CFL: The CFL Thread: Part VI

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Laughable collapse by the Alouettes.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Laughable collapse by the Alouettes.

I feel your pain. Danny Maciocia is well on his way to running the Alouettes right back into the basement that they were emerging from after the lean post-Calvillo years. Fires Khari Jones for "lack of team discipline", and they proceed to take 200 yards in penalties while blowing a 19 point second half lead to a terrible Edmonton outfit.

I've been waiting a long time to see that smug asshole put back in his place, and it only took 1 game for him to embarrass himself. Had to laugh at his "oh I didn't want to coach, but we just had to make this move" drivel. Total BS. Danny is an egomaniac that was licking his chops for months waiting for the chance to fire Jones and put himself back in the spotlight, and everyone knew it. I love that the TSN panel was basically celebrating his face-plant tonight. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Hopefully for the sake of the league Gary Stern tires of him quickly before he completely wrecks a second franchise.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

That was a great football game tonight between the Bombers and Stamps, IMO. Little bit of everything.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

That may have been Rourke's worst game of the season but that 60* yard ball in the air to Pearson (non wind-aided with mostly sideward momentum) would have done more to impress NFL front offices than anything he did in the first three games. He never displayed that kind of an arm at Ohio.

*66 yard (forgot to solve for the hypotenuse)

It was reported that he worked with a kinesiologist to improve his arm strength, in the offseason. You can see the extra zip he's putting on the ball to fit it into tight windows.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Who are the best players ever?

Warren Moon, Quarterback (1978-1983)

Doug Flutie, Quarterback (1990-1997)

Milt Stegall, Wide Receiver (1995-2008)

Michael "Pinball" Clemons, Running Back/Returner (1989-2000)

Anthony Calvillo, Quarterback (1994-2013)

 

[Dr Pepper]

Best QB - Calvillo

Best WR - Stegall

Best RB - Clemons

I'm by no means a CFL historian (clearly) but I'd say those three made enough of an impact over the years.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Hmmm in my years of viewing, going back to the late 90s...

Best QB is Anthony Calvillo. There were definitely times where somebody else was having a better year, but he brought elite level play for so many years in a row. Ricky Ray wasn't quite as consistent and had some down years. Flutie...only caught the last couple years of his time here so he's not really in the conversation for me from a personal perspective.

Running back is less clear cut, but my first instinct is Mike Pringle. John Avery for one year was as good as I've ever seen. Charles Roberts had some great seasons too. It's a shame the running game has diminished in prominence over the last 15 years. Harris is the only real contender that comes to mind from more recent times. William Stanback is a Hall of Fame level back IMO, we'll see if he can put a few seasons together.

Receiver...I'm not as high on Stegall or Geroy Simon as some will be. Always thought they were both a little soft. Stegall's in the convo though. Ben Cahoon caught everything thrown his way for a decade or so. Brandon Banks has had a great career. Terry Vaughn was a hell of a slotback. Couldn't stand him, but Nik Lewis deserves some love.

 

[crobro]

The CFL seems to be in a bit of trouble at the moment and could a limited expansion to the US with Canadian quotas intact this time but at most two teams

When Baltimore came into the league on its own it did strengthen the league until the cfl went berserk expansion mode.

Let’s say San Diego and either Portland,Anchorage or Austin tx for example

The CFL needs to do something drastic maybe something like this with an espo deal could make this work

 

[Kyle McMahon]

ESPN does show the CFL regularly, I think on a weekly basis during the summer.

If a league is really in trouble, expansion is typically a bad idea. More people aren't going to come to the stradium to watch games against an expansion team, and that's the CFL's biggest concern right now. TV numbers are in fact fairly robust, at least in my mind. Though I do get the feeling, and it's only a feeling, that most of 450,000 tuning in to games are the same people game over game. It's kind of become a thing where the people I know who still watch it, watch the majority of games, and those who don't likely won't watch any.

Not really sure what the answer is, to be honest. But the attendance has been unhealthy almost across the board so far this year. Ease of watching at home coupled with harsh economic times for the working and middle classes (typically the CFL's attendance base) is a difficult reality.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

ESPN does show the CFL regularly, I think on a weekly basis during the summer.

If a league is really in trouble, expansion is typically a bad idea. More people aren't going to come to the stradium to watch games against an expansion team, and that's the CFL's biggest concern right now. TV numbers are in fact fairly robust, at least in my mind. Though I do get the feeling, and it's only a feeling, that most of 450,000 tuning in to games are the same people game over game. It's kind of become a thing where the people I know who still watch it, watch the majority of games, and those who don't likely won't watch any.

Not really sure what the answer is, to be honest. But the attendance has been unhealthy almost across the board so far this year. Ease of watching at home coupled with harsh economic times for the working and middle classes (typically the CFL's attendance base) is a difficult reality.

Here's the thing though, that 450K number does not include RDS or streaming. Like myself I stream every game. My whole family does. I know we aren't the only ones. It wouldn't surprise me if actual numbers are closer to 700K per game. Which is a solid number. And ESPN is pulling in around 150-250K a game for one game a week (saw an article about one of the games earlier this year on ESPN that was somewhere in that range) on top of that. The CFL right now gets very little out of the ESPN deal, but both ESPN and TSN are up for renegotiation in 2025 I believe. And I've heard the CFL is one of the most underpaid TV contracts in sports in NA for the ratings. So I expect a huge boost there in a couple of years.

I don't think attendance is as big an issue as people think it is. More and more teams are adopting these "party sections" idea. Which means teams are still getting money in for the tickets, it just doesn't show up on camera that well. When the Bombers are at 25k at a game, it can look like 15-20k. Cause there's so many people up in the concourse, usually buying drinks non stop all game as well. That can really help the bottom line. We have started to see this in places like Wpg, Sask, Ham, etc.

Current deal at TSN pays them about 4.8 mil per team per year (43mil to league per year). This deal was signed in 2019, increasing TV revenue from 15 to 43. Wouldn't surprise me if the next deal gets the teams about 6.6 mil per year per team (60 mil to league per year). That's a far less increase than the last deal. Cap is steady around 5-5.5 mil. Like TSN would already alone pay player salaries. There's obviously plenty of other expenses, but it really isn't as gloomy an outlook as certain people and even certain media like to portray.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Here's the thing though, that 450K number does not include RDS or streaming. Like myself I stream every game. My whole family does. I know we aren't the only ones. It wouldn't surprise me if actual numbers are closer to 700K per game. Which is a solid number. And ESPN is pulling in around 150-250K a game for one game a week (saw an article about one of the games earlier this year on ESPN that was somewhere in that range) on top of that. The CFL right now gets very little out of the ESPN deal, but both ESPN and TSN are up for renegotiation in 2025 I believe. And I've heard the CFL is one of the most underpaid TV contracts in sports in NA for the ratings. So I expect a huge boost there in a couple of years.

I don't think attendance is as big an issue as people think it is. More and more teams are adopting these "party sections" idea. Which means teams are still getting money in for the tickets, it just doesn't show up on camera that well. When the Bombers are at 25k at a game, it can look like 15-20k. Cause there's so many people up in the concourse, usually buying drinks non stop all game as well. That can really help the bottom line. We have started to see this in places like Wpg, Sask, Ham, etc.

Current deal at TSN pays them about 4.8 mil per team per year (43mil to league per year). This deal was signed in 2019, increasing TV revenue from 15 to 43. Wouldn't surprise me if the next deal gets the teams about 6.6 mil per year per team (60 mil to league per year). That's a far less increase than the last deal. Cap is steady around 5-5.5 mil. Like TSN would already alone pay player salaries. There's obviously plenty of other expenses, but it really isn't as gloomy an outlook as certain people and even certain media like to portray.

True about the streaming numbers. I as well steam every game. Always found it a bit strange that those numbers are never talked about, they must have some idea you'd think.

The CFL still has a chance to thrive if they can successfully transition from a gate-driven league to a TV-driven league over the next few years. Arguably this process has been slowly happening for a decade already. The fact that 150,000 US viewers are tuning in is no small thing, and validates the game as an entertaining product in spite of what haters will claim.

I hope I'm wrong, but it feels like the days of regularly seeing over 25,000 people in stadiums are ending, at least for the foreseeable future. The competition for entertainment dollars is too much when people can comfortably watch from home for free. Every game on TV in the hi-definition era is great, but almost a little too great in a sense.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Nathan Rourke continues to amaze. Nearly 400 yards passing at halftime! The NFL is going to come calling at some point.

Schedule rant time! We have multiple teams with 7 games played and somehow one team with 9. How has Winnipeg not had a bye week yet?! And they don't even get it next week either. It's a 9 team league with 18 games to schedule for each team, it's not rocket science.

The East is so bad beyond the Argos, someone is going to get that 2nd spot with like a 5-13 record. A Western team crossing over seems inevitable.

 

[GKJ]

BC giving a complete shitkicking to Edmonton, 37-7 at half

 

[Holden Caulfield]

BC giving a complete shitkicking to Edmonton, 37-7 at half

If Edmonton had managed to put together 2/3 drives to keep it within 2/3 TDs Dunnigan's passing yardage record would have been in danger. 386yrds 5tds for Rourke in the first half! He didnt break the record only since there was no need to try in 2nd half.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Thanks in large part to the Bombers kicker, the Als end the perfect season bid.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Rourke! Rourke! Rourke! What a QB!

He'll be starting for one of the NFC South teams in 2024. And I may not even be joking.

 

[GKJ]

BC wins a wild ride. 41-40

 

[Kyle McMahon]

That was some game in Calgary last night. Usually we see defenses figure out a QB as a game progresses. Seems like Rourke figures out a defense, and then rips them apart. Rourke and Collaros are playing at a level where you're just not going to beat them if they're having a good day.

If I'm Dave Dickenson, I'd have asked my punter to boom it into the endzone on that last kick and try to score a point there and go up 3. I mean maybe he did, they were only at the 50 I suppose, he might have just not caught all of it. Milt said he'd have gone for a field goal...too far IMO, and likely to be run back a long way on a miss. I can't believe Lucky Whitehead fielded it inside his 1 yard line though. Worked out in the end, but personally I'd rather be going for the tie from my 40 than going for the win from my 3 with a minute left.

 

[hoglund]

Montreal looks like they're the best of the East. Toronto has lost the league's best running back (Harris) and many of their wins have been lucky. I think that Montreal will be playing Calgary in the Grey cup, if Rourke didn't get hurt then I'd pick BC instead of Calgary.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

The Alouettes do have the best point differential (even though it's negative) of this sorry bunch of East teams - as well as a very favorable schedule the rest of the way - but I still don't feel confident that they are going to win this division and then have playoff success.

Really a bummer Rourke is out for weeks with a Lisfranc sprain.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

The Elks are now at 1050 days since their last home win. 13 straight losses at home.

 

[joestevens29]

The Elks are now at 1050 days since their last home win. 13 straight losses at home.

Probably can add another 30 days or so as I doubt they beat CGY on the 10th. They have Montreal Oct 1, so maybe then

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Another week goes by, and the Edmonton Elks franchise has still never won a home game in their entire existence. Just change the name back already and put this joke of a team out of its misery. The long term health of the CFL is in serious jeopardy if the Edmonton franchise, which kept the lights on for a lot of other teams in the league for many years, is allowed to fall into oblivion.

 

[Blitzkrug]

More headaches in Montreal.

Gary Stern stepping away from Montreal Alouettes | TSN

Minority owner stepping away from day-to-day operations with the franchise and resigning from his role with the CFL’s board of governors, Dave Naylor writes.

www.tsn.ca

Turns out letting a dead guy have majority ownership wasn't a good idea. f***ing joke ass league (or league office at least)

 

[sonic92]

I like to do these weekly CFL previews on some other forums I'm on, so I figured I'd share them here as well. Plus we're coming up on the most interesting week of the season every year, Labour Day.

Ottawa (2-8) at Montreal (4-6) Fri. 7:30PM ET
- The Montreal-Ottawa Labour Day game usually doesn't have as much juice as the other traditional match-ups on this weekend, but that may not be the case this time around. Nick Arbuckle appears to have given the RedBlacks some QB stability and could surprise a very erratic Alouettes club.

Winnipeg (10-1) at Saskatchewan (6-5) Sun. 6PM ET
- They're feeling awfully high and mighty in Saskatchewan despite beating a BC team that was down to their 3rd string QB. I'd love to see the Bombers smack the Riders back to reality, but Labour Day has usually been Winnipeg's kryptonite over the years.

Toronto (5-5) at Hamilton (3-8) Mon. 1 PM ET
- The latest team to have QB questions is the TiCats with Matthew Shiltz expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a wrist injury. Hamilton usually plays really good on Labour Day though, and the Argos really aren't making much of an attempt to pull away from the rest of the pack in the East.

Edmonton (3-8) at Calgary (6-4) Mon. 4:30PM ET
- As a Stampeders fan, I'm legitimately nervous about Labour Day for the first time in several years for two reasons. 1 - Despite the offence playing better with Jake Maier at QB, the defence turned into swiss cheese last week against Winnpeg. 2 - Edmonton has been a somewhat decent road team over the last two seasons, including a win on Labour Day last year.

Bye Week - BC (8-2). Already down Nathan Rourke, Michael O’Connor also got injured last week for the Lions, and their third string QB Antonio Pipkin isn't very good. A deal is reportedly in the works to bring in Vernon Adams Jr. from Montreal, so we'll see if that can help their QB situation.