support Pro Football. IMHO

[noelk]

The CFL is alive and well. TV ratings are way up - about to surpass what the Blue Jays average! What the CFL has are a couple problem teams - the Argos and the Lions. There's little interest in these two cities and CFL - just imagine what the TV ratings would be if there were fans in the 1st and 3rd largest cities in the country! As for attendance - as I recall, its close to sellouts everwhere else.

CFL is definately on the upswing. I'd guess we'll see teams in three new cities before the decade is out: London, Quebec and Halifax.

Noel

[astrosfancbeaver]

Edmonton (aka West Green Bay) can support a CFL Team:
Here's why:
Both teams play in grass fields in cold cities.

Other similiarities between the two teams:
Both teams wear Green and Gold.
Both teams lead their leagues in # of Championships won (although this goes back to 1920- the start of the NFL)
(the Cowboys and 49ers have the most Lombardi trophies)

[SatMike]

I too think Halifax can support a team. I think that would be great for the league to have a team in the maritimes.

[Wyatt_Earp]

I would agree that there are some bright lights in the CFL, but I don't think I would say it is alive and well. Certainly some of the teams have strong attendance, however, none of the teams can boast "sell-out" crowds.

Take a look at Weeks 6 &amp;7 attendance which is pretty indicative of the whole season (I believe all of the stadiums have 30,000 plus capacity):

OTT at TOR 18,734
SSK at HAM 15,369
CAL at BC 15,117
EDM at MTL 20,002
HAM at EDM 38,852
MTL at OTT 26,221
TOR at CAL 31,920
BC at WPG 28,734
HAM at SSK 23,889
CAL at MTL 20,002

With the exception of Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg most teams are struggling to stay above 20,000 fans. Worst of all, as you pointed out Toronto and BC have the worst attendance figures. Sure we may be past the days of the Stamps S.O.S. ticket drives but the problems in Ottawa and Montreal are still very much recent history.

In my opinion there are 3 fundamental reasons why the CFL is unlikely to ever move beyond a constant state of limbo.:

1. The CFL for better or worse is essentially a farm league to the NFL. Few if any players or coaches want to be in the CFL but rather view it as a pretty good place to refine their skills until they get the call. Hence young talent is usually gone within 2-3 years, much like any other sports farm league.

2. Competition: the CFL has to compete against the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and to some extent summer holidays (i.e. fans are busy doing other things in July &amp; August). Further in order to remain competitive the CFL has kept tickets relatively low priced to attract fans. So while attendance numbers may be fairly healthy the revenue generated in most cases seems to be insufficient.

3. Lack of Diversity: with only 8 or 9 teams, constant swapping of marque players, coaches, etc. I think people find the CFL a bit repetitive at times.

In regards to London, Halifax, and Quebec City I pose the following question: Given that 6 of the 7 teams that operate in metro areas with 1 million or more people have a tough time drawing 25,000 fans to a game, how likely is it that cities with 40 - 70% fewer people will be successful?

[CSM]

For the "down East" Team, I believe it should be "The Newfie Knockers".

[BlueBomber85]

I believe the Als have sold out every game for the last few seasons since moving from the Big Owe to McGill.

However, one of the dumbest things the CFL does every year is schedule multiple games at the same time. In order to showcase the league, they need to schedule one game at a time.

Maybe TSN can't cover 4 or 5 games a week during the summer, but CBC comes in every September and finishes it. When we have 2 networks carrying 4 or 5 games a week, they should be televised.

[NovaMan]

Quote: CSM
"For the "down East" Team, I believe it should be "The Newfie Knockers". "
It wouldn't be nice for Maritimers to knock Newfies, they didn't do us any harm. /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif
Like most Westerners you are getting the Maritimes and the Atlantic Provinces mixed up... The team could be called "the Atlantic Oceans". /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

[2scoop]

Do live sporting events quallify as Cancon?
If they do why are there not more games on TV? They can't be that expensive to produce, compared to a series. It has always bugged me that only a handful of the games are televised. DON'T EVEN GET ME GOING on the CBC and its lackluster half season attempts. They come in after labour day and act like that is all there is to the season.

2

[pauldryan]

Actually , an excellent name for a sports team representing Atlantic Canada would be "The Swilers". Participation in the seal hunt has been part of the heritage of all four Atlantic Provinces...and picture the advertising tie-ins.

Like Cap'n Highliner's seal flipper pies...uuummm, uuummm, fresh from the pan.

A logo with a swiler clubbing a pup seal on the ice...nice /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif That would strike fear in the hearts of any opponents. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Paul

[noelk]

A couple things - live sports events DEFINATELY count as CanCon. That's one reason Jays rights still command some decent rights fees despite their decline in ratings.

For the CFL attendance figures, I think judging whether a team can draw 20,000 is a fair measure. With Montreal, they may be just over the threshold, but I believe that's their stadium's capacity, and it's ALWAYS close to a sellout.

With that threshold, three teams this season have yet to draw 20,000 fans to a game: Toronto, Hamilton and BC.

Montreal has drawn over 20,000 to every game but one, and Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Calgary and Edmonton have drawn over 20,000 to every game. It's clear where the league's problems are.

Noel

[astrosfancbeaver]

Get Hamilton out of the league. That'll solve all the problems except BC's. And BC plays in the evil twin to the Metrodome.