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CFL In St. Louis?


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1 hour ago, tacklewasher said:

Do people really think the CFL will succeed against even US College football?

Besdies, do you remember trying to squeeze our field size into the stadiums down there?

This is a bad idea. Tried once and failed miserably for the same reasons it would fail again. Hell, you'd have better luck bringing a team to the Okanagan. At least KBF and I would show up.

And Baxter

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54 minutes ago, mbrg said:

There will be 250 to 300 import players with CFL contracts playing in the league this season who will somehow manage to "ignore the low dollar".

What's the cap this year?  $5.1M, somewhere around there?  Exchange rate is around .73-ish (haven't looked lately)?  So the cap for a US team in 2016 is $3.7M USD.  That's your cap  Mr. US owner.  Work with it.

I don't think it's a particularly good idea, I'm just not going to pretend that the reason it shouldn't be done is because it "can't be done".

You tell me how to tell the US government that 7 football players & backups HAVE TO BE CANADIAN when it's illegal in the US? You tell me how the Canadian teams compete for players against a US team with a 30% advantage when it comes to our dollar? And all our top players sign with them. Please explain. how it can be done.

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54 minutes ago, mbrg said:

Yes, it really missed the mark when it comes to knowing your audience.

I doubt they would ever make a ratio concession in the US, but the only thing that has ever had any traction at all in those discussions is the world of professional sports.  It's not up to us to change their labour laws.  If there are groups of owners down there who want some sweet sweet CFL action, let them fight that battle.  Give us a call when it's taken care of.

They will also be required to spell "labour" with the proper Queen's English spelling when they make that change.

 You seem to think there's even slight motivation for any American to do this??? Sure. LOL!

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6 minutes ago, iso_55 said:

You tell me how to tell the US government that 7 football players & backups HAVE TO BE CANADIAN when it's illegal in the US? You tell me how the Canadian teams compete for players against a US team with a 30% advantage when it comes to our dollar? And all our top players sign with them. Please explain. how it can be done.

you can increase the DI number for visiting teams, and is it illegal for an american team to play a mandatory 7 nationals on foreign soil? if not, then for their 9 away games they play like the rest of us.  that would be my solution for the ratio without getting rid of it, even though it slightly gives the edge to the american team by playing 7 more games then any other team with an all american line up.  as for the dollar, i mentioned earlier,  they just use a converted sms,  instead of 5.1mCAD its 3.7mUSD  so contracts would like instead of paying a player 120kCAD, they sign for 87KUSD

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2 hours ago, tacklewasher said:

Do people really think the CFL will succeed against even US College football?

Besdies, do you remember trying to squeeze our field size into the stadiums down there?

This is a bad idea. Tried once and failed miserably for the same reasons it would fail again. Hell, you'd have better luck bringing a team to the Okanagan. At least KBF and I would show up.

at least for the one game a year when the Bombers were playing anyway. :)

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1 hour ago, Taynted_Fayth said:

you can increase the DI number for visiting teams, and is it illegal for an american team to play a mandatory 7 nationals on foreign soil? if not, then for their 9 away games they play like the rest of us.  that would be my solution for the ratio without getting rid of it, even though it slightly gives the edge to the american team by playing 7 more games then any other team with an all american line up.  as for the dollar, i mentioned earlier,  they just use a converted sms,  instead of 5.1mCAD its 3.7mUSD  so contracts would like instead of paying a player 120kCAD, they sign for 87KUSD

Okay you have none of the answers to all of the questions. Carry on.

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Maybe after all of this president nonsense is over and Trump finally quits (knock on wood) he can buy a CFL franchise.  He used to own a USFL franchise back in the day, the New Jersey Generals I believe.  I can see Trump being interviewed after the games.  "This is just terrible.  We lose to Regina.  We lose to Ottawa.  We lose to Calgary.  It's time we start making this team great again.  Time to start winning".

 

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9 hours ago, mbrg said:

Expansion into the US may not be a good idea, but some people are just listing the obstacles faced last time and saying it can't be done to avoid evaluating the idea.  Obstacles can be overcome.  The rules of the league are the rules of the league.  Take it or leave it.  Currency can be "exchanged" at market rates on an agreed upon date to create a US funds payroll equivalent to the cap.  Find a local senator to advocate for a league specific labour exemption (once the election is over).  It is by far the biggest obstacle, and the only real one, but if someone with pull cares enough to make it happen, it might happen.  It likely wouldn't stand up to a court challenge, but that will only happen if there's someone who thinks they should challenge it.

It still might be a lousy idea, but far more important than obsessing over the challenges is finding a reason why to do it.  Is there a great city with a decent stadium, an owner who gets it and fans who will embrace it?  Fans who will embrace the CFL is entirely different than people who love football.  If we can find a place like that, then their might be a reason to do it.  I have no idea if St. Louis is that kind of place, but it would take more than a cobbled together website to convince me.

The Antitrust law has been tested many times an no one has been able to beat it.  Without the ratio the league is done.

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There's no way the ratio would be put in place for St. Louis. Which means the only things to do to get St. Louis would be to allow them to ignore the ratio or to abolish the ratio altogether. One provides an unfair advantage for St. Louis, and one is unfair towards Canadians. So yeah, I say this idea should be dead in the water. Either which way, expanding to St. Louis would **** up the entire league.

And as for whether I even want a team going to St. Louis anyway, I absolutely do not. As it is, the NHL, MLB, NFL, and NBA are dominated by American markets. I feel like the CFL is one of the only leagues that isn't meddled with by American markets. Let's keep it that way. This is the CANADIAN Football League, not the North American Football League. The CFL USA expansion in 90s was a disaster (Thank God I missed it), and I think we should just learn from the past and not go that route again.

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12 hours ago, kelownabomberfan said:

my property taxes are actually pretty low.  Camping trips...now you're talkin'.

That's what I was thinking. My taxes are not bad at all. And I do have a 34' portable condo (not that I call that camping).

Seriously, Halifax seems like it isn't going to work, and I don't know of a place in Canada that would support a team. Doubt Quebec City wants football that bad. US won't work for field size, ratio, lack of interest, you name it. I think we will stay at 9 teams ad that's it. Talk of expansion is a pipe dream.

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2 minutes ago, iso_55 said:

Saskatoon... What a rivalry that'd be with the Riders.

I've actually always thought Saskatoon would be the perfect market.... problem is all toon-towers are already Rider fans... the conversion would be tough... The Labour Day match up between the Regina Riders and Saskatoon Bushwackers would be great...

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11 minutes ago, bearpants said:

I've actually always thought Saskatoon would be the perfect market.... problem is all toon-towers are already Rider fans... the conversion would be tough... The Labour Day match up between the Regina Riders and Saskatoon Bushwackers would be great...

I actually believe that if Saskatoon had their own CFL team the Rider fans would convert. I've been told that there's only a couple of thousand ticket holders who make the trek to Regina to watch the games. The Riders are more Southern Saskatchewan's team from what I understand. Similar to the Eskimos being Northern Alberta's team & the Stamps Southern Alberta. That would be a rip roaring rivalry though. The only problem is building a stadium.

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24 minutes ago, iso_55 said:

I actually believe that if Saskatoon had their own CFL team the Rider fans would convert. I've been told that there's only a couple of thousand ticket holders who make the trek to Regina to watch the games. The Riders are more Southern Saskatchewan's team from what I understand. Similar to the Eskimos being Northern Alberta's team & the Stamps Southern Alberta. That would be a rip roaring rivalry though. The only problem is building a stadium.

Yeah you could be right... the Huskies/Rams rivalry seems pretty good... I don't think it would take much to get Saskatoon to hate Regina... if they don't already... I'm not sure what the football fanship is in places like Prince Albert, North Battleford and Llyodminster, but those places might draw some in too... 

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1 minute ago, bearpants said:

Yeah you could be right... the Huskies/Rams rivalry seems pretty good... I don't think it would take much to get Saskatoon to hate Regina... if they don't already... I'm not sure what the football fanship is in places like Prince Albert, North Battleford and Llyodminster, but those places might draw some in too... 

Who doesn't hate Regina?

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26 minutes ago, bearpants said:

Yeah you could be right... the Huskies/Rams rivalry seems pretty good... I don't think it would take much to get Saskatoon to hate Regina... if they don't already... I'm not sure what the football fanship is in places like Prince Albert, North Battleford and Llyodminster, but those places might draw some in too... 

PA, Lloyd & NB are a long drive to games especially in November with cold & snow when the playoffs... ah forget that. ;) 

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31 minutes ago, bearpants said:

Yeah you could be right... the Huskies/Rams rivalry seems pretty good... I don't think it would take much to get Saskatoon to hate Regina... if they don't already... I'm not sure what the football fanship is in places like Prince Albert, North Battleford and Llyodminster, but those places might draw some in too... 

 

I'm a bit of an expert on the city of Saskatoon.  The Riders mythology is very very ingrained there.  It would be tough to imagine a team competing with the Riders.  To even picture the people I know in Stoon not bein Riders fans is difficult. 

Truthfully, the idea is rarely even discussed there.  Especially since they would need basically a new stadium and they just paid a big portion of the new one in Regina.

Also, consider how that would affect the Riders.  You may have heard they draw on support from the whole province.  Cut that fan base in half and it doesn't work as well. 

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Saskatoon is growing rapidly. I think a team in that city in another 10 years would be viable. Especially if oil rebounds. I have talked to others who live in Saskatoon & they say the Riders aren't that big a deal there. They said that people support the Riders but not with their wallets for season tickets. Distance, the time & money for gas that it takes to travel to Regina there & back as well as weather affect people in Saskatoon from buying season tickets for the Riders to go to games. Yet football is ingrained in Saskatoon with the Huskies. I think the Riders would do fine if Saskatoon had a team. There'd be enough fans for both teams.

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2 hours ago, bearpants said:

I've actually always thought Saskatoon would be the perfect market.... problem is all toon-towers are already Rider fans... the conversion would be tough... The Labour Day match up between the Regina Riders and Saskatoon Bushwackers would be great...

 

2 hours ago, iso_55 said:

I actually believe that if Saskatoon had their own CFL team the Rider fans would convert. I've been told that there's only a couple of thousand ticket holders who make the trek to Regina to watch the games. The Riders are more Southern Saskatchewan's team from what I understand. Similar to the Eskimos being Northern Alberta's team & the Stamps Southern Alberta. That would be a rip roaring rivalry though. The only problem is building a stadium.

Some probably would, but only because of convenience. I still think there would be enough fans staying put that it could prove to be difficult. I would be torn if I was still in Saskatoon, not sure what I would do in that situation. Now that I'm here, I would definitely stick with Regina as I am no longer bound with Saskatoon.

1 hour ago, tacklewasher said:

Didn't realize Saskatoon had more people than Regina. 222,000 vs 193,000 in 2011. Maybe a team there would make sense. Always thought it was a lot smaller.

Yup, it's been larger for a long time. It's even bigger since 2011 as well. It's estimated to have 260 900 people now. Regina is around 230 000.

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