Increased exposure in ONT

Being from T.O, it has always bothered me why the CFL never looks at doing the little things, that makes sense to increase exposure of the CFL in ONT. Case and point, during player introductions, they name the college that the player attended. which is fine, but they should also announce the players birth country. Every year after the Cup i get into a debate at work, on why only 2 Canadians were good enough to start.This is of course from people who only watch the CFL on occasion, because most don't understand that a large % of the Canadian players are from the NCAA and that 7 Canadians must start. However when your watching the game with non CFL fans, they get impressed when told about all the 350 to 400 Canadians playing NCAA ball. They all assume that the Canadians come from CIS. Its just a little thing, but it helps promote the league in the ON market.

not related to your post but get rid of the ratio rule and maybe Toronto ( and Ontario) starts paying attention to the league? best man gets the job imo

Ryan, my guess is the ratio rule has nothing to do with it, the CFL would still be regarded only in the light of a second rate league with second rate players by many people who only can follow "the majors" and the other problem with that is it would take the cultural aspect out of the league for many of us that really like to see a Canadian draft of players that will impact on how good a team is to win the Grey Cup. And the the Canadian cultural aspect of seeing our very own develop and improve their skills in a professional league. Removing the ratio devalues the CIS immensely and makes it into a true glorified high school league and I doubt that is what the CIS would want. The CIS and it's players may be pissed off about how the CFL hires predominantly American coaches and with the qb rule doesn't give CIS qb's a fair chance at a job in the CFL, fair enough, but you ask the players in the CIS if they would want the ratio rule changed in the CFL? Not a chance, they know without it few of them will ever find employment in their own country's league to make some money and be a pro star. And of course they know even fewer will have the NFL look at them.

The absolute beauty of the CFL is that it isn't a major league and never will be and can work to employ and develop our own players to an extent in a sport that is far behind the most popular sport in the country, hockey, where there isn't as much the issue of enough talent to make the "majors".

In fact, I think it could be argued that the CFL going 100 percent Canadian, no internationals, would make the league more popular everywhere in Canada. Who knows.

Your "best man gets the job" still means second-rate to many people regardless because their definition of professional sports means only the "major leagues" should exist in the first place.

I never get why people have a problem about the ratio rule with X amount of National players be on a roster. There are only 4 pro sports leagues in the world that do not have a limit on the amount of international players on a team.
NFL
NBA
NHL
MLB
Reason why is that their is no chance anytime soon that National players would become a major minority. US national players in all 4 of those sports and in the NHL US and Canadian Nationals.
The huge population and the vast difference in regions within the large sized USA. For the NHL and Canada. The population is certainly smaller but with the colder climate across the Country Ice Hockey evolved as the major sport within the country.
Do you really think the NHL would be so popular in Canada if there weren't still a massive amount of Canadian Nationals playing and being star player?
Or if Mexico's main sport was Gridiron football and the NHL was a mass majority of Mexican National players? Of course not

Steve - the problem is that we are not producing enough good players to play at the pro level. We do have some good CIS players but not enough to meet the current ratio. The CFL doesn’t have to eliminate the ratio but they have to take a serious look at reducing the number of designated Canadian positions.
The question is “what is the ideal ratio” ? maybe 6 starters would give teams more flexibility and still maintain the “Canadian” aspect of the league. The CFL has to realize that there are less kids playing football in Canadian high schools and less quality players coming out of the CIS

I agree Earl, take the Canadians out, then the next question will be why not go to 4 downs, then why not smaller field, then the Canadian game disappears, as CIS starts to play US rules, and our game, the better game disappears. Every major country in the world, has 1 league just their own. Tell the Japenese that they should get rid of their guys, for WORLD players, and see their reaction, same with Australia rule football. However Earl, I disagree about the CFL not being a major league. It’s OUR major league, there is no other Canadian football league bigger then our CFL

There is no evidence that Canadian players are not good enough, None!

In fact, using the age old American concept of Supply and Demand, the ratio should be changed to 12 import starters and 12 non import starters, this would produce a demand for non imports, this would affect player development in Canada starting at the minor football level thru to university programs.

The CFL should be investing in this and possible solution would be for minor football programs to cross coordinate with minor hockey.

The CIS is playing at a far higher level that High School, and has been getting stronger over the last 30 years.

The CFL is, Canada's "big League" with a healthy balance of Imports and Non imports, accept the number of starting non imports should be increased.

slimjim wrote: Steve - the problem is that we are not producing enough good players to play at the pro level.
What if the CFL required 100 percent Canadians? Then everything would be in balance, correct? What you are saying is that there is substantial differences in talent between the Canadians and the Americans in the CFL currently and that is causing problems for the league and an imbalance. I think that is what you're saying anyways. I think only the coaches are really qualified to make that assessment in all honesty.

As to the title of the thread, there is a perception problem with the Toronto Media and “Big League” fans. The problem for the CFL in Ontario is, the Imports playing in the CFL are seen as not good enough for the American league, so they see the CFL as “minor”, the reality is much different !

One solution may be If the CFL were to Limit the number of Americans to 7 starters, with fewer Americans on the active roster, and increasing the pay level of those Americans to a million or so each. The perception would be that they are “big league”

Perception is critical to the health of the CFL in Southern Ontario, negative attitudes come more from the quality of the Imports in the CFL, this perception issue can be fixed, NFL broadcasters would never say a player needs to improve, as an example.

What I am saying is there are “not enough good Canadian players” - we have some great Canadian players like Fantuz, Cornish and some great “O” linemen that are as good as the import. No one is saying that Canadians are not good enough, there are just not enough good ones to sustain 9 CFL teams.
If , as you say that “only the coaches are really qualified to make the assessment” then the coaches would choose the best players regardless of their nationality.

If the CFL required 100 percent Canadians, we would have the CIS. I doubt it would last very long with CIS sized crowds, no advertisers and no TV contract .

So you don't believe in providing the opportunity to Canadian players the opportunity to develop and earn money after college who can't make the NFL?

I'm glad all you guys aren't making the rules. :slight_smile: But flutie0202 idea about announcing the players birth town as well as the college would be a good idea IMO.

Don't touch the Canadian content, if there's not enough Canadian players and talent then the CFL needs to invest more into football programs to create more Canadian players and content. I also think this CIS needs to find other ways to make money to improve programs across the board (such as once again linking the Vanier to the Grey Cup).

Canadian players who make money in the CFL, tend to keep the money they make in Canada instead of it going back to the States.

We need to invest when the kids are just starting in High School and get the best athletes to choose football over hockey. I agree the Vanier and GC should be linked. It’s a great week to celebrate the Canadian game !

I’d like to see a return to 10 NI starters (as the league planned in the late 90s) and fewer DIs as well. The 2nd incarnation of the DI spot was often called the Gizmo rule, as the intent was to give each team a chance to sign an exciting kick reurner. QBs should be be included in the ratio as well.

Having said all that, more money and effort needs to go into football programs, from the CIS level down through HS and to the bantam and peewee levels. More unis need to have FB programs (UVic, UBCO and Lethbridge come to mind in the CW) and the schools need to take the game seriously (are you listening, McGill, UT, York et al?). If Laval, UdeM, Calgary, Mac etc can do it, there’s no reason why others cannot.

Although kasps there are many Canadian NHL players who could not make the CFL even if they started when the current Canadian CFL players started. However I agree, the available pool of talented athletes is less as often many of these athletes will not play high school football for fear of injury and time comittements because they are excellent at hockey and have the NHL dream.

Now changing the ratio numbers would be something that could be looked into as to the number of starters. Changing the number on the roster however i would not agree with. keeping it somewhere around 50-50 IMHO works nicely. Even in the NFL veteran players are released to make room for rookie players who may or may not be able to become full time starters. They are plenty good enough to play on Special Teams. As are all of the Canadian Nationals in the CFL.
US will be in an era where the number of youth to HS level players will choose other sports over football because of its dangerous nature.
Before changing anything in the CFL they would have to do there due diligence to find this info out. It seems as though more Canadian Nationals have began playing more football with the numbers in Quebec growing very high over the last decade.
There has been a growing number who have signed with the NFL the last 5 or 6 years. Many are beginning to return, while a newer group is heading down. So would have to keep tract and see if this balances out.

I agree with that announcing their home town seems like something very small but does bring to light some pride for people who live in those area’s

Exactly right. While the CFL is not as good as the NFL talent wise it is still a major league. Great example of Japan baseball league. widely considered the second best league in the world. The proximity of Canada and the US bordering each other and easily available NFL broadcasts people don’t realize that this is happening all over the world with countries in specific pro sports in a said country.
In Spain and other EURO countries they certainly consider their pro basketball league as major league. Although the may still realize that the NBA is the top league in the world and best paying. It does not make their league any less pro. Same with pro ice hockey leagues.
EPL may be considered the best Soccer/Futball league in the world but it does not make all the other countries around the worlds league any less major league in their country.
Gridiron Football, as I have said before, is unique in that only the US and Canada really have any kind of high level of Gridiron football leagues being played.
NFL making an attempt with the NFLE really never caught onto solid ground. Reason, no National players from the countries who had teams, playing in the league. Really something that no one in the US and Canada can figure out is that they are not very interested in Gridiron football. There pro soccer leagues pay major dollars to players and get big major league exposure. In many Euro countries pro basketball and/or hockey also get major exposure second only to Soccer/futbal .

Well I suppose in many respects the CFL is equally as major as the officially named "Major League Soccer". The CFL was smart enough though not to use the term major in their title ensuring that it's not trying to be a wannabee when it never has a chance to be that. As for the MLS, they've really got their work cut out for them to live up to what they obviously think they are, but aren't. To me they look stupid calling themselves Major but whatever works for them and allows them to get away with it for their fanbase. They are a North American league and as we all know there are only 4 true major leagues here albeit the National Lacrosse League may be getting the highest percentage of the best, er most celebrated, lacrosse players in the world, that I don't know.