Blue Bombers - 2025 Regular Season - Discussion Thread

[Booch]

6 minutes ago, Deiter Fan said:

I tried to corner him on his hypocrisy regarding the benefits of criticizing the league but the cruelty of criticizing TSN. I didn't get a response.

The truth is that TSN really is awful. From their graphics and promotion to their pre/post-game/half-time packages/crew. Absolute bush league.

At a point in time when kids can construct wild visuals using AI on their PCs the level of effort TSN puts into the CFL is actually embarrassing.

Snappy visuals and well constructed promotions only take you so far. You still need a quality product...but I think we have that (the steak). We really need some sizzle.

Thats another thing...If the league wanted to be more visible...open up to more eyes and viewers...time to start breaking up their broadcast rights into multiple packages and market them to new stations...TSN is embarrasingly bad....and more times than not...especially with the Kate led panel cringe worthy to watch...and thats being polite...if someone was happening to be just channel surfing and stopped on some of their sctick for a moment....it ain't drawing them in...Up the production

Bring in a NFL ran broadcast entourage....graphics...camera views....pbp and panel people... how they go about producing the game....It would be likely unrecognizable to the CFL fan....and in a good way

[WinnipegGordo]

The more I think about it, Luke Willson is prolly good friends with Johnston and was used by the commish to call out the so called blemishes with the league.

Willson has been saying the CFL needs to get ride of the rouge, change the last 3 minutes etc. And anyone that doesnt agree with him is stuck in the past and is afraid of change.

[rebusrankin]

6 minutes ago, WinnipegGordo said:

The more I think about it, Luke Willson is prolly good friends with Johnston and was used by the commish to call out the so called blemishes with the league.

Willson has been saying the CFL needs to get ride of the rouge, change the last 3 minutes etc. And anyone that doesnt agree with him is stuck in the past and is afraid of change.

As if Luke Wilson has any friends.

[Deiter Fan]

22 minutes ago, Booch said:

Thats another thing...If the league wanted to be more visible...open up to more eyes and viewers...time to start breaking up their broadcast rights into multiple packages and market them to new stations...TSN is embarrasingly bad....and more times than not...especially with the Kate led panel cringe worthy to watch...and thats being polite...if someone was happening to be just channel surfing and stopped on some of their sctick for a moment....it ain't drawing them in...Up the production

Bring in a NFL ran broadcast entourage....graphics...camera views....pbp and panel people... how they go about producing the game....It would be likely unrecognizable to the CFL fan....and in a good way

^^^^^^^^^

This guy gets it.

Obviously the on-field product needs to be worth paying for along with the entire game day experience. The former is obviously trickier. The latter can be taught by those that seem to have mastered it *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*....but the majority of fans view most of their games on a screen.

As someone that has extensive experience with broadcasting and promotions don't ever discount the power of a good promotion. In radio we didn't have the benefit of visuals...or the ability to advertise on competing stations like TV can do with other channels. When's the last time, if ever, have you seen an add for the CFL on a channel other than TSN? How many channels does Bell control?

Frankly it comes off like TSN/Bell doesn't really give a dump about the league.

[Rich]

40 minutes ago, Booch said:

This has nothing to do with the NFL....or any possible fluid relationship....NFL doesnt need it...never will.

I think this fear of only the beginning is also just fer mongering...League will never go to 4 downs...what point would that make. I believe every tall forehead knows that one little decision would be the death blow and basically ruin the whole thing

Changes can also be reversed too, if the fall out and the loss of fans which is the key driver...either by viewers or seats in butts affects the bottom line. 

Look how many times they changed the ratio requirement...the league still continued, and really if they truly wanted to create more scoring and exciting play, and maybe attract some pockets of fans they are missing right now, then as much as many if you have bemoaned it before....reduce the ratio...and have better players actually play, or of you have a 3 yr or more vet Canadian to your team you can account for 2 ST demon's as part of your "starting" 7 allowing teams 2 more valuable import spots on offence or defence

And really....do people really come out in droves to watch below average at best Canadian guys running around chasing kicks and punts? If you do...Support your local CIS and Junior/high school football teams

So you are saying that this is a brilliant marketing move akin to new Coke (for those old enough to remember)?

- Put out a new worse product

- Get everyone upset and emotionally involved realize they care. 

- Bring back CFL classic in a few years and watch ratings soar!
 

[Noeller]

17 minutes ago, Rich said:

So you are saying that this is a brilliant marketing move akin to new Coke (for those old enough to remember)?

- Put out a new worse product

- Get everyone upset and emotionally involved realize they care. 

- Bring back CFL classic in a few years and watch ratings soar!
 

Here's hoping.....

35 minutes ago, WinnipegGordo said:

The more I think about it, Luke Willson is prolly good friends with Johnston and was used by the commish to call out the so called blemishes with the league.

Willson has been saying the CFL needs to get ride of the rouge, change the last 3 minutes etc. And anyone that doesnt agree with him is stuck in the past and is afraid of change.

I firmly believe this to be true. This is exactly why they brought him in the broadcasts this year...

[Booch]

56 minutes ago, Rich said:

So you are saying that this is a brilliant marketing move akin to new Coke (for those old enough to remember)?

- Put out a new worse product

- Get everyone upset and emotionally involved realize they care. 

- Bring back CFL classic in a few years and watch ratings soar!
 

No...not what I saying...but also adapt or die

And you can always correct a mistake if its warranted...unless u are Osh

[Slimy Sculpin]

1 hour ago, Booch said:

Thats another thing...If the league wanted to be more visible...open up to more eyes and viewers...time to start breaking up their broadcast rights into multiple packages and market them to new stations...TSN is embarrasingly bad....and more times than not...especially with the Kate led panel cringe worthy to watch...and thats being polite...if someone was happening to be just channel surfing and stopped on some of their sctick for a moment....it ain't drawing them in...Up the production

Bring in a NFL ran broadcast entourage....graphics...camera views....pbp and panel people... how they go about producing the game....It would be likely unrecognizable to the CFL fan....and in a good way

That TSN panel especially when Kate B. Is there is absolutely awful. And, the ex-players including Stegal are embarassing themselves with thise absolutely stupid antics. I turn to another channel at halftime. 

[Mark H.]

3 hours ago, Booch said:

And you can always correct a mistake if its warranted...unless u are Osh

You didn't want to...you had to 

[SpeedFlex27]

9 hours ago, ShyGuy said:

No one has been able to describe even a single reason why the NFL has any interest in any business that is CFL related.

The NFL already has a feeder system, it's called the NCAA. The vast majority of players coming into the NFL are from there, there are maybe a handful of players who fall through the cracks and end up in the CFL and then get another shot that way. Heck, with the advent of NIL there are probably 30+ teams that are paying more to their players than a cap-compliant CFL team would be paying to theirs. 

The only two markets they probably care about is Toronto, which has close ties to the Bills, and Vancouver, who seem to favor the Seahawks. Winnipeg is reasonably close to the Vikings, I'm not sure what East of Ontario favors but i'm guessing whatever team is dominate the time... I can't imagine Quebec catching on with an NFL football team. Alberta and Saskatchewan are both quite far away from any NFL markets, and not desirable media markets. 

Calgary's not that far. An hour direct to Seattle from here by Westjet & Alaska Airlines. I've flown down to Seattle to see family before on a Friday afternoon & flown back Sunday night. If Seattle is having a home game, the plane is full of Calgarians both ways. I'd say a few hundrd people have Seahawks season tickets from here, Including a former player I coached as well as my orthopedic surgeon. 

Edited 2 hours ago by SpeedFlex27