Cfl on Nfl network

What do yall think of the Nfl Network having Cfl games on its network in the states?They going to have 14 games from what I read.

I saw that yesterday in the paper great idea.

It's awesome!

I'm sure it'll always get treated like it was last night.

Right before the game, the announcers made some derogatory pun like
"The CFL is coming up... I guess the NFL Network needed a bit more rouge"
and they showed old footage of Ricky Williams playing for the Argos.

Immediately after the game,
there was absolutely no mention of the amazing game that was just on.
Instead, they went right into reverential hyperbole about the late Don Coryell
and the usual docket of hold-outs and criminal activity.

Oh well ...
I suppose their idea of "programming padding"
is still better than nothing ... so why should I complain ?

:?

Cuthbert commented that the American players were happy that their families would be able to see them play more often. After the Als/Riders game, gotta wonder if guys like SJ Green, Dressler, Bagg and Maypray may get an NFL looksie when their CFL deals expire.

If they don’t watch it on the NFL Network with that sort of arrogance they’ll turn into those loser jerks on ESPN (except for the outstanding World Cup coverage but for a bad World Cup).

Well we’ll just do our part to tell more of our countrymen about the game as so many found out about last night for the first time with an introduction that would be impossible to beat!

And then the more come on here as did last night for the first time the better to get more of the word out.

Mind you it took until this year for ESPN as part of the “establishment” for example to finally get it on the dominance of MMA well over boxing since at least 2005.

The NFL’s agenda is obvious of course, but as Goodell gets it too with the CFL as he does so well on so many matters, obviously I bet you the smarmy arrogant remarks go away and those guys on air taking their likely overpaid jobs for granted in this age of media well beyond merely TV boost their professionalism just as they did on ESPN after it was hit with all the stories about its frat party environment for years with some of its biggest jerks thrown out for good.

Thankfully they tightened that in the new CBA so no more one and done contracts.

This article is about Cleo Lemon, but if you scroll down you can see the comments where a few people compliment the game last night.

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/02/cleo-lemon-loses-cfl-debut-to-another-former-nfl-quarterback/]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... arterback/[/url]

...so some of us American CFL Fans can watch the CFL. They are also planning to televise the Grey Cup.

I remember a few years back when Ricky Williams was going to play in the CFL and Sean Salibury went off on ESPN about how Ricky Williams was going to destroy the CFL and prove once and for all how vastly superior the NFL is and a couple of weeks later The Saskachewan Rough Riders broke his arm. And Williams himself later said that Americans have no idea how good some of the players are up there. I salute The NFL Network for broadcasting CFL games and Rich Eisen did mention on NFL Total access last night how great the Montreal - Roughriders game was. Chris Berman has decsribed himself as a CFL fan as well

Man, watching the CFL on HD down here was a BLAST on Thursday (I just want to SHOOT myself for not loading more time onto my DVR for the end of the game! I only caught the first OT period...D@MN!)!

One of the things that I immediately noticed and missed was the half-time analysis provided by the TSN crew. I download the CFL Roundtable podcasts from TSN, and I've watched the half-time shows with interest when they were broadcast during the past couple of years of crappy feeds from RSN's down here. I've grown accustomed to the often insightful breakdowns of the games provided by Matt Dunnigan, Jock Clime, Schultz-ie, and even Dave Randorf.

I'm also a bit mystified that there are absolutely NO BC Lions games being broadcast this year! Oh well, I guess I'll have to be content with downloading the podcasts of the games from Vancouver's Team 1040's website: [url]http://www.teamradio.ca/podcasts/index.php?[/url].

Finally, I guess I shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but, don't be mistaken; the NFL is concerned about the promotion and success of one league and one league only: The NFL. I am afraid that most of the NFL Network commentators will continue to make snide remarks about the CFL as the season progresses. The networks probably just feels that the CFL is just "filler," and will treat it that way.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy as much as I can, for as long as I can, of the CFL on the NFL Network in glorious HD!

Right on also with regard to Rich Eisen though ESPN still has so much more dead weight to shed as they did that Salisbury idiot years ago.

Too many folks usually well over 45 down here (I’m 38 so not picking on their age just the mentality of too many of them who happen to be that age still showing up on my TV and talking to the wide audience like it is still 2000) still working there who seem to be too stuck in the pre-YouTube era to change their ways and get with the program now that goes like this down here for sake of what is really popular amongst sports fans:

The NFL Rocks And Nothing Is Close (they sort of get that but have less clout than ever for sake of the NFL and rightfully so)
MMA Is Hot (they just this year have a few guys who are alleged to be following it)
MLS Is Growing (they sort of get that)
NHL Playoff Hockey Is Hot! (they get that NHL regular season is not for the most part)
College Football Is Hot Regionally Only, But Everyone Hates The BCS (they get the first part but are trying to push their agenda on the second even more now)
NASCAR Is Growing Mostly Regionally (they get that)

Fewer folks than ever give a rip about MLB(NATIONALLY outside their Northeastern backyard that is), college basketball, or the NBA including its primary role as spentatainment more than sport any more. All of these comprise now well more than half of ESPN’s programming and senseless stupid promotions.

And just you watch with proper exposure by the NFL Network I have little doubt the CFL brand of football will join the list of those above in five years.

I’d be interested by September to find out just how much share the CFL is stealing from lame MLB, as did NHL playoff hockey on Versus, even though the CFL is still in fewer households than ESPN’s networks because it is on the NFL Network. :expressionless:

The full CFL schedule could be on the NFL network next year if the the league and players can't agree on a new CBA... then all NFL fans will be exposed the CFL brand of football... there could be a whole new legion of converts to our game if that happens... so a lockout/strike in the NFL might hurt them in the long run... :rockin:

in the 80's when the NFL went on strike, they tried putting CFL games on CBS, and it failed miserably. im not saying it wont work, but i wouldnt get too worked up about it.

It was NBC Joe Thiseman was Colour Guy

IMO, there is a huge difference between the time that the CFL was on NBC in the 80’s and now. The expansion to the states in the 90’s has led to a bigger following of the league south of the 49th… you can see it in the number of American fans that post on the various CFL sites… and add to that there might not be an NFL season next year, and you could see the CFL as the only game in town, so to speak… I would say that if those things happen, the CFL could make significant inroads to an American TV deal… if not one of the so-called “big 3” networks, then one the specialty sports channels for sure. The fact the NFL network is even televising games speaks volumes of our league’s popularity in the States.

A lot of football fans in the US who while might snicker a bit at some of our rules, want to see gridiron as much as possible.

It didn’t help that in the very first game Edmonton (with Moon at QB) blew out Hamilton so badly the game was basically over by the end of the first quarter. It really was an embarrassment, and no wonder people didn’t watch much after that.

Dont get me wrong, im all about growing the game and getting more fans. I guess im always a little careful whenever we bring the american Factor in. The expansion was such an awkward time in the CFL... But if americans want our game as is, im all for it. I think it would be important to just use the TSN feed. When i watch some expansion era on ESPN classic, them american anouncers were awful.

Actually, I am fairly certain that NBC’s first CFL telecast was a doubleheader, with B.C. at Toronto followed by Calgary at Edmonton. The Lions blew out the Argos in Toronto’s worst performance of an otherwise very good season. I can’t recall how the Calgary-Edmonton game ended but I do recall Merlin Olsen raving to Dick Enberg about the gorgeous Commonwealth Stadium and its 60,0000 (full) seats. The bottom line was that ratings were very poor and NBC pulled the plug after the one week, IIRC.