Noeller

Test positive rate at 1.8 for the first time since early April.....

https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/despite-a-lost-season-a-triumphant-return-awaits-the-cfl~2015704/despite-a-lost-season-a-triumphant-return-awaits-the-cfl~2015704 Do yourselves a favour and watch this.....it's both hopeful and heartbreaking.....

TORONTO – The Canadian Football League is shifting its focus to 2021 and beyond after deciding not to play a shortened season this Fall. “Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future,” said Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL.” Season ticket holders can expect to hear soon from their clubs with news on how they can apply their deposits to next season or other offers. And the CFL will have lots to say in the days ahead on next season, including the 2021 Grey Cup in Hamilton, which Ambrosie predicted will be the largest “reunion” in Canadian sports history. He added the league and its teams are working together on a new initiative that will allow fans to show their pride in the CFL’s storied history at the same time they pledge their support for the future, which will be unveiled in the coming days. The league lost its number one source of revenue – fans in the stands – when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented large gatherings. Unlike US-based leagues that can count on television or streaming to provide the lion’s share of their revenue, the CFL depends heavily on its live gate. Still, it spent the past several weeks working on a plan to launch a shortened season this September. It was to be played in a single location – Winnipeg had been chosen as the hub city – with players living in a protected “bubble” consisting of the gameday stadium, practice fields and hotels. But the league also consistently said the plan would require some meaningful federal government support, sign-off from public health authorities, and a new collective bargaining agreement with the Canadian Football League Players’ Association. The league and the union worked together towards an agreement that would see players return to the field this year. Public health authorities in Manitoba had formally approved the safe return to play plan and federal authorities had praised it publicly. The league and its governors worked tirelessly to explore options to enable play in 2020. However, despite months of discussions, the government ultimately declined the CFL’s appeal for financial support. RELATED: For more information on the CFL and COVID-19, click here. “Even with additional support, our owners and community-held teams would have had to endure significant financial losses to play in 2020,” Ambrosie said. “Without it, the losses would be so large that they would really hamper our ability to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. The most important thing is the future of our league.” The federal government did suggest at times that the CFL pursue a commercial loan which would be partially backed by Ottawa, but it was short-term and very costly in terms of interest and fees, Ambrosie said. “That kind of arrangement would hamper our recovery more than bolster it. On two occasions, in June and again at the beginning of August, the government reached out to us with new indications they might step up and help in a more meaningful way. But at the end of the day, the help we needed to play this year never materialized,” he said. “This outcome after months of discussions with government officials is disappointing. But we’re focused now on the long-term future and we will continue to work with the federal and provincial governments in that context.” The league did have very positive discussions with the Canadian Football League Players’ Association and the two parties were close to finalizing a tentative agreement which, if ratified, would have met another requirement for play to resume this year. “We look forward to building on our relationship with our players as we look to the future. We need to use this time to build a bigger, better, stronger CFL and I’m confident we can do just that,” Ambrosie said. The Commissioner acknowledged that the waiting has been hard for players and their families, as well as coaches, football staff and office staff across the league. “We know people have been longing for certainty,” he said. “But we felt we owed it to our fans and our players to do everything we could to find a way to play this year if we could so safely and in a way that was responsible and feasible, as well as, prudent and safe.” Ambrosie thanked CFL fans, players and partners for their ongoing commitment to the league. “The support, understanding and patience have been outstanding. Our players have hung in there despite the hardship imposed on them and their families by a postponed season. Our fans keep asking how they can help. And our partners, especially our friends at Bell Media, have been incredible to us,” he said. “I want to thank all of them. I also want to express our gratitude to all our fellow Canadians because their efforts flattened the pandemic’s curve to the extent that a 2020 season appeared feasible. Unfortunately, not all the necessary pieces came together,” Ambrosie added. “Now the time has come to shift our focus to 2021 and beyond. We will be back. And we will use this time to ensure the CFL comes back stronger than ever.”

haven't seen one yet...just "Wade Miller to speak later today"..... if I see something I'll post it for sure./

the most interesting thing will be watching him try and contain the rage....

Wade Miller presser coming up later today. Will be very interesting to get his take on things...

I'm okay with shutting things down for 2020 and putting everything they've got into making sure there's a 2021. It sounds like the feds are fully committed to making sure the CFL stays alive. The league, and all of its member clubs, will have to open up every book and show the government everything, but I think they'll find a way. As Naylor said, the single most important thing will be figuring out if they will be able to have fans next year. Impossible without that.

I'm not saying Ambrosie did a good job but there have been press releases throughout the process to keep fans in the loop. Nobody was "kept in the dark". I'm not sure what "ignored the fans" even means. Again, I don't know if Ambrosie has done a good job but we also don't really know that he's done a bad job. It sure seems like they've had their nose to the grindstone and been working diligently to get something done.

I repeat, correctly, Manitoba the worst place in Canada for COVID right now... Insanity.

I would love to see your specifics to back up the 75% number. Listen, you guys can believe what you want, but if you don't believe that Manitoba is the worst place to be in Canada right now, in terms of COVID, then you're just crazy...

DYK: The Bombers were to be playing the Edmonton Football Club this weekend....sadly they're not, but here's a highlight pack from a dominant win over Warren Moon's EFC in 1981...

The only travel based one I've seen confirmed in the press is the Brandon one, which was to Montreal, which is still under the "border closure". You want to put the blame on other provinces, but honestly, it's other provinces that should be trying to keep Manitobans out right now. Manitoba has somehow overtaken Alberta as the worst place to be in Canada for COVID right now.

If your cases were travel based, that might make sense. The only travel related COVID info is the person who came back from Montreal (already part of the "lockdown" for MB) and didn't isolate properly. Your issues aren't really from outside the province...it's Manitobans, themselves, causing this.

I'm not going to bet on either scenario (Play vs Not Play) until it's 100% official. I'll never bet against Wade Miller... that said, if they can financially survive without playing games in 2020, then I think that might be for the best. Just spend all your time focusing on how to make 100% sure that 2021 goes ahead as "normal". Give us something to look forward to.

right now, the only interest I have is in seeing Calgary and Vancouver lose as quickly and painfully as possible....

I assumed it meant "outside your own home".....but honestly, why not wear it outside? Just ******* wear them everywhere. Better safe than sorry, I figure...

Just having something that means that much to me, to look forward to each week.....it's taken a huge emotional toll on me. Having hockey back is cool and all, but even if the Jets and Oilers were still alive, it doesn't mean as much to me as CFL does. Not even close.

So, I spent a crazy time of my life working at the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon in my late teens. A stint on the "loin trim line" and another doing "ham (de) -boning". One thing to mention about the people who work "on the floor" (basically anywhere that isn't office work...the manual labour folks) is that they all wear masks already. Full lab coat, a white hood thing and a mask (from what I recall...this was 1999/2000ish for me). They also wear gloves at all times. They're pretty hyper about sanitization as it is.....so in theory, it should be (relatively) easy to get/keep things under control. The issue, I think, is during lunch breaks. As I recall, everyone goes upstairs and takes their gear off and hang out in a giant mess-hall style room. So that might be where things have to change. Anyhow, just some recollections of how things are at Maple Leaf....or were, I suppose......

I've got the Bombers foam ones that they'd been selling, and some of the non-medical masks that we bought in bulk at Costco. I'd like to get a nice cloth one, and will probably try to buy one at the Jets store whenever I get home next.

I saw a commercial last night for The Gap (or Old Navy?? I dunno...) talking about back to school fashion, and prominently featured kids with "trendy" masks on. I thought that was a good step toward "normalizing" things, especially among kids. I think it'll become "normal" in short order...

this is exactly why AB has had "open testing" (anyone, regardless of symptoms or not) since May. My biggest fear is not that I'll get sick and die, but that I'll unknowingly pass it to someone else. This thing spreads like wildfire if left unchecked. That's precisely why the wife and I are going to get a test done before we come home to Manitoba in September, and maybe again when we return.... just to be safe.

there is absolutely zero chance the CFL is gone forever. In some capacity, it will be back when things are healthy. It might look different, but it will be back, no matter what.

Pallister's various quotes today were bordering on inhumane. His willingness to just send kids back to school with zero care about getting everyone sick and overwhelming the system is shocking. "We can't live in fear".....well, yes....yes we have every right to be ******* terrified of sending all the kids and teachers back like some sort of science experiment.

absolutely completely agree. I'd dare say it's wildly dangerous to suggest that asymptomatic people shouldn't get tested.