The annual CFL meetings will be upon us in a few weeks. Every year they tinker, trying to improve our game. Change is for the better, right? A rule change here, a regulation there, an administrative move here and another there.

What would you suggest to our CFL brass? Rule changes, things to avoid or shut down.... What would genuinely make our game more satisfying & exciting?

20 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

You really seem to like the way the NFL does things.  And this will become relevant as soon as the Bombers join the NFL, until then...

what I don't like // NFL is kickoff though the endzone .... this should be a rouge not a touchback in order to be consistent with all our other kicking rules ... that change sticks out like a sore tongue to me

in general, I like the changes the NFL keeps making because it improves the quality of the game or reduces injuries

The NFL moved up where the ball is kicked off because of injuries. The kickoff is the most dangerous play in football because of the wedge & it was for player protection. I expect the CFL to do the same at some point. KO return specialists will become extinct.

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I expect the CFL to do the same at some point. KO return specialists will become extinct.

I doubt it. It's a vital, highly entertaining piece of the CFL game. To 'Americanize' it, would drag the game down to that stupid touchback rule. I mean why even kick off? Just spot it at the 20 and be done with it.

Besides, the size of our field changes the whole aspect of kick-off reteurns..to our benefit.

But... but... but.. the NFL does it.. the NFL!!!

6 hours ago, Mr Dee said:

I doubt it. It's a vital, highly entertaining piece of the CFL game. To 'Americanize' it, would drag the game down to that stupid touchback rule. I mean why even kick off? Just spot it at the 20 and be done with it.

Besides, the size of our field changes the whole aspect of kick-off reteurns..to our benefit.

Liability issues. The pending concussion lawsuit. I think it will get changed. At least I think it should.

Edited January 19, 20179 yr by SpeedFlex27

On 1/13/2017 at 8:00 AM, Bigblue204 said:

Didn't we already go over this in another thread?

That thread is currently under review.

as Per BigBlue 204

" What we really need is a new thread talking about what rule changes we would like to see this year "

 

I would like to see that practice roster become frozrn at year end so teams like Jones' Riders can't grab who they like at seasons end .... the clubs have spent all year mentoring and nurturing these guys and they should not be up for grabs like Bryan Bennet was nabbed .... let them be protected till February like the rest of the gang

35 minutes ago, BigBlue said:

as Per BigBlue 204

" What we really need is a new thread talking about what rule changes we would like to see this year "

 

I would like to see that practice roster become frozrn at year end so teams like Jones' Riders can't grab who they like at seasons end .... the clubs have spent all year mentoring and nurturing these guys and they should not be up for grabs like Bryan Bennet was nabbed .... let them be protected till February like the rest of the gang

Really don't see this as a huge problem.  He can grab every player off of every practice roster in the league, but he can't keep them all.  Well, yes, I know that he has the safe houses in Regina that he can stash people away in but eventually one or two will escape and if they have any sense of honour, they'll bring back the authorities to free the others.  I'm just trying to imagine how terrifying "It rubs the lotion on its skin..." sounds like with a southern drawl.

17 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

Really don't see this as a huge problem.  He can grab every player off of every practice roster in the league, but he can't keep them all.  Well, yes, I know that he has the safe houses in Regina that he can stash people away in but eventually one or two will escape and if they have any sense of honour, they'll bring back the authorities to free the others.  I'm just trying to imagine how terrifying "It rubs the lotion on its skin..." sounds like with a southern drawl.

There are gentleman's rules (out of respect and to avoid wars) about the practice rosters ... Jones treats such things like a raging bull in a china shop

26 minutes ago, BigBlue said:

There are gentleman's rules (out of respect and to avoid wars) about the practice rosters ... Jones treats such things like a raging bull in a china shop

Yes he has, but I'm thinking that the other GM's will find ways to help him understand that.

18 hours ago, WBBFanWest said:

Yes he has, but I'm thinking that the other GM's will find ways to help him understand that.

you really can only poke the bears so many times before they snap back at you.   He definitely seems to not give 2 squirts of piss as to whom he agitates.. which is so bloody weird in a small, close knit league like the CFL.  you can't really burn too many bridges and expect to be a successful GM.. Some have I suppose like Mathews... but often they end up more like Mack, Kelly or Shivers..  (tho I suppose Shivers could be considered successful.. )

 

20 hours ago, BigBlue said:

as Per BigBlue 204

" What we really need is a new thread talking about what rule changes we would like to see this year "

 

I would like to see that practice roster become frozrn at year end so teams like Jones' Riders can't grab who they like at seasons end .... the clubs have spent all year mentoring and nurturing these guys and they should not be up for grabs like Bryan Bennet was nabbed .... let them be protected till February like the rest of the gang

I'm okay with this proposal so long as PR guys become free agents in February, but whether they are freed up at season's end or in February doesn't make much difference.   I do think that all PR guys should continue to become free agents as they are not being paid full salary when on the PR.   They should be free to pursue other opportunities.   (they still have the choice of staying if they think they are about to move up to the main roster.)

The practice roster guys don't have actual contracts.  It's like a week to week lease on a player.  If teams want a guy they can sign him and then he's protected.  Maybe the Bombers didn't care about Bennett?

26 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

The practice roster guys don't have actual contracts.  It's like a week to week lease on a player.  If teams want a guy they can sign him and then he's protected.  Maybe the Bombers didn't care about Bennett?

I am not sure about how much the Bombers cared (we could check how much he was on reserve and how much on the PR) ... but we do know Bryan was frustrated being stuck at #4 all year and when Jones comes a wooing and whispering sweet things in his ear ... If we had control of his rights until February he might still be with us .. was even an outside chance we would not have signed LeFevour if we thought highly of Bennett

Edited March 3, 20178 yr by BigBlue

34 minutes ago, BigBlue said:

I am not sure about how much the Bombers cared (we could check how much he was on reserve and how much on the PR) ... but we do know Bryan was frustrated being stuck at #4 all year and when Jones comes a wooing and whispering sweet things in his ear ... If we had control of his rights until February he might still be with us .. was even an outside chance we would not have signed LeFevour if we thought highly of Bennett

Point is that they obviously didn't think enough of him to have him on the active roster at the end of the season so why fret about it?  If they wanted him he'd still be a Bomber.

1 hour ago, BigBlue said:

.. but we do know Bryan was frustrated being stuck at #4 all year and when Jones comes a wooing and whispering sweet things in his ear ... If we had control of his rights until February he might still be with us

A fourth string QB jumps to a better situation and you want to change the rules to stop him?

C'mon, man, that's just silly -- as is the idea that we would've passed on the Fever if only we'd still had Bennett's rights.

Edited March 3, 20178 yr by johnzo

3 hours ago, SPuDS said:

you really can only poke the bears so many times before they snap back at you.   He definitely seems to not give 2 squirts of piss as to whom he agitates.. which is so bloody weird in a small, close knit league like the CFL.  you can't really burn too many bridges and expect to be a successful GM.. Some have I suppose like Mathews... but often they end up more like Mack, Kelly or Shivers..  (tho I suppose Shivers could be considered successful.. )

 

I am really wondering what Jones did to win a Grey Cup .... was it his ranting and raving emotionalism demanding the best from his players ..... I am not sure if players give their best on a long term basis under such terrorism

Is it Jones ego? The bully can win temporarily but can't build sustainable success...

Have I overlooked something and Jones is actually a sweet guiy that his players will go to the ends of the eartth for? I don't think so but how could we find out?

Is he another Bill Belichick? Excuse me but I just fell down laughing and I think I hurt myself.

How did he win the Gey Cup .... I am guessing it was contagiuos bravado amonst a decent level of talent and the right ingredients that happened to be on hand

My guess is that Jones has pulled a Mike Kelly move in Regina  ... and they won't be able to put Humpty Dumpty together again any more than they could with Kelly

As to "not playing well with others" .... the old boys club in the form of the other GM's and directors around the league ....  they have a way of getting back at you in ways that you can  not recover from

Bas behavior does not make for good judgment  ... I will be dumbfounded if Jones lives out the life of his contract with the Roughies .... and I would be fascinated to be proved wrong

 

Edited March 3, 20178 yr by BigBlue

59 minutes ago, BigBlue said:

I am really wondering what Jones did to win a Grey Cup .... was it his ranting and raving emotionalism demanding the best from his players ..... I am not sure if players give their best on a long term basis under such terrorism

 

Jones has coordinated good defenses pretty much everywhere he has gone... so I expect the Riders D to be better in year 2... however, he was gifted a QB in Edmonton... and not having one has been one of the biggest failings of their offense the last couple years...

In addition to freezing practice rosters from seasons end till the free agency date in February (teams can release a player from their protected list whenever they like) I would like to see two other changes this year:

All failed challenges receive a ten yard delay of game penalty ... only two failures allowed .... otherwise successful challenges can continue as long as the zebras keep being proved in error .... justice is important

I would also like to see the number of time outs expanded to 3 per half (no carry over) ... it will increase the scoring at the end of each half (increasing fan excitement) and mid half  timeouts will increase the quality of the ensuing play .... I  don't think this will lengthen the game ... all that will change is when the commercials are played, not how many commercial breaks are taken

Edited March 4, 20178 yr by BigBlue

Players on the practise roster are often treated as disposable and make only $750 per week in a sport that already doesn't have guaranteed contracts for the best players, but you think it's necessary to block their opportunity to try and get a job with another team while they are getting paid nothing for that privilege?

And if a team really wants to protect a PR guy they move him to the active roster for the last game of the season.

2 hours ago, mbrg said:

Players on the practise roster are often treated as disposable and make only $750 per week in a sport that already doesn't have guaranteed contracts for the best players, but you think it's necessary to block their opportunity to try and get a job with another team while they are getting paid nothing for that privilege?

Yes they have been developing him, all year, on the PR and agrteeing to do so ... they can join the other free agents in February ... meanwhile the club gas a c hance to sign the prospecty they are developing ... its not about the  money, not even slightly

Alrighty then.  Not sure how well that slavery idea is going to go over, but feel free to propose it.

2 hours ago, mbrg said:

Alrighty then.  Not sure how well that slavery idea is going to go over, but feel free to propose it.

slavery nothing .... IF the CFLPA wanted more than $750 a game for PR players they would have it ... they just don't think it is am item worth taking a stand on

The PR is the club's developmental squad for future openings .... a lot more goes into it than grocery money ... scouting coaching mentoring all takes time effort and money

Not one member of the PR considers themselves a slave, not even close .... they are there for a chance to play professional football and they love it, dream it  and work hard to earn it

I am just saying clubs should have some protection for the developmental work they do all year long in the form of having the players rights after the regular season ends in order to have enough time and flexibility to sign them to another contract .... no one is going to play a single down or lose one red cent between November and February

 

Edited March 5, 20178 yr by BigBlue

4 hours ago, BigBlue said:

Yes they have been developing him, all year, on the PR and agrteeing to do so ... they can join the other free agents in February ... meanwhile the club gas a c hance to sign the prospecty they are developing ... its not about the  money, not even slightly

What you have here is a solution looking for a problem.  If the CFL was as concerned as you clearly are, adjustments to the rules would happen.