TV ratings have recovered slightly this season ,but still have a long way to go to get back up to 874k, as they averaged in 2010.
The main culprit for this(there are several) is penalties.
I have long flogged a dead horse and said that the players need more practice time. This would increase the salary cap, and we all know the league would rather embarase itself, on its main rival network than do that.
The next logical step would be to fine or bribe players who take penalties. You cant fine them because of the PA, and you cant offer cash awards for not taking penalties because the league is too cheap.If the league doesnt even want to pay the players to practice , I doubt they will pay cash insentives for penalty free play.
The only option I see left is throwing them out of the game. The players still receives their pay(the pa won’t care then) but they are gone from the current game and possibly the next game.
It would be very similar to soccer’s yellow and red cards. You take two roughing penalties in one game (see ya ) two no yards infractions( bye bye) two pass inteference calls (hasta la. Vista) two offsides(catch ya later) Get caught holding twice(don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out)
Now for my favorite. 3 time count violations, and you have 400 k off to the dressing room.
Another favorite, You lose two coaches challenges,(peace… you are outta here)
I can’t believe it has reached this point, but something has to be done.
Heck, maybe we allow the players to scream in the face of the ref after… That will draw a few viewers.lol
I'm impressed you came with solutions, now what would you say if your employer imposed those solutions to your work environment?
Do we need less penalties yes, but your suggestions in my opinion won't solve the issue. Educating the players, 1 more pre-season game and having officials evaluate the infraction whether or not if effected the play as to if it should be called.
Well then Hamilton should be awarded the Grey Cup from two years ago. It was the mornic player that illegally blocked a player who didnt even need to be blocked that should have been more disapline. An extra preseason game 5 months earlier would not have helped. The fact we have had two Grey Cup games in the last 8 years bei g decided by penalties should have been a wake up call before last season's crapfest
And yes!!!! Throw these clowns out of the game. Popp would have been thrown out of half the games this year already. He is the worst for challenging calls that arent allowed.
I just had a apifiniy ... If you challenge something not challengeable, you are instantly gone!!! One strike and you are out. Stop using challenges as a way for uour defense to catch their breath.
Oh how I would have reveled in dirt bag Wally gettin thrown out after his little sojourn to centre field last week.
Now that would have been entertaining.
Step 1 in reducing penalties is to get Jim Popp 50 miles away from the field. He's a punchline at this point. Guy is not up to the job of being a head coach. I've never seen a coach take so many penalties before.
Step 2 is more practice time to work on the basics. There's no excuse for multiple offsides and procedure calls at the pro level.
It's not necessarily that the players need more practice time, but to streamline the rules. Let's not forget some of the penalties have been ridiculous. A receiver just has to trip over a defender for a ref to throw up a pass interference penalty.
Rather than wrangling away control of the game from the mad men that currently own it, it would be simpler of course just to roll back the rules to 2010 and let the history of the game reassert itself, with exception to maybe the eye in the sky (hey, shouldn't an eye in the sky make coaches challenges irrelevant, or is it more like the eye of Mordor letting Frodo and Sam slip in with the ring?).
Players want to compete so naturally there's going to be pulling and tugging here and there. Unless more practice time will drive the "edge" out of them--they have the football over the sea if you like that--which I don't think the average fan or even the league wants, you're always going to have that, so you might as well change the rules back.
You wont get more practice time without tearing up the CBA. The question is.. Will the CFL be averaging even 500k a game by then, if there is 3 more years of this shit?
Get rid of the "no bumping" a receiver beyond 5 yards, that was supposed to add more offense but it's wiping out gains and slowing the game down.
Stop challenges, coaches shouldn't be calling penalties, that's why we employ refs.
Cut down offsides by changing the 1 yard off the ball, let the defense line up half a yard back
How is that going to cut down on offsides? They'll just do it wrong at half a yard instead.
I agree with Slim get rid of the no bumping after 5 yards rule . It was meant to help the offence .
So here is my suggestions which I know will get people angry .
Allow the offence to have pick plays . Allow the offence to block downfield prior to catch . Allow the receiver to push off to gain separation from the defensive back/safety/line backer whatever the case . These are all penalties that can be thrown in the garbage but it allows the offence an advantage .
Allow screening . Call a penalty for the player actually disrupting the catch by physical contact attempt before a defensive pass interference call is made .
Getting rid of these penalties altogether will allow the game a more physical and athletic performance on the field .
Make holding a call only after the defensive player has made his turn around the linemen or is no longer directly in front .
1 Challenge each for only a catch or fumble that can be disputed . Allow the referee to use the command review if they think the call is too important not to review .
Practice on both sides of the ball for offside and procedure . Make sure all teams have a on field coordinator for player assignments on gameday . No more too many men .
Shorten the play clock further to 15 seconds . The no huddle high tempo offence is extremely entertaining football .
Players will do whatever they can to keep their jobs. If this means taking a 5 yard no yards call, or take the chance of being offside in order to get a sack, they will take it. However if they already have a strike and are on the verge of being thrown out of the game, that might cause them to not take a penalty
They would probably very quickly run out of bodies if they decided to complement that!
Sheesh. What do you want to see? The Argos to blow a game when they have two more men on the field than the other team?
Interesting point.
However, guys will always make either make bad judgment decisions or will just not be focused.
You mention 2014. - It has been coached over and over, if you see a guys name, do not touch him.
Yet we see it over and over. :roll:
Then last year in the 2015 GC. Ott is up 14-0. They recover a fumble return for TD.
It is called back because somebody was lined up off-side. 21-0 is a lead I do not think the Esks would have overcome.
How do you line up off side ? - Not focused.
Then there was the greatest blunder of all. 2009 TO MANY MEN. ( Shawn Lucus)
How do you not know when you are to be on the sidelines or on the field. - Not focused. :oops:
Point is, guys are always going to screw up. More coaching-training will help. Yet not stop it.
If they do not get it by week 18 then play-offs , there is no more you can do for them.
One challenge per game. If successful, good for you, but that's it, no more. If you challenge and lose, a 10 yard penalty applied, and of course that's it for challenges. One each, make it count or don't use it.
The challenge flag is out almost as much as the penalty flag it seems.
Just throw them out lol. Players will do anything to keep their jobs? If they keep getting penalties they'll get cut. I agree that Jim Popp is a problem, and he needs to hire a coach! But officials aren't perfect, that's part of the game. Remember when the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup on illegal goal, oh well SH#T happens. Get over it bungle, do you have a black cloud that follows you around all day everyday?
The refs could also do a better job of marking off the penalties more quickly - altho, I've noticed, they are better than they have been in the past.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Popp must stay as HC of the Als. his presence as HC guarantees a playoff spot for the other 3 eastern teams. 
Popp, if you read this, please don't fire yourself.