So the CFL Touchdown Series won’t be taking place this year, likely in no small part due to the Commissioner being on his way out. So I’d say it’s inevitable the Touchdown Series will return. What would you like to see in future Touchdown Series games? How many Touchdown Series games should the CFL host each year?
None - cancel the Touchdown Series
Once a year is sufficient
2-3 games per year, with teams on a rotating basis
4-8 games per year, so teams that strongly object wouldn’t forfeit hosting a home game
9 - for fairness, every team should have to host one
0voters
What should be the purpose(s) of the Touchdown Series games?
Test the viability of future Canadian markets for expansion
Play in the United States to grow the game south of the border, since American expansion isn’t practical given the ratio requirements
Coordinate with community festivals (i.e. Oktoberfest)
Expand the regional fan base (i.e. Lions in Victoria)
Novelty draw create excitement and media buzz, such as a North of 60 game
0voters
Which Canadian cities do you think could reasonably host one of these?
In short - yes, I think the CFL should use the blue helmet logo for several reasons: nostalgia, continuity, the colours are identical to the very traditional NFL, NBA and MLB, and the blue might appeal to better outreach to Canada’s francophone communities.
I’m not a fan of leagues changing logos, so the nostalgia appeals to me. I don’t see how changing a logo makes a sport more appealing.
The NHL has one of the oldest logos, adopted in 1917, and modified in 1946 to change the shade of orange slightly. Then in 2005, they redesigned the logo, likely to distance themselves from the shame of the cancelled season.
The NFL’s logo has had the same concept since 1930, and has been essentially the same since 1962, reducing the number of stars in 2008 so it would be better for mobile devices.
In 1969, the MLB, NBA and CFL adopted new logos, with the NBA and MLB changing very little since then. So the blue puts it in line with 3 of the 4 big leagues.
The CFL replaced its logo from the 1950s, which looked like something from a letterhead. Then in 2002, they ditched the classic helmet logo for the “flying football” logo as a marketing gimmick. Then completely changed again in 2015 because it was more compatible with mobile.
In a 2019 survey on Twitter, John Hodges asked which logo people liked the best: 14% liked the current logo, 28% liked the “flying football”, 25% liked the blue helmet logo that I use, and 33% like the original helmet logo. So 58% of fans prefer some variant of the original logo.
I really wish the CFL would look at putting a team in London. It’s on of the fast growing cities in the country. It has football history with Western university.It has the bones of a stadium (9000). The population increases by 30000 from Sept -April. Because of the university. I understand they need to find an owner first. Maybe that’s the problem. Can the league put a team there for a couple of years and if successful then sell it. I doubt the owners would want to pick up the bill for a couple of years. The league just has to get there foot in the door. and hopefully Londoners will take to it. We know Halifax and Quebec City aren’t happening anytime soon. There is only one other sport in London that you have to compete against and that’s the JR hockey team. So they would get a lot print and camera time in the City. That’s my humble opinion. Thank you for your time.
I think Halifax is still the front-runner. Although it’s smaller than London and Quebec, it would be the only pro sports team in Atlantic Canada; a team in Quebec would draw support from Montreal, and Ontario already has 3 teams. Plus, the league would be coast-to-coast, whereas now Atlantic Canadians tend to support Boston’s teams.
There are places for the CFL to go to in Ontario, Halifax, Quebec City.
Lack of ownership with deep pockets, lack of a stadium plan, and a lack of interest and demand along with the politics are basically stopping that idea.
That was what the “Touchdown Series” should be. What it is is entirely different. The CFL has very little desire to expand within it’s borders. There will most likely not be any more than 1 game during the regular season per year. Pre-season is a different matter. Attendance has climbed to the point where the neutral site game during the regular season probably isn’t necessary. However, if a city throws enough money at the CFL, then it will sacrifice one of it’s games.
I think the most important (and abstract) aspect of expansion in any league is the BoG, or its equivalent. They need to conclude that the perpetual further reduction in share of revenues from broadcast rights in exchange for the the one-time payoff share of expansion fees is beneficial. In other words, is this one-time payment of 1/9th of the expansion fee - and who’s willing to pay how much - worth reducing a perpetual reduction in annual TV revenue from 1/9th to 1/10th.
Absolutely COVID derailed expansion. Not only in the immediate (“we’re cancelling the Halifax 2020 game”), but also in the long-term financial constraint caused by globally inflationary impacts. That makes long-term business investments more risky and harder to come by.
COVID was a convenient excuse. A lot of the guys behind Halifax were the same guys behind the old Phoenix Coyotes. Even if they had been granted a Schooner franchise it would have eventually moved to Utah.
CFL in Utah now?
Alright everybody, it sounds like we’ve put in another great day of work here, slow sports news day I guess, time for a break and some drinks and smoke 'em if you got 'em, resume operations Monday…
Can I ask why you are conducting these extensive polls in our forum? Will you be distributing the results of these polls elsewhere, and if so, where? It honestly feels like you’re trying to generate content for another site.