Why CFL dhould not merge with XFL

The XFL is desperate after failing twice - not to mention other failed leagues. The CFL has been in Canada since 1958.
Who is more desperate? - It’s the Xtreme Fail League! by a longshot.
IMHO keep CFL football and rules. Expand into Europe where NFL Europe had success, expand to northern US mid sized markets not likely to compete with NFL duch as Syracuse, Rochester, Portland Oregon, Salt Lake City, Omaha, Columbus. Eventually add Exceptions such as Chicago, Sacramento, San Jose. Make the CFL a feeder league to the NFL ... with Canadian rules.

2 Likes

With what money? Whose gonna pony up the investment? What about our own big markets, we having hard enough time keeping our own back yard?

Besides why is the assumption that we would have to change our rules? No one in the XFL has said they wouldn’t embrace our rules.

How much has the league changed since 1958? None, we been stagnating. Do know what stagnant things are? Slow rotting to death, so we either suffer that fate or adapt and evolve with times like every other sports league.

Why is your assumption if we are so much stronger why would we cave and roll over? Maybe it isn’t out of desperation but a smart business play to secure the investment needed to take the league to the next level.

Why the pessimism? Either we are desperate or not? If we are financially sound enough to do all that expansion why haven’t we already done it, why are our own teams fading?

1 Like

It’s not being pessimistic or being stagnant.

As for changing the rules, while there’s always a review of rules in a year to year basis, I am sure the 4 down has come up from time to time.

I have been officiating Canadian Football at a Junior Level for years.

I have worked a Canadian game with 4 downs. It’s good a the lower level that they can get some offensive reps as the legs aren’t strong enough to kick frequently.

But from 16 years and up it needs to be 3 downs so they can used to play with less downs which means the offense has to be creative.

3 Likes

Well downs is something the XFL may be open on, why is the assumption we have to change? Many folks say the same thing about the NL and having pitchers bat, but the DH is coming anyway because modern folks want action and scoring, not creativity or games that favor defense.

But like mlb the two leagues play by different rules, no reason we couldn’t do the same and and have home field rules and feel it out, give Americans to test drive 3 downs and Canadians 4 and see which attracts more, as I have said there is a compelling case to be made both ways, which is also maybe arguement to keep both.

Though I have yet to hear from any die hard XFL fans against moving to 3 downs. Pessimism is the assumption we are always going cave in any deal just cuz. All evidence suggests that the XFL folks get it and our culture and what it means to us.

I tend to agree but there is that reality that the CFL has no other way on its own this year and the increased risk from 2 years out of the game.

These are new people and new capital, so look at it from there as opposed to the sorry hardly-was legacy of the XFL.

For those who continue to engage in revisionist history about what the XFL brings to the table, let's review.

  1. The XFL has failed. Twice.
  2. Its fans think that the second failure was the pandemic's total fault. They build unsecured sites like this one so they can squat on them. THEY BELIEVE!

http://majorleaguefootball.pro/

  1. The Rock, Dany Garcia and Red Bird Capital bought what was left of the XFL, including intellectual property, from Vince McMahon, who was going to declare bankruptcy for the failed XFL 2.0. Don't feel bad, many other niche sports leagues failed in the pandemic. But the XFL was never viable before in all these years and was not going to make it the second time around following also that example, without a pandemic as well mind you, that many of its fans loved as well - the AAF.

  2. The remnant modern XFL has zero to do with the crap folks claimed was going to succeed, even with declining overall attendance and TV ratings, other than a brand, some intellectual property, and NEW people altogether working to shape a new concept of American football that also is not taking on the NFL head-on (at least most of you agree on that one, but not all).

  3. If there is to be any success of THIS XFL via a venture with the CFL, a much more established league that you all should read about a bit more (even Wiki would go a long, long way), it is not going to be from any legacy of the XFL but from new people and partners.

  4. You can drop the XFL rah-rah for what was not even a has-been but never-was real league already.

1 Like

Only Salt Lake might make sense. Others are clearly within NFL markets, or have big time college competition (Columbus=OSU Buckeyes). Forget Sacto, been there done that.
Most CFL rules should stay, but would scrap the “no yards” rule and allow the “fair catch” or let the kicking team “down the ball” per NFL. “No yards” could be retained in the end zone so the returned would have a fair chance to run it out. Also would scrap the ridiculous “ratio” rules and let the coach decide who plays. The 15 yard “illegal punt out of bounds” penalty should be thrashed.