2006 CFL Grey Cup Quarter Scores

For all those that need to check Grey Cup pool tickets, here are the quarter scores for the 2006 Grey Cup between the Alouettes (East) and the Lions (West).

2006 Grey Cup Review – Montreal vs. B.C.

A lacklustre CFL season was capped off with an unspectacular Grey Cup, with only two touchdowns scored by both teams combined. The game was close late, however, with Montreal almost scoring a touchdown with just over 4 minutes left which would have pulled them within 6 points.

Week Coverage and Pre-Game Shows

Typical coverage was provided all week, but perhaps due to no big storyline in the match up and the excitement drop in games this season, there was no substantial coverage until the end of the week. The CBC‘s Saturday coverage returned to the basics of years past, a little analysis, a replay of last years Grey Cup and the Grey Cup parade. The replay was handled fairly well, with an edited version airing which did not leave any boring, uneventful sections in the game.

TSN also did a great job in their Saturday night preview show. TSN is positioning itself as the proper rights holder for the CFL and I expect great things from them if they do expand their coverage with all rights to CFL games in 2008. Sunday’s coverage on TSN‘s The Reporters was typical fare, and the Grey Cup got the lead off spot for once. I did not see the TSN preview show Sunday morning believing it was a repeat of Saturday’s. If not, someone please correct me.

CBC started their coverage three hours before game time, which is about right. Some interesting twists to their coverage were appreciated. I did not miss Brian Williams’ annual talk with the commissioner and appreciated Elliotte Friedman as a host. The Rocket Ismail segment was well done, though it could have gone into more detail, especially on his background, his departure, his career in the NFL and his feelings for the CFL for those that did not know any of the story. The on-field explanation of the B.C. attack and the Montreal methods of defending was a first for CBC I believe.

Gill Deacon providing an atmosphere meter from the crowd before the game was new, but needs some work. Gill and news-channel reporters all week constantly questioned individuals why this week is such a big event. Instead of questioning it as if they just arrived from another planet, they should just accept it and move on. I have never seen a reporter at the Super Bowl ask people why they are there. Deacon’s interview with Nelly Furtado would have been best left out, no fault to Deacon. Interviewing the half-time act is weak at best, and unless they have something interesting to say about the CFL, Canada and the like, it should be avoided.

The Game

The game was well covered. The use of 32 cameras really adds to the production values, and it was seamless with none of the technical glitches expected from a CBC broadcast using unfamiliar technology. The CableCam, I thought, was used sparingly, with few instances of it used in motion to reveal something about a play. This may have something to do with the lack of big plays in the game. A few times the CableCam was in the shot of the sideline camera showing the live play. Those people who do not like the score graphics on the screen would have been annoyed with those instances.

Mark Lee and Chris Walby had their best game of the year, with the Walby-isms kept to a minimum. Darren Flutie provided quality information from the sideline, and was used too infrequently.

The game was a defensive battle, with Montreal unable to string multiple plays together in the first half. B.C. had more success moving the ball and had the field position advantage for most of the first half. After a long half-time Montreal came out with a good third quarter to make a game of it and move me closer to the edge of my seat.

The critical play happened in the fourth quarter when on 2nd and goal from the 1 yard line Robert Edwards fumbled after being stuffed in the backfield. Montreal challenged the play but withdrew the challenge before officials could make their way to the video booth. Walby heavily criticized Montreal for not challenging; feeling that the replay showed that Edwards’ knee was done before the ball came out. The replay he was using to claim this, however, had the ball blocked from view by a player when it was coming loose. Other replays showed the ball coming out sooner, but did not have as good a view of the ball carrier’s knee. This inconclusive evidence is why Montreal would have lost the challenge. If it had occurred a minute later, it would have been automatically reviewed and Montreal would not have had to challenge. However, it could be said that Montreal did not need to save its challenge for the one minute remaining before all plays would be reviewed.

Unfortunately, Montreal did not get the ball back until late, and by then needing at least two possessions, they ran out of time. B.C. took the game, finishing off a great year for them.

Post-Game Activities

I did not watch the post game presentations intently and did not even know about the Grey Cup breaking until the next morning. I was not surprised about the Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian awards going to Dave Dickenson and Paul McCallum. For MVP it is hard to find someone else, but Dickenson’s numbers hardly say MVP. I tried to look for a defensive player, but none stood out. However, for sure Ben Cahoon’s performance on Montreal’s side should have earned him Most Valuable Canadian. Eleven receptions for 137 yards to lead all receivers far outweigh McCallum’s record tying six field goals, none of which was a pressure packed game winner.

It cannot be defended as one of the best Grey Cups in history, but I am confident that next year the CFL will return to form with exciting, wide-open play from start to finish.

Do the Tyrannical Two Get a Bad Rap?

Of course, the headline is in jest, but we are talking about the Tom Wright-opponents David Braley and Robert Wetenhall. Tom Wright handled his final Grey Cup with grace and dignity much like his first when he was announced as commissioner at the last minute after objections (reports say) by David Braley.

Stephen Brunt believes all the CFL fans who have villain-ized Braley and Wetenhall over the Wright affair should actually show appreciation to these franchise owners. They have taken losses and kept the CFL alive when no one else was willing to step up for those franchises.

While these pages have been critical of Braley and Wetenhall, I do not overlook their contributions to the CFL. I too believe Braley is very deserving of a successful B.C. Lions franchise and one of those who deserves credit for the survival of the CFL the last 20 years. Also on that list of persons deserving credit are anyone who has had ownership of a CFL franchise in the last 20 years, especially American franchise owners and even Bernie Glieberman. The NFL provided a cash infusion in 1997, without which the CFL likely would not exist. As important have been the fans, who have turned through the turnstiles, bought souvenirs, watched on television and funded both the private and community owned franchises, keeping them from reaching that point of insolvency. I know one person who has added up what he has spent on the CFL the past 15 years and the total comes to over $15,000. That may be nothing to David Braley, but not everyone can be as fortunate as he is, and $15,000 is a nice mortgage payment to anyone across the country I think. I personally wrote a cheque (which was cashed) to the CFL office during one of their ownership forays in Ottawa in the early ’90′s to keep the franchise (and the CFL) going. Fans have bled money plenty on this league as well.

My problem with the way the situation was handled is the shortsightedness of the decision. Much has been made of the fact the CFL has had nine commissioners the last 15 years. Wright was by far the best of them. Braley had a say in keeping or hiring all commissioners from 1996 on, including Wright. If, as Brunt says, Braley was concerned about Wright’s business skills, why not take the effort to split the role, leave Wright as the figurehead face of the league and fans and sponsors identify with and hire the guy you want to drive the revenues at the rate you want? After three years, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. Little has been said about potential candidates for the position, but I highly doubt anybody can grow revenues at a faster rate than currently, which is growing at a natural rate corresponding to the return of acceptance of the CFL.

Unless the new commissioner’s mandate will be to drive revenue by granting expansion franchises at $5-7.5 million a pop, he will have a very hard time creating the profitable business for Braley to cover his losses the last 10 years. Wetenhall believes that revenue can come from US expansion franchises, but that counts only the money expansion brings in and ignores the lack of growth it provides the CFL. No increase in Canadian TV revenue, no American TV contract, and a reduced share of league dispersments (unless you expect American franchises to not share in the Canadian TV contract).

While private owners do have their private money invested in the team that is no reason to discount the vote of community owned teams. For league issues, if a community team is standing in the way of progress, that is not what their mandate from their fans is. For individual team issues, they need to work together and not force every franchise into the same hole. It is not in the interest of the game and community franchises to try risky efforts to grow the game, like American expansion, just so they can retrieve lost money and exit before the league collapses. This experiment was tried already and we do not need to repeat it unless there is a plan to address the issues with it.

Tom Wright is gone, and the next commissioner may do great things in driving revenue for the league, getting Wetenhall and Braley to that point of profitability they are seeking. If it is slower than they expect, will they resort to driving risky plans, whether expansion or otherwise, to try to achieve those revenues? As trust holders of the great Canadian game and businesspersons, they owe the public strong, detailed plans of their ideas. This will help overcome fan distrust of the two most private owners in the league, who on fleetingly give glimpses to fans of their CFL vision currently.

CFL Notes

The minor rise in Grey Cup ratings in a year where the consensus has been the product was not as exciting as years past and general viewership was done points to a change of attitude around accepting our own game. The average viewership of 3.202 million people was 1% higher than last year. I definitely feel there are fewer people who will avoid the CFL over embarrassment that is Canadian.

Alouettes re-sign players before salary cap deadline.

Stamps sign Boerigter. CFL play should rise with players returning to the league. That is if Calgary can find a quarterback to develop a rapport with Boerigter.

Winnipeg says 2006 Grey Cup a success. The game was a sellout, and all-receipts counted should wipe out the Bomber debt. That should lead to them being profitable next year barring unforeseen circumstances. A debt free team is much more attractive for David Asper to buy a piece to help drive new stadium plans.

The CFL needs to fix the game in the offseason. Luckily the drop off was so abrupt, it cannot be ignored for years like the NHL. I hope to express my thoughts on changes required in an offseason article.

Unlike a normal CFL commissioner search, very few candidates are known, but apparently there is no shortage of them. One leaked candidate is NHL senior VP for broadcasting John Shannon. He is thought to be a frontrunner, though his skills do not match up with what the aforementioned David Braley wants in a new league head.

The CFL should address betting on air to make games more interesting says one scribe. What do you think? Better to keep an arms length or embrace it?

Will Toronto be ready for the Grey Cup return in 2007? Only time will tell now. The game may be a sellout, but the city atmosphere is what they will be judged on.

94th Grey Cup

CBC has sold all the commercial time available for the Grey Cup and will have unprecedented global coverage of Sunday’s game. With one game, the CFL/CBC cannot screw it up and schedule games three hours apart like the Semi-Finals and Finals. The CBC saying it is a CFL decision shows what kind of partnership they have. As a broadcaster, should they not be working with the CFL with explanations that this will provide more and proper coverage? If the CFL was offered eight hours of coverage by scheduling an hour between games would they turn it down?

Strong audience numbers are expected and the production values will be up to par with 32 cameras and a High Definition broadcast. The CableCam returns for the second year and promises a better look at the game from a higher vantage point in Canad Inns Stadium.

The week started slow with the arrival of the teams Tuesday. The coaches’ press conference brought little substance. Very disappointed that there has been very little coverage of the match ups besides the old fallback of Cavillo has to prove he can win big game. Winnipeg has yet to welcome the Grey Cup festivities, leaving some Argo fans to try to liven things up. Perhaps the CFL needs to go to smaller markets less frequently, or does hosting the first make any other just another Grey Cup?

With a partnership with web start-up geosmack, the CFL offers a lame 3D virtual tour of Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg prior to the Grey Cup. The geosmack EarthSkin software requires the Google Earth software. I am sure geosmack EarthSkins have many uses, but I wonder what anyone would get out of viewing a 3D model of the stadium.

Get a position-by-position break down of the Grey Cup finalists before you make your trades in the FSN Future Shop Pick 10 Playoff Edition contest.

The Grey Cup week brings with it lots of league talk and speculation, and the focus this year has been on Danny Barrett rumours and opinions, Eric Tillman, and racism and Roy Shivers. Saskatchewan is not even in the game, can you believe it?

Interesting fact: Montreal kicker Damon Duval married Alouette President Larry Smith’s daughter this spring.

State of the League Address

As expected, very little can be learned from the annual commissioner State of the League address by Tom Wright. Despite the still growing popularity of the game (increased attendance, increased Alouette numbers on RDS, increased sponsorships, outdrawing TV competition) the private owners seem bent on destroying the league in efforts to get a big windfall. Rumours that David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski are looking to sell the Argos after two and a half years of ownership may be directly related to the direction other owners have taken the league in voting out Wright, increasing a salary cap, blocking expansion, talking about US expansion and making a protection for market entry deal with the NFL.

Interestingly there was mention of a league wide code of conduct which could be approved tomorrow. No details as to what this means, it may have been questioned in the media Q & A session, but no additional info was available at the time of this post.

Update: Apparently this is just the rule preventing CFL clubs from signing NFL players under contract or suspension. Hardly news.

Ten Questions Facing the CFL

Stephen Brunt and David Naylor propose ten fundamental questions the CFL must address in determining the future of the league. It is likely the league is not even listening and if they cannot even acknowledge these questions then the future does not look bright. The most disturbing is question 10. “Is the threat of the National Football League real?” The fact that surprises and disturbs me is that there are CFL owners willing to make a deal with the NFL to save the league. Such a deal would obviously turn the CFL into a farm league. This has all kinds of ramifications, from whether a farm system can use very different rules to whether there will be any interest in such a CFL outside of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, assuming Toronto is interested with an NFL franchise. The NFL will not provide prop-up money without getting something in return, and if the franchises lose support, how long will the NFL be willing to write the CFL‘s ticket? The owners making such a move for protection seems to predict an NFL move to Canada since there would be no resistance.

With no league resistance challenging such a move, there would be no government intervention on anti-competitive behaviour, especially with the American-in-Canadian clothes Stephen Harper in office. If this does come to pass, and my childhood CFL is destroyed and the NHL a shell of its former self, I will be like Taylor in the Planet of the Apes “You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!”

Memo to CFL: Kill Video Review

The calls are in for the CFL to abolish video replay reviews of plays, but will they listen? Overtime Central was opposed to the implementation from the start, but since it was likely the CFL would implement a system, we tried to influence the implementation (no luck there, but considering our readership that is not surprising). Still, the CFL implemented a flawed system that slowed down the game this season and led to un-reviewable calls being reviewed such as fumbles after the whistle had blown the play dead. The system must be severely scaled back for 2007 to one challenge per team per game. To prevent the abuse of retractions, they must not be allowed, or only allowed within a reasonable amount of time, such as 10 or 15 seconds. The set of challengeable plays must be more strictly defined as those that occur during the whistle. Challenging an unchallengeable play will cost the coach his challenge and timeout. Coaches will be required to know the rules or be penalized. To help accomplish this, the list of challengeable calls needs to be reduced and simplified. These things will improve the game, provide a challenge system for plays that the system was intended, and leave judgement calls such as whether a player’s knee was a half an inch above the turf before the ball came out to the officials.

CFL Notes

Not being officially implemented provides the first loophole for CFL salary cap. This is starting to look like how things were run in the early 80′s, with big spenders counting on a large TV payoff. When reality hits there may not be a CFL for us to watch. Some trust holders those franchise owners are.

Jim Popp got his CFL start as an assistant coach in Saskatchewan. Two seasons with Don Matthews (’93/’94) as Director of Player Personnel/Scout/Assistant Coach before he followed Matthews to Baltimore in 1995. Who remembers that?

The best commissioner of the CFL since G. Sydney Halter (yes, I am aware of Jake Gaudaur) and instead of a lifetime appointment they show Tom Wright the door. Yes, the CFL looks foolish replacing commissioners at the drop of a hat. Therefore, when you find someone that is the best you will ever find, you keep him. Yes, I am very bitter about this.

Shutting down CFL looks to be a possibility, if only for one week. At first, you think it is some dummy’s idea to provide an equal bye week to all teams, same time during the season with no long breaks or multiple games in a short span. They have actually thought it through though and are considering a skills competition week during the break. This is acceptable if they arrange for the skills competition with the Players Association and networks. If not, it takes the CFL off the radar for a week right prior to when it needs to carry momentum against its fall competition. The other option, a 20-week season with two bye weeks per team is worse however. In an even-team league, there is no need for byes. Sure, because of stadium schedule dates this year because of Ottawa folding it was necessary, but the CFL has never had bye weeks as an 8-team league. There is no proof bye weeks make the play any better, either during the season or in the playoffs. If there is no bye week for an All-Star Skills competition then an 18-week season with no byes and a late season start of around July 4th or 5th is necessary.

As predicted, promised and needed, the CFL implements a rule to honour NFL suspensions.

Tyrone Jones is in Winnipeg for the Grey Cup, dying of cancer. This has to be the worst news year for the CFL I can remember.

“Pinball” Clemons has confirmed he will coach the Argos in 2007. Keeping the Argo defence together and settling their quarterback controversy will be large off-season questions in a year when they host the Grey Cup.

Next Tuesday is decision day for area residents around Molson Stadium on McGill University campus in Montreal. If at least 191 residents sign a register of opposition to the proposed stadium upgrade, it will be forced to a referendum.

The growing number of nationalities represented by CFL reflects Canadian multi-culturism, especially the three large metropolitan areas. It is probably true that football is more attractive as a sport to immigrants compared to hockey due to the unique skills hockey requires that many Canadian kids pick up at a young age.

The Last Ricky Williams Notebook Entry

Will it be the last? Unless Ricky returns to the CFL, it probably is. Some called Ricky’s attitude to the end “nonchalant”. It appears Williams really enjoyed his stay and was a model teammate.

No Majority for NFL Team in Toronto

A survey conducted by the Toronto Star showed 50% of greater metropolitan Toronto area residents say they oppose to bringing an NFL franchise to Toronto. The survey also revealed 76% of residents have no interest in the NFL, the highest of any league in the survey (which the CFL appears to be excluded from), 50% against a franchise in the 18-34 age group, 42% against in men aged 18-34 and 40% against in men aged 18-34 who consider themselves NFL fans.

While it can be said a franchise could be successful with 60% of 18-34 male NFL fans in Toronto, the greater message in the survey is that the people of Toronto will not be ready to fund any public infrastructure to land an NFL team. People only have to look at the current San Francisco ’49ers situation, who have announced they are negotiating to move the club to a new stadium, perhaps in Santa Clara, California. Infrastructure costs for the City of San Francisco to incur with the building of a stadium at the current Candlestick location was expected to exceed the $600-800 million USD cost of the stadium. Los Angeles is proposing building a new stadium inside the walls of the Los Angeles Coliseum at a cost of $800 million USD. Dallas is constructing a new 75,000-seat retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas at a projected cost of $650 million USD, half of which is funded publicly by voter approved sales, hotel and car rental tax increases. These staggering figures should send any Torontonian running, for there will certainly be a call for an at least partially public funded stadium after a NFL franchise comes to Toronto. Anyone who believes a franchise could survive playing out of the SkyDome is not realistically looking at the other stadiums in the NFL, and the plans for new ones. The NFL likes (requires?) large, cash-sucking stadiums paid for with public money and Canada would be no different. Expecting seat licenses to pay for such a stadium seems a little steep for the Toronto market (can they sell 20,000 seats at $40,000 a license for an $800 million stadium). It is for certain Canadian investors could not afford a $1 billion dollar franchise cost and then finance a $1 billion stadium cost.

Suspiciously, the Toronto Argonaut stadium deal kyboshed last year after they agreed to stay at Rogers Centre may be related to a future Toronto NFL bid. Paul Godfrey, the point man for Toronto NFL interests, would know that a stadium being built for the Argos would hurt his chances of getting public money and approval to build a new stadium for a NFL franchise once one was landed. The Argo deal with the Rogers Centre was brokered by none other than Paul Godfrey, CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, owned by Rogers Media, which also owns the Rogers Centre. The deal promised the Argos something better than third-class citizen treatment, and once the deal was signed that has turned out to be largely vapourware.

East and West Championship Finals Should Be Close

Two close championship finals predicted. I would expect the games, both indoors, to be higher scoring than that.

Both finals are highly anticipated, and the CFL is getting good coverage out of both of the West and East games. Looking at the storylines globesports.com has listed for Toronto at Montreal and Saskatchewan at B.C., I am wondering if these guys should not replace the CBC commentators. No more puns Walby and Flutie, please!

CFL: They Like Me, They Really Like Me

The media debunking a myth perpetuated by the Toronto media. This certainly is a turnaround for the CFL. This is not new either; this is something the figures have shown for years. While attendance has suffered, this has been because foreign owners did not connect with the Toronto fans. The current ownership duo has done a good job and the results have been seen in the rising attendance.

Building a pride in team is pride in community aura is much harder to do in Toronto for the CFL with limited opponents and a Canadian only presence compared to MLB or the NHL. Put Toronto in the Grey Cup however, and they all come out to watch.

Stephen Brunt then spins the same old story. No one is making money in the CFL. Despite the Argo claims that they are operating around the break-even point, he does not believe them. Sure, the Argos, Alouettes and other teams this year that claim profitability or breaking even at least could all be an effort to deceive potential buyers of a new franchise. I do not believe this to be the case. If you look at average attendance and average ticket prices teams are generating a low of $6.5 million to a high of $8.5 million in ticket sales. With leagues disbursements of approximately $1 million, plus local sponsorships, playoff games and other revenue (fundraising, concessions) teams have revenue to cover the approximate $4 million in player salaries plus front office salaries, lease costs, travel costs and other expenses. Montreal would be the lowest ticket revenue club, but have stated with their strong corporate sponsorships and a home playoff game, they could see a small profit (even with a ridiculous lease with the Olympic Installations Board). Therefore, unless owners pay themselves extremely large salaries, clubs should be close to break even at worst.

Tom Wright’s Eulogy

Commisioner Wright was available for a media conference call earlier this week to discuss his tenure which ends December 31, 2006. I was glad to see finally a reporter question the salary cap increase to $4.05 million. Although it appears even the smallest market teams have been overspending to old salary cap, this jump in salaries will make it hard to get any new franchises off the ground.

On another note, the Ottawa situation is raised with the statement that Wright showed “… an inability to see trouble brewing in Ottawa until it was too late.” In defence of Wright, this is a very simplistic view of the situation. If we can assume that the owners against Wright took this viewpoint, it is very easily exposed as a flimsy excuse. The league board of governors approved Bernie Glieberman’s purchase into the Ottawa franchise when the ownership group they approved to return the CFL to Ottawa fell apart with capital (no pun intended) issues. These issues were largely in part to Ottawa understanding there was a $2.6 million salary cap, but finding out to be competitive in attracting and keeping players they needed to spend closer to $4 million per year. After Glieberman commissioned an analysis of the franchise at the conclusion of the 2005 season, which recommended the removal of his son Lonnie Glieberman from any involvement with the club, he no longer had any reason to remain effectively the sole owner contributing capital and absorbing large losses with no sign of a turnaround visible in the near future.

There was always a lot of noise coming out of Ottawa with a fractured ownership group and the addition of the Glieberman’s back to the equation. Wright kept the franchise alive for one more year in a bad situation, with no other possible investors willing to join Bill Smith and no opportunity to take a long-term search for an ideal ownership group. The expectation of other owners seems to be Wright should have been inspecting the balance sheet of Ottawa on a daily basis, whereas if Wright asked for financial reports from any other owners they would tell him where to go. So naturally he went through with an international vacation that he likely had planned for sometime, and it happened to coincide with Glieberman’s announcement that he would not fund any more losses in 2006. Wright is criticized for this because “… signs to the contrary” were there prior to his trip. Without knowing exactly what Gliberman would decide and when, Wright was in an impossible position. Even if Wright had revoked the franchise in December or January, prospective owners would not have look favourably on a purchase with little time to close the deal and prepare for the season in order to avoid multi-million dollar losses their first year. It seems the only thing that could have been done to save football in Ottawa for 2006 would have been to start the search during the 2005 season, and since owners do not like to have franchises sold out from under them, they would have had to revoke the franchise and operate it under the CFL until new owner could be found, which could have been into the 2006 season, which the other owners would have not approved. It seems Wright was in a difficult situation. The irony of the situation is that the departure of the Ottawa franchise gave the anti-Wright owners the percentage of dissention they need to vote out the commissioner. To think it all started when the board that brought in the Ottawa franchise in 2001 lied to the new owners about the franchise operating costs. At least it seems the governors have cleaned up this aspect of their franchise search committee.

Roy Shivers

The only person to get an interview with Roy Shivers immediately after the Saskatchewan Roughrider win Sunday was Allan Maki. Saskatchewan media was shut out. Funny how Shivers knew Henry Burris makes mistakes when under pressure, but he still offered him a substantial salary and opportunity to compete for number one before Burris signed with Calgary. I hope that Saskatchewan fans will get over the Burris thing and see it as a blessing. Treat him as another QB, someone you are glad left rather than the last hope who snubbed us. Barrett, other coaches and players are still in regular contact with Shivers, so despite thoughts that Barrett has looked more independent since Shivers left, that is probably an illusion. Shivers seems adamant about Barrett walking away from the ‘Riders after the season (and hopefully a Grey Cup victory) so we can probably expect Barrett to obey. I do not understand what being bonded this much to Shivers buys Barrett and Richie Hall. The media criticism did not necessarily reflect the fan criticism, but managing the media is something you must do anywhere and especially in Saskatchewan. Circling the wagons with an “us vs. them” attitude only brings the media on stronger, especially when you form a pact for succession in an open, community owned organization.

Fans Question CFL

In an interesting twist on normal reporting, globesports.com‘s David Naylor answered questions online today about the CFL. Unprepared answers from reporters tend to reveal details and opinions that do not come out in articles covering a story or development. A few questions on interesting subjects are worth mentioning.

First of interest was Naylor’s comments on the commissioner search. He puts forward a very good evaluation of the CFL‘s position regarding their next commissioner. I would expect that the CFL board will restructure the commissioners purpose and power before hiring someone to that position to avoid the issue they see with commissioners wagging the dog when the owners feel the commissioner is just a tail. A figurehead position is all they want, someone to hand out the awards, be in front of the camera and wine and dine the sponsors, but leave all the business decisions to the board. This will leave the CFL with the second most lame duck commissioner, right behind the commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Next, a fan brings up the quality of the product and puts the blame directly on the short pre-season since the expansion of the regular season from 16 games to 18 games. As a fan of the 1980′s CFL, this question writer should know that the CFL switched to the longer schedule in 1986. Some of the best, most competitive and exciting years of Canadian Football occurred after the switch from 1987 until 1993. There is no doubt that there are benefits to returning to the old arrangement, however there are more reasons why 4 by 16 game pre-season/regular season split cannot happen.

First, this creates a pre-season that is one quarter the length of the regular season. This is unbalanced compared to any other league. The equivalent would be a 40 game Grapefruit league schedule or 20 game NHL pre-season schedule. Second, as noted in the question, pre-season games are poor draws. In the CFL the lack of demand for tickets makes it very hard to draw fans to exhibition contests. This ultimately results in tickets being paid for by season ticket holders, but the walk-up crowd attending on complimentary tickets. Changing the pre-season to two home dates, resulting in twenty percent of their season ticket price being for meaningless games would affect the value of the tickets.

As usual, there is a solution to the problem between the two extremes. It is possible to add a third exhibition contest to improve the preparation before the season. An agreement with the Players Association to add a third pre-season game for players in their third year or less with the league could provide the game action to evaluate young players, freeing up more playing time for veterans in the pre-season to work on their timing. These games could be controlled scrimmages at alternate locations to get the CFL out into the communities and profits could be split between the clubs and the Players Association. Additional time in the pre-season by the starters, especially quarterbacks, will show fruit early in the season.

In a later question an old-timer brings up the argument that the quality of the CFL has declined simply because the league does not compare salary wise to the NFL. As such he eschews the CFL for the NFL because the quality is better. This is an age-old argument and it is a fallacy. The fact is one cannot compare the “quality” of the CFL with the “quality” of the NFL. They are different games, much more so in the last 25 years as the CFL game has evolved from a style that more resembled the NFL’s prior to 1980. The differences in the game require much different athletes and mind sets. The NFL’s appeal comes from either preferring that style of game or the spectacle that comes along with it.

Finally Naylor responds to a question on the Ottawa situation with some skepticism about the CFL returning to Ottawa. I have to agree with his evaluation on the CFL‘s intent to return to Ottawa requiring a big franchise fee. I have said before in these pages that this is no way to conduct business when your policies largely cause the demise of the previous franchise that you then pad your pockets with money from the next sucker to buy a franchise. I also agree that Palmer does not seem like the type who would gladly pay this fee just to join the club. If anything, he may pay an annual fee over a long period, but no large $3.5 million entry fee to saddle his group with debt out of the gate when they will need operating capital to get through the first three to five years. Here is hoping that the CFL is reasonable and flexible in their negotiations, as the lineup of potential ownership groups may disappear and Ottawa may never return.

CFL Enters Final Franchise Negotiations

Tom Wright announced this week that negotiations to return a franchise to Ottawa have entered the next phase. Interestingly Wright stated “I’m not going to comment on who or how many (groups)…” leaving speculation that there still may be a mystery group in the running for the franchise. Based on previous reports on the bidders, there should only be one group left, led by former Ottawa Rough Rider Bill Palmer, after the Golden Gate Capital group dropped out and the Frank D’Angelo led group was dismissed.

If Wright’s attitude and comments do not prove he is the perfect commissioner, then I do not know what else he could do. His comments give me hope that the CFL will not shoot itself in the foot by demanding a ridiculous price for the franchise. The danger may not be in the deal Wright and franchise search committee chair Ted Hellard negotiate, but in the board of governors voting the deal down because they do not get the franchise fee they want.

Ricky Williams

Ricky Williams will return to Miami according to his agent. There is no doubt in my mind that Ricky is sincere when he says his life and priorities are changed and that he does not use marijuana anymore. Yet, the belief across the border is that he will likely fail another drug test once he returns to the NFL. Marshall Faulk, as a Sportsnet NFL analyst, made a good point about Williams’ commodity value upon his return when he has had little playing time the last three years but concluded with stating that he needs to get his personal life straightened out. It is as if time is standing still for them, they cannot seem to understand his life is straight and has been for some time. The book on Ricky is that he is not committed to football, he just happens to be good at it so he does it. I do not think that is the case. If he really did not like football, would he talk about returning to the CFL to play any position he wanted? His mind is just different from others and he cannot focus on just one thing, he has many interests, and the CFL shorter days give him the time to do other things.

CFL Notes

Although the Bombers are stating that Grey Cup ticket sales will not be hurt by Winnipeg’s early exit from the playoffs, I am not so sure. They are down to 3,000 tickets left which they expect to go quickly once the finalists are decided, but I wonder how many tickets are available in the papers and eBay? Cold weather and no local presence may convince some to stay home, giving the stadium a partially filled look, which is bad no matter whether it was a sell-out or not.

Grey Cup rings are being sold left and right. Allan Maki gets to the bottom of the story.

Elliotte Friedman has praise for Kenton Keith for a season-turning performance in Sunday’s West Semi-Final. Unlike what Shiver’s thinks, I know Keith is a great back, but he has been inconsistent his whole tenure. For the ‘Riders to get over that hump and finish first or second, they need Keith to be consistent all year. It sounds like Keith has figured out Regina though, and if he wants to go out, he will do it in another city where he will not be a target.

John Avery gets his comedy break on a new show. I saw his act on a sports feature last year and it was mostly material on how poor the CFL and CFL players are.

Tom Wright confirms blocking rules will be reviewed. Oh, thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Maurice Lloyd is the newest part of ‘Rider big play defence. If Roy Shivers could have found quarterbacks they way he finds defensive players, the ‘Riders would be a CFL dynasty right now.

Jackie Parker’s passing was marked by memorial service at Commonwealth Stadium. I only knew him as a coach and from old black-and-white snippets, but there was no doubt he was a huge figure in Canadian sports history.

Calgary’s Buratto fired. I am not sure if I understand this. At least Tom Higgins dodged the bullet this time after a loss to the ‘Riders.

Why does the CFL always have to take it on the chin before the blame is directed where it needs to go? CBC first published under the title “Foster children being forced out of hotels for Grey Cup“, which was later updated to better reflect the blame on the government, not the hotels or Grey Cup, with “Minister promises beds for foster children displaced by Grey Cup”.

Montreal faces salary cap decisions. If cap issues cause a lot of player movement on all teams, all bets are off next year.

A Toronto-Saskatchewan Grey Cup seems appropriate. The CFL usually gets the best thing for it when it needs it the most.

CFL Television Coverage

With the conclusion of the CFL season, the final season CFL TV ratings were in, and were substantially down. CBC‘s numbers were down by 10% and TSN‘s numbers were down by 8% from last season’s all-time highs. More of a concern was a 30% drop for TSN‘s numbers in Ontario. Key factors in the drop appear to be the loss of the Ottawa franchise (and reduction of games), poor play in the CFL and bad luck in scheduling. Next year will be important to the league to boost the numbers again to put them in the best position entering negotiations for their next contract.

Going into the semi-finals, the CFL playoffs rights holder CBC announced they would only be showing the Western semi-final and final games in High Definition because they only have one HDTV mobile truck. After a season of poorer quality football games, the playoff season is expected to re-establish strong TV numbers with close, exciting games. Yet the CFL is saddled with the CBC as its broadcaster, which despite its larger reach, must actually hurt the image of the CFL.

The CBC, on top of its problems with quality on-air people and broadcast, cannot provide the equipment necessary to properly broadcast the game. Their competitors in this field all would provide high definition equipment for such important games, regardless of the number of HD sets in the country. Like it or not, the number is only going to grow. After providing one hour pre-game shows for the stretch run of the season, the CBC reverts to a half hour pre-game show prior to the games, with another half hour Saturday afternoon. How does this make any sense? I may be the minority in believing the CBC provides sub-standard broadcasts for the CFL. Chris Zelkovich believes the CBC needs to only address a few points to provide great broadcasts.

CFL Down to Final Bidder

The CFL informed the Frank D’Angelo group that they did not wish to enter into negotiations over a possible franchise available for the Ottawa area. This leaves one bidder left, the Bill Palmer group, unless a new or secret bidder is involved. Likely the CFL has entered into negotiations with the Palmer group, but the chances that no franchise will be awarded has gone up with this news. The season TV ratings, scheduling problems and drop in play this year likely has the CFL determined to award a new franchise for 2008.

CFL Fans

The Blue Bombers loss in Toronto Sunday will send a flood of Grey Cup tickets on the market, and likely mean the remaining 5,000 of a paltry 45,000 seats will not be sold. The CFL may need to stop rotating the game to neutral sites if they cannot get sell-outs (and full stands) in markets with 1-2 years lead time. This is an event that only comes every 8-10 years; fans should go into making their purchase understanding based on history that their team will not likely be in the game, no matter their strength. Hosting a Grey Cup is an opportunity to see a great game. CFL fans would understand that, those aligned to only their team would not. Their team does not exist, however, without the CFL.

In Saskatchewan, the media are once again asserting claims that the province is home of best fans period. While the actions of many Roughrider fans, win or lose, or honourable, and others when their team is winning qualify as great, many things disqualify ‘Rider fans as a whole (which includes everybody in the province and many outside) from the best fans title. First, when they average 100% of capacity in numerous consecutive years, that will be a start. Second, the bandwagon jumping (and I am sure there was a lot on Sunday) after each play is not a quality of the greatest fans. Fair criticism is acceptable, but fans’ turning against their own team does not provide the environment for comebacks like Sunday. Saskatchewan has the highest player altercation rate with citizens off the field, partially because fans (or whatever they are) tend to cross the line with players in public (think Paul McCallum). Finally, proper fan behaviour is a huge reflection of the best fans. Destruction, vandalism and improper public behaviour, both at home and while guests, are not acceptable for those wanting the best fans title.

This is not targeted at anything I saw on Sunday, nor am I trying to paint all Roughrider fans with these “worst” fan habits. I am only pointing out what I feel are attributes of those called the best fans. The term would seem less hollow for me when Saskatchewan fans hoist the title if the facts actually supported their claims.

Media Gives Up on NFL Dream

Reality might have finally sunk in with the Toronto media when Ted Rogers confirmed he has no interest investing his own money in a NFL franchise. Since Rogers corporate would not be allowed to own even a piece of a franchise, Rogers was likely speaking personally. Even though Paul Godfrey will continue to pursue a franchise, Rogers statement may kill this story for the Toronto media for a while since no high-profile persons with the cash necessary to form a group is known.

CFL Notes

Stephen Brunt compares the defensive shifting CFL to the NHL and picks Toronto’s Rich Stubler as the Jacques Lemaire who can take the credit and blame for the widely adopted defensive style.

After a nice in-depth article from the National Post last week on Ricky Williams, another article on Williams’ stay in Toronto reveals more details. It seems it took the Toronto media a whole season to come around to Ricky. Although they still have fun at his expense, as with the constant replay of his “100% of 60%” quote on Sportsnet and Sean Millington stating he needed to get his priorities straight during the CBC pre-game panel.

After finishing in first place, the Montreal Alouettes hope to finish in the black with a home playoff game. Some interesting numbers from the article:

• they faced a $1 million loss without a playoff game at Olympic Stadium.
• they pay $300,000 to the Olympic Installation Board to hold a game at the Big O.
• they now hope to turn a profit of $100,000.
• they are projecting for a crowd of 50,000 people (part my assumption).

Based on these figures we can surmise that the average ticket price is $28. If Montreal can make a profit (although they do have greater local sponsorships than any other club does) with a 25,000 average over eleven games then the CFL must be on solid ground like they have not seen since the 1970′s.

No new commissioner in the CFL until the spring? They have had four months and they have not completed a candidate list yet? The club-owner members of the CFL really must not have a clue, thinking they do not need a commissioner. For some reason I see them all calculating their team’s share of the commissioner’s salary saved for 4-6 months.

Despite the issues facing the CFL, there is no crisis says Damien Cox. That may be, but screw up one or more of the things facing the league and it could be a ten-year step back. The CFL will never be able to rest and say the work is finally done. They will always be fighting for their share of attention, for fans in the stands and amongst themselves.

Despite the affect it was to have on Grey Cup ticket sales, I am glad Winnipeg lost the East Semi-Final. The Grey Cup was meant to be played between East and West. The CFL would not have liked the Grey Cup TV ratings dip had Winnipeg faced off against a Western team, since only ten people East of Thunder Bay would be watching. Winnipeg may still qualify in the East in an eight-team league next year, which could really hurt the Grey Cup in Toronto. Here is hoping for a shake-up in the playoff qualifying teams next year, with Hamilton and Toronto qualifying to build interest for the Grey Cup game.

NHL is Dead to Me

I am finding it hard to get back up to speed with the NHL this year. I do not know where all the players have moved yet; I am not interested in watching a game at all. After a bounce back following the lockout, it looks like casual fans like me cannot hold an interest even with the new rules. This cannot bode well for the NHL considering its position in the US.

NFL Slates Games for Foreign Soil

The NFL announced this past week that it will hold two regular season contests at neutral sites in Mexico, Canada and Europe annually starting next year, although the earliest Canada could receive a game would be 2008. No specific sites have been selected and it is possible that Pacific Rim countries will be added to the list after next year’s exhibition contest in Beijing, China. NFL owners will be compensated for the loss of a home date and all teams will cycle through neutral site games every sixteen years, although the program is only committed until 2011.

The immediate reaction of many is that this is a forward step for Toronto bidders for an existing or expansion franchise. This does not seem to be the case. The CFL issued a press release on the announcement which confirmed the CFL and NFL continue a good relationship and the NFL believes the strength of the football in Canada requires a healthy CFL. A game for Canada has been pushed to 2008 at the earliest due to the presence of the Grey Cup in Toronto in 2007. Also, no specific sites, only countries, were named by the NFL, meaning Toronto may not be an automatic for getting the first game (or every game) when larger 60,000+ seat stadiums exist in Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal. Since gate revenue must be compensated to the clubs losing the home date, the greater number of seats could be a factor. Considering the NFL’s first regular season experiment in 2005 attracted over 100,000 fans in Mexico City, it is not even likely Canada will receive a game every year, let alone Toronto, with our 60,000 or less seat stadiums.

As the NFL seems to be very considerate of CFL requests when it comes to business in Canada, I would hope the CFL could influence the date of any games in Canada to occur after the CFL season. If after the season is not possible, then certainly early in the NFL season (September) is much better for the CFL than deflecting attention from the CFL during the stretch run and playoffs. If the CFL is accommodated in this way, then I believe this bodes well in the future for the NFL not overwhelming the CFL in the Canadian market.

The plan for neutral site games including sites in Canada sounds like a way for the NFL to satiate fan demand for the NFL in Canada without moving a team there. Expansion is not likely in the NFL considering where they want to go (Los Angeles) and the need for two owners and two teams for balanced conferences. I totally believe that any attempt to buy an existing franchise and move it to Toronto will be met with severe resistance, as the fellow owners see no positives to such an arrangement and many negatives. This plan is a way to meet some demand in Canada, show the weaknesses to achieving a permanent franchise and maintain a relationship with the CFL and grow football in Canada.

CFL Notes

Everybody is coming out with their CFL Grey Cup odds. While the B.C. Lions are heavy favourites, and I agree, but I also take into account how hard it is for favourites to win the Cup. I certainly would not rule out whoever comes through the East to put up a good fight against any Western opponent. Playoff time also brings out comparisons of past match-ups. Unfortunately, history has a way of not repeating itself, so hopes of your team making a run just as they did when they were in this situation back in whenever are just hopes.

Watch the Grey Cup on your cell phone. The teen demographic just went through the roof.

The results are in. CFL officiating still stinks. More at eleven. (We will have more on this in a future article.)

Now that old, conservative Hughie has left the building, LeLacheur reveals new plans to grow the Eskimos organization. This may be the harbinger of a struggling Edmonton franchise. If they burn through their capital, install artificial turf, and grow the organization (read more employees, investments outside football) when all they need is to focus on the football business, Edmonton could soon become a poor cousin of the league with nothing that makes them the model franchise they are today.

Does this Ricky Williams article title sound sarcastic or is it just my pessimistic nature? I think by these articles Ricky has worn out his welcome in Toronto, and I do not know why. He did not meet the media expectations, but the problem there was in the expectations.

Campbell calls out CFL owners on Tom Wright situation. Should not Campbell have done something long ago at the league level to correct the commissioner confidence vote when he wielded the power? All the clubs are to blame for leaving this rule on the books during eight franchise times. It was not because it was unimportant; it was because they thought it might be to their advantage one day.

The Eskimos are already planning a rebuild, and are looking to the free agent market for next year. First on their wish list is a ‘Rider DB.

Other Sport Notes

Against all odds, bartender collects over $400,000 on Pro*Picks lottery picks. While the payouts are not so large, we have more fun at Overtime Central.

The St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series. They are now the second most World Series winning franchise, behind only the New York Yankees. That does not explain why the baseball playoffs were so boring this year. I usually will catch the last few innings of a few games where the score is close and someone will come back or something. This year I never bothered to watch anything, there was no drama.

With steroids raising there ugly head again after the San Diego Chargers’ Shawne Merriman was suspended for four games (now under appeal), Stephen Brunt weighs in on a double standard. Brunt has been known to pontificate about how steroid use can get politicians (and purists) up in arms about the game, but it does not stop fans from going through the turnstiles. His basic theory is that fans do not care if their team’s players are juiced or not. In fact, they may be more concerned if their players are not taking every advantage available to them. I do not think this is the case. First, there has been no major number of players testing positive in anti-doping testing. The NFL and NBA suspend more players for illegal drugs than they do for steroids. If a large number of players were caught, affecting teams and displaying a larger problem than what is apparent now, fans may be more vocal. Second, when one Charger is caught cheating with performance enhancing drugs, do you really expect the seats to be empty the next home game? Should the remaining 59 players be painted with the same brush with no evidence? By the next season, all is forgotten, which is a trait in our society relied upon by politicians and corporations. Finally, with the size of fan bases of many sports, for every fan that stays home or turns off the TV, there is another ready to take his place, who has not been able to get in the door previously. I know players circumventing the system, both in amateur and professional sports, offend me. I have little influence, however, since I do not attend or watch the leagues with the most drug controversy surrounding them. Am I on an island here?

CFL Soft Target for Terrorism

A hoax by a Wisconsin grocery clerk prompted an investigation of Grey Cup security by the Winnipeg Sun. In the articles, the Sun quotes George MacLean, University of Manitoba professor and head of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the university, as saying the security preparations do not meet the reality of Canada’s increased involvement in Afghanistan.

The CFL responded with a short press release on Grey Cup security, stating security is “of the utmost concern” and reassuring fans over the security of the event.

While the article makes the Winnipeg organizing committee look unprepared for hosting such a large event post 9/11 with admittances to only a slightly increased Winnipeg Police presence and no involvement with the military, security agencies and the federal and provincial governments, the situation may not be so unusual. Involvement with the military, in either a consultancy or physical presence role may not be feasible considering the limits our military is stretched to these days. I would expect our security agencies and governments to forward any pertinent information about threats to the Grey Cup to the organizers so they could be handled appropriately. If they were not aware of such a plot, then I would place more blame on our lacking intelligence rather than the security organizers. Therefore, the measures the organizers and Winnipeg Police have in place seem appropriate.

While you cannot know when and what terrorists will pick as targets, you can also determine what is and easier target and what is more difficult. An event like the Grey Cup is more difficult because it is a one-time event; there is no second chance, unlike a train or other targets with regular schedules. Location is another factor. Winnipeg is the worst place for maximum impact, both emotionally and politically. Sporting events in general, despite the portrayal in movies and books that they are targets, have not been attacked or a plot to target them broken up. This is despite the fact that the US has a multitude of sporting events every week that are worthwhile targets, from high school football to professional sporting events. Terrorism is not to be taken lightly, but I do not think security needs to be implemented to a maximum just to protect the organizers heads from rolling if an incident did happen.

Dick Pound Cares About the CFL

The World Anti-Doping Agency head Dick Pound came down on the CFL last week on the lack of a league drug policy. Pound expressed the view that because the CFL does not test for banned substances, they believe they do not have to test because there is not problem.

The CFL released a short press release to address the comments by Pound. While Pound’s comments were labelled as inaccurate and lacking an understanding of the facts, the CFL did not address the inaccuracies point-by-point, which weakened their rebuttal. The CFL should have pointed for evidence where they have said there is or is not a drug problem in the CFL. The fact is the CFL does not know and is looking to address the issue of a drug testing policy with the players union.

CFL personnel responded appropriately, with coaches and players questioned discounting or not wanting to respond to Pounds unsubstantiated comments. The dispargement of the league offended some, and they struck back. Discussion with players reveals that a drug testing program will not likely be as transparent as Pound would like, with a focus on treatment rather than punishment. Everyone it seems but Pound seems to have a firm grasp on the situation. Unless Pound has the cash to provide the CFL for testing, it will happen in its own time which is not likely until the next Players Association contract renewal in 2009.

Pound has no jurisdiction over the CFL, their players do not play in international amateur competitions like the previously criticized NHL players, and the CFL is an independent league that could allow all legal performance enhancing drugs if it wanted to. Pound, as an anti-doping advocate, also weighed in on the topic of illegal recreational drugs, calling the CFL a “summer camp” for drug-using NFL players. Obviously a reference to Ricky Williams signing in Toronto this year, he ignores the plan to eliminate this loophole in the future. With these holes punched in his claim, Pound looks no more than a regular Joe with poor fact checking skills than an expert in his field.

CFL Notes

Toronto’s preparation for the 2007 Grey Cup looks like it will bring the event back to Toronto in a big way. In an extended 24-hour sale of tickets, over 20,000 tickets were sold.

The CFL announced this past week that Nelly Furtado will headline the 2006 Grey Cup half-time show. Also announced was Eva Avila, 2006 Canadian Idol winner, is to sing the national anthem on November 19th. For the second year in a row, the CFL will feature a controversial act for Grey Cup half time. Last year’s Black Eyed Peas raised some eyebrows with their performance of the suggestive song My Humps. Furtado brings controversy with her latest album, more risqué and hip-hop influenced than her previous two releases, with the singles Promiscuous and Maneater. The question is will this attract the younger, female fans of these acts to the CFL?

Proposed Ontario ad ban on gambling internet sites would affect the Argos and CFL says Argo president.

Bill Szijarto got advice from Noel Prefontaine and practiced, but in the end made only his first two field goals in the Kick to Win promotion. This netted him $25,000 in prizes, not bad for anyone. Unfortunately, the CFL‘s post under the headline “Szijarto Hits Two of Four Field Goals” links to a summary of the game, not the contest.

A rare and insightful interview with CFL officials. Like any officials, they do not deserve abuse or threats. Officiating will not attract more and better officials when fans (and players, coaches and even media) cross the line to unacceptable behaviour. Treat these people well, they are needed.

In keeping with all things Ricky for at least one piece of the Notebook, this in-depth profile of Ricky Williams gets into some questions other reporters have failed to ask, like his vegetarianism and decision to play football in Canada this year.

The CFL signs on with STATS as their official data distributor. We do not know what this means, but plan to keep an eye on changes to see how this affects the openness of CFL stats.

Will the CFL face a bunch of quarterback movement at season’s end? I for one do not expect movement of big name QB‘s, but Dickenson could retire if the post-concussion syndrome makes him rethink his career.

Other Notes

Backup punter faces 48 years. Seems a little out of line with the crime to me, but you have to set an example sometime.

Bye, bye Bobby Clark. Never thought he would leave like this. Always thought he was too stubborn and someone would have to ask him to leave.

Who is the biggest surprise in the NHL this year? Not Buffalo. For me, Atlanta, Nashville, Minnesota and Dallas all leading their divisions has caught me off guard.

Mystery Ottawa Bidder to Return?

Based on media reports of statements from the remaining two CFL franchise bidders, it seems that they are unlikely to bring Jeff Hunt into their groups. This has led to speculation that another group or individual has inquired about the possibility of putting in a late bid. The feeling is that a delay to the process would not hurt anyone and the CFL may allow another bid if it gets Hunt back into the mix. All we know for now is Hunt is on the sidelines, excited about the opportunity and wanting to get back in while the remaining two bidders have presented their proposals to the CFL.

CFL Notes

Elliotte Friedman nails Danny Barrett in his Loyalty To A Fault commentary.

Ricky Williams handles another set of questions on a road trip. Why do reporters still ask questions they will never get an answer to? Seems to me many questions Williams would not avoid are left on the table. Ask him about his youth, influences, his travelling, something besides comparing the CFL and NFL.

In case you missed it, the Edmonton Eskimos will not qualify for the playoffs for a 35th straight year. Finally, after a lot of excuses this year, an Eskimo admits they are not a good team.

The Ottawa Citizen’s Matthew Sekeres covers Jesse Palmer’s return to Canada and gives a glimpse into his life and personality.

The Blind Eye

Jason Kottke has written a couple posts about the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The first focuses on the race and class aspect of the book, the second on the football aspect of the book. (Go read those short posts to get an idea of the book’s breadth.)

After reading the New York Times article “The Ballad of Big Mike”, the book does sound intriguing. Covering many aspects facing sports these days, but especially American football, this type of behind-the-scenes view will disturb many people. I think the topics such as exploitation of children and the building of super-athletes are issues that need to be addressed in all sports, from amateur sports to the professional leagues. What ever happened to the players with the natural skills, not with specialized Universal Soldier training, being the athletes of the day? Were the days of lore in baseball, football and hockey with regular Joe athletes that bad? I realize it just comes down to winning and the competitive advantage, which escalates into performance enhancing drugs (steroids and the like). Is that what we really want, and if so are we willing to turn a blind eye?

To Renew or Not To Renew?

That is the question. My subscription for the The Official CFL Magazine is due and I am debating whether to renew. I cannot say I have been disappointed with the magazine; it has met my expectations. My expectations were low, however, once they changed the publish frequency before launch to five issues per season. This effectively makes it a glossy magazine that will not have topical content. While plenty of people have praised it, I do not know if it is for me. I would prefer they went to a newspaper print version that provided weekly coverage of the games and issues of the day. Since that is unlikely, I would prefer some opinion and information I cannot get elsewhere. Discussion about potential rule changes, business aspects of the game, or other topics that are not the norm. Articles I do not need include another one about how B.C. will do well this year or let us wait and see how Ricky Williams does.

Therefore, I do not need the magazine, but do not want to lapse my subscription, as I like to support CFL publications. It would be a shame if it ceased operations due to lack of subscribers. Do any of the Overtime Central readers subscribe to The Official CFL Magazine and what is your opinion of it? Would any reader not already subscribed be interested in getting it as a gift for a year?

CFL Notes

Another soccer player gets a chance to kick for a million dollars. I suspect the opposite of last year will happen, in that he will make the first three field goals, but miss the final 50-yard try for the million dollars. If they do give away a million dollars again this year (in a lump sum this year opposed to paid over 20 years like last year) that might end it for this promotion. The odds are for the promotion to be won once in twenty years; paying out in the first two years back-to-back would be against astronomical odds. You can watch it all during halftime of the Oct. 20 Saskatchewan at Toronto game on TSN.

Ricky Williams strays from his usual no-story-here answers when asked if he would get enough touches if John Avery and he lined up in the same backfield. Williams still seems to baffle reporters, not providing the standard “I am a huge star; just give me the ball” answers. Instead, they have to make stories out of Williams being riled up about a question.

Don Matthews resigned as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes this week. General Manager Jim Popp will replace him at head coach for the remainder of the season. Whether Matthews left for the reported non-life threatening health reasons or was pushed out, we will not know until/if he lands somewhere else. I suspect that at 67 years old, Matthews may be done for good this time.

NHL Notes

The NHL season has started and I have nothing to say. It is still too early for hockey.

Miscellaneous

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star makes a good observation about NFL coverage of the loudmouths being in vogue these days. I have always equated the coverage of the NFL since Fox came aboard as dragged down into the dirt. Fox likes the soap opera, can sell the soap opera and so creates the soap opera. Unfortunately, the other broadcasters come down to Fox’s level instead of taking the high road. If the macho NFL fans looked at what they were playing into, they may realize they are watching more of a Days of Our Lives package than a sport. After years of watching Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer that may be what they want.

CFL Salary Management System Blues

Now updated, the CFL press release announcing the Salary Management System (SMS) cap figure for 2007 that I read when first posted had some different wording that appears now. The most obvious was when scanning the article for the new figure; there was no mention of it. The line to the effect “In accordance with CFL policy financial details were not disclosed” was included. Yet all other media reports listed a $4.05 million cap. Second, the release stated that penalties would not be in place for exceeding the 2007 cap. Reading the release now, these items have been corrected. Either I was on another bender or my memory is bad to the point of making things up. Perhaps the CFL even screwed up the press release and corrected it later.

So the good news is that there will be a firm cap with penalties in place for 2007, with auditing and transparency of player contracts (at least that is what we expect, how enforced the cap will be remains to be seen). The bad news is that the cap figure was increased $250,000 from $3.8 million proposed initially. This increased was based on governors looking at their current “costs and commitments” and deriving a figure from it. I hope that they considered the money coming in as well. I do not want to see stories and reports of red ink from all the franchises next year. There is no excuse when your revenues are certain and there is a cap in place.

I have a feeling that the private owners are willing to take losses in the next couple of years with the expectation that a much larger television contract is coming in 2008.

Ottawa Situation Update

First came the news that the league meetings with the groups bidding for an Ottawa franchise were delayed. Then the news that the CFL had set 2008 as the earliest return date for Ottawa, the pleasure of some of the bidders. Ted Hellard, chair of the CFL‘s franchise committee, stated that the CFL has “never made a factual statement that there will be no team in Ottawa-Gatineau in 2007“. Why the CFL does not make this clear to the fans in Ottawa and across Canada, I do not know. It seems it would be more prudent to get out in front of this speculation rather than appear to be leading the people on.

If you want speculation and predictions though, I will come out and say that the Golden Gate Capital group will be awarded the franchise for 2008, with an announcement coming Grey Cup week. I will go out further and predict Jeff Hunt will succeed in selling out the first game in Ottawa and average 25,000 in their first season as he has stated. The year plus to get the franchise ready on the field and sell tickets will be the cornerstone of their success.

Replay Assisted Calls Rear Ugly Head

There has been a lot of talk about a botched call reviewed on instant replay in the Toronto-Calgary game Saturday. The CFL‘s Director of Officiating George Black backed the call today, but probably created more confusion than clarity to the situation. Rule 6: Passing, Section 4: Forward Pass, Article 6: Incomplete Forward Pass, point e of the CFL rulebook was cited, but without a real-world explanation, many fail to see the point. First, you have to remember the replay, which takes 10 seconds to show in slow motion, is actually 2-3 seconds of real time. How I saw it was Ron Johnson caught the ball in the air and when his feet before his body hit the ground the ball shifted in his arms. At that point, he no longer has control, and therefore no possession. As he is tackled, the ball comes out completely as he hits the ground, but during this time, he does not stabilize the ball. As he never had possession of the ball long enough, it is an incomplete pass. If he had established possession, because he started to lose control before he made contact with the ground, it would have been a fumble. That is how I saw it.

It is unfortunate that the CBC broadcasters Mark Lee and Chris Cuthbert Walby are so uneducated that they cannot even offer this as an explanation through all their reviews of the play. Instead, they could only offer the opinion it was for sure a catch, and when the review upheld the on-field call of an incomplete pass launch into a tirade against Jake Ireland how it was a blown call. I think that broadcasters should at least try to understand why an official has made a decision in review as opposed to dragging down the CFL in a narrow-minded attack on officiating. That could have provided viewers with an opposing viewpoint rather than enforcing the opinion it was a catch because the broadcasters said it was.

Ron Lancaster had an experience in the Hamilton-B.C. game where he challenged what appeared to be a fumble by a Lion in which the play was blown dead. When it was reviewed and the on-field call was upheld, Lancaster tried to challenge the challenge. No explanation for that call has been given that I have read, but because the play was blown dead, even though Hamilton had the ball, it was not likely they could reverse the decision and award Hamilton the ball since the play had not come to a logical conclusion. Reversing the call could have caused a much greater controversy.

It seems that replay assisted calls have done nothing to help the league avoid the slings and arrows of bad calls. As Ted Hellard stated, the concern is the CFL brand taking a hit because the perception creeps in that it is poorly officiated. The CFL first thing to address is the communication issue on reviewed calls and have officials explain exactly why they came to their decision to overturn or uphold a call. Simply stating their is no evidence to overturn the call provides fans with no information as to what rules came into play and leaves them as ignorant as before about the rules of the CFL.

CFL Notes

Molson Stadium jumps first hurdle toward expansion.

Good to hear Milson Jones is doing better. Usually only the bad news makes the headlines, and what happens afterwards is unknown to the public.

So far this year, Ricky Williams has nailed the differences between the NFL and CFL accurately. His latest thought calls the NFL more tabloid than sport. Edmonton Sun reporter Jonathon Huntington doesn’t like Williams’ views on the value of the running game in the CFL, however.

The Crazy Football League has been back at it the last few weeks, with crazy finishes in Regina the last two weeks. Saturday’s last play antics by the Roughriders shows the excitement this league can provide right down to the last play. Slammers of the league should take notice, and note the 32,000+ in the stands at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The league is more popular than you think, and rightfully so.

Mini-rant

Besides the potential owners wanting to enrich themselves, fans and media who want a NFL team in Toronto express different sentiments. Media often express that Toronto deserves an NFL franchise and it would be very successful there. Just as Vancouver deserved the Olympic Winter games, which no matter its success will not pay for itself. I hope they get all they deserve. Fans that will likely never be able to afford a ticket, and may only be able to attend a game by receiving tickets for corporate sponsors, want a home team in the league they can root for. After years of struggling with non-identifiable players will apathy creep in like with the Toronto Blue Jays whose average attendance is now sub-30,000 (funny how no media reports state that the stadium is half-full for Blue Jay games, but they continue to push the idea that a dozen people show up for Argo games). The supposed ticket base, the corporate sponsors and executives who will pay up to $1500 per ticket, will enjoy their few years of rubbing shoulders with the big-wigs and taking in all of what they have only seen on TV. Will they still think it is a good investment after the newness has worn off and the buzz has died down? I suspect something newer and shinier will attract their attention. Just a little crumbling in sponsorship, a recession or swing in the dollar would start the downward spiral. Do the people of Toronto really want to be in the middle of building a new stadium when that happens? I think there are a lot more people in Canada and southern Ontario who are wiser to becoming media slaves to the US now than 10-15 years ago. If it did not happen then, I cannot see it happening now. That is the mini-rant for the week.

Top 50 Initiative Leads to Contract Speculation

Last week TSN, in partnership with the CFL, announced the TSN Top 50 CFL Players campaign. A panel of media, former players, broadcasters and football executives will pick the top 50 CFL players from a modern era list of 185 nominees. The 50 players will be unveiled during Grey Cup week in November.

Of more interest to me was the article in the Toronto Star which read into the event positioning for the next CFL television contract. As I speculated last year about CBC‘s crumbling Canadian sports empire, TSN may be willing to keep the CFL contract to itself, and place the coveted Grey Cup on the national broadcast CTV network. TSN‘s event was part of the wooing process of the CFL, proving what kind of good partner they are in celebrating the game. They might not have to do much, considering the failings of the CBC with CFL broadcasts. 2008 is still a long time away, but I am hoping we will be watching the Grey Cup with TSN‘s crack team on the CTV network and actually not wishing the sound was off.

Williams’ Return Prompts Befuddled Reporters

Ricky Williams returned to the Toronto Argonaut line-up this week and reporters once again tried to get a peek at the real Ricky. Unfortunately when you ask sports cliché questions to Ricky, you get answers you do not expect.

The more I read interviews with Williams, the more I like him. I can see how he may not be accepted in all locker-room environments however. His type of laid-back style, nonchalant attitude would not mix well with the competitive, win-at-all-costs posture of some players.

I really dislike when reporters summarize Williams’ position in Toronto as “on loan to the Argonauts from the Miami Dolphins”. They might think it is an accurate description of the situation in ten words or less, but to loan something is to do it willingly, and I do not think the NFL or Dolphins were in favour of Williams circumventing his suspension.

Golden Gate Capital Group Are Serious

The Golden Gate Capital group with figurehead Jeff Hunt seem to be very serious about their bid for an Ottawa CFL franchise. On the eve of their sit-down presentation with the CFL Franchise Search committee some have placed their odds of obtaining a franchise at 3-1. I feel they will be the awardees of the franchise to start play in 2008. If they are not, and a franchise fee was the stumbling block, then the CFL blew it again despite all their strides in this process.

AstroTurf Bad, FieldTurf Good

In another stating the obvious article, a Vancouver Province reporter gets B.C. Lions players to start worrying about playing on the deadly Taylor Field. Hopefully losing that edge next year will not eliminate all of the psychological edge Taylor Field has over opponents. Like Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, the more the opposition worry about the playing conditions and how the home team has the advantage, the less they are focussing on preparing for the game.

NFL Aside Gets Toronto Excited

[Ed. - This is a long rant.]

An aside in a Peter King Sports Illustrated article that claimed that a Canadian consortium made a $1 billion feeler offer to New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson with the intention of moving the team to Canada (Toronto specifically) has gotten some sports reporters and NFL fans in Toronto excited about the seriousness of the Tanenbaum/Rogers bid for an NFL team.

The topic was a hotly discussed on Monday, September 24′s edition of Prime Time Sports with Bob McCowan on Sportsnet and the Fan radio network. The Peter King article caused Globe and Mail writer Stephen Brunt to change his mind regarding the possibility of Toronto getting an NFL team. Arguing that this proves Toronto people have $1 billion to spend, therefore they will be gunning for the first NFL team on the auction block, likely the Buffalo Bills. Due to precedent with previous owners moving teams, the NFL will have no leverage to prevent the sale and the relocation of the team he argues. The Globe and Mail’s David Shoalts also agreed that if a Toronto group was predatory in nature, they could land a team and the NFL could not stand in their way. This is sounds very cut and dried, but leaves out a very important point. Would Toronto be the only group bidding? If not, would they be able to outbid any American investor or the NFL themselves, who if they really did not want the team to go to Toronto, could purchase the team for $1.5 billion if they wanted and flip it to a preferred owner? This was McCowan’s argument and raises a very good obstacle to any Toronto bid. Can you compete with the many billionaires in the US who are willing to pay anything for a franchise and put it in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Oklahoma City or a number of other places? The US-Canada dollar exchange rate may be in your favour today, but you don’t know for certain when a team may come available, so it may become a hindering factor in trying to compete with other bids.

If it is true that a solid group of individuals has come up with $1 billion needed to buy an NFL team, does that include Ted Rogers. Since the story first came out I was under the assumption Rogers was willing to put his own personal wealth at stake. However later media reports of that press conference interpreted Rogers’ comments as he was not willing to be an investor, but to be a corporate partner (sponsorships, etc.). If this is true, this leaves a major hole in the $1 billion necessary for a group. This is not to say that there is no group who has pooled the necessary funds, but I find it hard to believe there are these individuals willing to put up their private fortunes to this risk. It may seem that the NFL is a license to print money, but things could be a lot different in Canada.

Still, there are some Torontonion reporters that do not think it will happen, despite the efforts of a few individuals with a lot of cash. While Stephen Brunt believes the Buffalo Bills are a sitting duck, waiting for the passing of owner Ralph Wilson for the team’s days in Buffalo to be over. It may not be so cut and dried. I would not discount the NFL’s influence to find someone to bid on the team to keep it in Buffalo or to purchase it themselves in order to prevent the loss of the Bills history.

Certainly, the NFL has always opposed franchise relocation, and a move to Toronto only puts that as a double possibility. First the move into Toronto, then a move back to the US if the economic viability of a Toronto franchise does not work in the long term. The NFL is very aware of the situation in Canada, and plans by a consortium to plan a new stadium to be constructed in order to survive will not be looked upon favourably. The NFL likes stadiums with lots of public money, and it is very unlikely, even with governments friendly to the owners, that a new football only stadium would get any public money when the just over 15-year old SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) financial bath is still fresh in taxpayers minds. However, they need a larger stadium and they know it. So if no or little government money is available, will there be enough private money to build a $500 million 75,000-seat stadium? It would have to be enclosed because the NFL season runs September through January and Torontonians will not expect to be exposed to the Canadian weather conditions with their $1,000 tickets. Perhaps it would cost $1 billion then. I don’t know. This stadium will likely only be used 10 dates a year. Without a revenue stream it would be very hard to convince any bank to give you a loan to build such a stadium.

The NFL has a multitude of other reasons to oppose Toronto getting a franchise. First, it adds no value to the league, in its television deals (in fact in may subtract from their television deals in that they don’t grow as much as they could have at the next renewal) and in its franchise values. It does not open them up to a new, untapped market. They already have the Canadian market. They are interested in growth, and to do that they need to go somewhere besides Canada. Economic and political issues come into play. Would Toronto receive the same share of league TV revenues when they do not add anything to the value of the contract? Many owners may have a beef with that. Fielding a competitive team may also be a concern based on the experience of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors. The exchange rate and budgets come into play, even with a hard salary cap, and players not wanting to play in Canada. Finally, the NFL has at least a civil working arrangement with the CFL. With no monetary benefit to the NFL or other franchise owners, would they want to allow a move into Canada that would possibly destroy the CFL and have the bad feelings across Canada that would come with such a move?

The NFL certainly likes the Toronto market, but there is too much risk for little to no gain to allow a franchise in Toronto before Los Angeles is satisfied and other American suitors get their chance. Therefore, they will likely use their monetary power to put a franchise where they would like to see it. I do not doubt the sincerity and seriousness of those wanting to purchase a franchise. They very well may succeed by preying on a team for sale. Once they have it secured however, I see many problems in guaranteeing its success long term.

Blue Jays Not Even Close Again

The Toronto Blue Jays will finish once again well out of any playoff position. Every year is going to be the year they will challenge. They stay within striking distance until the last two months of the year when they tank it. Does anyone even care? I do not really think so. If they were to make the playoffs, I do not think they would create as much excitement as their first two championships. They should however, because winning now would be as an underdog, not with the bought and paid for teams that won back-to-back World Series in the early ’90′s.

Search For a CFL Commissioner

Back in July when CFL Commissioner Tom Wright announced he was stepping down, Montreal owner Bob Wetenhal and Hamilton owner Bob Young were interviewed and their answers raised my eyebrow as to whether the inmates are still running the asylum. With Wetenhal frank about his feelings over Tom Wright, considering the salary cap not necessary for financial stability, and foreseeing expansion into the northern US you have to wonder where this league is headed if Wetenhal hand-picks the next commissioner.

While very little has been said about the search for a new commissioner, recently some media reports are hinting there may be a push amongst the board of governors to ask Tom Wright back. It may be too late for that, with Wright having had enough with that group. If true, it does give hope that the board is capable of a reality-check, even if it is after they have followed two rogue owners in pushing Wright out.