I trust the league and its teams are going to invest and spend this windfall from TSN wisely, and not like some drunken sailors on shore leave. How would you like to see the CFL and your team spend/invest it? Obviously we should see the salary cap increase, but to what level?
What improvements would you like to see, both from a league perspective and from your team? For example, more money towards training and hiring officials? A "designated player(s)" provision to sign an NFL FA or more highly touted NCAA prospects, of which a portion would count towards the cap? Further stadia infrastructure? Better marketing?
it would be great to see what the actual contract is before thinking about where the money should be spent. The contract is not yet signed...it is an agreement in principle at this point...unless something has changed in the past couple of days.
That said...
PR expansion to say 9 or 10
PR pay increase by 50% (500-750 a week is not enough)
Minimum pay from 46k to 60k
tiered across the board pay increases...something along the line of 46-52 up 14k, 52-60 up 10k, 60-80 up 12%, 80-140 up 8%, 140-200 up 4%, 200+ nothing...those numbers obviously need some serious assessment.
the above 2 matters would obviously mean upping the cap...probably by 1/2mil or so for one year. Right now it is upping by 50k a year. it would be nice to see that upped to 3% per year (average inflation) which is closer to 150k per year...but I am not sure that is sustainable...maybe 100k until it reaches 5mil, which would only be 3 or 4 years...the likely length of the new CLFPA contract. ***perhaps consider setting a peak / max contract
Funding by the CFL for mandatory 3rd party assessment of players 9 gamed besides perhaps 1 exemption per half season...eliminate / minimize phantom injuries that keep guys at full pay (eating profits), yet unavailable to other clubs.
15% into CFL emergency fund until they have 12mil set aside
some extra funds for sponsoring amateur rank football in Canada...maybe something like funding each provincial HS division to send a few players / coaches to the evaluation camp each season for the week.
and a little better compensation for the Refs...who do it mainly for the love of the game. These are mainly professionals who can afford time away from their regular jobs, and should be compensated better. Start increasing that, and steering towards pay and benefits that some time down the road might lead to full-time employment for some of these guys.
something into researching for better knee padding/bracing
and just for kicks, pay guys to gut their dreds...love the look be I can hardly watch when I think it is about to get yanked
oh...and yes, better marketing towards youth...video game, fun apps, website development, Way Way more player appearances in elementary schools (cash for the players, and a great way to get CFL in a youth's mind)
Yes, I agree in a strategy of marketing to youth. The biggest knock I hear about us from non-CFL fans is we're too old, and this so-called "lost generaton"that exists from the league's dark days in the early 90s.
Take the best in class approach of what teams currently offer (the BC Lions are very active in schools) and adopt a league-wide initiative to attract more young people to games. This could mean more exhibition games like the Argos did last year, ticket vouchers with report cards - I am sure there are lots of great ideas out there. Market them league-wide.
The CBA is up after this season, the players will know exactly how much the new TV deal is worth before the next CBA is signed so you can guarantee that the cap will be going up by a lot if the reported size of the TV deal is true(close to triple the old 15M per year deal, reportedly worth 4-4.5M per team with 9 teams up from 2M with 8 teams)
That means the players will fight for and get a 50% of that increase, so looking at the cap going up by 1-1.25M, the most it will be 'eased' in would be over a 2 year period(meaning 500-625K increase in 2014 and again in 2015), if the phase in plan then the cap goes up by that amount + the CFL gives payment to the PA equal to the "other half" of that increase owed to the player to be used for something(like increasing the pension)
The CFL/PA don't want a strike, they'll end up being fair and that's that. The star players nearing the end of their careers like Calvillo, Edwards, Bruce, Simon, Burris, Banks deserve that money if they are still playing in 2014.
As for what the CFL will do with it's half of that increase, marketing would be a solid options for most teams especially the ontario teams, same with building a rainy day fund, ensuring profitability(again looking at Ontario teams) and looking at improvements at team facilities.
From a CFL point of view marketing ventures, including a CFL video game should be part of the gameplan. Cohon has consistently mentioned a game as one of his goals and with this new deal it moves up the priority list.
Other then that CFL will be looking at a 10th team, but that's more because if the 9 current teams(in 2014) are profitable it makes it alot easier to attract a 10th team.
Actually I have to say that I don't think the players will see much of it. The League screwed them on the cap the last time, going from 56% of defined gross revenue to a flat $4.2 million. 28,000 avg. attendance at an average ticket price of $40 (which former Stamps owner Ted Hellard publicly stated was the league average) x nine games =$10,080,000 + TV revenues of $15m divided by nine (eight teams plus the league office) = $1,666,666 for a total DGR of ($10,080,000 + $1,666,666) = $11,746,666. 56% of that figure is $6,578,132.90; over $2 million more than the cap now is. So far as I know DGR has never included parking, concessions or merchandising revenue, even though a solid argument could be made that it should.
The owners will scatter a few bucks to the players to keep the discontent down, but will find an excuse for why they need to keep most of it. I doubt there will be much a change in the minimum salary. There's no NFL Europe to worry about anymore and Arena Football is a bigger joke than it ever was.
First it is time to reward the players and the players Union who really took a very low salary cap knowing that it was in the best interest in the league at that time to stablize as many teams as possible and 6 out of 8 is a really good number.
The Minimum needs to be raised as for also the salary of top draft picks. Nothing crazy but you want to be able to keep your top draft picks in the CFL and not on an NFL practice roster.
Those Canadian players that are that good will go to the NFL but for a player like O'Donnel to have to go to the NFL practice roster to make some decent money is something the CFL will need to work on. IF a top draft pick gets good enough through his play in the CFL then taking a real NFL shot after 3-5 years would be sensible.
BIGGER THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS TO HAVE A LEAGUE MAX SALARY PER PLAYER. Set the Max at the current Elite QB salary that Ray, Calivillo, and now Lulay are getting Set it at 500K max.
With a substancial bump in 2014 of say 1 million would give teams the space to pay an elite QB who would have no reason now to go to the NFL and try for a #3 QB spot at a snimumum of a 1st to 3rd year NFLplayer depending on time spent in the NFL before coming to the CFL security and 500K is better than a 1st year 390K to a 3rd year min of just over 500K
As the CFLs E-Camp and now growing to two additional regional Combines one in the west and on in the east.
The next step will be for the CFL and TSN to sponsor its Canadian University football equivalent of the SR Bowl.
It is time to bring all of the best Canadian players who are eligible for play in the CFL that upcoming season together for a week of workouts shown on TSN during the day followed by a traditional game to be played at Olympic Stadium in Montreal each year. It is the one event that the CFL is sorely missing in my opinion. Playing the game in January during semester Break and after when most NCAA teams have finished their season.
Many say it is a waste of time but has been proven not to be and will get more than just 2 or 3 CIS players that participate shrine game in an All star week.
TSN broadcast of the practices along with the game and also NBC sports net showing the game in the states.
The problem with granting a max number of say 500,000 for QB’s is that in a few years every starting QB will be making the 500,000. I would like to see the league min go up to 50,000 and PR spots go up to 800 per week. I think of the extra 2 million or so, the players will see 600,000 or so. The cap will be just over 5 million
The reason I would like to see a a set max is so that teams do not make that mistake of overspending the extra cap money to sign a QB for 700K. As time goes on and the cap gets higher the Max salary can go up in accordance with the Minimum salary.
If the cap does make a substancial jump who to say that a team may pump all of that money into a QB while keeping all of the other players salaries where they are at current time. If you have a Max you will not run into the problems that the BFL have on the CFL pay scale with each top QB wanting to top the next when they become free agents. Ricky Ray can make the Max of 500K whether it be in Toronto or someone else. There will alsways be that fool who will oubid for a QB and surround the team with less talent. The extra cap money can better be spread around knowing that 500K is all a player can get
Top qbs are already making close to $500,000. As they are by far the most important players on their teams all top qbs in the league will most likely be signing deals for close to $700,000 in the very near future. There's absolutely zero chance of qb salaries staying put while everybody else gets a hefty raise
well if the salarier go up accross the board then placing a max salary at 600 to 700K would be advisable if I underestimated but if you do not put a ceiling on it we will see the Million dollar CFL QB and the Minimum salary 55K Canadian Olineman protecting him and the CFL will be right back where it was in the dumps with no Canadian players getting better or taking an interest to play in HS and University knowing that they will not be able to have any kind of financilal future in the CFL.
Point being a ceiling needs to be put in whatever the CFL decides it should be so their is no bidding wars on import QBs leaving the Canadian players back to second class citiaens in there own league
500 might be a little low as players are already at that and wages are going up…600-650. I don’t see why every starting QB would be there. Until last season a top end QB was 400k…basically AC and Ray. DD was at 285 I believe, Glenn was set to make about the same prior to joining the Stamps, Lulay was lower, but was new, and has been way jacked up since. There is pretty good diversity with the QB position salaries right now, and I don’t see why that would change unless the player cap never increased with overall increases. I am a bit torn…if a GM wants to put all of his eggs in one basket he is more often than not hurting himself the most. That said, players obviously evaluate themselves to their piers. If you’re numbers and whatnot line up with a guy making 750k, and you are at 400, yeah, it creates a desire to be on similar ground. That of course creates pressure for all parties to sign contracts that are too high in ratio to teammates.
I see it as this…a QB prooving himself makes about 5% of the cap, a decent starting QB makes about 7% of the teams cap, an experienced starter presently makes about 9, and a HOF QB is making 12…as long as that ratio stays somewhere in there I am happy. Funny enough, if you look at the NFL it is similar.
…Payton Manning - 17/120mil (14%)
…Tom Brady - 15.2/120mil (12.7%)
I will use Durant as a comparison, as most would agree he is kinda in the upper middle of the road for CFL QBs at the moment…not (at least yet) a HOF guy, but he produces pretty well. He was capable of making 300k last year (I recall reading he made 286, but lets say 300)…that is a bit over 7% of cap…if the cap was 5.5mil I would say the same contract should be about 390k
Salaries in the XFL was one sorta interesting thing…paid extra on performance. You win, you make more.
I think it's time to go back to a franchise player rule plus of course, the salary cap has to increase to a minimum $5M and also the roster size to 50 players.
Hell no!!
that almost killed the league!
There is still bitterness between certain teams fan bases because certain teams felt they needed the ‘big name’ in their town…meanwhile other teams had to foot the bill for it. that franchise player was and is total BS…a quick way for a team to be going broke…if you did have it, at least set a cap on it. I twitch when I think of that era
exactly not all QBs will be making the league Maximum put it will put a lid on how high you can pay one each season. So If the Higest under the CBA is at 600K for that season then ther will be no bidding war. Other Qbs may not be worth the 600K and a team may choose to invest more in the Oline spreading out a little extra of that cash along a superstar O line. Maybe paying two top RBs instead of lookin got pay a max QB salary for a better game Management put could surround him with a better group of weapons.
If qbs were to go to $700-750,000, the lineman protecting him would all be making $100-120,000 + so money would not be an issue. Minimum salaries would be for low draft or free agent rookies, special teams players, and guys just off of the practice roster etc. The starters would be well paid. The other would not. Be they Canadian or otherwise.
