With us getting Burris and T.O. getting Ray the massive Southern Ontario Market for the CFL just exploded.
The CFL was very sucessful in every market BUT Southern Ontario, that probably just changed, big time.
The Television contract is due soon and do you think that TSN isn't salivating at a competitive Cats and Arblows market.
The CFL will get huge money for their T.V. contract with a healthy Hamilton, T.O. and Ottawa viewing market.
IMHO our league just took a monumental step forward!
What makes you think these teams have improved substantially with these two acquisitions. Both are aging quarterbacks on the down side of their careers. Hamilton will have a new coach, OC and DC. It will take time to get on the same page as a team. Arblows will need to totally revamp their receiving core and get on the same page with Ray. I would imagine Winnipeg and Montreal are not really that concerned with their competition for the upcoming year.
grover: I love the optimism here....but if either Burris and the Tiger-Cats or the Blue team don't deliver, the CFL could implode in southern Ontario rather than explode.
Let's re-visit this in October. 
I think both teams have improved substantially at the QB position which is the most important position on a football team.
Future Hall of Fame QB's are not exactly a dime a dozen and I think both teams are extremely fortunate to have both QB's playing in the largest T.V. market in the nation.
These QB's will sell tickets and T.V. commercial time for the television provider(TSN)
These QB's will get people into the seats at the Stadium and then out of their seats cheering big plays!
And I beg to differ that Winnipeg and Montreal had better be concerned because there will be 4 strong teams in the east and 1 will not make the playoffs.
Let's hope that TO can sell some tickets, I'm not as optimistic as you at about Toronto. I hate to be pessimistic but its reality. Last year at this time the ARgos had defeated the Ticats in Hamilton and went on to lose to the Als on the road in overtime, so you would think that would boost ticket sales in the offseason, but it didn't it actually dropped. The TV contract is due but it didn't help that there was a HUGE drop in viewership this year, from over 850,000 a game to 700,000, the networks take notice of big drops in and trends.
With Ray in Toronto and a better team, will that mean more viewership and increased ratings going into the final year of the TSN contract? let's hope so.
8) Exactly, "mr62cats". I will hold off on any big enthusiasm regarding Burris until the mid point of the season.
How many times have we been disappointed by big name stars coming to the Cats in recent years, only to see them
self destruct on the field in front of our eyes !!!
The list of these type of players in Hamilton is endless !!!This league will only take a huge step forward when they can find someone to buy the Argos so one guy doesn't own 2 teams in an 8 team league. Regardless of operating at arms length the message it sends is that their is not enough interest in the CFL by investors to want to own a franchise let expand beyond 8 teams (with the return of Ottawa for 9)without government (tax payer) money made available.
Hey, having Ottawa come back is great and hopefully it works this time, but the Argos need a new owner and this league needs at least 10 teams to help it grow. :rockin:
8 teams is fine, 9 will be better and 10 better still. I'm sure David Braley is working on owning just one team soon, it's not as big of a deal as some media make it out to be IMHO. Just a topic of conversation.
Good points Kooblahdee, although it is the Lions valuation that has increased dramatically, not the Argos, therefore it would be far more wise for Braley to sell the Lions at a tremendous remunerated stipend, and subsequently focus on improving the value of the Argos.
A super football specific stadium in BC which is a big plus.
I'd like to see it happen but I think you're being too optimistic. Both teams need to be considerably better to win back fans and that task is bigger in TO than the Hammer. At this stage of their careers, Ray still has some good football left in him while Burris is pretty much done. The Argos need help everywhere (but QB) and I can see the Cats even sliding backwards if Burris is their best upgrade in personnel.
A good TO-Hammer rivalry would help alot but not if it's for last place.
An Argo-Cat fan
Poeple are crazy if they don't think this is good for the East Division. If everyone plays up to their potential, then you have the 3 best and proven QB's in the league playing for the East who were the winning QB's in the last 6/10 Championships.
The Hamilton VS Toronto rivalry has just got an upgrade for sure.
yet, everyone is fine with bell owning part of the leafs and habs?
or winnipeg's jets ownership also owning a piece of the habs?
phoenix is owned by the nhl.
the hornets are owned by the NBA.
the brewers are owned by the commissioner of MLB.
1 guy owns 8 MLS teams.
who cares that braley owns 2 teams?
QBs don't guarantee anything. Rick Ray in 2010 was 3565 passing yards 11 TDs 16 ints 82.3 rating, worse than Glenn in Hamilton. (BTW, Glenn that year was 5100 passing yards (career high) 33 TDs (Ti-Cat record), 17 ints 97.6 rating
Burris is going to be 37 and was discarded by his team after losing the starter's job.
Both QBs are going to teams with brand new coaches.
Potential is definately there, but not guarantees.
Come on dg, it's the CFL, much bigger news with Braley than those other trivial leagues, I guess that's why the CFL gets all the press with this, so it seems.
I hear you Cap'n
Of course there are no guarantees.
My point is this very important market to the league (8.5M people) which is the weakest market in the league just signed two Marquee players at a very high profile position, this is a marketers dream.
Yes Burris was discarded by his team.
So was Kevin Glenn
So was Jyles
So was Buck Pierce
So was Ricky Ray
So was Calvillo
So was Damon Allen, Flutie, Dunnigan etc.
I think that both teams have improved with their signings and the marketing value increased substantially.
The CFL is a much stronger league with a strong Southern Ontario Market
The CFL is a much stronger league with a strong Southern Ontario Market
Yes but I've always maintained that all the league really needs out of Toronto is JUST a team, period, nothing much more and nothing much less. Toronto has never been a big draw for other teams other than Hamilton as a lot of people in other parts of Canada realize that the Argos aren't all that well respected there, if that's the right way of putting it. A Toronto CFL team just don'treally bring a buzz to most other cities other than Hamilton. But the league as a whole is better off with a team in Toronto for the obvious television and advertising reasons even if not a lot of people in that city goes to games in the current Rogers Centre multipurpose stadium.
Maybe if Toronto got a nice more intimate real football stadium and it showed on TV the crowd having a great time in the packed or near packed stadium the city and team would have more wow factor but regardless IMHO all the league needs is very simply just a team and that's it there.
I don't think there will be a significant increase in attendance because of these signings, even if they start winning. Hope I'm wrong. I think a significant increase in attendnace will come from a longer term business strategy ( that will likely require on field success/entertainment) Strategies like Braley's "corproate friends" approach should help over time.
The CFL is a much stronger league with a strong Southern Ontario MarketAbsolutely agreed 100%!
It's unfortunate that southern Ontario doesn't have a stadium that really caters to a tailgate atmosphere (not saying it's about alcohol) to get the marginal youth type football fan really into the CFL in this tough market so close to Buffalo.
Have you ever been to lotJ? Who cares what they do in the No Fun League anyway. We always have a great time tailgating in lotJ before every game. It is not about the numbers it's about the great fans who show up and have a great time every game. There are also quite a few young fans there as well. Come on over some time and enjoy the atmosphere and good times we have there.