Around the League - Regular Season Discussion (Redux)

[pigseye]

3 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

Let the guessing begin! MTL? SSK? Back to TO? maybe even BC?

I think he would thrive under Trestman.

[Jacquie]

37 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Collaros is entering Drew Willy territory, buyer beware with that guy and his salary.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure if it's been posted but Willy will be starting for the Als this week.

[rebusrankin]

13 minutes ago, Jacquie said:

Speaking of which, I'm not sure if it's been posted but Willy will be starting for the Als this week.

No Olayfioye, no Lewis and Willy starting, Calgary's D is licking its chops.

[M.O.A.B.]

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

No Olayfioye, no Lewis and Willy starting, Calgary's D is licking its chops.

Im predicting 5 INT. I pick CGY D on my fantasy. ?

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, pigseye said:

I think he would thrive under Trestman.

That would be my guess.  Ricky Ray is about done, at least as a starter, and if he is either gone or relegated to back-up, that will free up a lot of money for Collaros, who is going to have to lower his expectations, at least for a year. However, if Wally is out on BC, who knows what the new brain trust will want or do? Montreal is a disaster in slow motion, so who  does that leave?

[wbbfan]

7 hours ago, bearpants said:

Not defending either guy but.... Gronk does not have any domestic violence on his rap sheet... and in the NFL, the biggest factor is skill... Gronk may be the best (or at least most physically gifted) TE to ever play the game...

Idk that event, which was settled as a dismissal based on him doing anger management courses smacks of what happened involving mike smith (trailer park boys fame) more then a ray rice type incident. 

You are hands down right about skill. That makes every thing forgivable. Like jamal lewis, former RB with the ravens who had a very horrid "domestic assault" swept under the carpet. Or ray lewis. Who did even worse. 

If gronk was north bound, you know hed have no trouble. Same with a younger ray lewis. I just want consistency really. If we are gonna be purists and turn away players as a league on a moral stand point, be even with it. And dont let utter jack asses run around in the league at current. id much rather see them worry mid season about head shots, late shots out of bounds/in the end zone, and such things. Art biles, i totally get. I think every one was on the same page about him. Id be all in favor of the league exploring and cementing a set of ground rules for players in the off season. That said, I dont see how some one with charges dropped/acquired can be treated as guilty despite the legal out come in a moral sense. And if some one has a bad history, shouldnt we be all about giving them a second chance? Isnt the cfl really a second chance league for import players?

[wbbfan]

4 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

http://3downnation.com/2017/09/28/bears-woods-released-alouettes-reporting-safety-violations-union/

What a complete dumpster fire in Montreal these days.

wooooooowwwww. If/when they can im I wonder if the league will/should punish the als. Cus thats not some thing the league can stand by. Id hate to see the franchise/fans of the als punished for reed being a dumb ass. Does it hurt to suspend a guy who after this year probably wont be in the cfl again? 

I think collaros will be a 2nd domino to fall. As in after the franklin fiasco finishes up the losers of that sweep stakes will get him and claim he was their guy the whole time any way. And yeah TO makes a lot of sense. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by wbbfan

[Zontar]

I agree with the TOR theory. And Manziel will be in HAM.....for camp at least.

[Tracker]

I happen to think that Kaepernick would be a good fit for the CFL. However, he apparently has several dozen millions in his bank and doesn't need to play in "the minors". According to 3downnation, there is little chance he will ever come north (unless he wants good coffee and donuts).

[wbbfan]

29 minutes ago, tracker said:

I happen to think that Kaepernick would be a good fit for the CFL. However, he apparently has several dozen millions in his bank and doesn't need to play in "the minors". According to 3downnation, there is little chance he will ever come north (unless he wants good coffee and donuts).

His raw tool set is phenomenal. That said his accuracy is poor, as are his release, and ability to read and re act to what the D shows and does at the snap.  Some of his tools and his college experience in the pistol / spread would shine up here. At the same time he would probably lead the league in picks if he started for a season. If we signed him, id be happy. But i wouldnt expect him by any means to supplant matt nichols as starter in a straight up best starter  plays camp.  Hes henry burris 2.0.  A better, younger version. But not much better. 

Edited September 29, 2017 by wbbfan

[SPuDS]

well this sucks.. never knew he was so hurt.

Hefney arm paralyzed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by SPuDS

[Mark F]

49 minutes ago, SPuDS said:

well this sucks.. never knew he was so hurt.

Hefney arm paralyzed

 

what really sinks is this.

Brian Ramsay is a retired CFL offensive lineman and now CFLPA executive director.

Quote

 

He said the vast majority of football injuries “are not long-term with the proper rehabilitation. His doctors are confident that there’s a solution there. Now they haven’t been able to get there because there’s no coverage for him.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SPuDS]

Just now, Mark F said:

 

Yuppers.. its a shame that they get no extended coverage from the league when they are injured in game and it becomes a life changing event..

 

I get it, they are athletes and they know the risks and the  choice is theirs to play... but at the same time, many many other dangerous jobs are covered under WCB and various other insurance plans and coverages.. its probably time professional athletes get some form of the same courtesy.

[WBBFanWest]

That's really sad about Hefney.  I hope that at some point in the near future the league and the players association can figure out some way of helping players that have suffered long term injuries.  At the same time though, being that a lot of players are Americans, if they return to the States (which is completely understandable) the league can't be on the hook for paying US prices for care, if those prices are significantly higher than they would be if the treatment was done in Canada.  I really hope that something can be done for Hefney in the short term though.  It doesn't sound like  the rehab therapy he needs is unreasonable .

[Arnold_Palmer]

So terrible to hear about Hefneys health issues, another GREAT Bombers play who flew under the radar. He was super talented and was always in the position to make a great play whether it was an INT, pass knock down, tackle, fumble recovery much like Leggett is now. Happy he got to retire a Bomber and I hope he lives a long productive life. 

[17to85]

I don't think Hefney ever flew under the radar, he was legitimately a top defender in the league and recognized as such I always thought. 

[SPuDS]

Just now, 17to85 said:

I don't think Hefney ever flew under the radar, he was legitimately a top defender in the league and recognized as such I always thought. 

When his skills dropped off tho.. they dropped off quick.  he went from being a shutdown DB to a liability... then that refusal to play SAM.. 

with that said, he was a fave of mine for sure while he was a bomber.

[JuranBoldenRules]

52 minutes ago, SPuDS said:

Yuppers.. its a shame that they get no extended coverage from the league when they are injured in game and it becomes a life changing event..

 

I get it, they are athletes and they know the risks and the  choice is theirs to play... but at the same time, many many other dangerous jobs are covered under WCB and various other insurance plans and coverages.. its probably time professional athletes get some form of the same courtesy.

WCB doesn't cover anything long term.   It exists to cover short-term issues and loss of work for brief periods.  WCB would have dropped Hefney faster than the coverage the CFL and CFLPA provides.

Long-term disability does exist but it's only available to residents of Canada.

This to me is an issue of education and something the CFLPA has to be on top of.  You can only carry so much insurance.  They should be offering their members additional injury and disability insurance for post-career that they can pay for while they play, especially for Americans.

Edited September 29, 2017 by JuranBoldenRules

[17to85]

21 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

They should be offering their members additional injury and disability insurance for post-career that they can pay for while they play,

That is a great idea. Though probably pretty expensive since it's highly likely there would be a lot of claims being made, but I bet they could make something work. 

[mbrg]

48 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

That is a great idea. Though probably pretty expensive since it's highly likely there would be a lot of claims being made, but I bet they could make something work. 

Share the costs between players and owners.  Then the sticker shock won't scare everyone away.

No one who cares about this league wants players to be treated as disposable.

[Rich]

52 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

That is a great idea. Though probably pretty expensive since it's highly likely there would be a lot of claims being made, but I bet they could make something work. 

Cost would definitely be the biggest issue.  Here is an article from 2014 and the cost for disability insurance for NFL players.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-nfl-players-dont-buy-disability-insurance/

Quote

Most NFL players don't purchase disability insurance despite the risk of injury from playing professional football, according to insurance underwriters.

Many players are unwilling to pay for the coverage and are sometimes advised against buying it, said Chris Larcheveque, an executive vice president of International Specialty Insurance, one of four companies authorized by Lloyd's of London to underwrite these policies He estimates that only about 40 percent of NFL players have this coverage.

"A lot of guys who need it are rookies," Larcheveque said. "They don't want to spend $20,000, $30,000 or $40,000 on insurance. It's a big chunk of money on something that is a safety net."

Rookies get paid $400k if you don't count bonuses.    So you are looking at losing an additional 5 - 10% of your gross pay taken out of you net pay.   Not crippling, but not peanuts either.   Wonder if the CFL would ever be in a position to split that cost 50/50.

[JuranBoldenRules]

57 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

That is a great idea. Though probably pretty expensive since it's highly likely there would be a lot of claims being made, but I bet they could make something work. 

Would be expensive but it's a choice.  Buy it or risk life without it.  That's where the education piece comes in for the PA.

[mbrg]

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Would be expensive but it's a choice.  Buy it or risk life without it.  That's where the education piece comes in for the PA.

Professor Hefney has a nice ring to it.

[Rod Black]

3 hours ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

WCB doesn't cover anything long term.   It exists to cover short-term issues and loss of work for brief periods.  WCB would have dropped Hefney faster than the coverage the CFL and CFLPA provides.

Long-term disability does exist but it's only available to residents of Canada.

This to me is an issue of education and something the CFLPA has to be on top of.  You can only carry so much insurance.  They should be offering their members additional injury and disability insurance for post-career that they can pay for while they play, especially for Americans.

Right. WCB covers a portion of wage replacement while disabked due to a workplace injury. It doesn't provide life long benefits forever. It will retrain employees if they are unable to perform. It will provide ongoing benefit for a lost digit, limb, hearing or eye, etc. Contract workers have an injury stipulation for the most part. Both parties to a contract don't want injuries. 

The problem I see is if the WCB, a different jurisdiction for each province, may decide what to cover and not cover. For the WCB to cover injuries and illnesses arising from employment, they want the authority to stipulate and enforce best practices. Imagine, do you want the WCB to outlaw a Quaterback sack? Outlaw tackles? Because when the WCB creates the rules, teams are on the hook and fined for safety violations, not the players or referees. 

Edited September 29, 2017 by Rod Black

[Mike]

If there's ever a way to contribute any kind of money to Hefney, I'd be more than happy to do it. It's a shame the CFL can't sort this out for it's players, I legitimately feel for the guy. He gave his all to the league.