Since the Airblows lost their starting QB to the USFL is this going to impact our League in the future!?$ poaching CFL players or Limiting who we get !?$
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YUP,
for a year or 2 until they go broke.
I see these spring leagues as the biggest reason for the overall quality of play in the CFL going down over the last 3 to 5 years. One of them will fail ( I assume it will be the XFL), however, I believe the NFL is using the USFL ( on the relative QT) as a sort of G-League to stock pile potential talent that a might otherwise languish on a practice roster OR end up in the CFL.
Therefore, the CFL has to get serious about retaining talent and/or attracting talent. Usually, this means increasing salaries however, this would also mean making rookie contracts longer with less opt out opportunities. Simultaneously, the people who actually run the CFL have got to get serious about the threats they face and increase its popularity. This probably means somehow reaching younger fans (probably streaming, aps, etc) and making important games (Labour Day,playoffs ,and, Grey Cup) not just the sole domain of TSN. It would be nice to see them on CTV...
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I would also add that the CFL must begin to have a serious presence in youth, high school, junior, and, university football in Canada to start to create that pipeline of talent in this country. That means, among other things, going into immigrant communities and getting young kids involved who might otherwise look elsewhere for athletics...It's a serious untapped reservoir of talent for the sport...
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Yes, players that would have been attracted to the CFL or remaining in the CFL, will sign with the XFL or USFL, but I don't worry too much.
When you consider all the new A rookies that have already been signed by CFL teams, we can't say that the XFL or USFL has had a negative impact on the CFL and I see no reasons why the quality of play will go down.
Richard
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Doesn't hurt the CFL to work with American schools as well. Not saying it should be their main focus but if they go in there and do the odd football clinic it'd be a positive. If Montreal players went to Syracuse once a year, let them know that the legal drinking age in Canada is lower, worked out with them etc, the crowds might be higher 
The CFL hasn't taken advantage of the marijuana law differences either. 
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CFL > USFL & XFL
USFL does not pay much on avg; even with the 10K championship bonus most will be paid less than CFL
I suspect those who go south do so for exposure (US markets) warmer climates, closer to family & friends
Some young players may bank on future but for an older player like MBT I am thinking its more a retirement thing
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Another major difference is the length of the seasons.
If I'm correct, both the XFL and USFL have 10-game seasons, just over half a CFL season. Pay-per-game is higher, and a 45%-less chance of injury.
As well, there are fewer QUALITY quarterbacks making their way to Canada. As I have been saying for a while, the smaller, athletic, mobile QBs who's only chance at the pros were to play in the CFL are now being drafted in the first round of the NCAA draft, instead of the 6'5" pylon pocket-passers.
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Richard, I felt that Sankey was the best
LB in the league and we lost him. I won't mis MBT as much.
... and US $$
The soon to be defunct leagues, whatever the money is they offer, they are no comparison to the CFL.
Let all that want to go try their luck in those two leagues go and let them waste away and don’t let them back in the CFL when they come crawling back.
If the stability of the CFL isn’t good enough for them to stay now, to them I say..good day.
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CFL can't afford to boycott players simply because they "had the nerve" to join another league. The idea is ridiculous and obviously won't happen.
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Agreed, that seems like cut off your nose to spite your face type logic.
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The CFL will be just fine without the limited number of players that have chosen to go to unstable leagues.
They lose much better players to the NFL every year, most stay, and newcomers step up in the CFL.
At least you agree that the new leagues will not survive.
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These are tape leagues - 30% of the NFL is undrafted free agents. This allows the players to play 10 games against reasonable talent levels, get some NFL coaching and then get some game tape, so their agent can get them a shot at the NFL. If they go to the CFL with the longer season they basically sit out a year without a shot at the NFL due to the fall CFL season and longer season.
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