2019-20 CFL Offseason

[JCon]

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the incredible patience you and your fellow fans have shown to our club throughout this public health crisis. Our team has connected with thousands of season ticket members over the past two months and the words of support that we’ve heard have been nothing short of inspiring.   While there are still many unknowns regarding COVID-19 and how our return to the field will look, there is a clear challenge in scheduling a full CFL season that may not be able to start until the fall. We estimate at this time that the 2020 home schedule will see a reduction of at least four home games.   It has become increasingly clear that we will not be able to take part in a traditional Grey Cup and Grey Cup Festival, certainly not with the size and scope that has become customary. With that in mind, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have been awarded the 2022 Grey Cup and if we return to play this year, the host of the 2020 Grey Cup will be determined by a “win and host” model. The team that qualifies for the Grey Cup and has a superior regular season record to its opponent will host the game.   This means we’ll have the opportunity to play our way into defending our Grey Cup championship title at home. A final decision on that, of course, depends on governments and public health officials, and what they tell us is safe.   Further announcements regarding the official adjusted schedule will be provided by the league at a later date. We will respect their directives and we will always put health and safety first.   You will receive a follow up email this Friday, May 22nd, with the specific details of your account. If the adjusted cost of your tickets is more than you’ve already paid so far for this season, you will have an account credit. With this credit, you will have the option to:   • Apply it to your 2021 season ticket renewal • Apply it toward tickets to a potential win-and-host 108th Grey Cup game • Apply it toward additional game tickets for friends • Receive a refund   We have been asked by many season ticket members how they can support the club through 2020, here are some options:   Bomber Store Gift Cards   Use your account credit to purchase gift cards to The Bomber Store, and we will increase the value by 20%; OR   COVID-19 Team Support Support your team during this challenging time and donate a portion of your account credit to your community-sponsored Winnipeg Football Club. Supporters wishing to donate above $150 will receive one of the following gifts:   • $150 to $500 donation: $50 Bomber Store gift card • Donation of $500 and up: $100 Bomber Store gift card & a copy of For The W: A look back at the 2019 Grey Cup championship season, autographed by Andrew Harris   We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone and we’re certainly proud to be a part of such a strong community. If you need assistance or would like to discuss other options for your Blue Bombers account, we will be glad to speak with you. Please call or text (204) 784-7448, reach out via email at fanservices@bluebombers.com, or schedule an appointment for a call from our Fan Services team.   We look forward to defending our Grey Cup championship at IG Field.   Wade Miller President & CEO

[DR. CFL]

The notion of a Hub cities works for the NHL because they don’t need fans in the arenas for it to work. Realistically the CFL needs fan in the stands. This doesn’t really work under the Hub city format.

[DR. CFL]

1 hour ago, Mr Dee said:

 

 

Maybe HC and GMs don’t need to make 400K....maybe you really don’t need 11 Assistant Coaches. Do you need 70 players around all year? It’s all well and good that you have IR lists that don’t count against the Cap....but it’s  budget money and gets used to keep players around. There were no mini camps and free agent camps so TC rosters are going to be greatly expanded and you have Dickinson in Sask saying he is looking to fill you are four roster spots...you need 90-100 camp bodies for that? The problem in pro sport is somebody does something so everybody else does it.

It’s like the morning skate in hockey. It was started because equipment managers weren’t always great at sharpening skates...the morning skate was to insure your skates were good for the game....then it became an extra practice time because everybody was doing it. Ironically some teams are scaling back on it as load management is now the buzz word.

[JCon]

35 minutes ago, DR. CFL said:

The notion of a Hub cities works for the NHL because they don’t need fans in the arenas for it to work. Realistically the CFL needs fan in the stands. This doesn’t really work under the Hub city format.

I think the CFL needs to plan for a entire season without fans. I know that there is still hope somewhere that the fans will be able to be there but that's rather unlikely. 

I'm sure their pitch to the gov't includes a reduced schedule, no fans, and rely on TSN revenue with (multiple levels) gov't providing the rest of the funds or offsets. 

[SpeedFlex27]

2 hours ago, DR. CFL said:

Maybe HC and GMs don’t need to make 400K....maybe you really don’t need 11 Assistant Coaches. Do you need 70 players around all year? It’s all well and good that you have IR lists that don’t count against the Cap....but it’s  budget money and gets used to keep players around. There were no mini camps and free agent camps so TC rosters are going to be greatly expanded and you have Dickinson in Sask saying he is looking to fill you are four roster spots...you need 90-100 camp bodies for that? The problem in pro sport is somebody does something so everybody else does it.

It’s like the morning skate in hockey. It was started because equipment managers weren’t always great at sharpening skates...the morning skate was to insure your skates were good for the game....then it became an extra practice time because everybody was doing it. Ironically some teams are scaling back on it as load management is now the buzz word.

Yeah, 46 players & 3 coaches. Yep, that'll work. 

[MOBomberFan]

8 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Yeah, 46 players & 3 coaches. Yep, that'll work. 

Limited numbers of fans could enter draws to be on-hand emergency backups for every game. Who wants to see an eleven year old kid with MS playing Right Guard? I can't be the only one

[MOBomberFan]

Seen on reddit, thought I'd share:

[DR. CFL]

32 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Yeah, 46 players & 3 coaches. Yep, that'll work. 

Nobody said 46 players and 3 coaches did they? 

[Fatty Liver]

1 hour ago, DR. CFL said:

Nobody said 46 players and 3 coaches did they? 

Point is if the league is unable to make a profit as a whole and are also unsuccessful at increasing revenue, their options are to cut costs or go directly out of business, that's the way it  generally works.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Throw Long Bannatyne

[SpeedFlex27]

1 hour ago, DR. CFL said:

Nobody said 46 players and 3 coaches did they? 

You have all these cheap solutions to make it sound so easy.  The way  you'd have it they'd go back to three coaches & a 32 man roster.  

[SpeedFlex27]

47 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

Point is if the league is unable to make a profit as a whole and are also unsuccessful at increasing revenue, their options are to cut costs or go directly out of business, that's the way it  generally works.

They don't make a profit as a whole. The 3 teams in BC, Toronto & Montreal lose money.  The others make or just break even.  The nine teams aren't going to cut loose nearly 200 players & 54 coaches. 

[Stats Junkie]

 

[DR. CFL]

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

You have all these cheap solutions to make it sound so easy.  The way  you'd have it they'd go back to three coaches & a 32 man roster.  

Well let’s just let the government fund the league. When you let your operating costs get way out of hand and far exceed your revenues...how does any business succeed?  It doesn’t....and the people running the business are to blame. If you want a league and  32 man roster and 3 coaches is the only way you can afford it so be it. I worked in the league when it was 39 man roster and 6 coaches....and amazingly it worked and it was just as exciting. What is your solution?

[JCon]

32 minutes ago, DR. CFL said:

Well let’s just let the government fund the league. When you let your operating costs get way out of hand and far exceed your revenues...how does any business succeed?  It doesn’t....and the people running the business are to blame. If you want a league and  32 man roster and 3 coaches is the only way you can afford it so be it. I worked in the league when it was 39 man roster and 6 coaches....and amazingly it worked and it was just as exciting. What is your solution?

The CFL has a salary cap. You could remove ten players per team and the cost wouldn't go down, the share would just go up. 

And, then dump some poorly paid, over worked coaches? So that you don't develop anyone? 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

7 hours ago, Mr Dee said:

 

Not play, lose money. Play without fans in stands, lose more money.

32 minutes ago, DR. CFL said:

Well let’s just let the government fund the league.

How do you think those maple leafs got on the helmet 🤔

6 hours ago, Mr Dee said:

Randy went from the league in great shape to 150m would cover our losses for the year in (covid)19 weeks.

[DR. CFL]

8 hours ago, JCon said:

The CFL has a salary cap. You could remove ten players per team and the cost wouldn't go down, the share would just go up. 

And, then dump some poorly paid, over worked coaches? So that you don't develop anyone? 

What’s your solution?

[Booch]

well if the league was running as usual...it would pull in about 60 million in gate revenue alone between the 9 teams and thats a bit conservative using only an average ticket price of 30 bucks a seat on a league wide avg attendance of 25k...not included in that is box/club seats revenue

Also lost in that is any game day revenue brought in by concessions...parking...booze, as well as game day corporate and business sponsorship and ads in each stadium above and beyond what the league pulls in.

So basically that 150 million number to me is bang on when you add in the lost TV money and if covid hadn't happened things would be rolling along as usual and not in dire straights....Winnipeg..Sask..Hamilton..Ottawa, and usually Edmonton would operate in the Black..Calgary usually is just under..or just over and new Ownership and proper management in Mtl will allow them to not bleed money again...BC...T.O...Who knows there but MLSE has deep assed pockets and are trying to do things to make that team viable and noticed again

Covid has been a good thing and has forced teams and league to take a look at things. and tweek their model to make it stronger....Roster and Coaching numbers are just fine...smart management and savy business minds are key moving forward...just like basically any big business these days

Edited May 21, 2020 by Booch

[Tracker]

This may have been posted elsewhere already and if so, my apologies. Ambrosie today announced that the league is exploring several season-opening scenarios but the most likely one is a September opening of the season. Good news!

[17to85]

I have absolutely no problems playing games into november/december. Given that we have Andrew Harris and the best OL in the league let's get the shittiest weather possible and just bulldoze everyone. 

[M.Silverback]

3 hours ago, DR. CFL said:

What’s your solution?

All players and coaches are required to be in one of these at all times. We know the Bombers have at least two in stock. You're welcome CFL!

[Rich]

 

[JCon]

4 hours ago, DR. CFL said:

What’s your solution?

It's certainly not to reduce the amount of coaches or players. Reduce the players and you're going to have more injuries. Pretty sure that's a bad thing.

 

This year is anomaly. Treat it as such. Get the government to cover the loss of ticket sales, concessions and TV revenue. Reduce staff where you can but don't cripple the organization. 

 

Look for two hub cities (one East, one West)  that can host the teams and the games for cheapest possible scenario. Play 8 games against teams in your division. No bye weeks but arrange it so some teams can get longer breaks between weeks. Travel costs are reduced. 

 

Winnipeg would be good because of the location of the stadium. Three practice facilities right next door, plus the stadium, means that 4 or 5 teams could practice at once. 

 

Heck, this is anomaly year and let's treat it like such. Players are going to sacrifice a lot this year, so why not look at ways of integrating practices? Get teams to line up against each other. It will give players more chances to show what they have if they're on the bubble with their team. Other teams may be interested. 

 

This is about surviving the storm. 

[17to85]

1 hour ago, JCon said:

This is about surviving the storm

this right here is all that needs to be said. Weather the storm this year and next year things should be more normal. 

[SpeedFlex27]

7 hours ago, 17to85 said:

I have absolutely no problems playing games into november/december. Given that we have Andrew Harris and the best OL in the league let's get the shittiest weather possible and just bulldoze everyone. 

can you imagine Brandon banks playing when it's minus 30?? Those antelope receivers on the Ti Cats will be crying... The cold weather will take a lot of finesse players out of their game. 

[Booch]

24 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

can you imagine Brandon banks playing when it's minus 30?? Those antelope receivers on the Ti Cats will be crying... The cold weather will take a lot of finesse players out of their game. 

as guys like Woli..Harris..Demski revel in it...Not to mention that nasty O-line who always seem to thrive in cold...weather...as seen the last 2 post seasons