Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
CFL "international" if it's about attracting talent from new sources sounds good, but attracting new fans in other countries seems like a waste of time and energy.
The NFL is such a juggernaut and you can't possibly compete with them. Think about it. If you're an Aussie rules football fan, what are the chances you will be interested in what looks to you like just a Kiwi variant of Aussie rules?
The CFL has a considerable legacy and cultural relevance in Canada and it still has trouble competing with the NFL here.
I suppose some people also think that if people abroad take an interest in the CFL, that Canadians will respect it more, but anyone who remembers the CFL USA fiasco will tell you that doesn't work.
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I didn't mention the CFL was competing with the NFL, as I agree with you, it is such a juggernaut. I was saying the CFL was competing with the AAF and XFL with respect to talent.
I would debate that the CFL is "competing" for fans with the NFL in Canada. In some cases, for sure, people tune out the CFL in favour of the NFL, but I would argue much of that has to do with the way the NFL has been able to capture fans simply through fantasy football. I would be the NFL would not be near as popular in Canada at least if there was no such thing as fantasy football. Fans of the NFL simply root for the players on their fantasy football team and the defenses of their selected team. To me that doesn't translate into being an NFL football fan, rather a fantasy football fan.... this is something the CFL needs to desperately figure how to engage fantasy football fans the same way.
The US expansion was overall a failure, but there certainly was a very bright light our of Baltimore. Correct me if I am wrong because I was very young at the time, but wasn't it in large part of the CFL success in Baltimore that the NFL returned?
In my opinion, the CFL needs to market their players by hanging on to their NCAA success, market their successes in the NCAA and huge football colleges and stadiums, and market them in those respective college markets as well. To me, fans would like to continue to follow the players they rooted for in the college days... this is just one idea.
Week in and week out the CFL tv rating are on par if not higher than the NFL weekly ratings... some years the same can be said for the Grey Cup vs Super Bowl.