CFL 2021 season?

[Acajack]

Even if it's a totally different code of football, the CPL seems in a pretty good position to eat the CFL's lunch.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Even if it's a totally different code of football, the CPL seems in a pretty good position to eat the CFL's lunch.

And that's probably why several CFL owners/ownership groups have stakes in the CPL (Young, Hunt, the Blue Bombers... maybe others?). The long game may indeed favour that league.

[LakeLocker]

Originally Posted by LakeLocker

Rel-Pro something that only makes sense when your league is the size of a small provinces, can't work in Canada. Without that mechanism a league dominated by 2-3 teams doesn't work. Ignoring the fact that soccer has a total monopoly on european sports, and doesn't have to worry about someone's interest going elsewhere.



You need a salary cap/balance, which means you need consistent income streams creating balance.

EDIT: should also be noted the prevalence of tied games, means that uneven teams is actually a benefit to the entertainment value of an unequal league.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

And that's probably why several CFL owners/ownership groups have stakes in the CPL (Young, Hunt, the Blue Bombers... maybe others?). The long game may indeed favour that league.

Personally I'd like to see both of them thrive.

[LakeLocker]

Originally Posted by TimB09

Yeah, I agree with this.

My wife and I don't want our son playing football as he grows up. I sustained a concussion playing high school football and I never played after that. Too many complications from it.

Football is going to have to figure out a way to limit this but as a contact sport, that'll be hard to eliminate the physical play.

Football just seems like a sport in real trouble. The speed of play, excess of commercial, and concussions are all reasons this sport is in trouble globally.

If Canadian football is serious about existing in the future, they need to up the game tempo and reduce the amount of head trauma that occurs.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by TimB09

Yeah, I agree with this.

My wife and I don't want our son playing football as he grows up. I sustained a concussion playing high school football and I never played after that. Too many complications from it.

Football is going to have to figure out a way to limit this but as a contact sport, that'll be hard to eliminate the physical play.

I'm in the same boat. My son loves sports and I'm happy to encourage him, but I would personally steer him away from football when there are so many other options.

I get the impression that football hasn't suffered much from this up to now, but it could be a major issue in the years ahead.

[thurmas]

it matters what position your kid plays if they are a skilled position QB, WR, DB,kicker should be fine if running back or oline/dline linebacker and safety obviously much more risk.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Personally I'd like to see both of them thrive.

Me too. The potential realities are just becoming more apparent to me.

Originally Posted by thurmas

it matters what position your kid plays if they are a skilled position QB, WR, DB,kicker should be fine if running back or oline/dline linebacker and safety obviously much more risk.

I'm not sure I can agree with that. Plenty of QBs have had concussion issues, lots of WR and DBs too... sometimes on account of players looking to make the "big hit" that often hurts them as much as the recipient.

Kicker is probably the safest position of all though.

The guys in the trenches take multiple, multiple hits throughout the games and seasons and it adds up.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm in the same boat. My son loves sports and I'm happy to encourage him, but I would personally steer him away from football when there are so many other options.

I get the impression that football hasn't suffered much from this up to now, but it could be a major issue in the years ahead.

Let us no forget that hockey and soccer have their concussion issues as well.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Let us no forget that hockey and soccer have their concussion issues as well.

Yeah, I don't want to convey the impression that I'm blind to that. But (and I obviously stand to be corrected here), I get the impression that the risk level is lower for both. Soccer in particular when you remove the headers from young age groups. Hockey certainly carries risk, but it seems that the overall contact level is lower compared to football, where as thurmas noted, some positions are involved in potentially hard hits on every play.

[The S'toon Goon]

I wouldn't be surprised if concussions in sport have peaked. As a society we've come to realize the seriousness of head injuries and have implemented solutions. Football leagues are making better equipment mandatory. There are rules designed to make things safer. And the coaching has changed (it wasn't all that long ago defenders were taught to lead with their head!) Injuries will forever be apart of sport. That's just the way it is. But sports will continue to adapt.

[LakeLocker]

Originally Posted by The S'toon Goon

I wouldn't be surprised if concussions in sport have peaked. As a society we've come to realize the seriousness of head injuries and have implemented solutions. Football leagues are making better equipment mandatory. There are rules designed to make things safer. And the coaching has changed (it wasn't all that long ago defenders were taught to lead with their head!) Injuries will forever be apart of sport. That's just the way it is. But sports will continue to adapt.

This is wishful thinking.

Obviously you won't see people continually pummeling their brain cells into oblivion.

But it seems like concussions are becoming as normal as groin pulls etc.

The level of head trauma is obviously far more common than we expected.

But I don't think it will make anyone less likely to get hurt.

Competitive sports are incredibly dangerous.

Turns out concussion own a more substantial share of the damage done, but I don't see it being much of a literal "game changer".

[thurmas]

As a kid I was way more afraid of injuries when I played hockey than football just one tricky move and checked head first to the boards or a skate to the throat terrified me.

[thurmas]

2021 CFL season may not be ‘plausible’, league could look to 2022: report

https://3downnation.com/2021/02/12/2...o-2022-report/

The flashy spending around CFL free agency has many fans and prognosticators optimistic about the prospect of a 2021 CFL season, but some close to the league remain unconvinced.

Edmonton Sun reporter Gerry Moddejonge reported the sentiments of an anonymous source “familiar with the league at an executive level” and their feelings were anything but positive.

“To be frank with you, I don’t even know this year if it’s plausible for them to play with the (COVID-19) numbers and everything the way they are. It would honestly be, to me, smarter for them to forego another season and plan for 2022,” the source said.

Two canceled seasons would potentially be devastating, but Moddejonge’s high-level source believes there are benefits as well. With instability in B.C. and fresh ownership in Montreal, another year would allow those teams to reset while a long-term deal with the players could be more easily hashed out given time. Most importantly, it would guarantee packed stadiums.

“It would give you a chance for the fan base to be vaccinated and get their butts in seats, versus not having everybody vaccinated and pushing for people to do these large-crowd and large-venue gatherings,” the source explained.

“So, to me, the planning and ability to pull it off very successfully for the long-term, would be better right now if they forego even the 2021 season and then went and did the 2022.”

In a league filled with uncertainty, a canceled 2021 season would allow for a complete reset that would usher the CFL into the next chapter with a long-term plan in place.

“Just make it kind of a complete rebuild, every team has a chance to rebuild, regroup, redo. They’ll know what the salary cap is for the next four or five years if they get the right deal in place so then they can plan with a player contract appropriately,” the source said.

Randy Ambrosie has promised plenty of football in 2021 and fans would have a hard time swallowing anything less than that guarantee, but the source insists his idea isn’t simply speculation. Look no further than the Edmonton Football Team, currently being run by a skeleton crew without any of the essential personnel hired to pull off a season.

“All the other clubs have put a good face on, to be frank. They’ve kept their staff, they’ve kept their coaches – all at reduced fees, and they’ll have to take a little bit of a pay cut – but Edmonton’s the only one that let everybody go and furloughed everybody,” he revealed.

“And also, Edmonton’s the only team that has done the biggest slashes to their whole organization. So, if they start rehiring then I’ll believe the season’s imminent. Just like the league office, they let a lot of people go and until they start rehiring I won’t think there’s a season imminent, on the forefront.”

Edmonton could be the canary in the coal mine for the 2021 season and fans will be watching with bated breath. While football this season is what everybody wants, the source insists that another year off is really what’s needed.

“Take the year to plan for 2022 and get it right so you can have a focused format for years to come,” he said. “And then when the CFL comes back, it’s not, ‘OK, this is what we’re doing this year as a Band-aid.”

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by thurmas

2021 CFL season may not be ‘plausible’, league could look to 2022: report

https://3downnation.com/2021/02/12/2...o-2022-report/

The flashy spending around CFL free agency has many fans and prognosticators optimistic about the prospect of a 2021 CFL season, but some close to the league remain unconvinced.

Edmonton Sun reporter Gerry Moddejonge reported the sentiments of an anonymous source “familiar with the league at an executive level” and their feelings were anything but positive.

“To be frank with you, I don’t even know this year if it’s plausible for them to play with the (COVID-19) numbers and everything the way they are. It would honestly be, to me, smarter for them to forego another season and plan for 2022,” the source said.

Two canceled seasons would potentially be devastating, but Moddejonge’s high-level source believes there are benefits as well. With instability in B.C. and fresh ownership in Montreal, another year would allow those teams to reset while a long-term deal with the players could be more easily hashed out given time. Most importantly, it would guarantee packed stadiums.

“It would give you a chance for the fan base to be vaccinated and get their butts in seats, versus not having everybody vaccinated and pushing for people to do these large-crowd and large-venue gatherings,” the source explained.

“So, to me, the planning and ability to pull it off very successfully for the long-term, would be better right now if they forego even the 2021 season and then went and did the 2022.”

In a league filled with uncertainty, a canceled 2021 season would allow for a complete reset that would usher the CFL into the next chapter with a long-term plan in place.

“Just make it kind of a complete rebuild, every team has a chance to rebuild, regroup, redo. They’ll know what the salary cap is for the next four or five years if they get the right deal in place so then they can plan with a player contract appropriately,” the source said.

Randy Ambrosie has promised plenty of football in 2021 and fans would have a hard time swallowing anything less than that guarantee, but the source insists his idea isn’t simply speculation. Look no further than the Edmonton Football Team, currently being run by a skeleton crew without any of the essential personnel hired to pull off a season.

“All the other clubs have put a good face on, to be frank. They’ve kept their staff, they’ve kept their coaches – all at reduced fees, and they’ll have to take a little bit of a pay cut – but Edmonton’s the only one that let everybody go and furloughed everybody,” he revealed.

“And also, Edmonton’s the only team that has done the biggest slashes to their whole organization. So, if they start rehiring then I’ll believe the season’s imminent. Just like the league office, they let a lot of people go and until they start rehiring I won’t think there’s a season imminent, on the forefront.”

Edmonton could be the canary in the coal mine for the 2021 season and fans will be watching with bated breath. While football this season is what everybody wants, the source insists that another year off is really what’s needed.

“Take the year to plan for 2022 and get it right so you can have a focused format for years to come,” he said. “And then when the CFL comes back, it’s not, ‘OK, this is what we’re doing this year as a Band-aid.”

Another year off would guarantee packed stadiums.

Yeah sure. Has this source every heard of out of sight, out of mind? Many people (those with finances not decimated by shutdowns) will have moved on to other interests. Once you lose a fan, it's hard to regain their attention. 2.5 years without CFL football also makes it difficult to gain new younger fans.

Let's not forget many fans who would like to attend games may no longer be able to afford the pleasure. This would have affected attendance in a noticeable way even without the cancelled 2020 season....likely a leaguewide decrease of 2-3,000 per game.

CFL attendance has been trending down for 7 years from 28,000 in 2012 to 22,900 in 2019 - a decline of over 5,000 per game. Combine that with a potential 2.5 year absence, loss of corporate support and fan support due to business shutdowns and I think it is reasonable that average CFL attendance is likely to be 18-19,000 per game. Eh, I might be a little optimistic with that guestimate.

I will be blunt here. That source is full of shit if they think it is in the best interest of the league to shutdown operations for another year and "rebuild" in 2022. More like the death of the league if that comes to pass. This source is likely some goof from southern Ontario who still has wet dreams about the NFL relocating a team to Toronto.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm in the same boat. My son loves sports and I'm happy to encourage him, but I would personally steer him away from football when there are so many other options.

I get the impression that football hasn't suffered much from this up to now, but it could be a major issue in the years ahead.

My son played minor football for 5 years from 2011-2015. 2015 was when he was in 8th grade, so these are basically pre-teenage kids. We did see some injuries in the league, but not a lot. I do remember a kid broke a leg one year, but for the most part, the kids were so small, it was hard for them to hurt each other. At least until the 12 and 13 year olds that were serious about looking ahead to high school football anyway. I asked my son if he wanted to continue after he aged out and he said "No, this is going to get painful, that was enough of that" lol.

Concussion news was getting pretty big during that timeframe as well, and the result could be seen in numbers of players. In 2012, the league had 10 sites, each with 3 age group teams. So basically 30 teams and about 750 players. In his final year of 2015, they were down to 8 sites, and not all 8 were able to field all 3 age groups. His team had 16 or 17 players which meant a lot of players never came off the field. So maybe 500 or so players. A drop of a third in 3 years. The big plus compared to hockey was it was barely a 3 month commitment. They practiced 2 nights a week for 2 hours, optional Saturday morning, and games on Sunday. 7 regular games, a playoff weekend and a championship weekend first weekend of November, then done until August lol. Hockey seemed to be year round lol.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

My son played minor football for 5 years from 2011-2015. 2015 was when he was in 8th grade, so these are basically pre-teenage kids. We did see some injuries in the league, but not a lot. I do remember a kid broke a leg one year, but for the most part, the kids were so small, it was hard for them to hurt each other. At least until the 12 and 13 year olds that were serious about looking ahead to high school football anyway. I asked my son if he wanted to continue after he aged out and he said "No, this is going to get painful, that was enough of that" lol.

Concussion news was getting pretty big during that timeframe as well, and the result could be seen in numbers of players. In 2012, the league had 10 sites, each with 3 age group teams. So basically 30 teams and about 750 players. In his final year of 2015, they were down to 8 sites, and not all 8 were able to field all 3 age groups. His team had 16 or 17 players which meant a lot of players never came off the field. So maybe 500 or so players. A drop of a third in 3 years. The big plus compared to hockey was it was barely a 3 month commitment. They practiced 2 nights a week for 2 hours, optional Saturday morning, and games on Sunday. 7 regular games, a playoff weekend and a championship weekend first weekend of November, then done until August lol. Hockey seemed to be year round lol.

My son played in Regina Minor Football. Great organization, the time and equipment requirements were reasonable (the league owned all the equipment except for shoes and gloves).
Year round hockey is ruining the game as far as I'm concerned. When I was a kid it was Baseball in the spring/summer, football in the fall, hockey once the ice froze, Basketball and Volleyball at the school gyms and then baseball to start the cycle again.
Now it seems to be hockey hockey HOCKEY!!!!!!!!

[esquire]

The CFL is in deep trouble if it can't get a 2021 season off the ground. Those guys are fooling themselves if they think they can take a year off like it's no big deal. They are going to lose a lot of fans and sponsors if that happens.

[thurmas]

even the WHL announced they will have a season now as a hub out of Regina and they have no fan attendance or tv money to speak of. CFL better have a fall season or they will die off. Worst case have a late fall winter season in the 2 dome stadiums in Vancouver and Montreal.

[blueandgoldguy]

Typical costs for running a WHL team are around $5 million or so from what I hear. Players are not paid, they billet, and on road trips they travel by bus, not by plane. Contrast that with the CFL - players are paid, travel by plane on road trips, players stay at hotels. Factor in significantly larger rosters, larger coaching and training staffs, per diems and the day-to-day operations of a CFL team are noticeably more expensive.

I'm sure a half season starting in September playing to 25% stadium capacity will still result in losses of $5 million or more per team. Of course, if the league's owners chose not to play it likely leads to the end of the league.