2015 CFL Season - Page 3

Dr Awesomesauce · #41 Posted **Jan 10, 2015, 11:42 PM**

Yeah, we're probably stuck with what we've got - a season that starts too early and runs a couple weeks too late.

ScreamingViking · #42 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 1:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

Prior to 1986, the CFL season was 16 games or fewer. No idea when the season started or finished but there you go - nothing to do with the NFL.

But they dropped the pre-season from 4 to 2 games to do it.

Wikipedia's List of Grey Cup Champions has dates for the big game. It has usually been the last week of November or early December, with a few since the early 80s that were the second-last week of November.

You'd have to move up training camp to make a substantial change in timing of the playoffs and championship.

craner · #43 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 4:59 AM**

I really don't understand any argument against moving the season up by a month.

Boreal · #44 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 5:21 AM**

The CFL playing outdoors in November is ridiculous. There is no coherent arugment for sitting outside in Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton or Calgary in November for 3+ hours.

Whatever you lose at the front end of the season (potentially to NHL playoffs) by moving the season back 3 weeks or whatever, is totally gained by not having to beg fans to buy tickets after the pumpkins go rotten.

Steveston · #45 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boreal

The CFL playing outdoors in November is ridiculous. There is no coherent arugment for sitting outside in Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton or Calgary in November for 3+ hours.

Whatever you lose at the front end of the season (potentially to NHL playoffs) by moving the season back 3 weeks or whatever, is totally gained by not having to beg fans to buy tickets after the pumpkins go rotten.

And yet, the fans will attend games in Cleveland, Cincinatti, Green Bay, Foxboro, Buffalo, Chicago, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington and Denver in December and January (select cities only).

The S'toon Goon · #46 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 5:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveston

And yet, the fans will attend games in Cleveland, Cincinatti, Green Bay, Foxboro, Buffalo, Chicago, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington and Denver in December and January (select cities only).

I wonder if the the ability to tailgate at NFL games helps, since fans can load up with 'anti-freeze' to help cope with the cold!

I think another possible benefit of moving the schedule up a little, would be the oppurtunity to consistently hold games on Canada day. I know it can be done now, but with it being the season opener it is already a big draw. If it were say a week 3 event, that could be another marquee game that could potentially one day be on par with Labour Day. I think that perhaps having Ottawa hosting a Canada game every year could end up being quite a spectacle.

Andy6 · #47 Posted **Jan 11, 2015, 8:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The S'toon Goon

I wonder if the the ability to tailgate at NFL games helps, since fans can load up with 'anti-freeze' to help cope with the cold!

I think another possible benefit of moving the schedule up a little, would be the oppurtunity to consistently hold games on Canada day. I know it can be done now, but with it being the season opener it is already a big draw. If it were say a week 3 event, that could be another marquee game that could potentially one day be on par with Labour Day. I think that perhaps having Ottawa hosting a Canada game every year could end up being quite a spectacle.

I don't know - a lot of people are away at that time. They haven't traditionally held weekend games in summertime in Winnipeg because way too many season ticket holders are at the lake on those weekends. Other cities may be different but there are a lot of considerations that go into this, such as TSN not really wanting to have this huge block of programming stop halfway through the fall TV season.

More broadly, I don't see what the problem is. Football is a fall sport, Canada is a cold country, and most of the most famous games in CFL history - on which much of the image of the league rests - are famous because of harsh weather conditions that were overcome in keeping with our Canadian character. Perhaps an arena football league could be launched in Canada for those who want to bask in climate-controlled comfort at all times while watching/playing sports.

esquire · #48 Posted **Jan 12, 2015, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Other cities may be different but there are a lot of considerations that go into this, such as TSN not really wanting to have this huge block of programming stop halfway through the fall TV season.

I suspect that you may have nailed it right there.

cjones2451 · #49 Posted **Jan 12, 2015, 9:43 PM**

Good on Mike Benevides for taking a year off and putting family first. Sure left the Riders scrambling for a DC, as I think they were counting on him accepting it. But the announcement on Greg Quick came fast so I am sure he was on the short list.

esquire · #50 Posted **Jan 12, 2015, 9:57 PM**

Still waiting on Richie Hall as DC in Winnipeg... the papers would have us believe it's a done deal

cjones2451 · #51 Posted **Jan 19, 2015, 4:29 PM**

I really think the CFL (at least in the Vancouver market) needs a huge bounce back year and a big improvement in scoring and excitement. I know tons of people who are Seahawks fans and I think the Lions could really lose out as Seattle gains popularity in this market. I know it is possible to be "football" fans and follow both leagues but it seems at least to me, younger people pick one or the other not both.

That being said, I think the Lions with Jeff Tedford and a new staff and philosophy will have a great year IF Travis Lulay can stay healthy

VANRIDERFAN · #52 Posted **Jan 19, 2015, 5:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

I really think the CFL (at least in the Vancouver market) needs a huge bounce back year and a big improvement in scoring and excitement. I know tons of people who are Seahawks fans and I think the Lions could really lose out as Seattle gains popularity in this market. I know it is possible to be "football" fans and follow both leagues but it seems at least to me, younger people pick one or the other not both.

That being said, I think the Lions with Jeff Tedford and a new staff and philosophy will have a great year IF Travis Lulay can stay healthy

Curious to see the report on the popularity of 4 down football in Vancouver that will be aired on CTV Vancouver tonight.

Secretly I was hoping for the Packers to win yesterday so that this Seahawk madness in the lower mainland would end.

But I was happy to see Jon Ryan make that TD throw! Go Rams!

Back to the popularity of the NFL. Well it just seems that the tidal wave of all things NFL has overwhelmed this market. That is too bad, because I just cannot understand why Canadians (young and old) cannot appreciate both leagues. I certainly do.

esquire · #53 Posted **Jan 19, 2015, 5:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Curious to see the report on the popularity of 4 down football in Vancouver that will be aired on CTV Vancouver tonight.

Secretly I was hoping for the Packers to win yesterday so that this Seahawk madness in the lower mainland would end.

But I was happy to see Jon Ryan make that TD throw! Go Rams!

Back to the popularity of the NFL. Well it just seems that the tidal wave of all things NFL has overwhelmed this market. That is too bad, because I just cannot understand why Canadians (young and old) cannot appreciate both leagues. I certainly do.

Vancouver is really the closest thing that we have to a city with teams in both pro leagues. Toronto has a much weirder relationship with the Bills... The stadium is a bit farther away, and there is a bit of a complex about cheering a team from a gritty, hardscrabble city like Buffalo. Vancouver on the other hand does not face those issues. They might as well enjoy it!

Dr Awesomesauce · #54 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 12:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Vancouver is really the closest thing that we have to a city with teams in both pro leagues. Toronto has a much weirder relationship with the Bills... The stadium is a bit farther away, and there is a bit of a complex about cheering a team from a gritty, hardscrabble city like Buffalo. Vancouver on the other hand does not face those issues. They might as well enjoy it!

^Not entirely sure what you mean by 'a city with teams in both leagues' but Hamilton-Niagara is very much Bills' territory and is just a stone's throw from Buffalo - much closer than Van-Seattle. I would agree with you, though, that Toronto football fans have a peculiar relationship with Buffalo.

ScreamingViking · #55 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 1:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Vancouver is really the closest thing that we have to a city with teams in both pro leagues. Toronto has a much weirder relationship with the Bills... The stadium is a bit farther away, and there is a bit of a complex about cheering a team from a gritty, hardscrabble city like Buffalo. Vancouver on the other hand does not face those issues. They might as well enjoy it!

Buffalo's stadium is actually closer to downtown Toronto via highway than Seattle's is to downtown Vancouver (~180km vs. ~230km).

But I'm not sure what the "closeness" of the local media is for each. That probably matters more.

VANRIDERFAN · #56 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 3:07 AM**

So I watched the CTV Vancouver report on Seahawks/Lions. Typical fluff piece with the poll at the end.
Why do they never ever have a choice where you can like both leagues?

Not surprised at the television numbers. It was a good game, there is no competition against them, and it is on broadcast TV. Unlike the CFL who is on cable and is head to head with NFL, NHL and NBA when they play.

esquire · #57 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Buffalo's stadium is actually closer to downtown Toronto via highway than Seattle's is to downtown Vancouver (~180km vs. ~230km).

But I'm not sure what the "closeness" of the local media is for each. That probably matters more.

Wow, didn't realize that. I thought Seattle was closer. I also didn't know that Hamilton was staunch Bills territory (never really noticed it on previous visits there), although I guess it stands to reason.

ScreamingViking · #58 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 5:43 AM**

The Bills are said to draw a significant number of fans from this region of southern Ontario (not sure what the current numbers are) and for a long time it was hard to miss the promos on the Buffalo TV stations, especially in the early '90s during their Super Bowl appearance streak. The media exposure has changed, I think, now that we have so many more cable stations and don't rely on the ABC/NBC/CBS channels so much.

Among NFL fans I'm not sure what proportion of Bills fans there are vs. other teams - anecdotally, I knew a few people who followed the team, but lots of others who didn't (the Steelers, Packers, 49ers, and Cowboys were also quite popular in my circles). But I also knew people who were not specifically Bills fans that would attend a game or two every year for the experience of it.

Lots of NCAA fans around here too.

cjones2451 · #59 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 4:55 PM**

Would the CFL be more popular in Canada if there was tailgating like in Buffalo?

esquire · #60 Posted **Jan 20, 2015, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Would the CFL be more popular in Canada if there was tailgating like in Buffalo?

Anything that makes the game experience more fun could only help.