https://www.tsn.ca/naylor-many-questions-but-few-answers-on-a-2021-cfl-season-1.1543725

The Canadian Football League has been outrageously quiet since it pulled the plug on its season more than two months ago, leaving behind a wake of speculation about where things are headed next.

With the reality setting in that COVID-19 is likely to still be around in some form next summer, there is real concern about what the 2021 season might look like or if it will occur at all.

There are teams that believe it is vitally important to play in 2021 and that without a season the CFL is in danger of being mothballed. Whether every team believes that is another question. And there is a lot to sort out before anyone can accurately predict what a season might look like and how much pain the teams are collectively willing to stomach to make it happen.

The league and its franchises are currently running through various scenarios for next season, trying to get a handle on true costs of each and working at ways to trim budgets and save money. That’s likely to continue until the league can truly choose a course of action, which feels like next April at the earliest.

Why? Well, there’s not much point in fully committing to a scenario that’s seven months away if that scenario might be totally unrealistic by the time you get there.

There has been no 2021 business plan presented yet, only regular updates to the presidents and governors about what the league is doing to prepare for the unknown.

It should be noted that teams will need to make decisions about retaining assistant coaches with expiring contracts by December, which will be the first real economic commitments to a 2021 season. Restrictions on signing players will need to be lifted well before the opening of February free agency, where players are likely to meet a cautious market – one in which signing bonuses will probably be absent.

There’s a collective bargaining agreement to amend, if not renegotiate, with the players, which will require some kind of pressure point because it always does. But the league can’t sit down with the players until it gets a true handle on revenues and it can’t do that until it chooses a course of action.

Will CFL teams be allowed to have full stadiums next summer? It doesn't seem likely. But just what percentage of capacity will be allowed – if any at all – is impossible to guess. It seems as if the league is counting on the restrictions that currently prevent fans from being in stadiums being lifted. But to what degree?

When will we see a schedule? Good question. Or could we see multiple schedules for different scenarios? Never say never.

Could it be a 21-week, 18-game season played in home stadiums? Unlikely, given the losses teams are expected to take with reduced numbers of fans in the stands. Could we see a return to the 10-week bubble? Maybe. A nine-game schedule played in home stadiums before fans? Perhaps.

The point is no one knows, so demanding answers to questions that can’t possibly be answered right now is a waste of time.

All we know is that there’s going to be a lot less revenue for teams to operate with under any scenario, not just because of crowd restrictions but also due to older fans choosing to stay home for their safety. The CFL’s fan demographics do it no favours in this regard.

Getting consensus on a best course of action won’t be easy for the CFL’s nine teams. Back in the summer, there were teams that were willing to play without government support and teams that weren’t. And just like then, the biggest challenge commissioner Randy Ambrosie faces now is finding a scenario they can all live with.

Adopting a revenue-sharing model so that each team absorbs the same amount of red ink would certainly make consensus-building easier, which many believe should be the direction for the future, COVID-19 or not.

The other elephant in the room is federal government, which many in the CFL believe left it high and dry last summer after months of back-and-forth talks where the league believed it was making progress.

Is the CFL prepared to go down that road again, knowing it doesn’t control the timeline and larger forces can change things in an instant? Perhaps, although it’s not as though the feds don’t have a long list of people coming at them with their hands out.

There will be voices demanding the owners suck up the losses of playing a season under any circumstance, as owners have done in other sports. But the business calculation in sports such as MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA is different because of the percentage of revenues those leagues derive from television.

Losses sustained by playing in those leagues can also be viewed as investments towards protecting massive franchise values. That’s not the case in the CFL, where teams can’t just float money on the backs of their franchise values, and where one third of the teams are publicly owned.

It would be beneficial for the league to soon announce its formal commitment to play some kind of season in 2021.

But beyond that, get ready for months more of waiting with lots of questions and speculation but very few answers.

1 hour ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

I could point out how many times LaPo has had the number 1 offence in his coaching career, how offensive schemes and play calling kind of go hand in hand, how “not being a big play riverboat gambler” or “ball control limit the turnovers” is not the same as “sucks as a play caller”, how his conservative style may have to do with the weapons he was handed, or simply ask how many teams you have coached or Grey Cup rings you have won compared to him since you seem to have all the answers, but it would fall on deaf ears because you have had an axe to grind with him seemingly forever, culminating in your support of Joe Mack over LaPo when the team faltered with them both and you wanted to assign blame. So throwing your credibility chips in with Mack tells me all I need to k ow about your judgment, just as cherry picking one division final loss in Calgary against a Grey Cup winning team as proof that LaPo is a failure does. Honestly, if I wanted to hear from a clown, I’d conduct interviews at the circus. 

Ahh yes the appeal to authority. I ain't saying lapolice us an idiot, just that he isn't as brilliant as his reputation and it is because of his passive play not to lose approach. The best games lapo calls are when he’s down by multiple scores late and the worst when he is up by multiple scores. How many times does he put the brakes on his own offense after a hot start? Look at all those games when he was head coach where the team played just well enough to barely lose. That is who Lapo is. I can out on a wig and big red nose and explain it to you if you like. 

44 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

Arbuckle has been hurt for a bit.

MBT with the ancestral hex.

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Ahh yes the appeal to authority. I ain't saying lapolice us an idiot, just that he isn't as brilliant as his reputation and it is because of his passive play not to lose approach. The best games lapo calls are when he’s down by multiple scores late and the worst when he is up by multiple scores. How many times does he put the brakes on his own offense after a hot start? Look at all those games when he was head coach where the team played just well enough to barely lose. That is who Lapo is. I can put on a wig and big red nose and explain it to you if you like. 

in fairness, that's probably not a bad idea...........

3 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

 I can out on a wig and big red nose and explain it to you if you like. 

Thanks for that- I just finished wiping coffee off my screen....

3 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

I agree. I'm actually not worried about Buck, he was behind Lapo for a long time. There was obviously a plan for Buck to take this role on so I'm sure Lapo and the organization coached him up. I suppose the only worry for me would be when the pressure is really on him, like in a close game near the end of half or the 4th Q....but again, I'm not worried.
 

It's not as if LaPo didn't make bad calls in pressure situations. He made plenty & still will. 

3 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Fair points Bubba. Hopefully we have the personnel to open up the pass game. I am not quite as confident as 17to85 in that regard. Hope I am wrong. Losing our best deep threats in Adams and Whitehead has not helped. Maybe Bailey is our new burner?

Demski is a threat to take one to the house any given play.

2 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

Yeah Lucky SHOULD have been a deep threat, but was never really given the opportunity. I do recall a few times seeing him behind coverage but the ball never made it's way to him. Too bad, but I don't think he will be a huge factor in BC.

There are 2 OCs (one is now a HC) in the CFL who worked directly with him last year and neither one lobbied to have him play for them this year. That says enough to tell me that he's no BBanks.

1 hour ago, Dr Zaius said:

I do think the Riders have a good secondary and good receivers, to be fair. 

That said, they're going to get absolutely manhandled at the lines like the 2013 Bombers so it's not going to matter. 

Idk I think their secondary is decent. But both the wrs and dbs have questions with depth. As well I'd question their ni talent level and depth. If Fajardo stays healthy and improves they could be a play off team. But I think that's their max potential. 

 

1 hour ago, Bigblue204 said:

Arbuckle has been hurt for a bit.

No game action and 2 qbs are hurt and one had better start running for his life now. Year of the back up qb part 2. 

19 minutes ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

There are 2 OCs (one is now a HC) in the CFL who worked directly with him last year and neither one lobbied to have him play for them this year. That says enough to tell me that he's no BBanks.

While that's an interesting notion I feel like bc wasn't going to be beaten for his services. And they know how to use speed tool guys like lucky. 

It's boom or bust for him this year. And I do worry he will be a guy we lament losing. 

40 minutes ago, Noeller said:

which one of the voices in MBTs head is going to start for the Argos this week? That guy is like a younger Gary Busey....

Either the one that tells him he's Favre or Joseph Smith. Personally I think he's gonna be in the top 4 in passing again this year. 

2 hours ago, M.O.A.B. said:

Unless he will be pulled out from the 6-game IR, he will not play on LDC and BB

Dickenson just said he is out for the season. 

2 hours ago, M.O.A.B. said:

Unless he will be pulled out from the 6-game IR, he will not play on LDC and BB

He's now been ruled out for the season and is having surgery. The poor get poorer.

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

which one of the voices in MBTs head is going to start for the Argos this week? That guy is like a younger Gary Busey....

The one that tells him to call the Log Cabin Sweep.

Tc should've been atleast twice as long with no two a days. I know they were in a big rush to make money but this season is gonna be hell. 

Edited August 5, 20214 yr by wbbfan

5 hours ago, Sard said:

I'd go out on a limb and say that although Buck is a rookie OC, he's had enough time as an assistant coach to know what he's doing.

I've said it before in another thread (or possibly this one), a few years back, every time Buck was up in the booth calling plays, the team did really well.  I'm not worried at all about how he'll do, and in fact, I'm very excited to see what his offence looks like.  I think it's going to be exciting to watch.

Yes Buck is a "rookie" OC, but he's been coaching for how many years now??  Come on man!  Vanstone is full of crap.

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Any one who looks at that and says yeah that's a contender is either a biased rider fan, or pandering for clicks. 

oh you said "clicks".  I misread that the first time...

2 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

Yes Buck is a "rookie" OC, but he's been coaching for how many years now??  Come on man!  Vanstone is full of crap.

Played for years as a qb in the league, coached rbs, coached qbs... guy has the exact resume of someone who takes the next step to offensive coordinator.

Fact that he worked as qb coach with lapo as OC for years is even better from a continuity standpoint. 

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Fact that he worked as qb coach with lapo as OC for years is even better from a continuity standpoint. 

Passive continuity? 

39 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Passive continuity? 

Take the good and drop the bad and it's fool proof!

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

which one of the voices in MBTs head is going to start for the Argos this week? That guy is like a younger Gary Busey....

 

23 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Nichols again limited in practice by his shoulder. Rbs are screwed.  

I think we may have seen the last of Nichols...  every off season he "bulks up" and then gets hurt as soon as he gets hit.....   the Rbs screwed themselves by putting their chips on a completely shot QB without a solid back up on the roster....

On 2021-08-04 at 2:16 PM, Bubba Zanetti said:

I see Nye is back with his weekly predictor on CFL.CA . I know youre all going to be shocked, but he's picked the Riders with 100% certainty on his confidence meter lol. And ofcourse picked Hamilton to win too. I think there was one year a while back where IIRC he picked against the Bombers every week for the entire season.

If it was 2013 that would be a good reason. 

Nye is off to a 1-3 start on his picks.

3 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Nye is off to a 1-3 start on his picks.

You're missing the point. It's not about the picks being right or wrong, its about satisfying an audience.

wow...week 2 power rankings actually make sense..who'da thunk

16 minutes ago, Booch said:

wow...week 2 power rankings actually make sense..who'da thunk

You gotta actually post the link, man..... ha ha ha. 

 

 

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3)

Winnipeg rockets to the No. 1 spot after dominating the Tiger-Cats along the line of scrimmage just like they did in the 2019 Grey Cup. The defence held Hamilton to just six points, while Brady Oliveira rushed for 126 yards in his first career start in place of an injured Andrew Harris.

2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1)

Hamilton started strong in Winnipeg with Jeremiah Masoli leading a game-opening 89-yard touchdown drive. The offence fizzled out after that as the unit failed to establish the run and turned the ball over twice with interceptions to Willie Jefferson and Jontrell Rocquemore.

3. Toronto Argonauts (8)

The Argos leap up five spots after outperforming Calgary at McMahon Stadium in Week 1, which isn’t easy to do. They face another tough test this week when they travel to Winnipeg for a date with the Blue Bombers, but make no mistake — this team looked a lot better than most people predicted heading into the season

4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5)

The Green and White got out to a remarkable 31-0 lead in the second quarter against B.C. but failed to put the game away until A.C. Leonard picked off Nathan Rourke with less than a minute to play. Who are the real Riders: the dominant team that owned the first half or the passive bunch that slept through the second half?

5. Calgary Stampeders (2)

That strange sound you’re hearing is the Stamps plummeting into the middle spot of our power rankings after coughing up a 20-12 fourth quarter lead to the new-look Argos. Bo Levi Mitchell tossed an uncharacteristic interception in the final minute of the game, while the defence allowed McLeod Bethel-Thompson to throw for 354 yards and two scores.

6. Montreal Alouettes (6)

Vernon Adams Jr. and the Montreal Alouettes had a bye in Week 1, which means we’ve yet to see what exactly they’re going to bring to the table. It’s only fitting that they didn’t move up or down in our rankings as we wait for their 2021 season debut in Edmonton.

7. Edmonton Elks (4)

The Elks held Ottawa to a measly 127 yards of total offence on Saturday and still found a way to lose at home. Trevor Harris threw three interceptions and failed to get the Elks into the end zone, which is wild considering Edmonton had 35:56 in time of possession.

8. B.C. Lions (7)

It’s clear that Michael Reilly’s shoulder is worse than expected, which has spooked our contributors. He may have thrown for 203 yards and a touchdown against the Riders, but his passes lacked the zip and accuracy we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. Can the Lions still compete in the tough West Division with Canadian rookie Nathan Rourke at the helm?

9. Ottawa Redblacks (9)

Is it fair for a 1-0 team to be ranked this low in the power rankings? Evidently our contributors think it is. The Redblacks upset Edmonton but managed just nine offensive points, 71 passing yards, and six first downs. Until this team can prove they can move the ball at least a little better, it appears they’ll stay in the cellar.

22 minutes ago, Booch said:

wow...week 2 power rankings actually make sense..who'da thunk

I wouldn't of mind had they dropped Hamilton below Toronto but I am shocked that the Riders were not placed in the #2 slot.   

What will they do if Ottawa wins again?