Is there any point to all this other than whoring for international TV revenues?
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Just wait, Africa and Oceania will be next!
Potentially more places for Canadians who can’t make the CFL to play. If this helps build depth in Canadian talent, no complaints from me. Apparently, there are 64pro teams there on different levels.Mexico is just the start.
If all these international deals indeed do lead to some money getting in, and promotion being done, is it a bad thing?
I don’t think so.
Japan has a long & steady tradition of football with the X-League and the college leagues.
I say it’s a good idea
Not so:
Not really:
All very nice, but I’m more concerned about dwindling interest in the CFL in Canada, particularly among younger people and in the biggest metropolitan areas. I don’t see how this globalization initiative addresses the problem.
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I have no issue with any of this, as long as the league doesn’t forget about it’s core business, football in Canada. So many times businesses get distracted by trying to expand thier markets that they forget about thier core business.
Yeah, I don’t see a point to it at all, and I hope it’s not taking up too much of Randy’s time. We’ve got ownership issues in Montreal and BC, along with a Halifax expansion plan that’s looking worse everyday and attendance issues in Toronto. Those should be the focus.
I doubt partnering with an amateur Japanese football league is going to make any impact, ever.
As someone who ran an organization on the edge and who attempted creative recovery strategies I can tell you that sometimes you just throw interesting and mildly relevant deas at the wall to see what sticks. You just can’t forget your core business. And if the only announcements you make for a while relate to these speculative ventures then people get very antsy.
Is part of the game plan of Ambrosie and co. actually getting these foreign leagues to adopt our variant of the sport as opposed to the U.S. variant? Is the CFL also therefore assisting in starting up leagues to play our Canadian game in countries where it's not played right now? Ambrosie's statements with respect to "building bridges" have been pretty fuzzy so far:
How will building these bridges to other countries translate into more interest for our game in Canadian markets? Are the Torontonians with their "world class city" conceit really going to be impressed if and when Germans and Japanese start taking an interest in our Grey Cup Game? Is that the thinking? I wish the CFL brass would be more forthcoming with respect to the ultimate goal of this CFL 2.0 initiative.
We've all heard the expression "bridge to nowhere" many times in our lifetimes. That's my concern here.
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Oceania might not be a bad idea you know. The rugby and Australian Rules Football stadiums that are used in Oceania might readily accommodate a field with Canadian football dimensions.
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This is great news. X-League is really good football, and something a few of us were chatting about earlier on here. I think this is potentially their biggest partnership to date.
If it’s treated the same way as the initiative in Mexico the Canadian players will be paid.
Has nothing to do with increasing attendance in any of the markets. It’s about player development especially Canadians since they have nowhere else to go.
I find it amazing that to some people, the CFL can’t do anything right. First they are upset with the CFL because, (in their mind), it won’t try to expand its brand outside of Canada. Now, that the CFL is expanding the CFL brand to other parts of the world, they are upset with the CFL for doing it. Sounds like some are upset that the CFL may succeed in expanding the CFL brand throughout the world. I, for one, am glad that the CFL is making this initiative to sell the league outside of Canada.
If there's a link between expanding the brand worldwide and increasing the popularity of the brand in Canadian markets, I'm for it. I'm not sure there's a link though.
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the CFL is expanding it’s footprint, that inherently expands the brand.
players, coaches, exec’s have something they can aspire to in the back of their head.
once we start sending the Canadians out they essentially become ambassadors for Canadian Football, not just the league. Its a passive form of expansion.
Because we are the bigger of the leagues though, we’re essentially acting like a friendly colonial power. gonna farm out our lower skill players and siphon their highest skill players.
it probably wont get the immediate results people are getting anxious about but its its good long term thinking.
admittedly, i dont think just having players from other countries playing in our league is going to make it a draw for people from their respective countries. We need to do something to really UP the calibre of our play, which has sort of plateaued in recent years. Especially in the East. Hopefully the international influx can create the kind of development in partner countries to really boost their game, since so many kids arent playing football in Canada anymore. Another issue that needs to be addressed but 2.0 definitely requires less resources to do so.
You find the level of play in the CFL has plateaued hey?
I find it to be improved. But I do agree that the East has to get out of the mindset that .500 is the goal.. perhaps Hamilton, a truly great team and org and the rebirth of Montreal is the kick start to this.
I don't believe that at all. I think the quality of play is better than ever. When was the last time eight out of nine teams had at least one QB who was of more than credible starting caliber?
The only thing that's plateaued, worse than plateaued in fact, is attendance.
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Not sure if your wording is a pun on the Japanese commissioner's name, but if so . . . tsk-tsk. 
But acquiring international TV revenue would be a positive, no? The more revenue the teams have, the more likely the league is to attract new owners for expansion, to spend more on marketing, to make ticket prices more affordable, to attract and retain better players, etc. etc.
I thought Oceania meant that underwater continent they discovered near New Zealand.
Ahhhhh, no.
Don’t hold your breath.
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