Should the CFL pivot from Halifax and expand to Chicago (and/or other US cities)?

[Tedtanium1976]

@Mightygoose

Cool! Where are the other 2 places he was thinking?

Until we can get a 10th Canadian team, the US based teams would need to be odd numbers so there's some form a balance

It was just speculation but he figured Boston was a good spot and Portland Oregon or Spokane Washington in the west.

[Jon]

@Aerial

To be honest, I'm coming to the conclusion the CFL should stop putting energies into expansion and rather put energies into some sort of interleague play with the NFL as this Bleacher Report article written many years ago suggests.

An exhibition game between backups in the spring wouldn’t even remotely pique my interest. I also think there is less than a 1% chance of it happening.

[Aerial]

@Mightygoose

As long as there is an ownership group interested in a team and have a stadium plan then I think the BoG should at least listen.

I do agree with that for sure.

[Jon]

@Aerial

I would pay to see a game played under CFL rules in the first half and NFL rules in the second. Watching the field makeover at the half would be worth the price of admission alone. I would volunteer to help carry the goalposts.

[Jon]

@Tedtanium1976

I was talking to another fellow and he was saying that you might eventually have 3 teams.

I think that would be the goal. 12 teams that is. See how that works and expand from there if possible. Others have pointed out the value of 12 teams (or at least an even number) for scheduling, TV and balance.

[Tedtanium1976]

@Jon

I think that would be the goal. 12 teams that is. See how that works and expand from there if possible. Others have pointed out the value of 12 teams (or at least an even number) for scheduling, TV and balance.

I’m not sure how the scheduling would work but I’m sure Toronto would play Hamilton 4 times

[carlos_harper]

@Tedtanium1976

…I’m not opposed to cross league exhibition at all. I have a hard time believing that the CFL would want to take on the NFL again after they got creamed the last time. It would be worse today I would think. The other issue is the NFLPA agreeing to those kinds of matches. I’d want to see a CFL vs LFA, FAM, Superliga, X-League etc. before going up against an NFL team.

Where would you put the goal post?

Also Canadian Football League faces hurdles south of the border because of the name despite it’s game.

A Canadianized version of the XFL with teams in both countries would do well if the sixty other ducks lined up nice for more than 10 seconds. I would not sacrifice the CFL for that league though.

[Aerial]

@Jon

I would volunteer to help carry the goalposts.

I would pay just to go and watch you perform your duties as such.

[carlos_harper]

@Tedtanium1976

BC fans would most likely like Spokane or Portland more than Halifax. I hear you

Natural rivalries. The games would be well attended. A team for the Lion’s to play on Labor Day.

[Tedtanium1976]

@carlos_harper

Natural rivalries. The games would be well attended. A team for the Lion's to play on Labor Day.

That’s really what the Lions are missing to be sure. The Rockies are a natural barrier that separates BC from the rest of Canada. It’s going to be a long time before BC gets a second team so going south seems more practical.

[Stickweld21]

@Capital_Dave

I just don't see people in Chicago taking to a team in the CFL. It'd likely go bankrupt in a season or two. At least markets in Canada will have a fanbase familiar with the game and with the other cities playing in the CFL.

Chicago isn’t a market it is a City-State/Region - Chicago has 1/4 the population of Canada - I think that you could sell 20k tickets to games during the CFL season - that is a realistic number - probably sell 3k to Canadian expats going to games - if the Riders or Ticats were playing I am guessing 5k worth of tickets to those guys

[Stickweld21]

@Aerial

Some tickets for the TiCats are more expensive that going to a Bills game, this is well known in these parts. Look, of course there are obstacles but as my Mom always told me they did put a man on the Moon. And CFL expansion seems to be more difficult than that come to think of it.

I don’t think that the CFL never went South due to the Americans not wanting CFL teams or rich Americans not wanting to invest - I think the lack of expansion was self imposed - David Braley - And the narrative that the American CFL teams only had 200 people at the games - and that all future CFL games in the USA would have 200 people - the Americans and their failed spring leagues usually draw about 20k per game averages - That is a little lower than the CFL at 23k but it is in the ball park - the key is getting on USA TV and getting money for those games -

[mahalcflers]

@Stickweld21

… self imposed - David Braley - And the narrative that the American CFL teams only had 200 people at the games - and that all future CFL games in the USA would have 200 people - the Americans and their failed spring leagues usually draw about 20k per game averages - That is a little lower than the CFL at 23k but it is in the ball park - the key is getting on USA TV and getting money for those games -

I mean Braley was right to be against US expansion as it almost entailed altering the rules to placate bad owners in the CFL at the time.

That expansion in 1993-1995 bought the CFL time but almost destroyed them in the process as all but Edmonton were facing bankruptcy around the 1996 final which, according to some, would have been the FINAL.

Only the loan from the NFL kept the CFL alive at the time.

Rules need to be as is, size of field as is as well. Maybe the ratio can be negotiated but owners need to be vetted before any talk of expansion can take place.

[WeGotTheCup]

Lets see here, an open forum topic with restrictions of truths from the past of the 90's,

without bringing up the past. Here are some barrier to overcome.

*Player salary CDN/USD, assuming Canadian players in Canada will be paid in Cdn and American players in the US will be paid in USD. So how do you pay Canadian playing in USA likewise Americans playing in Canada. How do you overcome the dollar value difference, plus there's a huge tax difference but that is the government's issue.

• Player raitos CDN/USA, currently CFL has player raitos. Would the American teams also have a Canadian/American raitos.

• When the season begins and ends, it's always difficult in Canada to compete against the NFL. How would you propose American teams playing a Canadian game In American cities compete against the NFL.

• Schedule, do they play a fully interlocking schedule? Or completely separate schedule with a championship game?

• Size of the playing field / endzones.

*Goal posts placement.

*Number of players feilded.

• Number of downs.

*Kicking rules.

• Numerus other rule changes.

Is there a real flavor for Canadian football in USA?
Are American's going to watch a quirky version of American football long term?
It's great we can name 10 cities, that's called georgphy. Are any of those 10 cities interested that's reality.
What is the purpose of expansion abroad? Too fix the CFL or change the CFL?

[Stickweld21]

@mahalcflers

…1995 bought the CFL time but almost destroyed them in the process as all but Edmonton were facing bankruptcy around the 1996 final which, according to some, would have been the FINAL.Only the loan from the NFL kept the CFL alive at the time.Rules need to be as is, size of field as is as well. Maybe the ratio can be negotiated but owners need to be vetted before any talk of expansion can take place.

True statement on better vetting of ownership groups and also on the 3 downs and rules -

[Jon]

@WeGotTheCup

…*Number of players feilded.Number of downs.*Kicking rules.Numerus other rule changes.Is there a real flavor for Canadian football in USA?Are American’s going to watch a quirky version of American football long term?It’s great we can name 10 cities, that’s called georgphy. Are any of those 10 cities interested that’s reality.What is the purpose of expansion abroad? Too fix the CFL or change the CFL?

My answers to some of your questions, many of which I have posted upon before:

• Salary is easy. Pick a date and convert the Canadian salary cap into US and that is the cap for the US teams for the year. Alternatively, all teams on both sides of the border could be paid in US as the NHL does.

• Player ratios have to go. I have advocated that this should be the case even now to strengthen the league and won’t repeat my arguments, but there is no way there can be fair competition long term without that playing field being level and there is no way that US teams can be forced to play Canadians.

• Same intro as above. Season needs to start in May even now. There will be minimal overlap with NFL.

• Schedule should be interlocking as now, although play more divisional games than others as is now. Definitely no US teams only play US teams until the playoffs or anything along those lines.

• All other rules, field size, football, kicking, etc. remain as is. That is what makes football Canadian. Certainly not the ratio or where the team is located. Not to say that some CFL rules shouldn’t be improved or eliminated, but that’s another discussion.

• Americans might find it a bit quirky at first, but I think we should trust our game, which will be played at an even higher level with more Americans playing. I think Americans will fall in love with our game just like we have and if we can eliminate a quirk or two along the way, our game will only get better.

Finally, I don’t think the purpose of expansion is to fix or change the CFL, but rather to improve it and make it a stronger league. We could improve the league without expansion and hopefully we are always doing that and hopefully no one thinks the league is perfect. Expanding to even 12 or 14 or 16 teams, as others have pointed out, however, will greatly broaden the appeal of the league and its market, provide stability and hopefully lead to more TV money. The league would also no longer be one or two folded franchises away from potential oblivion.

[WeGotTheCup]

@Jon

…league without expansion and hopefully we are always doing that and hopefully no one thinks the league is perfect. Expanding to even 12 or 14 or 16 teams, as others have pointed out, however, will greatly broaden the appeal of the league and its market, provide stability and hopefully lead to more TV money. The league would also no longer be one or two folded franchises away from potential oblivion.

I agree on the salary.

I just don’t know how open Canadian’s are to dropping the ratio. After all it is the Canadian football league.

Preseason already starts in May, May 23 - Nov 20. If you start CFL too soon you complete against NHL playoffs vs Start of NFL, I don’t see an upside. As an old timer I like the playing late into November.

Also agree with interlocking season.

When you say field size remains the same, that would be a tremendous infrastructure to adopt to a CFL size field.

Not sure if Americans will fall in love with the CFL, we can’t get Canadian’s to fall in love with it.

I would like to see the CFL improve, enlarged their fan base. But not a the cost of giving up it’s identity.

I still can’t get rid of the taste of 93 - 95.

[mahalcflers]

@WeGotTheCup

…o agree with interlocking season.When you say field size remains the same, that would be a tremendous infrastructure to adopt to a CFL size field.Not sure if Americans will fall in love with the CFL, we can’t get Canadian’s to fall in love with it.I would like to see the CFL improve, enlarged their fan base. But not a the cost of giving up it’s identity.I still can’t get rid of the taste of 93 - 95.

How can you have a draft when the season starts in May.

Can’t have it before the NFL draft, you don’t want to draft a player only to see him drafted by the NFL a month later.

Still not sure about overlapping with the NFL as they (CFL) rarely has games on Sundays except for the Grey Cup playoffs in November.

The November 20th Grey Cup was scheduled because TSN has rights to the World Cup which strangely begins on November 21st and finishes on December 18th.

Sports overlap with other sports all the time. It’s just a reality of a lot of sports with a calender of 365-366 days a year.

There’s no demand for a CFL franchise in the US at the moment.

All those who lost NFL franchises might be soar at the NFL at the moment but will line up when an opportunity arises.

[Stickweld21]

@Jon

…league without expansion and hopefully we are always doing that and hopefully no one thinks the league is perfect. Expanding to even 12 or 14 or 16 teams, as others have pointed out, however, will greatly broaden the appeal of the league and its market, provide stability and hopefully lead to more TV money. The league would also no longer be one or two folded franchises away from potential oblivion.

Football is tackling, running, punting, passing, catching - CFL and American football have these things in common - Americans will learn to like the 3 downs and CFL -

[WeGotTheCup]

@Stickweld21

Football is tackling, running, punting, passing, catching - CFL and American football have these things in common - Americans will learn to like the 3 downs and CFL -

I love dogs. Not all dogs are dogs,
If it fits in your purse… It’s not a dog.
If you take it to a dog spa… Its not a dog.
If it needs a jacket to go outside… It’s not a dog.
If you teach it to dance… It’s not a dog.
.
.
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I love football, not all football is football…I don’t know if Americans will like 3 down football.