CFL-XFL could be 2023 — XFL insider

I believe that the league has lost its way and focus on what they truly represent.

As long as the CFL is holding on to the rules that makes them unique and stays in June to November schedule then I all in.

Other than that I cannot and will not invest in something that I may not recognize if they do come back.

I guess Randy Ambrosie is no longer in control as commissioner.

1 Like

And what they represent to me is one of the reasons why they’ve been stuck in neutral in the best of times. As I’ve mentioned before, they had one foot as a Canadian institution and one foot as a business. They really need to be one or the other IMO.

The biggest thing out of a possible merger that I’m looking forward to is a new ownership structure. If it becomes a central-investor model like MLS, that will finally put the owners on the same page. Those who don’t want to comply simply get their shares bought out. To me that’s more important than which rules are played.

2 Likes

Well said , the CFL owners know going in what the CFL is and what it’s not .

They understand hopefully by now they have taken the easy path by taking the US player route to the extreme to produce the content on the field creating a narrative it maybe our rules but it’s not our game to actually play .

Take the game and build it from the grass routes up and get the government behind it as positive youth development mixed with Canadian heritage .

Now much easier to get money for fields , equipment etc …

Then at the upper level this can translate into adequate stadiums for expansion within Canada and a larger domestic media deal .

They can still grow the game globally by having CDN three down international amateur tournaments .

It worked for curling .

Stop fighting the Giant NFL head on just go around them with a simple domestic plan with the CFL flag leading the way for growth at the early ages .

If it means going non profit do it . Change the mind set .

I was going to past some great U sports games by the better university programs and how exciting the game can be played with just us Canadians with proper coaching but it falls on deaf ears .

2 Likes

I know you weren’t talking to me but here are my thoughts…

No

OK

It might. What they are doing now is not working (and those teams will leave the CFL whether or not the rest of the league goes with them).

The NFL can be boring. Hopefully they will look at a hybrid game that will make for a more exciting product.

The existing CFL is having a tough time challenging the NFL in Canada.

You should watch U Sports. It’s awesome and under appreciated in this country.

Thank you.

1 Like

I would love to watch some U Sports Football unfortunately there’s little to zero coverage of it unless you watch on Shaw channel 4, highlights anyways.

By the way thanks for the feedback I was responding to another contributor who thinks that I am problem for not wanting the CFL to change the rules to placate to a base that never supported the CFL in the first place.

I do actually, would like you stay and give this a chance.

Its not specifically the rules. Clearly the NFL is doing a better job of selling their version of Grid Iron then we are. They are capturing the fans we lost.

That doesn’t mean to get them back we have to change our rules, not one, but it does mean we have to be open to the idea if that rule change alters the game play in such way that it attracts those folks back.

This is an issue with multiple aspects and very complex, you cannot look at any one aspect of the problem in a silo. There interconnect and effect each other, so you have to look at the whole picture, having CFL evolve is not a unforgivable sin that requires it die.

Evolution is a part of any living system, if that system is not evolving still then it is dying. Only death is end of living thing’s evolution, so if we want to live we must change. What that change needs and or should look like is absolutely open for discussion, that is in fact the trick.

How do we balance culture, sport and business? All three must work together, take any one away or only focus on one and the whole thing falls like a three legged stool. We can’t fix our problems if folks who feel like you aren’t willing bend or a give an inch, we need a dialogue, we need to talk and find a middle ground that maintains the stool. If not we are doomed.

We want you at the table, but not if you are totally closed off from or willing to compromise. Giving no ground is no an option anymore, time for status quo has passed, its evolve or die time. Would like to discuss possibilities of how we can use a merger to make things better, more exciting to improve the sport and the business while how we maintain the culture.

Without that there isn’t going to be football for anybody. The issue has always been the closed mindedness when the reality clearly dictates that that is no longer an option if we want to survive. I would assume everyone here can agree on one thing, we want the CFL survive and live a long happy life. Only working together to balance out the three pillars can we do that, if one side or the other is unwilling to give so much as an inch, a my way or highway mentality, well there’s no point to trying cuz you’ve already decided on death.

1 Like

Football is declining in participation over the years at the youth level.

Nothing of this merger will get kids to take an interest in the sport the only goal is the NFL because that’s where btge the money is.

The XFL or whatever they want to call themselves have a hope of attracting top level talent no matter how money they will throw at them.

The merger in it of it self, no, but capital investment need yes.

Getting youth back is a magic bullet, it is a long-term game. Requires resources over the long haul in order to achieve gains.

Merger solves our short & long term problems, most of which require long lead times to address and thus investment that we lack

You can get external capital one of two ways.

  1. You borrow and agree to pay it back with interests.
  2. You dilute your stake by trading it in exchange for the capital.

They’ve already refused #1 and I suspect they will refuse #2

1 Like

I disagree. I must be out of my mind because I will allow the money for my 4 season tickets to remain with the club for another year if necessary. It actually doesn’t cost a thing. If there had been a season in 2020, that money would have been gone anyway and I would have to pay for renewal with new money. This way the renewal seems “free” to me.

Why not? I will.

2 Likes

The NFL has captured 30 years of kids who never were CFL fans. That is the CFL’s major failing. They had 3 decades to figure it out and they chose not to. And COVID brought the chickens home to roost.

4 Likes

They did indeed. This is why merger is our only resource, only way we’ll have the resources to rebuild the ground work needed over the amount of time needed for it to pay off.

This is a problem with a long lead time and we missed our chance to do it on our own. Now we need capital to not only survive but to invest for our future.

2 Likes

We’ll probably never know which owners were all-in on this or were either anti or reluctant.
CFL owners, media, fans are all going to return to traditionalism and forget this ever happened and their opinions at the time dont mean anything anymore so dont bring them up.

Hard to speculate about a league (XFL) that does not even really exist yet except on paper. More snake oil salesman/vaporware hype similar to so many in the past! :wink: As per one famous Seinfeld episode…NEXT! :smiley:

2 Likes

2 Likes

So sad. We barely knew yah! :smiley: :slight_smile: Oh wait, you never existed so what is there to miss?! :smiley:

I sense a lot of naive people on this forum or at least the ones touting to run and partner with the XFL at almost any cost. You are ready and willing to sell out to a vaporware league that only exists on paper. Now delayed to maybe a 2023 start. Give your heads a shake.

I will agree the CFL needs more revenue streams to continue for the long term, but lets get some solid ideas and REAL partners and not snake oil salesmen nonsense. Maybe in time the XFL champion vs the Grey Cup winner or something similar to that in some kind of loose partnership WHENEVER they really become a real league. Common advertising and other things that could be shared between leagues to reduce costs.

Going to 4 downs I’d rather see the CFL die then to be honest. It would just be a pale image of itself and forget Regina and Winnipeg eventually, even Hamilton. It’s no longer OUR cultural identity sport and all our long CFL tradition almost is meaningless. The Super Bowl has only existed for half as long as the Grey Cup. I follow the NFL closely too, but I appreciate both leagues and this NFL wannabe nonsense I truly don’t understand. THE CFL will NEVER be the NFL SO GET OVER IT! :wink:

Also who is willing to dish out a couple BILLION in US donnaros in Toronto for a new NFL stadium and expansion fee? Does MLSE want to take that gamble with the Bills fiasco years ago? MLSE exists to make money for it’s various shareholders, not take major gambles. Leafs could lose every game and still rake in the coin are the exception.

Why follow MLS soccer when European or South American soccer is light years ahead of it?! Why even go to a game or watch it on TV? It’s not THE BIG TIME, so why follow it? Each are niche leagues just like the CFL which have their local followings and some national or even a little international support. They seem to exist just nicely as long as you don’t buy into the notion it can only be best on best always. Enjoy it for what it is.

Lastly who wants spring football in Canada or even the USA? Not me and so has every prior spring incarnation in the USA. NHL playoffs rule every spring in Canada anyway. Totally ridiculous they are even playing into July this season! If the Canadiens were not in the SC, the ratings would have plummeted to levels not seen for decades probably.

3 Likes

The biggest difference I see is the Economics. You can play 25 home dates in soccer with 15 athletes, Football requires at least 45 to 60 guys and you get 10 home dates at most.

No. Football is a physical violent collusion sport in comparison to soccer. It needs an expanded roster for injuries. You don’t see football players fake injuries or dive like the soccer guys do

4 Likes