2022 Off Season - Back 2 Back Champs Edition

[TrueBlue4ever]

48 minutes ago, JCon said:

The point is to develop the Globals and create a new pipeline for players, with the hope of growing the CFL game outside Canada. 

I would rather us just get a kid from the US on a $65k salary and churn them. Easier and cheaper to do than scouting Global players. (Or is it Global punters?)

Hansen is good enough to be our Global but probably not good enough to replace someone from the US. 

Why bother with Globals? 

It was another approach to finding a new revenue stream for the league, trying to tap into the European and Mexican markets. Of the players are not good enough, then it probably is pointless to keep the initiative around, unless the BOG sees TV and as revenue and global exposure increasing because of it, regardless of the quality of the player. 

[JCon]

Just now, TrueBlue4ever said:

It was another approach to finding a new revenue stream for the league, trying to tap into the European and Mexican markets. Of the players are not good enough, then it probably is pointless to keep the initiative around, unless the BOG sees TV and as revenue and global exposure increasing because of it, regardless of the quality of the player. 

That's what I said. And, that's obviously why they are doing it. 

 

[TBURGESS]

Has this so called new revenue stream produced any measurable results yet?

Maybe the idea is to create 2 spots on every team that are paid less than the league minimum, which isn't in the player's interest. 

[Super Duper Negatron]

1 hour ago, JCon said:

The point is to develop the Globals and create a new pipeline for players, with the hope of growing the CFL game outside Canada. 

I would rather us just get a kid from the US on a $65k salary and churn them. Easier and cheaper to do than scouting Global players. (Or is it Global punters?)

Hansen is good enough to be our Global but probably not good enough to replace someone from the US. 

Why bother with Globals? 

If that is true, then paying him more as a Global makes no sense. I feel like we are arguing the same point. 😅

[JCon]

1 minute ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

If that is true, then paying him more as a Global makes no sense. I feel like we are arguing the same point. 😅

You still need to field a Global, which means the league will continue to field Global punters and we'll churn them. They kick for two years, then leave. Good policy to grow the game elsewhere. No one will stick around to make less than league minimum to get pounded. 

[Goldkobra]

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

Has this so called new revenue stream produced any measurable results yet?

Maybe the idea is to create 2 spots on every team that are paid less than the league minimum, which isn't in the player's interest. 

My guess at the end game of the global initiative is to feature players from markets like Germany and Mexico,  drum up interest in the game and sell tv rights to networks. So, has it worked yet? I don't think so.  Could it work? Yes. Will it work? Who knows?

[SpeedFlex27]

7 hours ago, JCon said:

But, then we're going to lose Hansen and there was no point in developing him. We can get better players down south and just churn them. 

The roster spot was to develop the player but also develop a global market for the game. 

So, the league will lose the best Global it has. 

The Randy Rule. Free scarves for everyone.

[TBURGESS]

15 hours ago, Goldkobra said:

My guess at the end game of the global initiative is to feature players from markets like Germany and Mexico,  drum up interest in the game and sell tv rights to networks. So, has it worked yet? I don't think so.  Could it work? Yes. Will it work? Who knows?

If that's the case then how long do you wait until you get measurable results & how long do you pay them below the CFL minimum? 

IMO if you're going to keep Global's you should at least pay them the same as the rest of the players. That means minimum for most of them, but allows for paying more for better Global's.

[GCn20]

34 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

If that's the case then how long do you wait until you get measurable results & how long do you pay them below the CFL minimum? 

IMO if you're going to keep Global's you should at least pay them the same as the rest of the players. That means minimum for most of them, but allows for paying more for better Global's.

I would hope this is addressed in the next CBA. 

[Jesse]

Remember this was to grow the game of football.

The ideal scenario is guys coming to play here, Canadians to have opportunities to play in other countries as well.

Grow the game to the point where there is money to be made for TV deals home and abroad - which is a long term goal.

We've hit a couple of predictable speed bumps:

A. The middleground between effective global and replacement level import

B. The lack of organization in leagues abroad that makes it unappealing for Canadian players.

C. The impatience of those who expect immediate results in a long term project that could take decades to develop. 

[Bigblue204]

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

If that's the case then how long do you wait until you get measurable results & how long do you pay them below the CFL minimum? 

IMO if you're going to keep Global's you should at least pay them the same as the rest of the players. That means minimum for most of them, but allows for paying more for better Global's.

I'd bet they have a review of it in 5 years or so. Something like this will take time.

[TBURGESS]

22 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

I'd bet they have a review of it in 5 years or so. Something like this will take time.

5 Years seems fair. In the meantime, paid less than CFL minimum and off the books seems unfair.

[Goldkobra]

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

If that's the case then how long do you wait until you get measurable results & how long do you pay them below the CFL minimum? 

IMO if you're going to keep Global's you should at least pay them the same as the rest of the players. That means minimum for most of them, but allows for paying more for better Global's.

Agreed about the salary.  How do you expect these guys to want to play half way around the world if they aren't even entitled to be paid any significant money? How long do we wait? Who knows? Its not a bad idea. They just need to execute it right. If the cba gets changed so Global's can basically be interchangeable with Canadians,  which i hope it does, i would be hosting a signing press conference in Hansen's home city. Talk about his contributions to the war in Ukraine.  Try to create a story. Make a big deal about it. 

[17to85]

Yeah if you aren't going to pay the global players a reasonable amount if they deserve it what's the point? Guys like Hansen are exactly the ones that this program was designed to find... yet he might quit because it's not worth paying him anything. 

 

Another half formed idea by the current CFL management. 

[GCn20]

37 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Yeah if you aren't going to pay the global players a reasonable amount if they deserve it what's the point? Guys like Hansen are exactly the ones that this program was designed to find... yet he might quit because it's not worth paying him anything. 

 

Another half formed idea by the current CFL management. 

It is very odd indeed. Not allowing Globals to get a better salary after their initial contract seems like this was more a way to reduce a salary in the league than it was about finding and expanding a global market.

[SpeedFlex27]

If a half dozen players from Germany & Mexico become very good CFL players then how is that going to equate to increase revenues for the CFL? If you live in Hamburg or Mexico City do you care? Explain how that is growing the Canadian game? This kind of reminds me of the lazy man's way to build a league. The Homer Simpson approach. Draft & sign a couple of Euros or Mexicans & then claim to have grown the game in their home countries with promises of increased tv revenues to come. With no actual promise of any money coming. Don't do the actual hard work like increasing visibility for the CFL by playing exhibition games over there.

[Fatty Liver]

20 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

If a half dozen players from Germany & Mexico become very good CFL players then how is that going to equate to increase revenues for the CFL? If you live in Hamburg or Mexico City do you care? Explain how that is growing the Canadian game? This kind of reminds me of the lazy man's way to build a league. The Homer Simpson approach. Draft & sign a couple of Euros or Mexicans & then claim to have grown the game in their home countries with promises of increased tv revenues to come. With no actual promise of any money coming. Don't do the actual hard work like increasing visibility for the CFL by playing exhibition games over there.

In a perfect world, say 6 Mexican players make CFL rosters and become visible contributors, creating an attainable career path would inspire hundreds or maybe even thousands of amateurs and semi-pros playing the equivalent of beer league football in Mexico to take their training to the next level in the hope of following their countrymen.  For 99% of these players the goal of playing in the NFL is not realistic, if the CFL can demonstrate there is a valid opportunity and a chance of success, such an initiative could create it's own momentum. 

I would predict if there were 10 Mexican players in the CFL, interest in CFL broadcasts in Mexico would begin to establish itself.  I really can't see this potential existing for any of the smaller global football communities, the focus should be on Mexico, which has a huge viewing audience that could be exploited.

[MOBomberFan]

Anecdotally I can tell you my in-laws from Germany visited in the summer of 2019 and they were surprised and intrigued to find out a German was playing for the local 'American Football' team that I seemed to be so obsessed with. I took them to a game and pointed him out every time he was on the field. They didn't really follow the game but they still had a lot of fun (we won 31-1, it was wild). Fast forward a few months when we win the cup and I get texts from Germany saying they had tuned in to watch the Grey Cup and were happy for our city. It all started with mentioning Hansen played for us. So at least on the smallest scale I've seen CFL 2.0 generate interest outside our borders. How it translates to money is still in question

[Jesse]

1 hour ago, Fatty Liver said:

In a perfect world, say 6 Mexican players make CFL rosters and become visible contributors, creating an attainable career path would inspire hundreds or maybe even thousands of amateurs and semi-pros playing the equivalent of beer league football in Mexico to take their training to the next level in the hope of following their countrymen.  For 99% of these players the goal of playing in the NFL is not realistic, if the CFL can demonstrate there is a valid opportunity and a chance of success, such an initiative could create it's own momentum. 

I would predict if there were 10 Mexican players in the CFL, interest in CFL broadcasts in Mexico would begin to establish itself.  I really can't see this potential existing for any of the smaller global football communities, the focus should be on Mexico, which has a huge viewing audience that could be exploited.

Another thing to consider is what these players bring back to their country.

Hansen went back home and won a  Championship for his home league. If he never comes back, but takes his experience from here and uses it to help grow the programs back home, is that also considered a win?

[TBURGESS]

1 hour ago, MOBomberFan said:

Anecdotally I can tell you my in-laws from Germany visited in the summer of 2019 and they were surprised and intrigued to find out a German was playing for the local 'American Football' team that I seemed to be so obsessed with. I took them to a game and pointed him out every time he was on the field. They didn't really follow the game but they still had a lot of fun (we won 31-1, it was wild). Fast forward a few months when we win the cup and I get texts from Germany saying they had tuned in to watch the Grey Cup and were happy for our city. It all started with mentioning Hansen played for us. So at least on the smallest scale I've seen CFL 2.0 generate interest outside our borders. How it translates to money is still in question

The fact that you had to tell them means the CFL is failing to get their message to people who may watch. Friends and family watching CFL isn't worth anything to the CFL.

[Wideleft]

47 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

The fact that you had to tell them means the CFL is failing to get their message to people who may watch. Friends and family watching CFL isn't worth anything to the CFL.

CFL marketing dollars only go so far.  Maybe your expectations are a little high?

[TBURGESS]

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

CFL marketing dollars only go so far.  Maybe your expectations are a little high?

I'd say your expectations are too low. I don't know how much the Global initiative has cost the CFL so far, but they surely have a negative ROI at this point. If it's still negative after 5 years of trying, then it's time to wright-off the idea. 

If the idea is to grow the CFL in other countries, then you need to get enough fans in other countries to make a difference. Friends and family isn't enough. Neither is taking the CFL experience home.

If the idea is to have yet another class of players who are getting paid less than any of the other classes of players, then the union should try and stop it for the good of all players.

[MOBomberFan]

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

The fact that you had to tell them means the CFL is failing to get their message to people who may watch. Friends and family watching CFL isn't worth anything to the CFL.

That's totally fair, they had never seen American Football played anywhere before that day so interest is clearly not that high in Germany.

As far as having never heard of Hansen or the CFL, it was only, what, week 5 or 6 of the first season of CFL 2.0 by that point. we can give it a couple years before we completely write it off though it clearly has some wrinkles to be ironed out if it has any hope

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

In a perfect world, say 6 Mexican players make CFL rosters and become visible contributors, creating an attainable career path would inspire hundreds or maybe even thousands of amateurs and semi-pros playing the equivalent of beer league football in Mexico to take their training to the next level in the hope of following their countrymen.  For 99% of these players the goal of playing in the NFL is not realistic, if the CFL can demonstrate there is a valid opportunity and a chance of success, such an initiative could create it's own momentum. 

I would predict if there were 10 Mexican players in the CFL, interest in CFL broadcasts in Mexico would begin to establish itself.  I really can't see this potential existing for any of the smaller global football communities, the focus should be on Mexico, which has a huge viewing audience that could be exploited.

No one plays 3 down football in the world except Canada. Why would some player in Mexico want to play here? They'd only have one reason.  For the expressed interest of getting to the NFL only. Now, we find out the CFL exploits these kids as cheap labour putting their bodies at risk for cheaper salaries than the very worst Canadian on every roster. AND... they can't make any more money as salaries are frozen when they develop. Like Thiadric Hansen.

Americans have played up here since the 1930's. Thousands of players have come & gone from the US. Where's the big tv money so Americans can watch their players succeed in the CFL? There is no big money coming from the US. People down there don't watch 3 down football. Same in Mexico. Same in Germany. Same everywhere else. No one watches Canadian football. No one in Europe knows the league or the names of our teams. Having 6 Mexican, German or British players make the CFL won't ever bring in the money. It's just another story sold by Randy Ambrosie. 

If he truly wants to grow the game internationally then the CFL has to go into Mexico, Germany or wherever & start playing exhibition games so people can see it. That's the only way. Never happen. 

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, MOBomberFan said:

Anecdotally I can tell you my in-laws from Germany visited in the summer of 2019 and they were surprised and intrigued to find out a German was playing for the local 'American Football' team that I seemed to be so obsessed with. I took them to a game and pointed him out every time he was on the field. They didn't really follow the game but they still had a lot of fun (we won 31-1, it was wild). Fast forward a few months when we win the cup and I get texts from Germany saying they had tuned in to watch the Grey Cup and were happy for our city. It all started with mentioning Hansen played for us. So at least on the smallest scale I've seen CFL 2.0 generate interest outside our borders. How it translates to money is still in question

 

My point is that it takes more than just a few players to garner interest internationally. The CFL has to market & market hard but we know they never will. Any resources spent should be spent in Canada first. Start by giving money to local football.

A bantam team I helped start here in Calgary back in 2005 called the Falcons had their equipment stolen out of their storage shed about 3 years ago. Everything was taken. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment gone. The equipment was not insured because the club couldn't afford the premiums. A fund raising effort was started to replace the equipment but it felt well short. The team folded. Kids had to play elsewhere. 

Where was the CFL or the Stamps? You mean to say they both couldn't have donated the money needed to replace the stolen equipment?? I heard the amount need to replace helmets, shoulder pads & soft pads was between $25-30,000. Nope. Let's not help kids in a CFL community to grow the sport first. Let's talk about growing it in Europe, instead. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by SpeedFlex27