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.

2 minutes ago, Booch said:

yup...would blend right into that pathetic organization

 

Which is the more pathetic team right now? The Riders or Elks? 

Elks' coach calls out the character of released players, player lying that he got vaxxed, team not disclosing Harris' injury yesterday.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Nothing for Micah Johnson eh... that's the real miss by the cfl.

 Punches a defenseless and gets nothing

31 minutes ago, Geebrr said:

 Punches a defenseless and gets nothing

F'ing joke. The clip of that sack of green **** sucker punching the defenseless Bombers needs to get tweeted out all over the place for those clowns at the CFL to see.

Bombers have 14 STT and great rotational DL/LB play from the two internationals.  Other than the Aussie punter in Cowtown and a bunch of missed FG's in BC who else is getting any production from these slots?

 

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

and he still need to pee for them.

I have been looking for any updated drug policy protocol, but the most current I can find is before 2019. It says any failed test (and refusal counts as that) puts you on the mandatory testing regime, and not just random. Anyone know the difference in frequency of testing? And if he has to be tested before he comes back, if he tests positive would it be treated as a different result worthy of another suspension, or could it be argued that the substance that was in his system before is still there so it is still the same positive as opposed to a new second offence (and how would that change if the first test was refused)? Is it possible to be punished twice for the same infraction?

Edited September 17, 20214 yr by TrueBlue4ever

29 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

I have been looking for any updated drug policy protocol, but the most current I can find is before 2019. It says any failed test (and refusal counts as that) puts you on the mandatory testing regime, and not just random. Anyone know the difference in frequency of testing? And if he has to be tested before he comes back, if he tests positive would it be treated as a different result worthy of another suspension, or could it be argued that the substance that was in his system before is still there so it is still the same positive as opposed to a new second offence (and how would that change if the first test was refused)? Is it possible to be punished twice for the same infraction?

 

10 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

I have been looking for any updated drug policy protocol, but the most current I can find is before 2019. It says any failed test (and refusal counts as that) puts you on the mandatory testing regime, and not just random. Anyone know the difference in frequency of testing? And if he has to be tested before he comes back, if he tests positive would it be treated as a different result worthy of another suspension, or could it be argued that the substance that was in his system before is still there so it is still the same positive as opposed to a new second offence (and how would that change if the first test was refused)? Is it possible to be punished twice for the same infraction?

if he comes back, he will have to still provide a test, and if he flunks will get a suspension based on the failed test. He is suspended right now for failing to submit.

Mandatory I have seen done monthly, as well as after every game, and also involves randoms too

8 minutes ago, Booch said:

if he comes back, he will have to still provide a test, and if he flunks will get a suspension based on the failed test. He is suspended right now for failing to submit.

Mandatory I have seen done monthly, as well as after every game, and also involves randoms too

Did Harris have to provide another test before coming back last year, or is it only if you refuse in the first place?  And if the former, would another fail be a different result leading to a second suspension?

3 minutes ago, Booch said:

if he comes back, he will have to still provide a test, and if he flunks will get a suspension based on the failed test. He is suspended right now for failing to submit.

Mandatory I have seen done monthly, as well as after every game, and also involves randoms too

Yes, but youll only get a positive test for about 14 days after taking steroids. So unless he does them while he's suspended he almost certainly isnt going to pop again.

That said, who knows maybe its some thing else he's on. Maybe its the player wellness and not PEDs that wouldve had him suspended if he peed. 

19 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Did Harris have to provide another test before coming back last year, or is it only if you refuse in the first place?  And if the former, would another fail be a different result leading to a second suspension?

he was under the mandantory after back...not sure the schedule he was on, but provided several

16 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Yes, but youll only get a positive test for about 14 days after taking steroids. So unless he does them while he's suspended he almost certainly isnt going to pop again.

That said, who knows maybe its some thing else he's on. Maybe its the player wellness and not PEDs that wouldve had him suspended if he peed. 

depends on the half life and also what type...some are much longer than 14 days, orals are gone faster, but an oral in-season isn't usually one you would use....though thats not set in stone, and everyone is different in their dosing and preference

12 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Yes, but youll only get a positive test for about 14 days after taking steroids. So unless he does them while he's suspended he almost certainly isnt going to pop again.

That said, who knows maybe its some thing else he's on. Maybe its the player wellness and not PEDs that wouldve had him suspended if he peed. 

As for street drugs, if his objective was to cover up the use of a major stimulant like cocaine or meth, his ploy to avoid the pissmaster would sort have worked. Those metabolites (as well as opiates) leave the system more quickly. 

5 minutes ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

As for street drugs, if his objective was to cover up the use of a major stimulant like cocaine or meth, his ploy to avoid the pissmaster would sort have worked. Those metabolites (as well as opiates) leave the system more quickly. 

correct....the street/recreational drug will be gone a lot quicker, hence why you would/could have to offer up hair samples, then again I have seen guys totally shave and remove all body hair to circumvent that as well...

The PED will still be partly traceable though as it binds different, and as mentioned has a longer half life, and even if the drug is gone, it would red flag elevated levels of natural occurring things in the body, which is an indicator of use

8 minutes ago, Booch said:

he was under the mandantory after back...not sure the schedule he was on, but provided several

depends on the half life and also what type...some are much longer than 14 days, orals are gone faster, but an oral in-season isn't usually one you would use....though thats not set in stone, and everyone is different in their dosing and preference

It would truly be baffling to me if a guy who has earned what he has between the NFL and the CFL isnt on a modern ped, but then I probably shouldnt be surprised. I mean if he was smart he'd be off it during the season, and if he really needed it to recover mid season he'd take oral then micro dose to avoid crashing off it. The fact he isnt off it, or on some thing that cant be tracked should say it all. But I always expect cheaters to be smarter than they are. 

 

10 minutes ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

As for street drugs, if his objective was to cover up the use of a major stimulant like cocaine or meth, his ploy to avoid the pissmaster would sort have worked. Those metabolites (as well as opiates) leave the system more quickly. 

Yeah, unless its some thing he cant stay off. You never know what happens after a year off. More players than most would expect fall into heavy cycles of substance abuse in the offseason, then try to clean up for the season. Im a bit surprised we havent seen more issues with this. From recreational stuff, to pills, to hard drugs. 

4 hours ago, wbbfan said:

Yes, but youll only get a positive test for about 14 days after taking steroids. So unless he does them while he's suspended he almost certainly isnt going to pop again.

That said, who knows maybe its some thing else he's on. Maybe its the player wellness and not PEDs that wouldve had him suspended if he peed. 

 

Edited September 17, 20214 yr by Rod Black
Because my comment is in bad taste. My apologies.

8 minutes ago, Rod Black said:

Leonard sez “dey axed, I dent take no stereo”. 

Not to make a national case, but Ebonics jokes are kind of poor form man. 

really really bad look..... let's go easy on the casual racism, fellas.....

I’m sorry. 

Edited September 17, 20214 yr by Rod Black

21 minutes ago, Rod Black said:

I’m sorry. 

Forgiven 👊

On 2021-09-16 at 6:43 PM, JuranBoldenRules said:

Bombers have 14 STT and great rotational DL/LB play from the two internationals.  Other than the Aussie punter in Cowtown and a bunch of missed FG's in BC who else is getting any production from these slots?

None. We have 5 of the top 9 tacklers on Specials. 

I see Leonard got an extra game suspension for verbal abuse of the CFL drug testing personnel.  More undisciplined **** from Saskatchewan.

According to an Edmonton media guy on the pre-game show Trevor Harris has a concussion. They are calling it a "neck injury".

The IR reporting seems useless. Especially with how some teams have abused it. 

Edited September 19, 20214 yr by Geebrr

https://3downnation.com/2021/09/20/dickenson-a-c-leonard-tried-to-provide-urine-sample-for-four-hours-riders-forgive-him-for-suspension/

 

So the riders are back to the he just couldnt pee story. What a joke. 

10 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

https://3downnation.com/2021/09/20/dickenson-a-c-leonard-tried-to-provide-urine-sample-for-four-hours-riders-forgive-him-for-suspension/

 

So the riders are back to the he just couldnt pee story. What a joke. 

friggin joke....

I too have been known to fly into fits of rage and verbally abuse officials when I can not pee.