Next Thursday 7:30PM ET is the season opener with Saskatchewan @ Hamilton. I’m sure TSN was/is planning on giving it significant coverage to give the season a nice positive kickoff.
I’m sure all CFL fans want that game to have as much media and fan attention as possible for the same reason. If you do - then you have got to be hoping that team that is hogging all the media attention in the country right now wins tonight and then again on Monday night to lock up their series.
Otherwise guess what night Game 6 is scheduled for and guess which sports network has the rights to it? If you guessed Thursday night and TSN - you would be right.
The CFL opener will be completely lost in the shuffle and likely relegated to just one of the TSN channels with little or no sports media coverage at all ifup against a Game 6. Not exactly the sort of kickoff the CFL would have hoped for.
You stole my idea! Plagiarism, mods!!! :-* :-* :-* :-*
Good on ya Pat, I think more people read your posts than they do mine, for good reason.
Ok, carry on…
Agree though the CFL opener could very well be lost in the shuffle come next Thursday no question. That will be very unfortunate if this ends up the case.
I am a hard-core CFL fan, and ordinarily could care less about the NBA. However, because I’m becoming a Closet Canadian and have developed a love affair with most things from the land of the maple leaf (Corner Gas, anyone?), I’ve become excited about the Raptors and their drive for history. (I spit on Wullerton/Warriors).
Complaining about the CFL opener getting overshadowed on TSN by a possible Raptors championship game is like complaining you have so much money you’ve run out of places to keep it all.
One thing for sure if this happens with both the CFL opener and a very significant Raps game, TSN will be the “go to” network for sports that night in Canada for the most part.
It is what it is.
CFL 2.0 starting earlier will create this issue.
When Ambrosie first started talking about starting earlier, this was going to create issues for the start of the season.
If a Canadian team was in the Stanley cup final, or the Raptors in the Final, or the Blue Jays having a quick start to the season. This was going to happen.
I am happy for the Raptors. After over 20 years they are in the final, but I believe I am one of the minority that hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon. Like the stanley cup, once the team i cheer for is out, i only follow with Passing interest.
Well bandwagon, I mean I have been watching Raptors games in the final series and a few in the previous series and that’s a first for me to watch entire Raptors games. My version of bandwagon. No increase in heart rate or anxiety level or antsy level to get the game going or no buying tickets for games (a bit pricey :)) or any parenphenalia.:-*
TSN has no control over it as the NBA sets the schedule. Considering this is the first time in history the Raptors are in the finals and can clinch it, could be a once in a generation event so very doubtful the CFL is sweating over this.
If a Canadian based team goes to the Stanley Cup finals, they’re on Sportsnet and CBC. Plus they tend to avoid Thursday night games so it will unlikely conflict with the CFL opener.
It’s not just about conflicting times for the CFL’s broadcaster – it’s also about media attention in general. The Toronto Sun, which ordinarily provides in-depth coverage of the CFL – at least a page every day for Argos, usually 3-4 pages on game days – had just a brief, unbylined report on last night’s game. That’s because it is devoting a dozen pages a day to the Raptors – definitely the right call since that’s the subject on almost everyone’s mind in Toronto. Imagine if the Leafs were in the Stanley Cup final. Or both teams advanced deep into the playoffs. There would be little room for CFL coverage anywhere. That is one reason why I’ve felt Ambrosie was completely wrong to even consider moving up the start of the season. (Another reason is that football is a tougher sell in Ontario in the summer than in the fall.)
Ditto. Football in May or June may be okay for football-starved fans in Regina, but let’s face it, they don’t need the attendance help. There is zero buzz right now for the Leos and I suspect Montreal as well. Heck, I doubt even Calgary papers are awash in Stampeder news, although at least they don’t have to compete with MLS.
BC’s attendance spikes after Labour Day when people are watching football and kids are playing it. Definitely not in early June.
I for one that has wanted a Grey Cup at least a month earlier, well this is going to really show that that idea just isn’t going to happen if the Raps play Thursday night.
Yes, is what it is and Ambrosie and the league just have to deal with this and discuss in the off-season and hopefully it doesn’t happen often but yes, most people think of football not until July 1 some would say not really until September and that’s really when the season should be starting, July 1, or at least make sure all NHL and NBA is completely finished.
Oh well. The CFL should pay off the refs to be sure the Raps win the next 2 games. Just kidding. :-*
Good point or as Crash says, move the start time to 6:00 pm. City of Hamilton explode isn’t that important on this agenda item I’d say as much as Mayor Fred Eisenberger and is no friend of Cats owner Bob Young, who can’t stand the CFL from what I know, Fred that is, will throw a little temper tantrum. :-*
