The Vanier Cup addition to Grey cup weekend has been a huge success and has vaulted players like QB Kyle Quinlan to the spotlight as he was followed closely and was big news during E canp and Montreal CFL camp.
An All star game on that saturday would bring two all star teams full of Quinlans to the National spotlight.
The team will be selected by CFL GMs and scouts.
Yhe East West spring game does not draw any National attention and is only for players eligible for the upcoming draft
5 year players that may have already been or in CFL camps the season before would be eligible. Players eligible for the coming up draft would also be eligible to play. CJFL and QJFL players who would be eligible for the upcoming CFL season could also be invited. V.I. Raider QB out of the Junior ranks who attended BC would get a chance to show off his arm in front of a National audience. Players at US schools whose season has ended would also be eligible to play. DI schools usually finish their season the same week of the Grye Cup so they would not be able to play but 1AA, DII, DIII, and NAIA players seasons are over unless their teams are in the playoffs. rookies who have only participated on practice rosters would also be eligible as long as they did not sign any games on the 53 man roster. Ismael Bamb has been on the Riders PR all season and you know Rider fans would love to see him play against and with the top young Canadian talent. Also teams players who are in the Vanier Cup who have been selected will not be able to play and will need to be replaced by alternates but they can still be n the sidelines for pre gme. on field, Interviews and festivities for the game etc.
They could go with an east west format or the CFL can divide the players into two equal units of a red and white team.
Fans will now be able to identify with their draft picks that are trying to make their team and will receive more media attention for the CFL for the rookies as fans will want to know how Jordan Yantz
Just seems like a natural addition to build some hype around the young Canadian talent which is the back bone of the CFL. Fans putting a face and a performance to the rookies that are attending their teams camps
All star football games are just incredibly unpopular. You get a bunch of great athletes, most of whom have never played together. You get better games in pre-season.
Its funny how so many people are already to put the idea down. The same was said about the vanier cup. Who would watch? the Game has a captive audience it is the day after the vanier cup and the day before the Grey cup and TSN will already have its production crew already set in place fromthe friday night vanier cup games.
Fans will already be in town for the Vanier and Grye cup games you would just be adding another football event between the two. Surely there will be a lot of diehard football fans that will be in town and would want to take in to get a glimpse at the future during a 3 hr time slot on the sat between the Vanier and the Grey Cup.
So are you saying that some stars should play in two games in succession, or that stars from all the other teams should play except those from the two best teams?
Yes i had mentioned that if the players selected teams are playing for the vanier cup they would not be participating in the All star game. They would be getting there national attention and media attention from the more important vanier cup game. The goal is to bring some National Media and fan attention to the future CFL players.
To be honest I remember on here when people were talking about the idea of adding the Vanier Cup with the Grey Cup weekend, and on CFL.CA there was a lot in favor of the idea. So, many people on here have put this idea down, because it is bad.
There’s no need for an all-star game in the CFL, or CIS, the point of the weekend is to celebrate two championships adding an all-star game is not necessary and takes away from the achievements of the teams who are in the finals.
Everyone is entiltled to their opinion. My opinion is that it would be great to be able to shine a National Spotlight on the best Young Canadian Talent about to enter the CFL. I think by adding an all star game it would bring much more attention and better ratings to TSNs coverage of the Canadian draft due to the lack of Nationally televised CIS games. particularly with those that include two of the top teams in the CIS. There is a game of the week shown on one of the Cable Networks, Shaw TV has a Can West game of the week in the western Region and RDS televises all of Laval’s home games.
I for one believe that more coverage and attention on CIS football would only help the CFL and football in Canada and this was just one idea I had to bring all of the best talent into one arena.
I for one believe that more coverage and attention on CIS football would only help the CFL and football in Canada
It would take little convincing for me to believe this too, however, a superficial All-Star game is not the way to do it.
Any, and every football fan knows that it is the WORST sport for All-Star showcases … if there is nothing tangible on the line in a football game then the players are absolutely not going to play with any fire, or passion. Football is the ultimate team sport - throwing a hodge podge mixture of players together for a 1 off side show game is hardly the way to bring attention to CIS football.
The answer is simple - continue to upgrade the level of coaching in the CIS, continue to give the major programs television coverage on a weekly basis - and grow the sport from the bottom up. Give young football players a reason to aspire to be great college players … continue to showcase the CIS National Championship game on Grey Cup week-end, and continue to strengthen the CFL bond between the CIS football league.
It will take time … but there is hope that one day the CIS will earn, and garner the respect it deserves.
Again you are entitled to your opinion and just because it does not work in the US with the NLF pro Bowl it does not mean that the same result in Canada for a all star game with future Canadian CFL players. For those few Canadian players that have been selected to take part in the Senior Bowl in the US it is a great honor. It is also a great honor for many US college players who are selected to participate in other all star games. Unlike their pro counterparts College players take this chance to show their skills to potential pro scouts who attend theses games. Many Canadian players have also have set their sites on the NFL now. With the lack of coverage and the many college football teams in the US I would imagine that not only CFL scouts would be watching or attending this game but also NFL scouts along with Arena football scouts. The Arena League has been a great place for some lesser known players to get game film and hone their skills and many are now in the CFL. I t could possibly be a game in which Canadian QBs could use to find their way onto an Arena team to give them a place to to play and hoe there QB skills against a higher level of competition than the CIS or Junior Football. This is just one example.
Again You are entitled to your opinion but do not go on the basis that just because it does not work with the NFL players in the Pro Bowl it does not mean that there will be a different outcome with Canadian Players who may want to take this chance to show scouts of other leagues including the CFL being that they are far less known.
I have no problem with adding more football to the weekend.
I would love to see the CIS get more recognition.
The reason I don't want to have an all star game is because in my opinion, all star games, in any sport, suck. They are boring and the players put in no effort.
I love having the Vanier Cup as part of the weekend, and I think that's plenty.
The CIS should receive some additional coverage. Perhaps one of the broadcasters might give at least a run down of weekly games. There is so much time given to BB and hockey. Does TSN sports news provide any CIS coverage? They should!
If the junior football season went later in the season, it would be cool to have Vanier Cup Friday, the Junior football one Saturday, and then Grey Cup Sunday.
But I have a question now about the Vanier being the same weekend as the GC, what do the teams that don't have CFL teams do? Or do they just not get host the Vanier anymore?
Before the Vanier Cup became a part of the Grey Cup Weekend, it was always played in Toronto, one reason the Vanier Cup travels around the country with the Grey Cup was to get people to actively go to the game in person, always being at Rogers Centre meant the championship was played before empty seats. Now being a part of the Grey Cup Weekend people go to the game a lot more. If fans were willing to travel to Toronto and fill up the stadium to watch the CIS championship, the Vanier Cup would still be played in T.O year after year.
I thought the U of S hosted the Vanier cup a couple times? Maybe I am wrong, but I swear I remember them expanding the stadium for it, but maybe that was just for playoff games.