CFL 2025

[bone]

Let's hope so.

Definitely better if it's a ruffle in the shirt and not too many Ruffles in his belly.

 

[MoontoScott]

There

Definitely better if it's a ruffle in the shirt and not too many Ruffles in his belly.

There is a lot riding on Tre Ford.

Not just his salary but the notion of "can the EE ever be really good again." If he stumbles it will simply reinforce the idea that the Eskies can't be revived.

I am hopeful though. It's interesting that 3 D-linemen come over from the champion Argos. The cost of living in Toronto is a little rich for CFL salaries.

Still a long way to go but we are on the right track.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[MoontoScott]

Good news indeed--thanks for the update.

 

[Stoneman89]

I thought he was pretty decent while was here for the one year, and he was very good last year, so I see this as a solid move.

 

[MoontoScott]

I thought he was pretty decent while was here for the one year, and he was very good last year, so I see this as a solid move.

Over 1100 receiving yards last year and a whopping 15 yard average--those are great numbers and he just turned 29 so he has about 5 seasons left.

It's true that you don't necessarily need a 1000+ yard receiver in the lineup but it helps. Someone that might draw double coverage is always a bonus.

He had a disappointing year in 2023 for the EE but so did 90% of the players so you just move on.

This was a good signing for the club.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[bellagiobob]

Sorry dude, don’t think you’re the Ja’marr Chase of the CFL.

 

[MoontoScott]

Sorry dude, don’t think you’re the Ja’marr Chase of the CFL.

Dunbar is on the same level so no one is going to miss "Mr. Chase." Big talent but extra big ego. My guess is he's out of football within 2 years. On to the next.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Stoneman89]

More good work by the Herv.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[MoontoScott]

MSN

Sounds like this is the type of guy you want in order to get back to the EE way.

He sees it as a privilege to play in Edmonton.

 

[abootzky]

Awesome to hear that great guy (& fantastic former player) Almondo Sewell has landed a coaching gig with the U of A Golden Bears. This will be a good chance for him to gain further coaching experience after helping the Elks get past the Nate O'Neal debacle last year.

 

[brentashton]

Sad story. But man, Jearld Baylis was a baller back then.

Lost & found, too late
DARRELL DAVIS Postmedia Network

Toronto Sun
Feb 27, 2025
Jearld Baylis passed away without ever being told he'd been inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Jearld Baylis died not knowing he was a Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee.

A dominant defensive tackle who played for the CFL'S Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts, B.C. Lions and Baltimore Stallions, with whom he won the 1995 Grey Cup, Baylis was officially part of the Class of 2020. But the Hall couldn't find him, couldn't tell him, couldn't honour him. So his induction was deferred.

“That's not uncommon,” said Eric Noivo, executive director of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame & Museum. “Sometimes it takes weeks or months to find an inductee, but this took years.”

Helped by a security consultant who does background checks on

Hall of Fame candidates and frequently helped find long-lost inductees such as Mervyn Fernandez, Tom Hugo and Marvin Coleman, Noivo recently found a newspaper article confirming Baylis' death. According to Mississippi Today sports columnist Rick Cleveland, Baylis died last month at 62 in an unknown location.

“Details of his death are sketchy,” wrote Cleveland, who recalled Baylis earning the nickname “The Space Ghost” during his stellar college career at Southern Mississippi. “But he had suffered from bouts with pneumonia preceding his death.”

Former teammates and opponents admitted they hadn't seen Baylis for years.

Unwanted by the NFL after leaving college, Baylis played in the USFL before spending 1986-89 with the Argonauts. Along with Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Pless, Baylis was one of six Argos traded to B.C. for Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Dunigan. An injury sidelined Baylis in 1990 and he was waived midway through the next season while Dunigan was leading the Argos to the 1991 Grey Cup.

When Dunigan played at Louisiana Tech, one of his most memorable victories came against Baylis' squad. The rivalry continued throughout their CFL careers.

“I couldn't shake the guy,” said Dunigan, who is a member of the Hall of Fame's selection committee. “I had to play against him in college, then I come up here and there's that (bleep) guy again! I have profound respect for him, which is why we put him into the hall five years ago.

“He garnered lots of attention because he deserved it, because he needed two or sometimes three guys on him. There are guys in every game who you play against, you want to know where they are. My job as a quarterback was to survey the defence and look for Jearld Baylis. I didn't have to look very far because has right there.”

Dunigan said Baylis' best years came in Baltimore, where his strong interior presence created space for pass-rushers like Elfrid Payton, another Hall of Famer.

“I had to retire because of concussions and my CTE in 1996,” said Dunigan. “I took a pounding. And a lot of it was because of Jearld Baylis.”

Riders head coach Don Matthews brought Baylis to Saskatchewan for two seasons, posting third-place records of 9-9 and 11-7 before losing West semfinals in Edmonton. After Baylis was named he CFL'S outstanding defensive player in

1993, together they joined the shortlived Baltimore franchise for the player's final two CFL seasons. He played 12 Arena Football League games in 1997.

“Jearld Baylis makes me a much smarter coach,” said Matthews, a

Hall of Fame coach who died in

2017, whenever he was asked about one of the CFL'S most dominant nose tackles, proficient at stopping running backs and pressuring quarterbacks.

Baylis and his wife, Lucy, organized football clinics during their time in Regina. After they left the city in 1993, several organizations and property owners contacted the Leader-post to complain about unpaid bills. Ex-teammates told the L-P they don't believe Baylis has been back in Regina for 30-plus years. He reportedly has lived in Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon and Washington.

Baylis was the first of three Roughriders to have won the CFL'S top defensive player award, followed by defensive end John Chick in 2009 and defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. in 2024.

Only 6-foot-0 and 265 pounds, Baylis was exceptionally quick and strong off the line of scrimmage. In 129 games through 10 CFL seasons he had 42 sacks, 213 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries and four times made the league's all-star team.

Seven inductees have already been chosen by the Hall for 2025; they will likely be announced in March. Noivo said there are provisions that could add Baylis as an eighth inductee this year, provided the Hall can contact his family. Or Baylis will be inducted posthumously in 2026.

 

[MoontoScott]

Sad story. But man, Jearld Baylis was a baller back then.

Lost & found, too late
DARRELL DAVIS Postmedia Network

Toronto Sun
Feb 27, 2025
Jearld Baylis passed away without ever being told he'd been inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Jearld Baylis died not knowing he was a Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee.

A dominant defensive tackle who played for the CFL'S Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts, B.C. Lions and Baltimore Stallions, with whom he won the 1995 Grey Cup, Baylis was officially part of the Class of 2020. But the Hall couldn't find him, couldn't tell him, couldn't honour him. So his induction was deferred.

“That's not uncommon,” said Eric Noivo, executive director of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame & Museum. “Sometimes it takes weeks or months to find an inductee, but this took years.”

Helped by a security consultant who does background checks on

Hall of Fame candidates and frequently helped find long-lost inductees such as Mervyn Fernandez, Tom Hugo and Marvin Coleman, Noivo recently found a newspaper article confirming Baylis' death. According to Mississippi Today sports columnist Rick Cleveland, Baylis died last month at 62 in an unknown location.

“Details of his death are sketchy,” wrote Cleveland, who recalled Baylis earning the nickname “The Space Ghost” during his stellar college career at Southern Mississippi. “But he had suffered from bouts with pneumonia preceding his death.”

Former teammates and opponents admitted they hadn't seen Baylis for years.

Unwanted by the NFL after leaving college, Baylis played in the USFL before spending 1986-89 with the Argonauts. Along with Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Pless, Baylis was one of six Argos traded to B.C. for Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Dunigan. An injury sidelined Baylis in 1990 and he was waived midway through the next season while Dunigan was leading the Argos to the 1991 Grey Cup.

When Dunigan played at Louisiana Tech, one of his most memorable victories came against Baylis' squad. The rivalry continued throughout their CFL careers.

“I couldn't shake the guy,” said Dunigan, who is a member of the Hall of Fame's selection committee. “I had to play against him in college, then I come up here and there's that (bleep) guy again! I have profound respect for him, which is why we put him into the hall five years ago.

“He garnered lots of attention because he deserved it, because he needed two or sometimes three guys on him. There are guys in every game who you play against, you want to know where they are. My job as a quarterback was to survey the defence and look for Jearld Baylis. I didn't have to look very far because has right there.”

Dunigan said Baylis' best years came in Baltimore, where his strong interior presence created space for pass-rushers like Elfrid Payton, another Hall of Famer.

“I had to retire because of concussions and my CTE in 1996,” said Dunigan. “I took a pounding. And a lot of it was because of Jearld Baylis.”

Riders head coach Don Matthews brought Baylis to Saskatchewan for two seasons, posting third-place records of 9-9 and 11-7 before losing West semfinals in Edmonton. After Baylis was named he CFL'S outstanding defensive player in

1993, together they joined the shortlived Baltimore franchise for the player's final two CFL seasons. He played 12 Arena Football League games in 1997.

“Jearld Baylis makes me a much smarter coach,” said Matthews, a

Hall of Fame coach who died in

2017, whenever he was asked about one of the CFL'S most dominant nose tackles, proficient at stopping running backs and pressuring quarterbacks.

Baylis and his wife, Lucy, organized football clinics during their time in Regina. After they left the city in 1993, several organizations and property owners contacted the Leader-post to complain about unpaid bills. Ex-teammates told the L-P they don't believe Baylis has been back in Regina for 30-plus years. He reportedly has lived in Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon and Washington.

Baylis was the first of three Roughriders to have won the CFL'S top defensive player award, followed by defensive end John Chick in 2009 and defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. in 2024.

Only 6-foot-0 and 265 pounds, Baylis was exceptionally quick and strong off the line of scrimmage. In 129 games through 10 CFL seasons he had 42 sacks, 213 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries and four times made the league's all-star team.

Seven inductees have already been chosen by the Hall for 2025; they will likely be announced in March. Noivo said there are provisions that could add Baylis as an eighth inductee this year, provided the Hall can contact his family. Or Baylis will be inducted posthumously in 2026.

Not an uncommon story.

An ex player I know (a CFL Hall of Famer himself) told me that he worked with the CFLPA for a number of years and when it came time to distribute pension money it was often difficult to locate the player. Sometimes they just gave up because no one had seen them in years.

The post playing days are difficult for alot of the guys and many of them die at a relatively young age. Just a sad fact in the world of pro sports.

 

[brentashton]

Not an uncommon story.

An ex player I know (a CFL Hall of Famer himself) told me that he worked with the CFLPA for a number of years and when it came time to distribute pension money it was often difficult to locate the player. Sometimes they just gave up because no one had seen them in years.

The post playing days are difficult for alot of the guys and many of them die at a relatively young age. Just a sad fact in the world of pro sports.

Yes, I recall hearing the same.

I believe demographics play into this as well. American players, often from “challenging circumstances”, head back home after playing a game they love for mere pocket change, and thus no significant savings. Then with fewer transferable skills to parlay into a new career (I do respect that there are many that can and do make it, after from their CFL careers, some very successfully) and medical challenges from playing, it becomes a hard and often short life.

I’m sure like all things CFL, the CFLPA has limited resources to support players, post career with career counselling, medical insurance and all the things that conspire against. They do what they can.

Thanks for the chat Moon.