Okay, so the off season officially begins now that the Grey Cup is over. Lots of topics for discussion in the months to come with the Bombers & the League. A new CBA needs to be negotiated sooner rather than later.  Will there be an eventual agreement or a lockout? How much will the salary cap go up? Randy Ambrosie is on record that wants the cap to significantly go up so that is a positive.  Will Bo Levi Mitchell sign with an NFL or perhaps another CFL team? What about Mike Reilly & Trevor Harris who are also free agents? There's a new start up league called the  AAFL & there are legit concerns that it'll draw star CFL players away or hamper free agent signings with CFL teams. Coaching changes in BC & Toronto. The continuing evolving story of the expansion Halifax Schooners & possible exhibition games in Mexico. 

Edited November 27, 20187 yr by SpeedFlex27

well at least we had SOME good news today

https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/national-sports/2019/05/15/tentative-deal-gives-americans-incentive-to-remain-with-cfl-teams/

TO – The tentative agreement between the CFL and CFL Players’ Association gives American players more incentive to stay in the league.

According to two sources, the proposed three-year deal includes provisions for Americans to be deemed Canadian after as little as three years. Internationals who spent three years on one CFL team will be considered Canadian in their fourth years while Americans who spent four seasons north with more than one club will be considered a national upon their fifth season.

Both scenarios are aimed at protecting veteran Americans and giving them more reason to stay put. Canadian starters – especially offensive linemen – are among the league’s highest-paid players after No. 1 quarterbacks.

Interesting that between the rookie scale for draft picks and making imports NI's after 3 seasons the league is basically making it less attractive for the top Canadian players who have NFL shots.

5 hours ago, Colin Unger said:

This is what I’m hoping for. If globals can count as a Canadian and the cfl fronts a lot of the costs of running combined exts for global players you will end up seeing global players in the cfl and they will only be here if they are increasing the overall talent of a squad. 

Why do I care about some random Mexican or German playing  here. You sound out of breath with excitement.  Why the hell should they be considered Canadians?  Last time I looked Mexico was it's own country.  Trump wants to build a wall to keep them out.  We make them Canadians?

Did the league just forget about this?

 

New Era Nearing: CFL teams tease new threads - CFL.ca https://www.cfl.ca/2019/05/08/coming-soon-league-teases-new-era/

 

Unbelievable.

29 minutes ago, Mr Dee said:

https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/national-sports/2019/05/15/tentative-deal-gives-americans-incentive-to-remain-with-cfl-teams/

TO – The tentative agreement between the CFL and CFL Players’ Association gives American players more incentive to stay in the league.

According to two sources, the proposed three-year deal includes provisions for Americans to be deemed Canadian after as little as three years. Internationals who spent three years on one CFL team will be considered Canadian in their fourth years while Americans who spent four seasons north with more than one club will be considered a national upon their fifth season.

Both scenarios are aimed at protecting veteran Americans and giving them more reason to stay put. Canadian starters – especially offensive linemen – are among the league’s highest-paid players after No. 1 quarterbacks.

That is garbage.

47 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Why do I care about some random Mexican or German playing  here. 

It's not about you caring... You already like football. So how do we get people that wouldn't normally like football to like it...? We can try bringing in players from their country. Not saying it's immediately going to work, but it's a start. 

Not everything is all about you. 

 

21 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

Why do u care about some random American? Or Aussie? Etc etc etc. Wtf does trump have to do with this? Dont be a dipshit.

They make it on talent. Nis make it on the passport. I think his point is clearly that counting people from EU and Mexico as Canadian with no connection what so ever is a bad idea and waters down the value of having NIs and the ratio. 

If you're in the elite of talent that earns you a spot in this league, It doesn't matter to me if you are from the EU, Mexico, China, the US or elsewhere. However, some really really thin connections have deemed import players as NI (Cahoon) and that is bad enough. Opening it up so that pretty much a one outside of the US is considered a NI is a bad move. 

So at a time when Canadian talent and CIS talent has never been better - the CFL basically eliminates the ratio without saying it did...

Jefferson, Bighill, Bryant - Imports who are now Canadians

Wolitarsky - born in Canada grew up in states Canadian

That means Gray, Jones, Thomas are now backups and possibly out of a job

Why bother developing Oliviera/Augustine if you can sign a backup import RB and let Harris 'mentor' him until he's 'canadian'

 

So are they going to up the ratio if Americans start counting? By my count with this new rule, we can use Bighill, Bryant, Hardrick, Jefferson, Adams among our starting Canadians.

I think that report was shot down.

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So are they going to up the ratio if Americans start counting? By my count with this new rule, we can use Bighill, Bryant, Hardrick, Jefferson, Adams among our starting Canadians.

Just wait until Globals count as 'Canadians' as well...

CFL 2.0 is all about abandoning Canada it seems...

Just now, Jpan85 said:

I think that report was shot down.

Medicine Hat News seemed like a very reliable source.

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Why do I care about some random Mexican or German playing  here. You sound out of breath with excitement.  Why the hell should they be considered Canadians?  Last time I looked Mexico was it's own country.  Trump wants to build a wall to keep them out.  We make them Canadians?

Wow..  Because this league needs to create new revenue streams or else we'll end up being the XFL's Mexico!

51 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Medicine Hat News seemed like a very reliable source.

Dan Ralph covers football for the Canadian Press..

The Lions OLine got a whole lot better today. 

Yeah but he will be pricey..ol Ed gonna be bringing out the SMS chopper again..u guys are gonna have zippity dooda for depth

Foucault probably gets cut.

34 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

Wow..  Because this league needs to create new revenue streams or else we'll end up being the XFL's Mexico!

Let them play as Internationals. Not as Canadians. If they're that good then let them make it on their own merit. Where's the Mexican tv contract Ambrosie was talking about?

13 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Foucault probably gets cut.

He was going to get cut before this... maybe steward gets cut now too

3downnation  - 14 reported points (I see 13)

• three-year deal with a $50,000 increase in the salary cap each season.
• minimum salary stays the same in 2019 ($53,000) then jumps to $65,000 in 2020 and 2021.
• the three-year deal times up with the expiration of the league’s TV contract with TSN.
• some form of revenue sharing on any new TV deal and CFL 2.0.
• medical coverage for up to three years for injured players.
• Canadian quarterbacks will be part of the ratio.
• some protection for veteran American players, including three of the seven international starters must have played three years with their current team or four years in the CFL.
• the ratio will remain the same through the duration of the CBA.
• no more unpaid bonuses in the lead up to a new CBA.
• the addition of an extra roster spot for an international player.
• work permits for American players will be open, allowing them to seek other employment in Canada during the off-season.
• a rookie salary scale that’s said to start at $85,000 for the first overall pick.
• the deal went to CFLPA team reps on Wednesday and is to be given to the union membership later on. A ratification vote is expected to be held until sometime next week.

https://3downnation.com/2019/05/15/what-we-know-about-the-new-cba/

Edited May 16, 20196 yr by Mr Dee

That all seems pretty good actually... 

6 minutes ago, Noeller said:

That all seems pretty good actually... 

Some damn good work was done at the table. 

16 hours ago, Noeller said:

@FarhanLaljiTSN

Another CBA detail: All work permits for American players will now be open. Meaning the players will be able to get other jobs in Canada if they chose to stay in the off-season. #CFL

So what is stopping teams from signing a guy for a low salary,   only for a  local business to instantly hire the player as a spokesperson and pay him an extra big chunk of change during the off season?