Result would be the introduction of the "Global Player" designation.
“Our plan in the short term is to welcome some of the very best players from Mexico into our great league under a new category ‘global player,'? (Randy) Ambrosie said. “We’ve been talking to our governors, our teams, our players about the opportunities that this would create to expand the game of football, to bring to Canadian football and players from around the world to excite them and thrill them.?
Under the current rules, the 44-man game day rosters are made up of 21 nationals (or Canadian) players, 20 internationals (usually Americans) and three quarterbacks. Ambrosiedidn’t say how a new “global player? designation would be incorporated into current rosters – or whether the issue would require a change to the collective bargaining agreement with the players’ association.
With Anthony Calvillo ( Mexican/American Heritage )who has the all pro yardage for QB's and a CFL retired star I see him being our greatest ambassador in Mexico for Canadian football .
I’m guessing the lawyers will be working overtime on the wording of this rule. It’s one thing to include a minimum for national players, but some sort of exemption for citizens of one foreign country, or more likely a limit on players from the US? I don’t see that withstanding a court challenge.
I don’t see how adding players from a 3rd rate (or lower) Mexican League playing US football will improve the Canadian game. It also seems stupid to have them called Global players and not International (might as well use the terms; Canadian, American, and International). My suspicion is that the Canadian content would be reduced by 2 to accommodate these “Global” players.
If you want more players from other places in the world, then try to introduce Canadian football to them and get them playing our game with the prospect that the really good players could be offered jobs in the CFL.
I am against any idea that lowers the number of Canadians playing, in fact the ratio should be higher. There is already a league or two where you catch watch Amers play the game. Bring in the Mexicans, welcome, but they take the place of Amers, not Canadians.
Ambrosie looks moronic with this thing. They change the terminology from Import to International to comply with legal code and then turns around and tries to circumvent the text of their own CBA and arguments for making the change.
An American is not an import but an International but a Mexican is a Global.
Yeah I agree, why does there need to be a separate term for an international player or global? One would think international would cover anyone who is non-Canadian.
I can’t see the Canadian ratio changing with this. With the launch of the AAF and maybe XFL, there will be more competition for talent especially American so I’m good if this will help grow the international talent pool and Canadians who don’t make the CFL, a place to develop too.
i dont think this going to be a “cram mexican talent into the CFL” type of deal. it looks more like he’s trying exploit a developing league to develop player talent and use as a feeder system.
the strength of our dollar would make it way more desireable to come up and play here while we shuffle our talent that needs more development down south. he’s basically funneling talent out of a league that hasnt reached its peak, before it can. kind of predatory really.
the designation of “global player” is quite ridiculous, if “international” doesnt mean global already, then do we even know how to word? i dont see this as an infringement on the canadian quota, but the CFLPA will need to determine what a global designation is entitled to as far as contracts anyway. They both seem to agree that “the best talent from Mexico could come up and play in Canada”. so it doesnt seem to be some form of “good faith” player exchange.
we’ll have to see some of the details though. Given the AAF’s emergence, the need to have another source for players is never a bad thing, and the league’s scheduling of February to late April, it is ideal to have year round work and development for our players should they choose to want to play the full year. i would love to see Zack Medeiros learn how to kick in our offseason. Since we dont have an agreement with the AAF who also plays during our offseason, this is not a bad step.
Agree that no new designation should hamper the Canadian quotas unless the league has determined that there are not enough quality Canadians available that want to play in the CFL, then this changes things.
But just as Canadian farmers want to make it easy for Mexicans and others from the Caribbean to come here and work farms, pick fruit, tobacco etc. where there aren’t enough Canadians available to do this work, then the same would hold true if there aren’t enough Canadians available to fill CFL roster spots. Now this hasn’t been a problem I guess but it could be. You always want to make it easy for people from other countries to come to work in Canada if there aren’t enough skilled Canadians to perform a job for whatever company. This is just common business sense.
I don’t find the CFL to be must-see TV anymore.
I miss a couple of games a week and haven’t attended a game all season - which hasn’t happened since 2004. But I can’t relate to this league anymore.
If I don’t see another game again, I don’t care. They’ve lost touch with their fans, IMO.
I on the other hand love what the Commish is doing. This is what this league needs, and it will pay off in spades here at home. If you’re not trying you’re dying.
