SpeedFlex27

"Harumph, I'll believe it when I see it!!" They can play into December because the GC game will be in Hamilton & I doubt they'll be facing minus 30 temperatures like they would in Regina. Teams will be lucky to get just one break if it's an 18 game schedule. I'd be happy with 12-14.

It's not positivity when you know the story is daft from the start. If you believed in your mind thru positive thinking that if you stepped in front of a train going 100 kph that you wouldn't be hurt is that reality or stupidity?? That's all I get from his stories now. I want some actual hope not pie in the sky musings. I'm looking for something to grasp on to that makes sense. I'm desperate for some good news that the 3 down game remains. We'd have no TV money to even cover flights & hotels without those markets. It may not even be feasible to televise games. Smaller is not good. It' would be a death wish. I doubt TSN would be interested in televising any games. If they did, maybe a game a week.

Oh yeah, there was another John Hodge story last week on twitter & at 3DN which I called him out for as it was totally ridiculous. Hodge said Vancouver, Toronto & Montreal were holding back the CFL so screw them. He claimed that they can be replaced by other cities. I said he was delusional. How do you replace three markets with nearly 13 million people? I asked him what "cities" would replace them?? Saskatoon, Kelowna, London or Quebec City? Kamloops or Kelowna? Red Deer??? Charlottetown?? Victoria?? St. John's??? Who would pay for new stadiums? No government would. Taxpayers would be up in arms footing half to three quarters of $250-$300 million dollar stadiums in these places so no stadium would ever be built. I reminded him the reason the Schooners in Halifax never went forward was because the city & province there refused to finance a CFL sized stadium so the team was shelved. I said without Vancouver, Toronto & Montreal there'd be no TV deal worth any money. It was a totally stupid article. He never responded. I get he's against a CFL merger with the XFL but at least write something that makes sense & gives good reason why the CFL can play with no fans in the stands & is viable long term.

Until I know what's going on, I'm not even paying attention anymore. I could give 2 shits about the global draft. The way the CFL is being run is just sucking the life out of me as a fan.

Have you read any of John Hodge's tweets or stories lately on 3DN? Even worse take than this one. I think someone hit the guy over the head with a hammer. One story he wrote talked about how the CFL can spend it's way out of its problems while admitting it's not his money so the owners may not want to do it. The other was about how single game betting could cover the losses the league suffers so it doesn't have to change it's business model. It can just carry on like nothing happened. Just complete crap. As bad or worse than that 3DN writer there for the Riders who wrote about what positions players from the Riders could play if they were in the NHL.

Why do Rider fans hate the Bombers but some love the Jets or Oilers?? No one cares about the Flames.

Until the EU says ENOUGH!!

I've been ranting about that for years. TSN does a shitty job all around. They spend more money on Milt Stegal's suits than they do on production values & new technology for games. And the young talking heads they have now don't care about the CFL. Anytime these young 20 somethings from Ryerson fail to properly mention the CFL in their sportscasts they need to be hauled into their bosses office & read the Riot Act. There needs to be a lot more accountability but there isn't.

I can't argue that. But sad that Canadians have turned their backs to our own unique league.

This is what I've been saying. That no matter the outcome the 3 down game is probably finished. I'm not happy about it. I wish things would be different. I really do. It sucks but I guess I'm a realist about this. I can't do a thing about it if it is so I just have to accept the world is changing. Other businesses that were run a lot better have failed & a league that is so marginalized by ticket sales, failing attendance & losing money that I'm not surprised it's on life support. This has also always been about a lack of leadership. Especially now. About having a business model that didn't work & hasn't for 30 years. I'm resigned to the fact that it's over.

Don't believe that for a second until network bids outside of TSN are opened & revealed. No one wins in a monopoly except the one holding the monopoly. So, going rate??? I highly doubt it, though. A monopoly only helps TSN not the CFL. Why would TSN pay top dollar if they're the only one paying for it? They don't run a charity. They run a business. They don't set the bar. They are the bar. Again, it comes down to competition & the league needs more money than they have at present so they have the right to look elsewhere for more financing. And it looks like they have with Redbird Capital. That path though is fraught with risk including the loss of 3 down football. My first take is that the CFL TV deal isn't enough anymore to sustain the CFL & the league will fold anyway if no new capital is found. If that capital comes from the US & they want a television deal down there then we'll lose 3 down football anyway. And there'll be nowhere for Canadians to play pro football except the NFL or over in Europe. My second take is that 3 down football is in danger of extinction no matter what happens. So, if the league folds so will 3 down football in this country. So, the outcome to me is already decided. What pisses me off is the absolute lack of help from huge stakeholders in the league like ******* TSN & Bell Media. They have offered nothing to help. Not a damned thing. You'd think they'd want to have the CFL on the air for increased ad revenues. Their damned radio station in Toronto won't even acknowledge they have the radio rights. That's why I don't think TSN & Bell Media is paying what the rights are really worth.

And this is why we are where we are. People have to realize that the pandemic changed everything. Revenues are virtually at zero right now. In order to get much needed tv money the league must play but in reality they don't have the money to do it. The Liberals just turned them down. So, they have to go elsewhere to find it.

The only way to find out if Heinola can play is to give him ice time with the Jets. Looks like Cheveldayoff is still in charge.

And then when the value of the product went up with better ratings nothing changed. The CFL kept dealing solely with TSN. So, they did create the situation they're in. Also, responding to TBurg's comments about TSN not keeping the price of the tv contract low for theirs & Bell's benefit, there is no way that they are paying full price or even a premium now for their TV product to the detriment of the CFL. This also drives home the problem of limited revenue streams in this country & why the CFL is in discussion with Red Bird Capital for more money. The cold reality for the haters of the CFL/XFL merger out there is that if the CFL has to go to outside sources to get that money because they can't get it from Canadian government, broadcasters & advertisers then they will be subject to those investors rules & demands. If it means 4 down football & a place for the XFL to play then so be it, I guess. Tradition & 3 down football will mean nothing which is sad.

One less bell to answer. One less egg to fry.

Without competition how do we know what the going rate is? The CFL created the situation of devaluing their product by deciding to partner completely with a cable sports network who isn't exactly the most innovative when it comes to broadcasting games.

Dude, I'm just telling you what's going on because you like to run off on tangents. Football participation is down everywhere. The CFL is freaking broke. Trudeau turned them down again for a loan. And every game is on TSN instead of trying to get competitive by having others bid. The way the CFL conducts business is ridiculous. TSN artificially keeps the price of the tv deal low as they are the only bidder. That way Bell can make more profit off of football to the detriment of the league. The CFL knows it & still does it anyway.

"This" John Bender was an OL with the Stamps & a 3rd round pick in the 2010 CFL Draft. He played his college ball at Nevada. Only played 1 season for the Stamps & was a TC cut in 2011.

No. I'll self merge my answer about the NFL thread & say no again. No.

The 2009 Riders losing the Grey Cup to the Als with 13 men on the field will always, always. ALWAYS be the absolute best.

Football participation is down in this country significantly. Here in Calgary, atom, bantam & pee wee associations have folded. There used to be junior varsity teams in HS here for the Grade 10's to play, That Division was discontinued in 2019 because of a lack of players. Now instead of 2 teams in each school there is just one. The problem is more than just the proposed XFL merger.

Morneau's resignation & the We scandal contributed greatly to the decision that the CFL shouldn't get any money. Ambrosie was behind the 8 ball to begin with because of the circumstances but to turn away help from a member of the government was just stupid & arrogant.

It just causes clutter. Lots of times I come here & a number of posters have left multiple posts on a topic. Suddenly they're merged if responded to.

It just makes for more clutter & confusion.

I hate that feature. I wish we could get rid of it. Rich, can you eliminate merging?