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 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Supposedly 100% according to MOS in late August.

There was a story in the Freep after the first bye week (Sept 27) that 98% of the team had at least one dose and 88% were double.

So we are probably at least at 98% or will be within the next week. Hopefully the remaining 2% have gotten it because you are not getting paid in the playoffs, travelling or not, if you aren't vaccinated.

Edited October 20, 20214 yr by Geebrr

21 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Supposedly 100% according to MOS in late August.

FIFO

5 minutes ago, Geebrr said:

There was a story in the Freep after the first bye week (Sept 27) that 98% of the team had at least one dose and 88% were double.

So we are probably at least at 98% or will be within the next week. Hopefully the remaining 3% have gotten it because you are not getting paid in the playoffs, travelling or not, if you aren't vaccinated.

That 2-3 percent would only be 2 or 3 people as well.  If you're basically the only guy on the team not Vaxxed, that's not a good look.

17 minutes ago, Geebrr said:

There was a story in the Freep after the first bye week (Sept 27) that 98% of the team had at least one dose and 88% were double.

So we are probably at least at 98% or will be within the next week. Hopefully the remaining 3% have gotten it because you are not getting paid in the playoffs, travelling or not, if you aren't vaccinated.

Thanks. Hopefully the remaining ones would now get it (should be just enough time now before the west final and cup), or at least is nobody too important.

20 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

FIFO

What does FIFO means? 🤔

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

What does FIFO means? 🤔

Fit in or F*** off. According to the picture of the GC ring, it's etched in there

Wilder is an idiot based on his comments about key players having to hide their beliefs or conform. Bet he is out of the CFL next year.

2 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

That’s what was said about Willie Jefferson at one time. 

 

2 hours ago, bearpants said:

Doesn't matter how talented he is... a guy like that would never, ever fit in with this Bombers team...

Agreed, I think the Bomber Locker room could actually make JWJ a better team mate. 

6 hours ago, WinnipegGordo said:

 

His tweet about how much he has sacrificed as a family man and how much he has sacrificed to the people of Edmonton to win a GC and how many people have supported him with his beliefs, gag. It all makes much more sense now with his ridiculous flex's. Look how much I sacrificed to get this three yard gain. Flex. 

Edited October 20, 20214 yr by HardCoreBlue

JWJ is a half step from being Duron Carter..... I'm not sure there's any redeeming that. 

Just now, Noeller said:

JWJ is a half step from being Duron Carter..... I'm not sure there's any redeeming that. 

He has flexed way past DC imo.

9 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

He has flexed way past DC imo.

He’s more than welcome to flex his way right out of the CFL

JWJ to the xfl 3.0 in the off season. 

23 minutes ago, BigBlueFanatic said:

He’s more than welcome to flex his way right out of the CFL

Agreed. Get the **** out if you want to be a covidiot.

I feel like this speaks to a larger issue within the Elks organization. Rotten from the top down.

Someone pointed out, that when it came to BLM etc he didnt have any issues with politics being in sports....can also add the Truth and reconciliation events (warm up jerseys), the Diversity matters campaign and land acknowledgements before games. Funny how politics are a problem NOW.

For the record I'm all for the kneeling etc.

40 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

Funny how politics are a problem NOW.

Vaccine status isn't politics it is a public health issue. 

9 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Vaccine status isn't politics it is a public health issue. 

I agree...though it being a mandate from the government blurs that line a bit. Wilder said something like "...because we brought politics into our sport..." like it was something new. I was just pointing out all the other times politics has been a part of it and he never had any issues then.

10 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

I agree...though it being a mandate from the government blurs that line a bit. Wilder said something like "...because we brought politics into our sport..." like it was something new. I was just pointing out all the other times politics has been a part of it and he never had any issues then.

And I am just clarifying that despite what these morons think it's not politics, it's public health and safety measures. Seat belts aren't political but they are also a mandate from governments. 

Edited October 20, 20214 yr by 17to85

4 hours ago, Geebrr said:

There was a story in the Freep after the first bye week (Sept 27) that 98% of the team had at least one dose and 88% were double.

So we are probably at least at 98% or will be within the next week. Hopefully the remaining 2% have gotten it because you are not getting paid in the playoffs, travelling or not, if you aren't vaccinated.

Yup free to choose anything but not free of it's consequences good, bad or indifferent.

this is always fun: 
https://3downnation.com/2021/10/20/insider-talk-montreals-trade-capital-torontos-rising-receiver-lawlers-breakout-season/

 

I’m not surprised that Kenny Lawler has played so well this season. He didn’t see the ball a lot in 2019 because of scheme but he really looked great on film. He was bound to produce at a higher level.

 

Winnipeg is still head and shoulders above everyone else. Nobody will beat them straight-up. If they lose again it’ll be because they beat themselves. Zach Collaros is playing great and they’ve got the best offensive and defensive lines in the league by a large margin — a really large margin.

 

When (Mike) O’Shea says (Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ kicker Ali) Mourtada hits the same ball every time he’s not wrong: it’s always outside the posts.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Noeller said:

this is always fun: 
https://3downnation.com/2021/10/20/insider-talk-montreals-trade-capital-torontos-rising-receiver-lawlers-breakout-season/

 

I’m not surprised that Kenny Lawler has played so well this season. He didn’t see the ball a lot in 2019 because of scheme but he really looked great on film. He was bound to produce at a higher level.

 

Winnipeg is still head and shoulders above everyone else. Nobody will beat them straight-up. If they lose again it’ll be because they beat themselves. Zach Collaros is playing great and they’ve got the best offensive and defensive lines in the league by a large margin — a really large margin.

 

When (Mike) O’Shea says (Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ kicker Ali) Mourtada hits the same ball every time he’s not wrong: it’s always outside the posts.

 

 

Yeah, I can eat these up like salted peanuts. 

9 minutes ago, Noeller said:

this is always fun: 
https://3downnation.com/2021/10/20/insider-talk-montreals-trade-capital-torontos-rising-receiver-lawlers-breakout-season/

 

I’m not surprised that Kenny Lawler has played so well this season. He didn’t see the ball a lot in 2019 because of scheme but he really looked great on film. He was bound to produce at a higher level.

 

Winnipeg is still head and shoulders above everyone else. Nobody will beat them straight-up. If they lose again it’ll be because they beat themselves. Zach Collaros is playing great and they’ve got the best offensive and defensive lines in the league by a large margin — a really large margin.

 

When (Mike) O’Shea says (Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ kicker Ali) Mourtada hits the same ball every time he’s not wrong: it’s always outside the posts.

 

 

Why do I always get the feeling reading these comments that the “insiders” are just random fans on various team sites or beat writers whose wisecracks or observations were deemed the best fodder for posting on 3down?

Insider Talk is a weekly feature on 3DownNation that features anonymous quotes from people around the CFL — players, coaches, personnel people, executives, and agents — regarding the latest news around the league.

That quote about the Bombers being so much better than anyone that they'll only lose to themselves from here on out....coming from someone on another team.......I wanna make that my profile picture for eternity. 

2 minutes ago, JCon said:

Insider Talk is a weekly feature on 3DownNation that features anonymous quotes from people around the CFL — players, coaches, personnel people, executives, and agents — regarding the latest news around the league.

I know that’s what they say, but if it is true then their hot takes and insights are nothing special. Montreal has a QB who they could trade for good value, Winnipeg is the best team right now, Mourtada can’t make field goals, If Ottawa traded Ward they should seek a high price? Nothing but opinion that I would see on this site (and presumably others) on any given day.