2015 CFL Season - Page 4

cjones2451 · #61 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 4:42 PM**

So is Huf a lock for Coach of the Year or does Chris Jones get votes for the turn around in Edmonton?

TimB09 · #62 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 4:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

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

Calgary is the only true place I know for CFL teams where there is tailgating.
We can't do it in Edmonton because of some bylaw I believe but that would be so cool to do.

Nathan · #63 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimB09

Calgary is the only true place I know for CFL teams where there is tailgating.
We can't do it in Edmonton because of some bylaw I believe but that would be so cool to do.

The Riders do a "tailgate party" on the practice field before every game and it's always packed. Slightly different, but its done nonetheless.

Also... Allowing tailgate parties isn't what is going to get people interested, the biggest thing holding the CFL back with some segments of fans is money... and the CFL won't be getting a $16 billion contract anytime soon, so that will persist.

Calgarian · #64 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

the biggest thing holding the CFL back with some segments of fans is money

I'd say it's the competition with the NFL that is the biggest thing holding the CFL back. It's a good brand of football, but the NFL is just so much better quality (there aren't penalties every other play in the NFL) and it's so much more professional in how it's packaged and marketed. Also the CFL isn't cool, so lots of people seem to want to hate it. The CFL needs more teams and they need to find a way to get Toronto fans interested and going to the games.

Nathan · #65 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I'd say it's the competition with the NFL that is the biggest thing holding the CFL back. It's a good brand of football, but the NFL is just so much better quality (there aren't penalties every other play in the NFL) and it's so much more professional in how it's packaged and marketed. Also the CFL isn't cool, so lots of people seem to want to hate it. The CFL needs more teams and they need to find a way to get Toronto fans interested and going to the games.

All of those items basically come down to the fact that the NFL has media deals with billions and the CFL tens of millions.

Calgarian · #66 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

All of those items basically come down to the fact that the NFL has media deals with billions and the CFL tens of millions.

That's a bit of an over simplification I think.

Nathan · #67 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

That's a bit of an over simplification I think.

I don't think so.

If the CFL had that much money, marketing and packaging would be basically done for them; media companies will do a lot of the work for them as they want to maximize revenues with such a huge investment, but the CFL would also have an embarrassing amount of money to throw around too (like the NFL does).

They could also afford to employ referees full time like the NFL does. Currently CFL referees have normal jobs and ref as a bit of a side-job/passion. This would increase consistency.

The CFL would be immediately "cool" if it was that rich (media companies would be pumping it up and constantly covering it if it had that much money swirling around the league), so that would solve that issue outright. We're still feeling the aftereffects from when Canadian media would scoff at the CFL, and there is still a bit of animosity in some quarters.

Then regarding more teams... If that much money was flowing into the league, you could bet you'd have people in places like Halifax, Quebec City, etc trying to get into the club and grab a piece of the pie. Eastern teams especially have an issue with profitability, usually relying on their turn at hosting the Grey Cup to make up for past losses. With the current framework, it's no wonder investors are a little harder to come by. The new media deal that just came in has brought some stability, but it isn't a huge money-making game changer.

esquire · #68 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

The CFL would be immediately "cool" if it was that rich (media companies would be pumping it up and constantly covering it if it had that much money swirling around the league), so that would solve that issue outright. We're still feeling the aftereffects from when Canadian media would scoff at the CFL, and there is still a bit of animosity in some quarters.

I get the impression that some media members sincerely believe that the NFL would be in Canada if it weren't for the CFL. I suppose this might be somewhat plausibly true in Toronto, but to hear people in Calgary or Montreal saying the same thing is patently ridiculous... whether you love it or hate it, the CFL is as good as it is ever going to get on the football front in all other Canadian cities.

Calgarian · #69 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:58 PM**

All I'm saying is you have to be good enough to attract that kind of deal in the first place, so if you have franchises losing money and potentially folding (or actually folding) like the CFL did before Cohon took over, you will never get that type of deal. Anyway, agree to disagree I guess.

Nathan · #70 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 6:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

All I'm saying is you have to be good enough to attract that kind of deal in the first place, so if you have franchises losing money and potentially folding (or actually folding) like the CFL did before Cohon took over, you will never get that type of deal. Anyway, agree to disagree I guess.

The NFL and CFL were basically on equal footing into the 60s with many players even choosing to play in the CFL rather than the NFL. Then the American media deals began and due to the difference in size of the markets, the CFL couldn't keep up. This difference grew and grew, and Canadian media started to abandon the CFL.

Yes, some decisions in the past hurt the CFL, but if money kept pace, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

ScreamingViking · #71 Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimB09

Calgary is the only true place I know for CFL teams where there is tailgating.
We can't do it in Edmonton because of some bylaw I believe but that would be so cool to do.

There seems to be more and more of it in Hamilton, mainly on the ball fields south of the stadium that are used for parking on gameday. I'm pretty sure there's a bylaw, but so long as it's well-behaved the authorities have looked the other way. The team has embraced it too - showing video of the pre-game festivities on the big screen.

The other neat thing I really only noticed this year, when the new stadium began to be used, was homeowners in the surrounding blocks having lawn parties out front (some of them even offering food to passing fans - I recall one house taking donations for a burger or hotdog). You'd always see folks hanging out on their porches, people-watching over a few beers, but it seems to be evolving.

Still nothing like the scale of tailgating around many US stadiums. But then again, you need the huge ocean of parking around the stadium to have that much of it.... not sure that's a trade-off I'd appreciate up here.

cjones2451 · #72 Posted **Jan 22, 2015, 5:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I'd say it's the competition with the NFL that is the biggest thing holding the CFL back. It's a good brand of football, but the NFL is just so much better quality (there aren't penalties every other play in the NFL) and it's so much more professional in how it's packaged and marketed. Also the CFL isn't cool, so lots of people seem to want to hate it. The CFL needs more teams and they need to find a way to get Toronto fans interested and going to the games.

Why can't someone like both? Overall its football

It seems there has to be a hate on for the CFL if they like the NFL?
Again, pick on officiating but the NFL has not looked great in the playoffs and all the BS with the Patriots, if that happened in the CFL, some people would call it Bush League
If someone is a NHL fans, does that mean they can't support the WHL/OHL/QMJHL, AHL, etc.
I don't get it

cjones2451 · #73 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 5:49 PM**

Following up on this, I was listening to TSN1040 on the way home and both well respected Football men Chris Berman (ESPN) and Peter King (Sports Illustrated) both had nothing but positive things to say about the CFL, the game and the people and their experiences up here last year. If these guys can embrace both why can't others. Every article I read online seems to have some joker at the comments section say the "CFL sucks", we need the NFL in Toronto, blah, blah, blah or something to that effect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Why can't someone like both? Overall its football

It seems there has to be a hate on for the CFL if they like the NFL?
Again, pick on officiating but the NFL has not looked great in the playoffs and all the BS with the Patriots, if that happened in the CFL, some people would call it Bush League
If someone is a NHL fans, does that mean they can't support the WHL/OHL/QMJHL, AHL, etc.
I don't get it

Andy6 · #74 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 5:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Why can't someone like both? Overall its football

It seems there has to be a hate on for the CFL if they like the NFL?
Again, pick on officiating but the NFL has not looked great in the playoffs and all the BS with the Patriots, if that happened in the CFL, some people would call it Bush League
If someone is a NHL fans, does that mean they can't support the WHL/OHL/QMJHL, AHL, etc.
I don't get it

It is hard to imagine a sport that is harder to officiate than Canadian football. The action moves around so fast and so unpredictably, plus there are 12 players per side and far more playing surface to cover than the NFL. The NFL moves like clockwork and play is pretty predictably down the middle of the field for relatively short yardage for the most part - it would be a lot easier to work an NFL game than a CFL game, I would think.

Steveston · #75 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Following up on this, I was listening to TSN1040 on the way home and both well respected Football men Chris Berman (ESPN) and Peter King (Sports Illustrated) both had nothing but positive things to say about the CFL, the game and the people and their experiences up here last year. If these guys can embrace both why can't others. Every article I read online seems to have some joker at the comments section say the "CFL sucks", we need the NFL in Toronto, blah, blah, blah or something to that effect.

If we judged the country by the tone and content of comments to on-line articles, we would be the second dumbest country on Earth.

When I read some of these comments, I often wonder: "who did these morons get to turn the computer on for them?"

cjones2451 · #76 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 8:27 PM**

Nice, sums it up well

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveston

If we judged the country by the tone and content of comments to on-line articles, we would be the second dumbest country on Earth.

When I read some of these comments, I often wonder: "who did these morons get to turn the computer on for them?"

Nathan · #77 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 9:17 PM**

So there have been some pretty major signings/trades in the last few days...

Sask and Toronto trade Foley and Emry
Sask re-signs Breckenridge
Montreal re-signs S. J. Green
Montreal names Calvillo receivers coach

And free agency is a bit over a week away with some fairly big names still out there.

Steveston · #78 Posted **Jan 29, 2015, 11:07 PM**

Lions looking to solidify their receiving corps with the signing of Austin Collie.

http://www.bclions.com/article/lions...-austin-collie

cjones2451 · #79 Posted **Jan 30, 2015, 4:49 PM**

Lions Canadian Depth on offence is looking good with Collie, Gore, Iannuzzi, Poblah, Haidara, and Harris

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveston

Lions looking to solidify their receiving corps with the signing of Austin Collie.

http://www.bclions.com/article/lions...-austin-collie

SkydivePilot · #80 Posted **Jan 30, 2015, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

So there have been some pretty major signings/trades in the last few days...

Sask and Toronto trade Foley and Emry
Sask re-signs Breckenridge
Montreal re-signs S. J. Green
Montreal names Calvillo receivers coach

And free agency is a bit over a week away with some fairly big names still out there.

Exactly! I'll bet the Riders will haul ass this year; they're signing up some impressive players!