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, M.O.A.B. said:

I'm actually interested in Tucker. He will come in cheaper than Posey and I think he is better than Nelson as a backup KR/PR just in case of another injury to Grant (**knock on wood**)

Posey has returned a bit too and is far more athletic. Id take him over tucker easily. 

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https://3downnation.com/2021/10/01/duke-williams-tweets-about-cfl-welcome-home-party-coming-soon/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

 

 

 

 

Just now, JCon said:

👀

 

https://3downnation.com/2021/10/01/duke-williams-tweets-about-cfl-welcome-home-party-coming-soon/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

 

 

 

 

Maybe hammy given theyve dropped a couple guys recently? tor always looking to spend money. Could be the riders, hate that idea. 

Dukes a game changer, if hes healthy every team should be after him. 

Maybe Ottawa, they need a receiver and they don't have a lot of guy getting big $$$. Although if I'm Duke I'll go with a contender. 

I'll hate it if he goes to SSK or BC. 

For the Bombers he will definitely fit on the slotback position where Bailey is now. He would be an instant upgrade on that position. No offense on Bailey.   Dare to dream though. 

Edited October 1, 20214 yr by M.O.A.B.

Hopefully Duke is not headed to BC or Saskatchewan.

Doubt BC but maybe Sask. 

Impact player for sure.

BC doesn't really need another game changing receiver. They need an upgrade at RB and OL.

Toronto's already blown the budget this year.

Hamilton might have the money and they're contenders.

I'm gonna guess he's coming home to the Elks.

I think the Elks are possible

I hate to say it but I doubt the Bombers are even sniffing around any of those three.  With their record being what it is and having Roosevelt on the roster not being able to get into a game, just don’t see it unfortunately.  It would be nice to have a game changer like Williams or Posey, but I think this team prefers to win by committee and not just one or two big guns.

Just now, Dirty30 said:

I hate to say it but I doubt the Bombers are even sniffing around any of those three.  With their record being what it is and having Roosevelt on the roster not being able to get into a game, just don’t see it unfortunately.  It would be nice to have a game changer like Williams or Posey, but I think this team prefers to win by committee and not just one or two big guns.

I would agree but they've continually and unsuccessfully tried to recruit top-tier receivers.  

Posey isn't a game changer.

So much clout from a handful of games. Cut repeatedly 

1 minute ago, JCon said:

I would agree but they've continually and unsuccessfully tried to recruit top-tier receivers.  

They would releaae Namaan. 

1 minute ago, Geebrr said:

Posey isn't a game changer.

So much clout from a handful of games. Cut repeatedly 

They would releaae Namaan. 

In a heartbeat. 

Just now, Geebrr said:

Posey isn't a game changer.

So much clout from a handful of games. Cut repeatedly 

They would releaae Namaan. 

Hes certainly a guy who has treaded on a bunch of flashes. That said if he got hot down the stretch he could take over games. Ultimate low risk hi reward guy if he's reasonably priced.

Right now I would suspect that any changes at WR would be internal barring a trade. Im sure we'd give a call to duke and Id love to see him here but he's just not the type of guy we bring in especially mid season. I think the biggest splash could be if Cam Meredith gets healthy and comes back. That could be pretty big too. 

 If there is a decent bit of movement at the deadline other than kicker, which I dont think would come by trade, I think we'd be in the market for a depth canadian / STs stud. Or maybe bring back winston rose. I think if we get a kicker its gonna be from down south via FA. 

I suspect part of the reason they've been unsuccessful recently has been due to the style of offense that we've had. 

Well, that shouldn't be a barrier any longer. So, can Walters recruit an elite receiver? Do we have the $$$. 

Looking at the RedBlacks active receiving corps, only Stafford stands above 6 feet (at 6'3"). Behar & Harris are both 6', Petey is 5'11", Dedmon/Ryan at 5'10" and Coombs at 5'9"
I know that height isn't everything but...  

29 minutes ago, M.O.A.B. said:

Looking at the RedBlacks active receiving corps, only Stafford stands above 6 feet (at 6'3"). Behar & Harris are both 6', Petey is 5'11", Dedmon/Ryan at 5'10" and Coombs at 5'9"
I know that height isn't everything but...  

Lapo keeps looking for another weston dressler

I would think both Posey and Williams would be looking to just sign for the rest of the season and hope for another possibility at catching on with an NFL team next season. It would not make much sense then for a non-playoff bound team in signing either of them. I’m sure both players would also be looking at signing with potential playoff teams for the opportunity for more cash. I can see Posey going to BC or Calgary and Williams to the Riders or Argos. 

Seems to be only a matter of time and with whom he signs.

Calgary would be a good fit for Williams

Ive got a gut feeling he goes to Sask. That would not make me happy. Ottawa makes too much sense but would he want to sign with a bottom team? Doubt it.

Edited October 1, 20214 yr by Bubba Zanetti

Well, if he's open to offers, I'm hoping we're at least making a push. I mean, why not come to an almost guaranteed GC winner? 

Hope we're in on Duke.

5 minutes ago, Bubba Zanetti said:

Ive got a gut feeling he goes to Sask. That would not make me happy. Ottawa makes too much sense but would he want to sign with a bottom team? Doubt it.

Shaq Evans, though. If they had him against the Bombers, surely Cody F-word would have dismantled us. Or, so I hear.  

Just now, JCon said:

Shaq Evans, though. If they had him against the Bombers, surely Cody F-word would have dismantled us. Or, so I hear.  

maybe of Faj could throw a semi-accurate ball with any velocity past 10 yards...........

3 minutes ago, Noeller said:

maybe of Faj could throw a semi-accurate ball with any velocity past 10 yards...........

You're banned from traveling through Saskatchewan now.