MC

I really don't expect the ratio to change for this year. I expect that it would be phased in over a period of time. The teams have already committed a lot of cash to players believing that they needed 7 starting Canadians. A number of teams would want to take a mulligan on free agency, if that is the case.

This really surprises me. That is very disappointing.

The CFL is doing the best thing for themselves. The clubs do not want to draft Tony Mandarich - draft Tarzan and get Jane.

I generally refrain from making critical comments about quantum physics. I have never studied it or had any personal experience with it. Then why do so many people make critical statements about collective bargaining? Better to be quiet and be thought of as stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Xenophobia?? CFL fans are scared of white Canadian males? Is that why many CFL fans have beards? - because they are too scared to look in the mirror. What am I missing?

I am not surprised. I have heard lots of former teammates say that he is a great guy. He is just lazy and has some history with dependency.

The territorial protections should incent teams to support local grass roots football within their territories. It should also help teams to increase their local content. The second should help with the first. Right now Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and BC should have huge advantages over the rest of the league. Funny that three of those teams have perennial financial issues. The four prairie teams should be disadvantaged the most by this move, but they are the strongest at this time. If I am the league, it makes sense to do it as quickly as possible. The rest of us don't have to like it.

We need a gif of Aaron Rodgers spelling R-E-L-A-X. Everybody take a step back from the edge here. 1) the CBA will get resolved because both sides need it to be resolved. The worst case scenario is that there will be no rookie camp and main camp gets started a day or two late - which would make the veterans very happy. 2) the Als situation is better now than it has been with Bob's idiot son running things. The league will run it for a short time while a local owner get his investors, finances and marketing plans in order. This used to be an annual event. Everyone is freaking out because the league has been so stable for so long. It will be sorted out before the playoffs start. 3) why would any fan care much about the international movement? It is not going to have any impact on the game or competitive balance. It might turn out to create some new revenue sources and hasn't cost the league very much at all. Teams are spending any time scouting these players. They got to see them test out next to the CIS guys, so they have all the information they need for a 3 minute draft. The league paid some airfare. Nobody is talking about the real problem that we have before us. We have nothing to talk about if we don't argue about nothing. Or we could just relax...

I have zero concerns about the CBA. The pie they are cutting is very small and with limited chances of growing it much. Nobody is making much money in this enterprise, with the exception of a handful of players and coaches/GM's. And they make peanuts compared to any other professional sports league. The players options are to play for the CFL or punch a clock. Schmucks like the rest of us have few chances of getting a standing ovation or creating a highlight reel for doing our everyday jobs. They are not negotiating very much. They don't need a lot of discussion because both sides know where they are going to end up. The CFLPA needs to show their members that they are doing everything they can. So, they need to own the media on this.

So, he should spend 15 hours a day on the Montreal issue? What could possibly do for that long each day to fix it? He has prospective buyers and they need to get their finances in order. In the meantime he also has a contingency where the league takes over to bridge between owners. The only other thing I can think of is if he were to stand on St Catherine's and beg for money from the passers by. If the league can get a TV deal in Mexico or Europe lined up for 2020 because there is increased eyes watching the game because of players from those countries who are playing in 2019. That would not be worth the minimal money and effort being spent by the league and clubs now?

The only change that is a mistake is the second coaches' challenge. I used to say they should be challenge anything because it was more important to get it right. But, in practice it hurts the game. The CFL finally had it right the last year and a half. The one-and-done rule resulted in the majority of egregious calls being corrected and added some interesting decisions being made by coaches. There will always be some team's fan base who goes crazy because they think they see irrefutable proof in ultra slow motion that their team got jobbed on one play out of the 160. That is just sport. It all evens out in the end. And no - no team ever lost a game because of one call or non-call. If they had played better they would have won.

Jabar Westerman is not a bad idea. I doubt they have the money to do it though. I expect a number of teams will be cutting guys like this in order to make room for the free agent salaries they committed to the last couple of months. Sucks for the players though, because teams are trying to fit under the cap. Big difference from February to April/May.

Interesting thought about Matt Coates. I wonder if he will be in the mix come training camp?

Why would any CFL team want a meaningless game from another league take place in their city in the middle of their season? This would happen in mid-August and would promote the NFL. There is only so much sports entertainment money to go around. If the Jets make another deep playoff run, the Bombers will again be in tight when it comes to walk-up crowd. This would just take more of that away.

I am not at all in favour of a second challenge. As it is now, coaches have to consider carefully whether and when to use their one challenge. It has added to the game. Blown protections /coverages / etc are part of the game. So are bad calls by the officials. I hear that coaches lose their jobs because of bad calls - well, a lot more coaches lose their jobs because they screwed up a game plan or their QB had a bad game (i.e. their QB was not perfect). Fans of every single team in every single sport are convinced that their team was robbed by the officials in every game ever played. Killing the momentum of the game and making a marathon of a sprint is not going to fix something they will believe anyway.

There is always someone who will bring him into training camp to create some buzz. I doubt anyone will give him a real shot though. "Work" doesn't describe what a person needs to put in to be successful for any length of time as a professional QB. It has to be all-consuming.

But I thought a coach of the year candidate said he was the greatest player to ever play in the CFL.

The only Grey Cup city that treats other fanbases like garbage. I was shocked last time and we vowed to never set foot there again. I don't know how the city can do anything about it because it seems to be based on the notion that everybody loves them and, if you dare to wear your colours that you are a target. I spoke to fans from Hamilton (who were in the game) who bought a Riders jersey and wore it to the events so the harassment would stop.

I don't even remember these players from training camp. Were they there?

I am not sure that expansion can happen and have any increase to the salary cap. Expansion will add an entire roster to league costs and no extra TV money until the current deal with TSN expires - unless the current deal includes an escalator for a new team in the Maritimes. TSN will increase viewership from that area for sure, so it might be in the agreement already. Even without that, where is the additional money going to come from to pay a higher salary cap? Except for Saskatchewan, Edmonton, (maybe) Calgary and Winnipeg, who else can afford to keep less of their revenue? The CFL is not owned by a group of billionaires, unlike all the major North American professional leagues. And, guaranteed contracts will not happen. Sign a star player for 3 years and then he goes down with a torn achilles (for example). For the next couple of years, you have no money to sign a replacement and have to live with rookies, or maybe even go into games with a shorter roster. Fans would rebel.

I would be interested in Reinbold to coach the teams. The Bombers need an upgrade there.

The strongside linebacker in today's game should be in with the DHB discussion. They certainly do not belong with the linebackers. I believe that the Bombers actually started this movement a while back with the way they played Bennie Thompson.

One of these friends of yours must be the WFC's external auditor. Otherwise I assume you would never make public accusations that Wade Miller is guilty of fraud and embezzlement.

I wonder if there was ever a fan of the Stampeders who said that about their QB over the last decade? They should have dumped him for a new shiny quarter as well I guess.

I have a fair amount of confidence that Nichols will play much better in 2019. Everybody with eyes could see that he had no mobility in 2018. While he has never been Tracey Ham he has always had enough mobility to sprint out and through when needed or pick up first downs with his legs when the opportunity was there. This year, he could see it but just not get there. If you want a good example of what limited mobility has on an all-time great QB, just look south to Green Bay. If Rodgers is himself, they would be in the hunt for playoff seeding. Instead, they are in the hunt for good draft seeding.