The Extra Yard: Inside the 2011 Toronto Argonauts

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Here's a link to Part 1: Training Camp:

http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip494714#clip494714

Very well done, never been anything like this done for a CFL Team. Gave me chills. Ladies and Gents, we have arrived :wink:

I watched it with some anticipation after the game.

Credit for all the work that went into it, but it just did not work and was overall just plain dull.

Note I say that detesting what they try to do here south of the border, with the coaches and players tripping over themselves for camera team and inserting extra expletives, with "Hard Knocks." It's so lame and seemingly scripted that several teams turned down the opportunity.

This production was an overall snoozefest.

And wow was that DL from apparently Quebec ticked off, but I hope he finds another team all the same.

Back to the actual games please. :slight_smile:

I enjoyed it. :thup:

I thought it was excellent. I’m looking forward to the next episode.

same here.

I loved it, if anyone found this dull then then aren't big gridiron fans, CFL, NFL whatever. I wanted it to go on for another 3 hours to be quite honest.

Excellent job TSN! Bingo. Couldn't get enough but then me and others love gridiron. :thup: :thup: :thup: :thup: :thup:

Paolo, respect your viewpoint but something done like this in Canada for football and not the "almighty hockey and frozen hockey puck" - fantastic! You have to live here to get what I'm saying though, no disrespect intended. For TSN to even try this with some of the mentality here "only NHL and NFL counts", "major league" is friggin awesome on some dudes on TSN to make this happen. :thup: :thup: :thup:

You know, I'm a little disappointed that I missed the Oilers mini series. I kept forgetting about it. Unless there's a game on, I generally don't watch much TV. I'm hoping I don't forget about this mini series.

When does it regularly air, anyone know?

i thought it was great and i can't wait for the next one.

no big surprise on who didn't like it... :roll:

Well Earl when you explain it like that, I have to agree then at least it is sound progress.

I enjoyed it, it was well done. It's not quite as good as the "Oil Change" series, but a hockey team has a lot less players and doesn't have to focus on a few out of 60.

CFL used to just be a regular season and playoffs/grey cup....thats it.

NOW, we have the draft televised, pre-season televised, incredible season pre-view show. top 10 shows, and pre-game shows. regular season and playoffs and grey cup all in HD, PLUS the extra yard.

TSN is trying to find what value beyond just the games the CFL broadcast rights can give them heading into the next contract negotiations.

the CFL draft and the pre-season games all did amazing numbers for TSN. better then even the NBA finals.
as i have mentioned in game threads; the variety of different commercials seen during game broadcasts have really improved (example: there are atleast 5 diff beer brands advertised during a game now ), as it's not just tim hortons and wendys any more.

i think the CFL will really cash-in during the next TV contract.

“i think the CFL will really cash-in during the next TV contract.”

Ditto! they can not give games away to U.S networks ever again!!!

Spare change wont do either!!!

re argo camp
The inside look at player cuts and team drills gave awsome insite!!!

Awesome show and after a decent game too.
As for the next TV contract, we all agree and the dollars must be maximum with at least $50M per year.

Fair enough Dust. Didn't realize that with the comparison to the NBA draft dg!

I was reading that Sportsnet might compete with TSN in the next round of negotiations although I think this has been mentioned here previously.

whatever financial number they do agree on, Argotom, i'd like to see an added stipulation;

if more teams are added to this league which result in more weekly games being televised, the value of the contract increases.

when there had been talk of expansion in the past, the BOGs felt that the TV payout would be divided amongst more teams, thus each team would lose significant TV contract compensation ( some say this is the reason the BOGs didnt support the renegades in that 2006 season ).

that has always left some the league's BOGs unmotivated to support expansion.

if the next contract states CFL broadcast rights for an 8 team league ( 72 game reg season ) is worth x per year, but rights for a 10 team league ( 90 game reg season ) increases that value to y, you'd see the BOGs more willing to support expansion in the future.

This is fantastic for the CFL. It's the same company that does Oil Change, but I think Oil Change is a bit better quality. Still great nonetheless.

What I find really interesting are seeing guys who are so much into making the team and coaches very serious, training etc. and the people involved aren't making the big cash and without the big American TV spotlight. That is very cool. Of course every Tom, Dick and Harry can "get into" players splashed over the news like celebrities that making mega millions. But to get peeks at players who are very concerned about making the team to make in some cases less than 6 figure salaries is just very neat I think, not a run of the mill type sports cast. Very down to earth that shows kids that it's more than just mega millions and celebrity status that counts.

It wasn't bad, but I think it could have been better. If you look at something like the 24/7 series in comparison, they covered a lot less time and thus were showing things in more detail (plus with no commercials each episode was longer).

This series in comparison covered the entire pre-season in 40 minutes. As a result they jumped around a lot and there wasn't much focus on anybody or anything.

I'll watch the rest of it because it was interesting, but it should have been better.

Well, it’s like someone said earlier, you had 80-something guys all vying for a spot on the roster. Now that it’s been cut down to 42 guys, they should be able to focus more, particularly on the stars and on the key battles for positions.

Agreed DG, also if they do stay with or TSN retains the majority of the games then the playoffs and GC MUST be shown on the main CTV network.
I am not sure that this can be accomplished if Sportsnet for example gets the rights, maybe then they could sell it off to CTV or CBC?
Otherwise, Global is also national.
Regardless the league must get the mother load on the Canadian dollars side. Also the ratings suggest like some have said how the US networks including the NFL side has to start actually paying.