Blue Bombers - 2025 Regular Season - Discussion Thread

[SpeedFlex27]

I don't mourn the loss of the 55 yard line. I mourn the loss of wide FG return like we saw on saturday. Those returnds will never happen once the rules & field changes occur. The ST play we enjoy will be gone.

[BigBlueFanatic]

This is some bullsh!t by the CFL.  They’re swapping out the Hip for Nickelback… easy does it and next thing you know we’re all stuck with an elevator jingle version of Beyonce.

[SpeedFlex27]

10 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

The more I think about this the more I suspect this will actually decrease scoring, and the league knows it. The solution? Add another down and take a player off the field.

I agree but this is a done deal. I have a sinister conspiracy theory as to what is behind all this. I think the CFL feels the UFL will survive. That the league will expand & be part of a new lucrative TV deal as well as streaming services. The new CFL field will fit into US Stadiums. The CFL  wants to be a part of that expansion. Therfore, next to go will be the ratio & 3 downs. I think the field width will eventually shrink even more to 60 yards. I think the CFL has hit a financial wall & the owners want a new business model. They want to make money. 

[SpeedFlex27]

16 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

I was a lot more pragmatic this afternoon but the more I think about it, the more I hate it. No clue what was threatened behind the scenes to get the other owners on board but I suspect it was something like "tow the line or MLSE walks".

 

I think the CFL is a lot closer to folding for good than we know to do this. I think there's a sense of desperation here. Fans in other CFL cities just don't go to games anymore. And I predict more changes are coming. 

[JuranBoldenRules]

9 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I agree but this is a done deal. I have a sinister conspiracy theory as to what is behind all this. I think the CFL feels the UFL will survive. That the league will expand & be part of a new lucrative TV deal as well as streaming services. The new CFL field will fit into US Stadiums. The CFL  wants to be a part of that expansion. Therfore, next to go will be the ratio & 3 downs. I think the field width will eventually shrink even more to 60 yards. I think the CFL has hit a financial wall & the owners want a new business model. They want to make money. 

Lots of money to be made on American minor league football.

[SpeedFlex27]

1 minute ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Lots of money to be made on American minor league football.

Well, we're not considered major league anymore so it is what it is. The league will follow the money. 

[17to85]

26 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

I was a lot more pragmatic this afternoon but the more I think about it, the more I hate it. No clue what was threatened behind the scenes to get the other owners on board but I suspect it was something like "tow the line or MLSE walks".

 

That's gotta be it,  but man at this point let's just fold Toronto to save the league.

[Deiter Fan]

2 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Commish is a long time Bell employee

We should consider ourselves lucky...he wanted the ability to raise ticket prices in the middle of games.

[WinnipegGordo]

At the announcement they had the Grey Cup sitting on the fan base.

How many of those that spent 400 bucks to have their names engraved in the base are happy with all the changes?

[Bomberguy]

Just in case anyone hasn’t see this.

Edited 8 hours ago by Bomberguy

[WinnipegGordo]

@bluto are you familiar with the renovations at BMO field for the World Cup?

Was there any chance the new layout was going to accommodate a 110 yard field with 18 or 20 yard enzones?

Maybe thats what spearheaded the new field sizes.

 

[pw13]

10 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I think the CFL is a lot closer to folding for good than we know to do this. I think there's a sense of desperation here. Fans in other CFL cities just don't go to games anymore. And I predict more changes are coming. 

The league has two wildly successful franchises, two or three that are struggling to attract and keep fans (one of those in the biggest market) and the rest somewhere in the middle but likely not turning a profit. The business can't sustain itself with status quo. So yes, I would agree there is desperation here.   

[Bigblue204]

The NFL invests more into minor Football in Canada than the CFL (I'm talking league not individual teams) does. "Why can't we attract new fans? It must be the rules!"

[Bubba Zanetti]

12 hours ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

The more I think about this the more I suspect this will actually decrease scoring, and the league knows it. The solution? Add another down and take a player off the field.

It will 100% lower scoring. Thats what i cant figure out about all this. You cant attract fans so youre going to make the games lower scoring and less exciting?? Shorter endzones = less TD's. Uprights at the back of the endzone =  less field goals/more punts, so longer fields for the offenses to travel/way less if any exciting missed field goal returns. I dont understand. Like WTF is this??

Edited 56 minutes ago by Bubba Zanetti

[JohnnyAbonny]

There’s no quick fix, but every franchise needs to start building new fan bases if they want the league to survive. 

1. Marketing the party atmosphere like Winnipeg and Sask have. This might be tougher for Toronto and Montreal, BC has had varying success. Every team should have their own version of our Rum Hit dynamic. The games need to come across like they’re more fun than watching at home.
Let Montreal have their horns. Market the old Arrrgoooos chant hard. 

More themed games. The Stampede Bowl thing in Calgary did really well.  Have more fixed scheduled games every year. Toronto and Ottawa rivalry needs to be built more, they could have “The Capitol Clash” on thanksgiving or something every year. Aside from Argos/Ticats, there’s no real rivalries out east like we have on the prairies. 

2. Build the fanbase from the ground up.
 

Investing in amateur football at all levels is paramount. 

Get players and mascots to do elementary school appearances, start kids CFL flag leagues. Anything to get younger fans growing up loving the game. Run promotions where kids tickets are free/discounted. Get merch out to schools to run “Win a jersey” contests. 

Work with newcomers associations and community groups to provide merch/promo tickets/whatever. 

Lower the bloody ticket prices in certain sections. How many of us grew up going to games in the Safeway Endzone or whatever it was called before that? There’s nothing like that here anymore, I’m not sure about the rest of the city. 

We probably lost an entire generation or more of fans. The league needs a new younger fanbase, and imo the way to build that is to make the league/players accessible, and going games affordable. It’s the only thing the CFL can offer from a marketing perspective that the NFL can’t. 

[17to85]

Gone is the excitement of a late comeback where a team gets about  midfield and tries the long walk off field goal to win. Now you need to advance to the 35 yard line for that same field goal chance. Assuming the playclock starts ticking from 35 inside 3 minutes anyway odds are you don't have time to come back anyhow. 

At least sheahan will finally be useful to have with all the short punts that will be happening.

2 minutes ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

The league needs a new younger fanbase, and imo the way to build that is to make the league/players accessible, and going games affordable. It’s the only thing the CFL can offer from a marketing perspective that the NFL can’t. 

Louder for those in the back (or league office)

Shouldn't cost what it does to take my family to a game in calgarys shitty stadium. 

[Slimy Sculpin]

Although my initial reaction to these rule and field changes was "Huh?" (and that’s putting it mildly), I'll hold off a bit before passing judgement, give myself some time to read other folks' thoughts and think about it myself.

However, I have read that the CFL grand poohbahs did not consult Football Canada, U Sports and the league’s  players and coaches about these changes. And, of course, they did not consult CFL fans. Did these tall foreheads in the Centre of the Universe not think this thing through or are they playing 3-dimensional chess while the rest of us are playing checkers? I think it may be the former.

[JuranBoldenRules]

1 hour ago, pw13 said:

The league has two wildly successful franchises, two or three that are struggling to attract and keep fans (one of those in the biggest market) and the rest somewhere in the middle but likely not turning a profit. The business can't sustain itself with status quo. So yes, I would agree there is desperation here.   

The thing is the casual fan would be hardly aware of the rules in any depth.  It's such a weird thing to focus on in the context of the business issues surrounding the league and franchises.  Almost like they are in denial of what the problems actually are.

They've totally ****** up the schedule.  They end up competing against the NHL playoffs now to kick off the season.  Everyone has drained their bank accounts in many CFL markets on NHL just as CFL is starting, not to mention the complete lack of media around the CFL. 

[voodoochylde]

25 minutes ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

More themed games. The Stampede Bowl thing in Calgary did really well.  Have more fixed scheduled games every year. Toronto and Ottawa rivalry needs to be built more, they could have “The Capitol Clash” on thanksgiving or something every year. Aside from Argos/Ticats, there’s no real rivalries out east like we have on the prairies. 

 

Ottawa vs Montreal would make much more sense just based on proximity - it's 2 1/2 hours away.

It also doesn't 'dilute' the Argos / TiCats rivalry. 

Regardless, those things have to happen organically and can't be forced but making it a traditional labour day / labour day weekend matchup would be a good start.

[Super Duper Negatron]

Ballentine on 3DN stole my "Madden" take, so now I would like to formally disown it.