Around The League Off Season Discussion

[rebusrankin]

Maybe Chris Jones isn't the new Hugh Campbell after all.

[DR. CFL]

Players come and players go....as to coaches......does it really matter at this point in time. It is after all only May. I'll simply wait to pass judgement when they start posting the "W's and the L's" ultimately that remains the true report card.

[M.O.A.B.]

1 hour ago, kelownabomberfan said:

ok but three?  Doesn't Medlock also punt?

i believe castillo is more a than fg kicker than a punter

 

[Fatty Liver]

Kent Austin taken to hospital, released

Hamilton Tiger-Cats vice president of football operations and head coach Kent Austin was taken to an area hospital on Tuesday afternoon but was released a few hours later and is “fine,” according to a team source.

No officials details on his condition were immediately available but sources say he suffered from a suspected allergic reaction. After a brief visit to the emergency room at Hamilton General – where his presence was noticed by a Ticat fan and made it’s way to social media – Austin returned to his Burlington home.

Austin is in his fourth year with the Ticats and recently presided over the team’s mini-camp at Tim Hortons Field. In addition to his head coaching duties, Austin also served as offensive coordinator following the departure of Tommy Condell in early April.

The 52-year-old Austin has three children with wife Shelley, as well as a granddaughter.

 

[SPuDS]

allergic reaction to stress lol

[Goalie]

Ticats name former CIS head coach and Guru Stef Ptaszek as OC 

[Fatty Liver]

4 hours ago, Goalie said:

Ticats name former CIS head coach and Guru Stef Ptaszek as OC 

Hope he's a good listener.

[Jacquie]

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by Jacquie

[Jacquie]

By Lowell Ulrich at 3DownNation:

Quote

 

The most-recent quarterback of the B.C. Lions to sign a contract extension was asked to provide context about the size of his new deal and Jon Jennings did so in a manner any prospective 23-year-old Lower Mainland homeowner could understand.

Nosy reporters began asking whether Jennings could now start looking at Yaletown penthouses or simply perhaps camp out for a new two-bedroom in Langley. Neither, said Jennings, who then good-naturedly unloaded a shot across the bow of his boss, Wally Buono.

“No, no…I’m trying to save, man,” said the normally stoic sophomore quarterback, understanding he hasn’t really secured much more than a down payment these days in B.C.’s supercharged housing market. “I’m trying to be cheap like Wally.”

“Frugal,” smiled Buono from the back of the room.

“That’s right, frugal,” replied the quarterback.

 

 

[Fatty Liver]

http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Football/CFL/Edmonton/2016/05/03/22629656.html

Interesting article regarding the Esk. AGM, especially the following excerpt on Grey Cup expenses.  It appears it is much better for the books to host the Cup rather than win it.

 

With the Grey Cup in the Eskimos dressing room for the AGM and a collection of about a dozen former chairmen of the board of directors in attendance, the team opened its books once again. The first thing many of those former board chairmen searched for in the financial statement, for the season that ended with the Eskimos winning the 14th Grey Cup in their history, was one line.

“How much did it cost to win the Grey Cup?” said one.

Winning the Grey Cup is not good for the bottom line. Most often it turns a season of profit into a season of loss.

This year it cost the Eskimos $2,676,929 in playoff expenses to win the Grey Cup. That involves the cost of Grey Cup rings that are almost half a million alone, the cost of flights, hotel rooms, etc. for extra players, injured players and wives and family of those in the game and bonus clauses in player contracts.

The year before, under playoff expenses, to lose the Western Final in Calgary, the total was $1,041,069.

Despite what it cost to win the Grey Cup, the Eskimos still made money. The revenue for the season was $24,818,793 and the expenses totaled $22,835,579.

Profit: $1,567,534.

The year before, the Eskimos declared a profit of $3,308,071, almost two million dollars more.

You get the idea. It’s just the way it works in the CFL when you win the Grey Cup.

[iso_55]

Well, let all the teams be the Bombers & Riders then...

[DR. CFL]

The bigger loser is the expense of going to the Cup and not winning. The winner reaps the benefit of Grey Cup a Champion merchandise. Nobody buys a Grey Cup Loser T shirt.

[Atomic]

Of course what this doesn't take into account is the boost in revenues the next season(s) from being a winner.  I imagine season ticket sales would go up.  In a city like Winnipeg the after effects could be substantial, dwarfing the 2-3 million dollar "cost" of winning the Grey Cup.

[Fatty Liver]

32 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Of course what this doesn't take into account is the boost in revenues the next season(s) from being a winner.  I imagine season ticket sales would go up.  In a city like Winnipeg the after effects could be substantial, dwarfing the 2-3 million dollar "cost" of winning the Grey Cup.

If you read the full article that hasn't happened in Edm. yet, here is the excerpt.

 

Eskimos attendance dropped by 5.9% with a very concerning average of only 31,517 fans per game for a franchise that averaged well over 40,000 the last time the Eskimos won the Grey Cup in 2005. That said, the attendance total still led the league and sponsorship and merchandise sales, along with a ticket price increase, covered the drop in the turnstile count.

 

The challenge now is to use the euphoria about finally winning the Grey Cup again to translate into ticket sales to get 40,000 fans back in the stand again. And until Rhodes’ team on the third floor of Commonwealth Stadium does that, they ought not be taking too many bows.

“Right now, we’re trending with our season seats exactly where we were last year,” said Rhodes. “We’re at 89% on renewals.”

While GM Ed Hervey gets to justifiably point out his pride in becoming the first Eskimos general manager in the salary cap era to win the Grey Cup, he and his user-unfriendly team in football ops haven’t helped ticket sales.

Indeed, it appears that actually winning the Grey Cup hasn’t sold a single ticket for this coming season.

Rhodes suggests there’s a big announcement planned for next week to reveal a major investment in improving the experience around the game involving halftime shows with a major focus on 20- to 30-year-old fans.

“There will also be more capital expenditures in the stadium which will speak for themselves,” he said.

Obviously with the loss of an entire coaching staff and a significant number of players, it’ll be an interesting season on the field, but just as interesting a year is ahead off the field.

Grey Cup or bust again. And 40,000 or bust, too.

[Mike]

In a city like Winnipeg though ...

[Dee Urban Hermit]

... Yes, but we are a frugal bunch....

[Atomic]

7 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

If you read the full article that hasn't happened in Edm. yet, here is the excerpt.

 

Eskimos attendance dropped by 5.9% with a very concerning average of only 31,517 fans per game for a franchise that averaged well over 40,000 the last time the Eskimos won the Grey Cup in 2005. That said, the attendance total still led the league and sponsorship and merchandise sales, along with a ticket price increase, covered the drop in the turnstile count.

 

The challenge now is to use the euphoria about finally winning the Grey Cup again to translate into ticket sales to get 40,000 fans back in the stand again. And until Rhodes’ team on the third floor of Commonwealth Stadium does that, they ought not be taking too many bows.

“Right now, we’re trending with our season seats exactly where we were last year,” said Rhodes. “We’re at 89% on renewals.”

While GM Ed Hervey gets to justifiably point out his pride in becoming the first Eskimos general manager in the salary cap era to win the Grey Cup, he and his user-unfriendly team in football ops haven’t helped ticket sales.

Indeed, it appears that actually winning the Grey Cup hasn’t sold a single ticket for this coming season.

Rhodes suggests there’s a big announcement planned for next week to reveal a major investment in improving the experience around the game involving halftime shows with a major focus on 20- to 30-year-old fans.

“There will also be more capital expenditures in the stadium which will speak for themselves,” he said.

Obviously with the loss of an entire coaching staff and a significant number of players, it’ll be an interesting season on the field, but just as interesting a year is ahead off the field.

Grey Cup or bust again. And 40,000 or bust, too.

The bolded part is unsubstantiated.  What exactly does that mean?  Zero tickets have been sold?  The season hasn't even started yet.  Let's check in after the season and see where it compares to last season.  That article was written by a gentleman with an agenda, he doesn't like how Hervey treats the media and he's intent on proving himself right.

[comedygeek]

Edmonton is a very strange situation this offseason, though, because normally after a Grey Cup win, the entire coaching staff and several players don't bolt for a different team. In most cases, you'll have continuity and the hope that they can repeat, which would absolutely increase season ticket sales.

[Taynted_Fayth]

Looks like the riders signed or on the verge of signing Norwood. Bit of a gamble, but if he comes back in August as projected and is playing anywhere near where he was, that could be a good pick up for them, especially if he'll be a fresh body for the 2nd half of the season

[Fatty Liver]

4 hours ago, Taynted_Fayth said:

Looks like the riders signed or on the verge of signing Norwood. Bit of a gamble, but if he comes back in August as projected and is playing anywhere near where he was, that could be a good pick up for them, especially if he'll be a fresh body for the 2nd half of the season

Norwood was a great player but this signing is a bit odd in the face of recent miss-steps by Jones, no telling when or how well he recovers from his injury and the Riders are paying him non-cap money until he returns.  I wonder if Jones gave him a signing bonus.   

Edited May 8, 2016 by Throw Long Bannatyne

[DR. CFL]

Depending on the structure of the contract it could be a win- win for both sides. Low base and start on the 6 game so no cap implications and then incentives when he gets back.

[Floyd]

Seems like a pretty good deal to me... would have liked to see him in blue and gold

Alex Hall signed anywhere yet?  Hall-Shologan-Cummings-Westerman would be nice

[Fatty Liver]

One thing to note is that Norwood was going to give F.A. a go at the end of this season as he was only earning $90,000.  If Jones can tie him up for a couple of years at a reasonable rate than it may be worth the gamble on his recovery.  If Norwood plays this year and goes to F.A. anyway, it doesn't look so good imo.

[Goalie]

So it turns out that IGF isn't the only stadium with legal battles, Looks like THF in Hamilton is going through the same. 

 

 

[rebusrankin]

What are the issues with THF?