I noticed that some of the recent trades involve players that really should stay with their previous team. Players like Flo Orimolade who I’m sure the Argonauts don’t really want to get rid of.
They got Canadian linebacker Cameron Judge who I think is well past his prime.
My question is, wouldn’t the league be better off eliminating the Canadian ratio rules just for this very reason.
We are always asking for more stability with the players and their teams and to grow a familiarity with the fan base. At the same time we are tying the hands of the general managers who have to dance around these Canadian ratio rules all the while trying to compensate for players who have played well the previous year.
I understand that if you win the Grey Cup and played well you should get a bump in your salary but I don’t feel that this trade is a result of that entirely. There’s probably a balancing act going on in Pinball’s mind between what he has at Canadian positions versus how much of a raise he has to give Star players.
I don’t think he should have to consider the Canadian ratio in that decision-making process. It just hamstrings him more than is necessary and probably does the same for all teams.
The overall result is a lot of carouseling around of players and the constant instability that that entails with the various fan bases.
This would be reason alone to get rid of the Canadian ratio rule aside from the obvious fact that most people don’t watch players in the CFL because they are Canadian.
As an aside I don’t even care that Joshua Palmer or Chase Brown are Canadian in the NFL. Why would I cheer for Kevin Mital just because he’s Canadian? I cheer for him because he’s one tough SOB and plays like it.
I think it’s time to get rid of the Canadian ratio rule altogether.
Getting rid of the ratio wouldn’t necessarily stop player movement unless American players secretly want to play for one team in spite of what they are being offered.
The B.o.G. tried to get rid of the ratio entirely in 2022 but met opposition from the CFLPA.
I agree that most people don’t watch the CFL because of the ratio. However, there are people like @mahalcflers that do and they bring $ to the league.
At some point the CFL will do a survey and find out that the majority of people only care about local players and not the nationality. They might change the rules at that point to 1 starting provincial player or someone that played university or junior football in their territory.
For example Sean Whyte’s family/friends buy “20 tickets a game” just to see him play.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they got rid of the ratio altogether as you have suggested because of the hassle it brings to contract negotiations and paying someone to keep track of who is and is not on the field at any given time.
What would help with player movement is restricted free agency. The owners would have to give something to get that during a CBA negotiation. Time will tell what that will be. It would have to be something significant like guaranteed contracts.
My answer is NO ! Without Canadian players , the CFL becomes a nameless American spring league . The NFL wants the CFL to thrive and so it will continue to grow .
Two treads are sure thing during the off season. Ratio and Expansion. This forum is 25 years old this year and sadly this is ignored by its founder and the league. And these two ideas are as certain as talk of climate change when there is a drought or Hurricane.
Without the Canadian Ratio rule I’m not sure the Argos would have traded Flo away. He’s a star player. Not happy to see him go for a past his prime (for the last few years) Cameron Judge. What they got in return was flexibility with the Canadian ratio. So without that rule we would have gotten back a better player or this trade would not have happened.
The same could be said about Ceresna for Gittens last year where the Argos gave up a Canadian starter for a better player, a trade I doubt Edmonton would have made if there was no ratio.
Exactly!! CFL is a different brand with different ingredients. Or it becomes a 3rd rate pro football, no different than Usfl, or XFL, etc. CFL is a smorgasbord buffet compared to meat and potatoes US football.
The rules differentiate us from those dead on arrival Spring leagues. It’s asinine losing a top level player like Orimolade to what amounts to a bureaucratic accounting decision.
Don’t think judge is past his prime, 2022-2024 very consistent and healthy Lbs can be very effective into their 30’s. Played 18 games and had 73 tackles last year
I don’t consider a 30 year that old that there’s no value. It’s different for everyone but once they hit 32/33 there’s almost always going to be a drop off. Judge has been the Stamps nominee for top CDN since he’s been there. He’s a very good player & Varga is excellent insurance IMO.
