2017 CFL Season

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

I swear that must be the line of thinking.



Through the 1990s and maybe into the early 2000s, former Free Press columnist Scott Taylor did his best to pump up the Vikings with weekly game reports. It never really took off and after Taylor was bounced we pretty well never again saw a local sportswriter trying to hold the Vikings up as a home team. But that said, there is a small cadre of Vikings fans from Manitoba who regularly head down to watch games, including this well known Vikings superfan from Transcona... he drives down for every game.

I think you we've likely seen these types of guys all over the country.

There is an eagerness and a push to get all us turned on to the NFL, as if only Canadians could all get on board, it would be so much more *exciting* for the country to be part of this BIG THING. (BTW I do realize that some CFL fans do try to guilt trip and pressure people to follow the CFL, lest they not be "loyal Canadians".)

I alluded before on here to people occasionally wishing me a Happy Super Sunday when I used to live in Ontario.

It also happened to me once or twice in Quebec too. As in, I am buying gas or something totally unrelated to watching sports (like beer or chips would be) and I don't wear sports team apparel when out and about, and the clerk says "Bon Super Bowl!"... I kid you not. It's happened.

In my office, where perhaps 80% of the men (and a small chunk of the women) follow the NHL and maybe 25% follow the NFL (none of the women do AFAIK, and almost of the NFL fans follow NHL too) and yet the sports water cooler chatter is often very disproportionately about the NFL...

So there seems to be something about NFL fandom that is highly demonstrative and even pushy. (For this, I guess we can say "well done" to the NFL marketing department.)

But in my case it's a bit of a turn-off (especially when it's happening in Canada) and probably makes me less of an NFL fan than I might otherwise be.

[elly63]

Canadian QB Brandon Bridge to workout for New York Giants
Justin Dunk 3downnation December 10, 2017

Saskatchewan Roughrider quarterback Brandon Bridge has a workout scheduled with the New York Giants in December, per sources.

After signing with the Riders in August of last year, the Mississauga-born Bridge has shown intriguing potential, especially in 2017. Bridge started in Week 13 for the Riders in Hamilton and guided the team to a victory with 231 passing yards and three touchdowns. Two weeks later, the 25-year-old came off the bench to lead a comeback win against Toronto, finishing 20-of-28 for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

Overall, Bridge passed for 1,236 yards with a 66.6 completion percentage (92-of-138) and 10 touchdowns to just four interceptions while adding 20 carries for 127 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He sparked the Riders offence in the East Final, completing 11-of-21 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown in the team’s defeat. The TD toss was the first by a Canadian in a post-season game since Russ Jackson in the 1969 Grey Cup.

Bridge was originally drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in 2015. That same year he attended Dallas Cowboys rookie mini-camp but was not signed.

A pending free agent in February, Bridge has been in contract negotiations with the Riders.

“Definitely, I would love to stay here, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business,” Bridge said.

Saskatchewan’s head coach and general manager Chris Jones knows the Canadian signal caller’s talents well.

“He brings a lot of really big intangibles to the position,” Jones said. “He’s a dynamic young player.”

[25grapes]

Originally Posted by 25grapes

CFL has just released each teams pending free agent list. (scratch Sinopoli from the list as Ottawa re-signed him within 5 minutes of the list being released).

As always there are a Ton of players on each list, the real interesting part is looking at the quality of free agent QB's on the list:

- James Franklin (EDM)
- Trevor Harris (OTT)
- Ricky Ray (TOR) May retire
- Jeremiah Masoli (HAM)
- Brandon Bridge (SAS)
- Travis Lulay (BC) May retire due to injury

Franklin is definitely on the move, my guess would be Toronto or Montreal.

Got that one right, Argos send Mason Woods to Edmonton for Franklin.

[ExcaliburKid]

Great trade for the Esks, can never go wrong with big Canadian O-linemen

[megadude]

Couple weeks late, but here's a couple pics from Argos celebration. No parade like five years ago, just this gathering. I left pretty much as things were starting. Had to get back to work. They showed up like half hour late.

[megadude]

I could get used to this. Party at Nathan Phillips Square every couple of weeks.

[ExcaliburKid]

What's the red and black all about? Some kind of protest?

[megadude]

Originally Posted by ExcaliburKid

What's the red and black all about? Some kind of protest?

Not sure if you're being facetious or not . Though I forgot to mention in my post that TFC soccer fans got to celebrate two weeks later as well.

Will have to wait several months for the Leafs parade, but at least it will be warm for that one. Wonder what would happen for a Marlies championship.

Anyway, I'd be happy if the Jets or Oilers won the cup too.

[ExcaliburKid]

I kid, congrats to TFC!

[elly63]

CFL commish impressed by potential player Johnny Manziel
Kevin Seifert NFL Nation ESPN.com Dec 13 2017

BRISTOL, Conn. -- CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said Wednesday that he felt "good" about a conversation in September with quarterback Johnny Manziel, but he is awaiting the results of a multifaceted expert analysis before deciding whether to approve Manziel to play in the league.

Manziel's rights are held exclusively by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He triggered a process over the summer that would require the Tiger-Cats to offer him a contract or relinquish his rights, but Ambrosie stepped in to ensure what he called a "thorough and thoughtful" decision was made about Manziel's eligibility to play in the CFL.

"He represented himself incredibly well [in the meeting]," Ambrosie said during a visit to ESPN headquarters. "He was thoughtful. I found him to be authentic and sincere. I also felt like he seems to have come to a good place in his life. He was talking a lot about his family. Now, I should say that's part of the problem. My bias is towards family. So when I'm with somebody in there talking about my family, immediately I feel good about the conversation.

"That's exactly why we feel for any player who has had some trouble in their past. It's important to not let the laypeople be the only part of the decision-making process. That's why we've implemented a process where we'll lean very heavily on experts who have training and skill that will allow them to really understand where somebody is in their personal journey and be able to give me wise counsel."

The meeting with Ambrosie was the start of a process in which Manziel will speak to investigators about his checkered past, including a 2016 domestic violence charge that ultimately was dismissed. Under the terms of the dismissal agreement, the former Cleveland Browns player and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was required to complete an anger management class, attend a domestic violence impact panel and participate in the NFL's substance-abuse program or a similar program.

"If we reach a point where we make an announcement that someone can play," Ambrosie said, "we want to be able to look to the community and say to them that we've done our work, that we have not skipped a step."

Manziel has not played since the Browns released him in March 2016. A first-round pick in 2014, he played in 14 games over two seasons, throwing seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

Ambrosie said he could tell "very quickly" that Manziel genuinely wants to play in the CFL. And Tiger-Cats coach June Jones, the former Hawaii and SMU coach whom Hamilton hired last summer, made clear recently that he wants Manziel on his team.

"I think he'd be the best player to ever play up here," Jones said, according to the CFL website. "He can throw it and he can run it like nobody ever has been able to do."

[25grapes]

The news pouring out of the CFL these days is crazy.


MLSE to purchase the Argonauts.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by 25grapes

The news pouring out of the CFL these days is crazy.

Yeah, wow. The off season used to be deadsville.

Incidentally, it's probably time for the mods to close up this 2017 season thread!

[elly63]

Originally Posted by 25grapes

The news pouring out of the CFL these days is crazy. MLSE to purchase the Argonauts.

It's like there is this perception change where there is an acceptance of the league being received for what it is, not what it was and not being compared to other things. And what it is, is pretty good.

BTW the Commish is making the rounds at ESPN, stay tuned. This guy has been on the job, for what, six months and more good has happened under his watch than almost any time I can remember.

[esquire]

^ Yeah, wow. Ambrosie is on fire.

[elly63]

Prime Time Sports (start at 1:25 for Argos story)

Prime Time Sports - December 13 - 5pm
December 13 2017
Wednesday, 5 pm: Mike Sonne, Doctor; Matt Devlin, SN

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by megadude

Couple weeks late, but here's a couple pics from Argos celebration. No parade like five years ago, just this gathering. I left pretty much as things were starting. Had to get back to work. They showed up like half hour late.

Must have been standing right beside me!

[elly63]

Join the club: Sports giant MLSE announces deal to buy Argonauts
Frank Zicarelli Toronto Sun December 13, 2017

On the surface, it appears to be a marriage made in sporting heaven, the local football team in lock step with the local futbol team all under the same roof.

And now, the Argonauts and Toronto FC, reigning Grey Cup and MLS Cup champions, respectively, will be under the same ownership umbrella.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which kicked the tires when previous owner David Braley had the for sale sign up on the Argos earlier this decade, is now all in, having agreed to buy the CFL franchise.

After announcing the pending agreement on Wednesday, possibilities are now endless for a team coming off an improbable title, not the least of which is selling the game via the many platforms owned by Rogers.

“Under its current ownership, a transformed Argonauts football club enhanced its presence and fan base in Canada’s largest sports market and ultimately marched to the CFL Championship,” Michael Friisdahl, MLSE president/CEO, said.

“We look forward to building on the Argos’ strong momentum as we welcome the team to the leading provider of sports and entertainment experiences in Canada.”

When Tim Leiweke served as MLSE president, the idea was to buy the Argos, move them into BMO and ensure the football team’s viability in a very crowded landscape.

The end-game, at the time anyway, was the NFL and the potential of bringing four-down football to coexist with the three-down version.

When Rogers balked, the Argos were sold to Bell and Larry Tanenbaum as the team quickly moved into BMO for the 2016 season, the same year the venue played host to the Grey Cup.

Rogers has no ties to the CFL, unlike Bell, which controls the entire TV pie through TSN.

It has always seemed to this observer that the unofficial policy at Rogers, and all of is media outlets and personalities, is to disparage the CFL at all costs, disregard all things Argos related unless it hurts the team’s brand.

That all changes now with Rogers now on board, a powerful media company that is sure to elevate the Argos’ profile, perhaps even convince soccer fans, which may not be so easy, that the Argos and TFC can exist side by side.

TFC will remain the main tenants at BMO, but something needs to get worked out that allows the Argos more access.

As of now, the only time the Argos have access to the facility is on game day.

What must happen is to provide the Argos with a more fan-friendly home schedule that is consistent, something the CFL can do to help grow the fan base.

Whether it’s ticketing, marketing, corporate sales, suite sales, MLSE has the wherewithal and clout to make the Argos vibrant and viable, or at least give three-down football its best chance of making some kind of dent in Toronto.

This should have happened two years ago, but it’s taken this long to get the official backing of MLSE and not simply two-thirds of its ownership.

It’s good news for the Argos, the CFL and for fans who enjoy football.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Must have been standing right beside me!

I was standing next to and talking to a guy who had an old Argos sweater with the teal in it and the old logo. He brought his 9 year old son who also had Argos gear on. Don't know if that stands out to you, but there weren't many kids up their on the concourse of City Hall. It was a school day after all.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by elly63

It has always seemed to this observer that the unofficial policy at Rogers, and all of is media outlets and personalities, is to disparage the CFL at all costs, disregard all things Argos related unless it hurts the team’s brand.
.

Interesting that someone from a mainstream media outlet (I realize it's a rival, but still...) would make this comment as bluntly as that.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Interesting that someone from a mainstream media outlet (I realize it's a rival, but still...) would make this comment as bluntly as that.

Zicarelli is putting it a bit mildly IMO. Over the past few years, Sportsnet covered the CFL the way RT (Russia Today) covers the US... they basically pay attention only when there's an opportunity to diminish, mock or belittle. In much the same way that RT pops up on my Twitter feed whenever there is a bad news story in the US, Sportsnet would be first to report any bad CFL news, or would spin it in the least flattering way possible.

It's clear that Arash Madani, who has some credibility from his background as a football insider guy, basically became SN's point man on dumping on the CFL. I'm sure Madani will change his tune pretty quickly now. I'm sure the CFL will be moved from the "other" tab on the Sportsnet website too where it gets lumped in with drag racing, cockfighting and whatever else.

(The irony here is that it was Sun Media that took a similar tack back in the 90s when it was Paul Godfrey chasing the NFL... but it was never as blatant as what Rogers has been doing lately.)