It's time to do away with East and West Divisions

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
#1

The East is so bad now if we where 1 Division None would make the playoffs
Why should reward mediocrity with a playoff Birth
Cause it Tradition that not a good enough reason anymore.

Time get rid of East and West Divisions
The hell with Traditions you can’t reward mediocrity

Put everyone in 1 Division top 4 Teams make the playoffs
1 Final 1 vs 3
2 Final 2 vs 4

Grey cup will be two best Teams not some Team handed a Ticket to Grey cup .
This will Force All teams to get better or no Playoff Money
I can’t take another bad east Game Montreal Hamilton Ottawa Toronto are all bad.

#2

I don't disagree, and I'm such a traditionalist, I couldn't stand it when Winnipeg's in the East. The schedule would have to be adjusted, so that every team played every other team home-and-away, plus two regional games (like the Cats playing an extra one against Toronto and Ottawa) to add up to 18. But six teams make the playoffs with the first and second getting byes.

#3

Six Teams is too many in a 9 Team league
4 is magic # If we had 10 Teams we could make it 6 .

#4

4 teams would be more "pure" and "proper". 66%-75% of the league making the playoffs is ridiculous, you're right. But then if you wanted to be "proper" you'd do away with the crapshoot that is the playoffs altogether and determine the winner soccer style, by overall record.

Why should a team that went 12-6 have a chance to be called champions over a team that went 18-0?

Is it because its fair? Nope. Its because its exciting and we'll all pay to see it, that's why! I don't care how we get there, I watch football so that I can see the Argos vs the Ticats in the Eastern Final because man, that was awesome last year!

I like the divisions, I like playing our most hated rivals come playoff time. I don't want to see Hamilton vs BC. I want to see Hamilton vs Toronto, Hamilton vs Montreal, Hamilton vs Ottawa and I don't want to see that game in a neutral site venue such as the Grey Cup.

As for what we're seeing in the standings right now, don't forget Winnipeg and Edmonton were both terrible last year. Their turnaround has been remarkable. The East has an expansion team and a team that's been good for 15 years finally crashing down. Hamilton is not nearly as bad as 1-5 would suggest and Western teams will be scared of them come October. The West is usually the stronger division but just how much better this year has been a blip. Things will even out and you can't get rid of a lot that makes this league so great just because of one off year.

#5

one off year the east has been bad way longer then this year

We had Cross over 3 of last 4 years.

I say let do away with Cross over had have 4 best teams make the playoffs .

I want to see good Football and IMO This make all Teams better in the long run .

so when we go get that $ 10 Team we can do top 6 Teams

East vs West How good was that grey cup last year :roll:

I admit the grey cups are normal good games vs east
But I still think it time for a Major Shake up .

#6

First lets me say I dont disagree with you. But I dont think it would make economic sense in a gate driven league.
You would have to play a balanced schedule that means extra trips east and west at a greater expense to teams.
Teams in the lower half of the standings say position 6-9 could very well be out of play off contention by mid season. Their respective attendance would drop.
When it comes to the Grey Cup game I think ratings would take a hit with an all west or all east Grey Cup game.
and this could affect future TV deals. Imagine four west teams make the playoffs who but a small number will watch the games in the east?
It all comes down to economics. IMHO it doesnt make economic sense to go all one division. I dont know what the answer to the desparity is between the divisions. But one division is not the answer.
Tcmik

#7

Robo's argument here is that a single division with limited playoff spots will improve certain teams' performances and even out the quality of play across the CFL. Initially I agreed that it might work, but tcmik's understanding that ratings and TSN's money trumps anything else.

#8

It would be suicide for this gate driven league to go to one division with only four of 9 teams making the play-offs. Similarly even if six teams in a one nine team division made the play-offs and the east was weak like this year - the league would be in more trouble in Southern Ontario attracting ticket buyers and because of that media attention and sponsors (with all those decisions being made in Toronto).

#9

Hate to tell this but Toronto dragging the league down anyways .
who coming to argos Games Most Toronto Sports Don’t go to Argo games.
They Travel To Buffalo for the NFL or Don’t watch Football at all
They are hockey Basketball baseball or Soccer fans Not CFL Fans.
demographics in Toronto have changed so Football is not Drawing .

The NEXT TV Deal will Perfect time to make the changes I talk about
By then Toronto Owned by Rogers or is Dead.,
The league lived with Montreal and Ottawa Folding
They can make it with or without toronto in 1 DIvison league

#10

It's possible that the East could be won with a 6-12 record this season. That's really pathetic. No team should make the playoffs with sub .500 record IMO. Doing away with the divisions would solve the problem but the extra cost means it won't happen.

An Argo-Cat fan

#11

No thanks. Add 3 teams Quebec,Moncton,Thunderbay or Saskatoon :rockin:

#12

Huh?

2013 = No crossover
2012 = Edmonton crossed over
2011 = No crossover
2010 = No crossover

So, really it's only been once in the last four years.

If you go back further, there's been 4 cross overs in the last ten years. As far as Grey Cups, the East has won 3 out of the last 5. West has won 6 out of last 10 Grey Cups. 10 for the West & 8 for the East in the last 18 years, or since expansion in the US failed, folded & Baltimore relocated to Montreal.

Think its a little premature to start discussing drastic overhauls to the structure, history & heritage of the league.

In the NFL, the NFC went on a 13 year run of SuperBowl wins from '85 to '97 and they didn't go making major changes to their league structure. Good thing too since the AFC has won 10 of the last 17 since the NFC's streak ended.

#13

Bang on.

#14

I like the present East-West format just the way it is.
In the CFL things can change very quickly.
Most CFL rosters look very different the last 6 games compared to the first 6 games
Late NFL cuts, non-guaranteed contracts and players returning from injury will improve
every teams roster.
Does anybody remember who the 2 worst teams in the CFL were last season?
It was WPG and EDM, and now they are the darlings of the League!
Again, In the CFL things can change very quickly,
What I don't want to see change is the historical format of East verses West for the Championship.

#15

I disagree totally, the East and West divisions in the CFL are what makes the Canadian Game unique in Country, Sport and dynamics of the game, Yes true the East is crappy this year but not always, many times the roles have been reversed if anything from a marketing stand point the CFL should add more teams in Canada at least another four teams and open up a third division maybe a Central Division and make it a true coast to coast game.

Especially with stadium sizes in the East getting smaller, average attendance is 24,000 to fill a stadium now, any of the following cities could handle that size and marketing. The CFL should aggressively pursue a marketing effort in Canada with potential expansion to Cities and private investor groups who wish to buy into the CFL model of local ownership like in Ottawa recently and expand the CFL in teams.

West, BC, Edmonton, Calgary, Sask, Winnipeg
Central, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, London
East (Atlantic) Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax

#16

While I love the debate, I have to admit to being way over on the side of keeping the East-West rivalry of the CFL. It is the reason the Grey Cup game is the most watched sporting event in Canada year in, year out.

The CFL is the only Canadian league. And whether we live in Canada or in North Carolina, and whether we admit it or not, we are all proud Canadians - even those who don't follow football love the Canadian-ness of the CFL.

I'm also a fan of figuring out how to get a 10th team into the CFL. But it won't be easy. Running a CFL team is expensive and you need a large enough market to support one properly. Dividing up the Ontario market with a fourth team won't work, nor will dividing up the Saskatchewan market in half by putting a second team in Saskatoon.

Best bet is a team in the Maritimes, but we'll need a new broadcast deal, one or more stadiums, and well-heeled ownership to under-write the team's inevitable losses for through the early (start-up) seasons.

#17

Bob, what are your thoughts of a CFL franchise in Quebec City, the 7th largest populated City/Metro in Canada and by far the most popular and well attended CIS football program in the entire nation?

a Montreal/QC CFL rivalry would be tremendous with certain sellouts and great viewership numbers, especially throughout the Eastern Provinces.

#18

It is a possibility. Although it will not expand our market a lot as it does split the Quebec market. At least as compared to putting a team in a region (the Maritimes) currently without CFL representation at all.

#19

Why is the East always the weak division??

#20

Why would we need a new broadcast deal for a team in the Maritimes?