In light of the massive global World Cup

Ok, now that we have seen just how huge this World Cup thing is worldwide except for Canada and the US I suppose, I think it is time for the NFL and CFL to partner more and try and take our version of football to new heights. The only way here is to be true partners in some way, or some ways. If not, watch for the global game of soccer to become more and more powerful in Canada and the US, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing but I do fear that gridiron football may quite suffer as a result.
Are you listening NFL and CFL administrators? Time to work together more, marketing gridiron football together on both sides of the border, marketing each league in both countries.

I Don't Know About That. I Feel We Should Try To Keep The Games As Far Apart As Posible (Even Though That's Only A 40 Minute Drive From Hamilton To Buffalo). If We Start Partnering Up With The US's Version Of Football We'd Lose What Makes Our Sport What It Is, Just Look At How It's Ruined Hockey. There's Nothing Wrong With Our Football Being Second To Europien Football, In Fact We Should Be Proud Of The Fact That We're Able To Have A League That's Survived For Over 130 Years And Has Over A Million Fans Every Year.

Yeah can't agree with you on that one Earl. I can't speak for Canada, but I live in a country where soccer has had numerous chances for greatness. The most memorable being way back in the '70's when the N.A.S.L. had large success in North America and respectable attendance.

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/nasl-standings.html

Now...If you look at the current M.L.S. attendance numbers for 2005

[url=http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562136530]http://www.socceramerica.com/article.as ... =562136530[/url] You'll see that Soccer is just not big in the U.S. Don't think Either form of Football has anything to worry about.

AND.....The last thing anyone wants is for the two leagues to partner up, and we all end up having the CFL "americanized". It IS Canadian Football and it IS the better version! Should be kept that way.

I think the best way Earl for US and Canada is just to promote football more in general. Maybe adding scholarships to NCAA schools for Canadians, so they can experience Big Time college football, like Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan. Also have more Americans going north of the border to play in CIS. My friend has told me playing Canadian football @ St Mary's was the best thing he ever did, made him experience the different styles but gave him a chance to experience a different culture. Maybe have D1AA teams from the US play against a Canadian team, and next year switch it up. This would benefit both schools by introducing them to the other rules of football. The only snag i see with this is according to my friend is CIS schools don't test. He told me that the only time they test is in the playoffs, and thats only 2 players.

I would like to see NFL Europe All Stars versus CFL all stars. That would have both countries watching. Switch rules every year.

I could see it Harvard v. McGill. The Genius Bowl.

Guys, I'm not saying that the CFL sells itself out to the NFL and changes the rules here to American rules and all of that. Not at all, and I don't even think the NFL wants to interject and do something like this.
All I am saying is that I would like a bit more marketing especially from the NFL to the CFL, this would be good. A prime example of what I'm talking about is for example at the Super Bowl, in the pregame ceremonies, they could take a minute and have the Grey Cup on display in a corner of the endzone with a Mountie beside it or whatever or an ex-player that some Americans might be familiar with, and on the PA system they could say "And now ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to take a moment to honour the great game of football by honouring the current Grey Cup Champions from our neighbours to the North, emblematic of football supremacy in Canada. Congratulations to the _____". And we can do something similar at the Grey Cup for the Lombardi Trophy Champs. Honouring football played at the highest level professionally in both countries.

Just a little something like this would really go a long way. Now I know the people on this forum don't really need this, we are true fans of the CFL big time, but it would really help the fickle fans up here who need to be identified with America to make the CFL legit in their minds. yes, we aren't talking about real intelligent Canadians here, grant you that, but still, it will help these people a bit I think to care for our great Grey Cup here. I remember the GC in Ottawa when Marcus Allen was there and was interviewed after the game. Ok, for me, I didn't care but I had a couple of guys who don't give the CFL the time of day usually and they mentioned to me about him being at the Grey Cup and that "was cool", now they couldn't get too excited, might show they actually liked the CFL, but you get my drift with these type of boneheads.

This is just one small example, I'm sure others can think of other ways. And I in no way am speaking about changing our rules and all of that. Sound ok? I don't want us to just sit in a "Canadian silo" if you will, no good for anyone.

See Earl you are on to something. I'am probably a bigger NFL fan than CFL, but i love both leagues.

One thing everyone on this board can agree with is the NFl knows how to market its sport like no other. They have a more t.v. and sponsorship deals than any other league. Look at the Super Bowl there is more hype than anything.

If the CFL wants to expand and be successful without the fear of an ottawa, i think they have to market the league better. There are so many football fans in both US and Canada that would go to these games if they promoted the league more. The CFL needs to create excitement off the field. We already know how exciting the games are on the field. Take a script out of the NFL playbook, start with charity causes, this gets the media involved and the public interested. The NFL in the 70's and 80's was the 4th on the list in the US, now its #1.

See the NFL is always aware of its image. If the Tom Wright asked Paul Tagialbue to help promote the CFL i gaurantee you he would say yes. The NFl wouldn't turn its back on Canada. They love international attention.

Peter, I love ya man! Good stuff!!!

You two need to get a room!! You're both wrong...but get a room

Probably a bigger nfl fan??? :lol:

There is no need for the CFL to “ask” for the nfl’s help, and you sure as heck don’t want a “presentation” of the Grey Cup at the stupor bowl because that will just enforce in most americans minds that the CFL is just another “minor” league of the nfl that they just haven’t heard about.

Kind of like having the AHL champions acknowledged at the Stanley Cup Finals.

Why are some people so stuck on this illusion that the CFL needs the nfl to succeed?? THEY ARE THE OLDER LEAGUE in a country that has nowhere near the number of urban areas that the u.s. has, and yet…they are still around!!

Leave well enough alone.!

geo365

no one here is saying the CFL needs the NFL to succeed. We know the CFL is doing alright right now and what Earl is saying is lets use both league to promote football in general. You are just on of a number of people that think the NFL is going to lead to the demise of the NFL. Look at hockey there is pro leagues all over the world. I don't see the NHL worried about the Swedish league? Let's try to make football a world sport.

If everyone had you attitude geo365 football wouldn't be what it is today. I want to see the CFL stadiums soldout across Canada, and the Grey Cup to be bigger than what it is. If the CFL grows i think it will make the CFL more exciting and have more talented players. I don't want to see empty seats when i watch CFL games, if the CFL commisioner acted like geo365 those empty seats will remain.

We don't necessarily need to use the NFL to succeed ... but it would be nice to promote the CFL image more. Anything NFL-realted seems to be gold, even here in Canada (which bothers me, since it tends to be at the expense of the CFL). If the CFL marketed its "brand" more, there'd be more hype, and the CFL would be even bigger than it is.

I think any way you can promote the CFL is good. Sirius was a step in the right direction. I know there are less urban areas in Canada, but look at Toronto, that place should be packed, same with Ottawa. Look at Green Bay Wisconson, out in the middle of no where and they have 20+ year season ticket waiting list, same with the Patriots. Don't underestimate marketing. Some how i doubt the CFL can pull a 20 + year waiting list, because hockey is king, but there is room for improvement. I just want to see 10 strong franchises in Canada, so there are different matchups and we can get over the hump of teams possibly folding. That as a CFL fan is not much to ask for or expect.

Peter6625 wrote:

Let's try to make football a world sport
Absolutely Peter. And yes, our stadiums here should be much more packed than what they are, the talent in the CFL is excellent, the game of football is excellent and the history and the tradition of the game here is excellent. What hasn't been excellent is the administration of the CFL much of the time, thinking it can just do practically nothing and the fans will come out. Wrong CFL, dead wrong, you have lots of competition for sports fans dollars, especially in Toronto where those Jays play in the summer. You have to be on top of things and use every resource to market and hype the league. And yes, most of us here think that using the NFL is quite fine, and actually quite intelligent also as long as we keep our rules and that. So go for it CFL, you snooze and you will lose, no doubt about that!

GI Football and Aussie Ball is WAY more popular in Canada, US, and Australia. Soccer will be played in these counties, maybe even have a soild pro league, but Soccer is NEVER going to sideline the CFL, NFL, OR AFL/VFL! NFLEL ISN'T DOING THAT IN EUROPE!

and besides... SOCCER SUX!

Ah yes ever the Einstien there Petey!

Many people share my attitude. The two leagues ARE different and as similar as they may look on the outside, ARE two different games. you can’t promote two versions of a game to the world.

The CFL needs to stand up and break out on their own to promote IT’S version of the game around the world! It does not need the nfl to do this either. And besides, the nfl has spent many MANY years promoting it’s brand around the world and if they simply wanted to promote Football…then why haven’t they tried to push the three down brand in the past?? to help out their neighbors to the north?? Because they DON’T CARE IF THE CFL IS SUCCESSFUL! But they sure won’t help it along.

Agree, the two leagues and games are different. Some cross promotion is possible, but having said that why isn't the NFL showing CFL games on its network in the US. Or with its vast $ and connections, helping the CFL sign a network contract in the US. Unless of course, they maybe a tad concerned that the masses will find our game more exciting, which it is?

geo365 wrote:

ARE two different games
If the CFL and NFL are so vastly different as you say, you even make it sound like one is gridiron football and the other, well who knows, then why does ESPN show highlights of the Grey Cup during their highlight NFL package that Sunday? It's about blocking, tackling, running, throwing, kicking - it's called gridiron football and it's really pretty simple. Players can go from one league to another, obviously as we see, the skills required are for the most part exactly the same. Now yes, tactical strategies may be somewhat different because of some of the rules, just like playing on a smaller North American ice surface is to the larger International ice surface but there, it is still hockey. Make sense geo?

Yes, CFL and NFL are different. I was talking about promoting football in general, not a style. Japanese and North American baseball are different, those leagues have promted baseball world wide. I don't see them fighting over styles. It's stupid to fight about rules, the whole sport suffers because of it.

It doesn't make sense to promote a style of football. Look half the cflers have grown up playing 4 down football, football is football. I don't here the players complaining about the styles, only a few fans. Canadian players that have played in the US come from 3 down to 4 down, have you heard them complaining. What i'am saying is all we are talking about is promoting people to play or watch any form of football. This is how people get interested in a sport. Like i've said in a million other posts, any true football fan will watch the game no matter what the rules are.

Argotom the answer to those questions is money. Money makes the world go round. I think it would make the NFL players mad that they are showing Canadian football, don't underestimnate egos of football players. I also would doubt that promoting the game on NFL network would help. The people that watch the NFL network are already into football. To get people to the game is more complex, like promotions, getting media attention, community work, holding free football camps.

Here is a true story. Back when the NE Patriots were struggling to sell tickets they would have the players show up to big companies and make a speech, and talk to the employees. The employees were thrilled and that made them more interested in the Patriots. The companies would buy a block of season tickets for there employees. Sounds pretty basic but after years of doing this the NFL has exploded.

Peter 6625 wrote:

It doesn't make sense to promote a style of football
Agree, especially when Canadian and American football are so close to each other in terms of style and rules. Now say CFL or NFL and Aussie rules football or rugby, now that's a whole different story of course.