Congratulations to the champs!

[url=http://www.cflaa.ca/wp-content/uploads/CanadawinsgoldatIFAFU19WorldChampionship7-8-2012.pdf]http://www.cflaa.ca/wp-content/uploads/ ... 8-2012.pdf[/url]

This isn't getting anywhere near the amount of publicity it deserves. It's a shame because this is a huge accomplishment. Team Canada went to the US and beat an American team filled with D-1 NCAA recruits. The team also has a couple to Tiger-Cat connections with Will Finch, who was named the tourny's top QB, and Kamau Peterson, who was the receiver coach.

It is pretty sad that nobody seems to care about this. Change the title to something trashing a player and you'll get tonnes of hits. I'm proud of these kids. Great job and well deserved congrats to them.

http://www.youtube.com/usafootballeducation

entire game

Great showcase for the Canadians wanting to go up to the NCAA level.

[url=http://austin.ynn.com/content/sports/285691/ifaf-under-19-world-championship-preview--canada-vs-usa]http://austin.ynn.com/content/sports/28 ... ada-vs-usa[/url]

A lot of them have committed to playing for CIS schools, including the tournament’s top QB Will Finch. After seeing the kid at training camp with the Cats, he looks like the real deal.

Or if this was about hockey, it would have led Sportscentre. The World Junior hockey tournament (which is essentially what this is, except for football) gets mega hype and mega press. This, however, is an event that few people care about or even know about. It’s a shame, especially because they won the gold against the heavily favoured Americans. I hope more people pay attention when the tournament is held again.

Why wasn't this mentioned on the TSN football coverage?

You can understand how the Americans feel, it's like the US juniors beating Canada in hockey.

In fairness to the media, the tournament is still relatively new. It’s only the second time it’s been held (though it replaced an earlier one that was played from 1997 to 2007, but in the shadow of the Super Bowl). It was only shown on local media in the US. They broadcast it over youtube, but when I was watching in the second half, there were only about 2000 viewers. The stands were also pretty empty, even though it was being played in Texas, one of the most football crazy states in the union. International competition in American football is still relatively new as well.

Hockey, on the other hand, has had international competition since the 1920s as an Olympic event. The World Juniors have been around since 1977, and was a relatively unknown event at the beginning. It was only after TSN adopted the tournament in the early 80s and built up the brand over many years that it became the big deal that it is now.

Just like the hockey tournament wasn’t initially as popular as it is now, it will take time before the football tournament gets widely noticed.

Another challenge is that football in general is just not that popular in Canada. The CFL and the NFL are, especially their championships. The Vanier Cup is increasing in popularity, but even last year’s record shattering TV audience was still only about a 10th of a typical Grey Cup broadcast, while other games usually only get around 100,000 viewers if they’re lucky. Below that, though, the interest doesn’t seem to be there. Despite some recent increases due to an explosion of interest in Quebec, participation rates are also pretty low when you consider the popularity of the pro versions of the sport. Even though we can assemble competitive national teams, I don’t think we see ourselves as a football playing nation yet, just a football watching nation. Until that changes, I don’t think the national sports media will give the football teams much more attention than they did to the recent record breaking performance in Lucerne by the men’s 8 rowing team.

The game and the score was mentioned on TSN, as that is where I heard of the game. And I believe it was during a CFL broadcast, although I can't be sure.

My question is this, if and when the Champioship should be played in Canada, it must be CFL rules.

I agree about the lack of publicity this team is getting. It is unfortunate.

But Burlington native Will Finch has been getting publicity, definitely more publicity than QBs usually get just before they begin their CIS careers as you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0XoCWP3cg

Finch really does seem to be that good. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about him in a few years, about him being successful with the Western Mustangs.

Time that he spent at Ticat training camp may have helped. It may have also helped that one of his teammates at Nelson High School was also on the team. In fact, Burlingtonian receiver Doug Corby had more rec. yards than any other receiver had that tournament.

There is also another Ticat connection on that team, as another Burlingtonian, RB Mercer Timmis, is the great grandson of former Hamilton Tiger Brian Timmis.

You can read more about these three and their contributions to the team here: http://www.insidehalton.com/sports/arti … all-worlds

Congratulations to those three and the rest of that team.

http://media.mmgcommunity.topscms.com/images/e3/f1/b05a49dd4be79715946a7bf6d4a4.jpg

No, the IFAF plays 4 down football and the international teams that take part wouldn’t know Canadian rules and it would be chaos if they showed up here for a tournament and then had to play by our rules.

"During halftime tomorrow, the Tiger-Cats will honour Football Canada’s National Junior Team, who captured the gold medal at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Under-19 Championship in Texas last weekend."

<-----From the Ticats Facebook page! Congrats Gentlemen!

Nice!

Sure hope there will be a nice video highlight presentation on the Tiger Vision!

Here’s a great one!

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEeP7HvO9Nc&feature=player_embedded#]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEeP7HvO ... _embedded#[/url]!

That’s great!!