CFL 2020 Season

[Coldrsx]

One game against each team, everyone makes the playoffs as per seeding... single game elimination, winner take all.

[craner]

^Just the 9th place team does not make playoffs to pare it down to 8 teams ?
1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, & 4 vs 5 ?

[Coldrsx]

Bingo.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by thurmas

https://3downnation.com/2020/05/09/c...loan-question/

2- Shorten the regular season but make the playoffs longer. Maybe have a 12 or 14 game regular season but make the playoffs a best of 2 or best of 3 series each round other than grey cup. This will make all games more meaningful and important and will increase tv ratings during the playoffs and make rivalries even more intense.

I have a problem with this part. To me it makes no sense to play single games all season, then need a series, to determine who goes on to a single game.

If a single game is good for the final, it's good for the semifinals. If multiple games are needed to decide who goes to the final, multiple games are needed for the final. One or the other.

As for playing in-conference only - I'd argue that this would ensure the East stays weak, if they never get to test themselves against the (currently) stronger West teams until the playoffs.

Other than that, great post

[thurmas]

Originally Posted by jonny24

I have a problem with this part. To me it makes no sense to play single games all season, then need a series, to determine who goes on to a single game.

If a single game is good for the final, it's good for the semifinals. If multiple games are needed to decide who goes to the final, multiple games are needed for the final. One or the other.

As for playing in-conference only - I'd argue that this would ensure the East stays weak, if they never get to test themselves against the (currently) stronger West teams until the playoffs.

Other than that, great post

Main reason I did not include Grey Cup as a series is due to so many fans for Grey Cup are tourists who come in to the host city for 3 or 4 days during Grey Cup week it would not be feasible for them to go from city to city and the Grey Cup being a big event would be diluted somewhat if a series. As for the east being weak they have had 40 years to catch up to the west and have failed to do so and that division needs a real shot in the arm to rekindle fan interest and I think interdivisional play would help with that as the records would be more competitive and with arch rivals as the main opponents it would help draw more fans to games. My 5 point plan would try to model more the U.S. college football big event game day on a weekend and less games in the regular season would make them more meaningful and bigger events. thanks though for the thumbs up

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Main reason I did not include Grey Cup as a series is due to so many fans for Grey Cup are tourists who come in to the host city for 3 or 4 days during Grey Cup week it would not be feasible for them to go from city to city and the Grey Cup being a big event would be diluted somewhat if a series.

I agree with all of that, therefore I would say no series-playoffs. One offs are great

As for the east being weak they have had 40 years to catch up to the west and have failed to do so and that division needs a real shot in the arm to rekindle fan interest and I think interdivisional play would help with that as the records would be more competitive and with arch rivals as the main opponents it would help draw more fans to games.

Also a valid argument. I've wondered myself why it seems so systemic. I guess it really must be success = dollars = resources = success? And being the only game in town helps some of the Western teams ride out periods of no success?

My 5 point plan would try to model more the U.S. college football big event game day on a weekend and less games in the regular season would make them more meaningful and bigger events. thanks though for the thumbs up

With you on that! I mean, I happily go to 9 games a year and sometimes more if Toronto is at home and Hamilton isn't playing, but if I could only go to 7 but the league was more successful for it, why not?

[esquire]

I like the idea of having a short season and playoffs, but man the logistics sure get complicated. Would it be worth it for the imports to travel here, quarantine for two weeks and then go into training camp/regular season if they're only playing like 8 regular season games?

[thurmas]

Originally Posted by esquire

I like the idea of having a short season and playoffs, but man the logistics sure get complicated. Would it be worth it for the imports to travel here, quarantine for two weeks and then go into training camp/regular season if they're only playing like 8 regular season games?

I am highly doubtful there will even be an 8 game season this year. CFL needs a serious reboot next year and they should also consider bringing back revenue sharing like the NFL has done since the 60's. It doesn't help the health of the CFL when the Riders can generate $42 million a year in revenue for themselves while the Argos can only generate $ 10 million a year.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by thurmas

I am highly doubtful there will even be an 8 game season this year. CFL needs a serious reboot next year and they should also consider bringing back revenue sharing like the NFL has done since the 60's. It doesn't help the health of the CFL when the Riders can generate $42 million a year in revenue for themselves while the Argos can only generate $ 10 million a year.

I believe they do now share Grey Cup profits and Ambrosie is probably trying to move them to revenue sharing but the problem is little, isolated Saskatchewan would have to transfer funds to help prop up a team in an area of 6 million people. That's not an easy sell.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by elly63

I believe they do now share Grey Cup profits and Ambrosie is probably trying to move them to revenue sharing but the problem is little, isolated Saskatchewan would have to transfer funds to help prop up a team in an area of 6 million people. That's not an easy sell.

Especially when it's a community owned team propping up MLSE, of all organizations. The idea that part of some farmer's Rider shirt purchase proceeds would go into Rogers' pockets would be a little hard to stomach

But that said, the Riders and possibly a couple other western teams might not exist if it weren't for the revenue sharing largesse of the eastern teams in the 70s and 80s.

[thurmas]

It's frustrating as a fan knowing there are so many things that can be done to improve the business side of the CFL as the product on the field is great but that the board of governors and league office are so hesitant to make the changes necessary.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by esquire

Especially when it's a community owned team propping up MLSE, of all organizations. The idea that part of some farmer's Rider shirt purchase proceeds would go into Rogers' pockets would be a little hard to stomach

But that said, the Riders and possibly a couple other western teams might not exist if it weren't for the revenue sharing largesse of the eastern teams in the 70s and 80s.

Your first paragraph really had me gagging but the second brought me back to reality.

[thurmas]

Ti-Cats Scott Mitchell on their financial predicament

https://3downnation.com/2020/05/12/t...games-in-2020/

Q: Can you explain how the league got to asking for $150 million?
Mitchell: You can get to the numbers very quickly. We can do a great job of educating our fans and being more transparent. With the Ticats, our total player costs are closer to $7.5 million rather than $5 million, that includes everything you do from injuries to some of the other stuff you can do with the players, your benefits, your pension and everything else. The total football operations piece is generally about half of what your total operations are for the season. In our particular case, if you think about our entity on the Ticats side as a $25 million business, it’s about half of that is football operations, that’s all football operations, and half of it is just running the business.
For us in particular the Ticats we will have by the end of the month burned close to $6 million dollars to get prepared for the year. Typically you’re spending that money to prepare for a season and you’re investing that money to get yourself in a situation where you can put on the events. Clearly in our particular case, and I think you’ll see this from other teams, you’re looking at somewhere in that $12 million shortfall if you’re not playing any games, per team.
When you add that together obviously you get to a number that’s north of $100 million dollars, combined with the league office challenges. And then you get into the situation around the uncertainty of when will you be able to get back into playing games with fans, putting on events where all your revenue streams come from. Is that in September? Is that in November? Or is that in March? Or is that in June of 2021?

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by esquire

Especially when it's a community owned team propping up MLSE, of all organizations. The idea that part of some farmer's Rider shirt purchase proceeds would go into Rogers' pockets would be a little hard to stomach

But that said, the Riders and possibly a couple other western teams might not exist if it weren't for the revenue sharing largesse of the eastern teams in the 70s and 80s.

And how eager would TSN, or any broadcaster, be to pay $50 million annually to a Canadian league with no teams in Toronto, Montreal or BC?

[thurmas]

Blue Bombers just posted a $3.5 million dollar profit for the 2019 season. Obviously 2020 looks much darker and ominous which is unfortunate considering all of the momentum the club was having in merch sales after the Grey Cup win.

https://www.tsn.ca/after-profitable-...2020-1.1475430

[HomeInMyShoes]

Noontime call-in program was about the CFL asking for money. Even with season ticket holders that called in the overwhelming opinion (usually the negative side) was that fans are fed up with teams asking and taking more and more.

I'd say the odds of the government giving them any money is none to less than none. One caller even floated the idea of folding the Eastern half of the CFL and only having a Western League.

[thurmas]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Noontime call-in program was about the CFL asking for money. Even with season ticket holders that called in the overwhelming opinion (usually the negative side) was that fans are fed up with teams asking and taking more and more.

I'd say the odds of the government giving them any money is none to less than none. One caller even floated the idea of folding the Eastern half of the CFL and only having a Western League.

Rod Pedersen show had 68% fan approval for it last week. The league has to have the player association involved, present a concrete proposal to parliament and have a plan to pay the money back and a plan to improve the leagues finances overall be it revenue sharing, interdivisional play to cut travel costs, cutting executive pay, trimming scouting and coaching departments staffs ect..

[HomeInMyShoes]

I'd say that is just the comparison of the audiences. I don't think either is a great indication of support for either yes or no.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Noontime call-in program was about the CFL asking for money. Even with season ticket holders that called in the overwhelming opinion (usually the negative side) was that fans are fed up with teams asking and taking more and more.

I'd say the odds of the government giving them any money is none to less than none. One caller even floated the idea of folding the Eastern half of the CFL and only having a Western League.

Was that Blue Sky on CBC?
If it was then that audience will be overwhelmingly against anything supporting professional sport. Thats just they way they are, not saying that they are right or wrong, just that that is opinion of people who listen to CBC Radio.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I was just struck that season ticket jolfers of 25 years are also in some cass fed up with the take and take and take if the teams. I wouldn't support giving thrm any money because at this point a few teams aren't contrubuting yo the heslth of the leagur. Even in the crappiest days of the 80s snd 90s. SK was still drawing 18000. This league is not healthy. Putting money into it is not a money making option.