I can’t believe I’m writing this, but it’s true: another off-season is upon us.
And with staples like the opening of free agency and the 2026 CFL Draft to look forward to down the road, here are three questions to help set the table for what should be an interesting winter.
Here’s a burning question…to set the table for 2026………shouldn’t the USELESS commode center be abandonded , kicked-to-the-curb , flushed down the drain ? If these morons can conjure up a phantom ( non-existent ) horse-collar call………..just to provide a wee helping hand to the team that’s trailing in the game…..then what bloody good is it?
Put a monitor on the sideline. In the event that an idiot official makes a pinhead call…..then have the head ref ( oh heaven help us…it’s Proulx ) go to the sideline and review the play ( for 1 minute ) and then render a decision. No need for a panel of chimps down in Hogtown to give an inevitably-wrong coin flip call.
Would be better than the clown circus we now have?
Restore some credibility. C’mon Stewie , make a call.
Back off….Pinball. No more phone calls to try to pry Corey Mace loose. He’s happy here.
Get lost.
Pat Steinberg :…..
Sorry about taking your fine article down a different path. But some of us have strong feelings about how useless the command center ( or whatever it’s being called this week ) is. Honestly , wouldn’t it make more sense to have the head ref jog over to the sidelines and take a quick glance at the replay monitor…….and then making a yay or nay call?
In it’s present form the commode center serves no one……and it’s wrong a lot of the time. And it is so damn time-consuming.
Time for Stewart Johnston to intervene and make a commissioner’s call on getting rid of this albatross.
Has anybody seen how international level rugby handles replays? I like it. First of all, all reviews are handled by the officials - no coach challenges. Any official and the boys in the booth can initiate. But, the best part, is that the conversation between the review official and the referee on the field is shown live with audio. Everybody can hear the conversation.
One question I would like an answer for is where the ball is scrimmaged from when a ball is kicked through the endzone and a rouge is not awarded. If a single is awarded, it should come to the 40 like it does now. But, if not, it is a touchback and should come to the 20. This will become a very big issue when the goal posts are moved to the back of the endzone. You will have to get to the 28 for a 50 yard FG attempt. Current punters would have a lot of difficulty keeping it in the field of play. There would be a lot of punts fail to score a rouge. And a lot more teams going for it on 3rd and more than 5 which would result in quite a few turn over on downs and quite possibly less scoring, not more.
I don’t mind removing the rouge for kicking the ball through the endzone, but I suspect moving the goal posts will have major effects on game strategy. And, just how often do players run into the goal posts or passes hit them?
Reed : …….
I believe that the reason given was to make teams go for more touchdown attempts and less field goal attempts.
Reckon time will tell if it’s good or bad. I remain hopeful.
Some questions regarding the new goal post location:
Where will the ball be placed for overtime?
What happens if you are 3rd and long from, say the 35? That is a 57 yard field goal - out of range for most of the current kickers in the CFL. A punt may well not be returned and may or may not result in a single. If the scrimmage line is the 40 - which will be 10 yards closer to a TD, how many teams will gamble? Unless you give up a sack, the other team will scrimmage closer to their own goal line. I would suggest that the scrimmage line for a “touch back” which does not score be the 20. 35 if a rouge is scored. I have to wonder how much Stewart thought through some of these details?
These are the lamest 3 questions…