I'm sorry but anyone who knows me knows I'm generally optimistic....not this time.
Looking at our new commissioners credentials, he has been responsible for marketing major U.S. leagues internationally.
First impressions looks as though he is first step in priming the CFL to be a franchise of the No Fun League.
I'll be the first to say I'm jumping the gun. I just hope my psychic powers are way off here and my visions of 4 downs, shorter fields and end zones and a CFL logo on the field are way wronge!
Comish if you are reading this, welcome to the job and league, but don't change our game, your job is to make it better for Canadians, not make Canadian Football better by making it American.
I've got a bad feeling, and until Mr Cohon proves himself this season I will hold my breath.
First thing is to make sure the CFL thrives. And if this means 4 downs or whatever, fine with me, I just want to watch excellent football in the town I live, Hamilton, without having to travel to the States.
Would people please get off this "the CFL has to be 3 downs etc."? I love our league and wish to keep the rules as is but if anyone here would not be a fan because it became more NFL-like (for your information, the CFL has been going more American all the time) then you aren't a fan at all IMHO.
I agree, and IMO I actually would like to see more americans built into the ratio. I love the CFL but I think the game is getting better cause we are finally getting the exposure down south and better american players are coming up. Nothing frustrates me more when teams have to have Canadians at a position who get constantly burned. Yikes remember the dark days when he had receivers like Tonkara, Andrew English etc. These guys shouldn’t be playing at all.
As far as 3 downs go. That’s one thing I wouldn’t want to see go.
The commissioner is largely powerless in a league that requires a majority owners vote to pass anything. Tom Wright was dumped over a perceived failure in Ottawa, Mike Lysko was turfed over a disagreement with owners. If the owners don't like what a commish wants to do, they drop him like a bad habit.
It makes no sense to switch to an American format. First off, how do you shrink a field? Most teams play on rather expensive field turf in stadiums designed with CFL football in mind. To replace the playing surface would not be cost effective.
Why alienate fans? The CFL has been graced by a resurgence in the last few years. CFL fans are some of the most devoted and loyal fans of any sport anywhere. To switch to 4 down, boring football simply because, is kind of dumb. He would alienate the fans of CFL football just to appease a perceived desire to be more American.
Switching to American football rules would cause so much upheaval among the various teams and owners that it would decimate the bottom line of a league dependant on fan loyalty and heritage.
I'm sorry but anyone who knows me knows I'm generally optimistic....not this time.
Typical Tiger-Cat fan (maybe CFL for that matter) paranoia. He is clearly more than qualified for this position. He is here to develop the Brand and and increase revenue not to change the rules.
I'll tell you one thing. I drove by on the Gardiner yesterday and peeked at that new soccer/football stadium and it looks great at a quick glance, completely outdoors. If they ever add another 5-10,000 seats, the Argos would be stupid not to use that stadium, even if it isn't built to CFL standards or whatever.
And can we please make the CFL so that teams have to look at so many Canadians in camp but don't actually have to hire as many as now. A bit more give and take here on this is needed IMHO.
Nonsense.
If you think the commisioner has the power to do anything even resembling what has been suggested you simply havnt been watching or reading on how the league actually works.
Congratulations to the new Commissioner. I hope he has great success. Doing that will reqire the ongoing support of teh Board. I hope he has that too.
As for the rules, I don't want to see them chqanged to be more "American" at all. I'm a fan of Canadian football. Earl, when you suggest that a person is not a fan unless they like any football so long as it's played here, I disagree. I like Canadian football, not American. If I wanted to watch American football, I'd tune in to the NFL, not watch a second or third tier team just becasue it happened to be based locally.
I'd like to see a few changes in the rules too.... go back to 25 yard endzones, reduce the roster to 36 with 20 Canadians, for example.
But keep Canadian football Canadian. I'm a fan now, but if it isn't Canadian football I won't be a fan any more.
Well, paint me PINK, and call me JUDY ... cuz' I feel as giddy as a SCHOOL GIRL about this NEWS.
From MY PERSPECTIVE they could NOT have found a BETTER MAN for the Job.
Plain and SIMPLE - the CFL has always done a POOR JOB MARKETING their BRAND of FOOTBALL ... as I have STATED (ad nauseum) in this forum - "the very fact the Arena Football Phenomenon has occurred UNDER the NOSE of the CFL - is an INDICTMENT of ALL responsible for the GROWTH and development of the league."
Make NO MISTAKE - the CFL is a SPECIAL BRAND of FOOTBALL ... and should be MARKETED as SUCH ... and I am SORRY to INFORM some - BUT, the GROWTH of this special brand DEPENDS on the AMERICAN Football fan BUYING OUR BRAND !!
Although past EXPANSION into the U.S FAILED - I would SUGGEST it was ENTIRELY DUE to the aforementioned shortcomings of those responsible for MARKETING the game !!
With this PROVEN MARKETING GENIUS - I EAGERLY anticipate EXPANSION into some CHOICE SELECTED U.S markets ...
There is ZERO CHANCE the CFL becomes "NFL2". That is, it has a SNOWBALLS chance in CUBA of EVER becoming 4 downs, etc ...
"3 Downs" are part of THE BRAND. It is the CORNER PIECE of ANY MARKETING STRATEGY ... as well as "the Rouge" and all the Special Teams rules.
NO WAY JARE_C !! I'm calling you OUT as CHICKEN LITTLE !! The sky is NOT FALLING on the CFL, my friend.
I could NOT be MORE EXCITED about the FUTURE of this league !!
Peace.
P.S - One AMERICANIZATION I would accept - is UNIFYING the Footballs - there really is no need for a different ball !!
P.P.S - I also HOPE this new MARKETING GURU has the COURAGE to ABOLISH our ANTIQUATED East/West Divisions !!!!!!!!!
This commissioner has a 5 year deal. That spells MANDATE! Tom Wright was never afforded this opportunity. This guy really has a chance to make a stamp and increase this league's brand equity.
I'll consider his stay a success if we can get a team in Ottawa, a firm plan to go to 10 teams, ventures into video games, success with the SMS and a substance abuse policy.
Bang on dude! :thup: !!! (agreed on 25 yard end zones - much better - they ain’t gonna change back though; and extra agreed on the more Canadian players part too - extremely doubtful the CFL will return to that way though - not unless a lot more Canadian football people get to make decisions in the league).
I’m guessing some of the commentators here just haven’t been around that long unlike us older folks, or else just haven’t been following the CFL very long; the clique of American thinkers who have a lot of say in the league now may want more American players (they’ve gotten their way there) and maybe even changes to some American rules, but mark me down as no longer a CFL fan either if those things happen; if you want to watch 2nd rate American football (i.e. not the highest level - the NFL is) then there’s lots of other American football - US college ball, Arena ball, NFL-Europe - for fans of that and all the wannabe types up here. The CFL used to have a bit smaller rosters with more Canadians - this was back in the hey-days of the CFL - 50s, 60s, 70s into the 80s and sorry chum the game is not “getting better” with more American players handed jobs and “exposure” in the States has not grown anyways and is irrelevant - always has been - they don’t have a clue about our version of football and other than the odd sports/football fanatic down there, they don’t care. The CFL is the highest level of Canadian football - that means strictly Canadian rules - our game was invented here and it’s not some aberrant version of American football; it also provides an opportunity for the best Canadian players to play in the big league in their own country. For those who have no clue - the CFL of years ago that featured more Canadian players was every bit as entertaining, competitive and high calibre of football, and often better IMO, as/than today’s CFL - some of the great Ticat teams of the 60s blow away - in terms of talent, football skills & execution and tough competitiveness, not to mention coaching smarts - a good number of CFL teams of recent years. I can understand all the wannabe, Madden video football kiddies & hype victims who’ve been weaned on the anything American is better crap that permeates a lot of Canada now, thinking the CFL could be “better” if only it was Americanized more. Good for them and have a nice time watching if the CFL goes that way. I think they would lose a bunch of fans up here going that way. And there is zero evidence that this new Commish would entertain any such ideas or try to implement that thinking anyways(nothing decided by the absolute morons in the CFL BOG would surprise me though) - this sound like just more typical no-mind wannabe musing - can we be more American, oh pretty please? - freakin’ pathetic.
I predict this very well-connected Commissoner will have teams in both Ottawa and Halifax within three years.
And there is zero chance of him changing the Canadian game. He already realizes that it is an institution, and is proud to spearhead its continued growth, BUSINESS-WISE (i.e. he will market the league to increase revenues, but not change what makes it uniquely Canadian. Ex. 3 downs).
Having listened to the audio replay of today's introductory press conference, it seems to me that new CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon is very much aware of the unique character of the league and the need to preserve that uniqueness while growing the brand. It was also interesting to hear that he played high school football in Canada and was a fan of former Ticat and Rough Rider tight end Tony Gabriel.
Here is the link to the press conference (26:36 minutes):