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.

I missed the background on this but Arash is not pulling any punches. I guess Steele didn't either? 

 

9 minutes ago, JCon said:

I missed the background on this but Arash is not pulling any punches. I guess Steele didn't either? 

 

Steele said the issues with the Elks starts at the top. And I think anyone who has been paying attention knows that to be true. 

Not surprising he was canned, but I think it speaks to what he was saying as well.

11 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

Do you consider Darvin slow?  Even on his long TD's, it seems he always has to slow down to catch the ball.

He's a high 4.5 guy. It's pretty fringe speed. His field speed is a bit better than that number, similar to demski, but he'd be on the mid to slower end of imps on most any cfl wr core. He has a really well tuned stride.  He's clearly put a ton of work into it. He changes gears better than most any one. He uses the speed cut, and pressure step expertly. Like milt, he's maximized his physical tool set to an exceptional degree.  He doesnt have the quickness to make guys miss from a stand still (like blink), or the acceleration to gash through cut back lanes (like stokes), but his top gear is pretty good. With his ability to create cushion and his top gear, past the 40 yard mark, he can escape guys who are faster than him. 

He isnt a speed tool guy. He isnt a guy you could toss a screen to and watch him run away from the entire defense and score, or out run an angle with just speed. He isnt explosive and able to jump cut to make defenders look stupid. He's a smooth, crafty, professional wr.

If lucky had his polish and craftiness, (or if darvin had luckys speed tool) he'd be a pro bowl wr. 

Its kind of funny, we have such freak athletes at DB and on D, but at wr we look for a totally different package. the 5 fastest players on our team are all on defense. Kyrie probably out run all of our wrs in the 40. 

Grant is explosive with great acceleration and top end speed. But nick taylor is easily our fastest guy. He'd roast any of our wrs in a foot race. even grant. 

Just now, Bigblue204 said:

Steele said the issues with the Elks starts at the top. And I think anyone who has been paying attention knows that to be true. 

Not surprising he was canned, but I think it speaks to what he was saying as well.

Idk. On one hand I can kind of get why he was fired. But on the other, he doesnt work for the elk. In this situation steele comes off sympathetic for being honest and reporting the truth. The elk come off poorly but the radio station comes off smelling like a turd imo. 

Why are people assuming that Duke will only be catching balls 20+ yards down field.   The guy will be a great target for Fajardo in the 10 - 20 yard range. 

He is a Rider so **** 'em

 

56 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Why are people assuming that Duke will only be catching balls 20+ yards down field.   The guy will be a great target for Fajardo in the 10 - 20 yard range. 

the 10 yard range...20 be stretching it hahaha...

CHED was 100% right to dump Steele. It's incredibly stupid say that kind of stuff on the team's regional broadcast. CHED can't afford to lose the broadcast rights and associated advertising dollars, with TSN 1260 right there. Nobody says you have to constantly be blowing smoke up the team's ass no matter what, but it's called being a professional...just keep the edgy stuff to yourself. 

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

Why are people assuming that Duke will only be catching balls 20+ yards down field.   The guy will be a great target for Fajardo in the 10 - 20 yard range. 

Because according to Cody its only his other receivers and the playcalling that have been keeping him from slinging it nasty.

5 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Because according to Cody its only his other receivers and the playcalling that have been keeping him from slinging it nasty.

He apologized for his outburst. Emotions, you know. 

8 minutes ago, JCon said:

He apologized for his outburst. Emotions, you know. 

Was this after he had his lawn covered in manure?

1 minute ago, rebusrankin said:

Was this after he had his lawn covered in manure?

They apologized for dumping manure on his lawn. Emotions, you know. 

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

CHED was 100% right to dump Steele. It's incredibly stupid say that kind of stuff on the team's regional broadcast. CHED can't afford to lose the broadcast rights and associated advertising dollars, with TSN 1260 right there. Nobody says you have to constantly be blowing smoke up the team's ass no matter what, but it's called being a professional...just keep the edgy stuff to yourself. 

I understand where you are coming from. But the edgy stuff is exactly what the CFL needs. The more headlines the better as far as I'm concerned.

3 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

Steele said the issues with the Elks starts at the top. And I think anyone who has been paying attention knows that to be true. 

Not surprising he was canned, but I think it speaks to what he was saying as well.

https://3downnation.com/2021/10/02/the-arrow-point-directly-to-brock-elks-analyst-eddie-steele-believes-gm-sunderland-a-major-factor-in-teams-internal-strife/

Haha and Eddie Steele is the problem 

 

23 minutes ago, Jpan85 said:

Haha and Eddie Steele is the problem 

What an absolute disgrace Sunderland is. Its been made fairly clear that the players hate him, and now its been made fairly clear that he is a all around POS human being. I fully expect him to be canned any day now.

Edited October 6, 20214 yr by Bubba Zanetti

If that Joey story is true. Fans should boycott the team until Brock is fired. That is absolutely a disgusting thing to do.

1 hour ago, kelownabomberfan said:

https://3downnation.com/2021/10/02/the-arrow-point-directly-to-brock-elks-analyst-eddie-steele-believes-gm-sunderland-a-major-factor-in-teams-internal-strife/

The most confusing part of this article might be the first statement...

"Entering the season as many people’s Grey Cup favourites, the star-studded Edmonton Elks..."

Just now, bearpants said:

The most confusing part of this article might be the first statement...

"Entering the season as many people’s Grey Cup favourites, the star-studded Edmonton Elks..."

These experts are still out there trying to sell this as though it was plausible. 

4 minutes ago, bearpants said:

The most confusing part of this article might be the first statement...

"Entering the season as many people’s Grey Cup favourites, the star-studded Edmonton Elks..."

yeah that one had me scratching my head as well.  What's next - "thought to be front-runners and shoo-ins to be the East's representative in the Grey Cup this year, the talent-rich RedBlacks have stumbled, for some reason.  It's really confusing".

Edited October 6, 20214 yr by kelownabomberfan

1 hour ago, Jpan85 said:

Haha and Eddie Steele is the problem 

Oh

My 

God

What  a POS

5 hours ago, Noeller said:

CHED was 100% right to dump Steele. It's incredibly stupid say that kind of stuff on the team's regional broadcast. CHED can't afford to lose the broadcast rights and associated advertising dollars, with TSN 1260 right there. Nobody says you have to constantly be blowing smoke up the team's ass no matter what, but it's called being a professional...just keep the edgy stuff to yourself. 

Completely disagree. They hired a former player for this analysis because he has ties to the team and give them the inside scoop because that's what people want to hear.

This is straight up censorship. Leveraging power to silence things you don't want to hear.

It's gross and I think less of the entire franchise. 

 

1 hour ago, Geebrr said:

Oh

My 

God

What  a POS

That ass hole has got to go. holy crap how was this not bigger news. 

3 hours ago, Jpan85 said:

 

QFT. the job of the media is not to pander to the team or step softly. its been rare, but a couple of times we've seen bob question the leadership of the organization in dark days. 

5 hours ago, Noeller said:

CHED was 100% right to dump Steele. It's incredibly stupid say that kind of stuff on the team's regional broadcast. CHED can't afford to lose the broadcast rights and associated advertising dollars, with TSN 1260 right there. Nobody says you have to constantly be blowing smoke up the team's ass no matter what, but it's called being a professional...just keep the edgy stuff to yourself. 

no media should ever sell out their integrity. have you seen some of the roasting local NFL affiliates dump on their teams and players? What he said isnt edgy at all. 

more on the Elks/Moss thing via 3DN: 

 

The Elks issued the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:

The Elks categorically deny that any member of the club’s management requested that Joey no longer be part of the organization.

The Green and Gold cherished Joey’s presence around the team, and respect the important role he played with the organization for decades.

 

Joey Moss’ nephew Adam Walker also released the following statement through the team:

The Edmonton Elks always included Joey within the organization until the day he was no longer able to work. The Elks continue to support Joey and his legacy. The 50/50 in 2020 raised nearly half a million dollars for the Joey Moss Memorial Fund. This will be an annual event. The Elks have also hired two individuals from the Winnifred Steward Employment Program. They have been an outstanding organization and have always treated Joey with the highest respect.