Quote:
Originally Posted by waner
I think it is more than one bad year and don't think the league is going to fold but it does seem to have some major issues that weren't there even 10 years ago.
I am not sure about what the overall numbers say but anedoctally I can say me and most of the people I know have gone from watching every week going to Grey Cups to probably 8/10 barely following the league anymore. The general buzz around the CFL seems to have dropped off in more than just my small group of friends/acquaintances.
The league seems to have lost all of its marquee guys and is increasing losing players to the NFL. The real problem now seems to be the lack of quality QB's in a QB driven league. The best QB is BLM and he has started what 12 games in his career? Most outside of Stampeder fans couldn't pick him out of a line-up. The most recognizable QB is Durant and he sucks and is propped up only because of loser Rider fans overrating him and everything else about their loser franchise.
I think the CFL is at risk of falling into the 2nd tier of after thought sports that many of its haters have claimed it has been in for years. In the East it is already there. With the lack of star players for the league to sell and the continued moronic moves the league makes (ie fixing games for one franchise, one guy owning two teams and doing an awful job at it, stupid game times/days) the league isn't in trouble of folding but is in need of a real big change and improvements.
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Good post, but a few comments I would make:
The CFL is already a Tier 2 league (and has been for decades) and I think most rational people would agree. When I make more than most of the players, it is a Tier 2 league. When there are only 9 teams (8 for the better part of the past many years) and 6 of them make the playoffs every year, it is a Tier 2 league. When you are playing games in a university stadium in one of those places, and are considering a similar move from an indoor facility in another place, it is a Tier 2 league. When there are only 9 teams and 2 of are owned by the same damn guy, it is a Tier 2 joke of a league. When one of the cities has had multiple attempts to try and get football to work - the nations capital no less - and it continues to fail and fail and fail, and continues to bring in owners that are either morons, caricatures, or outright loony, it is a Tier 2 league.
In every single CFL city except one, as soon as NHL training camps open the CFL takes a huge back seat (I'm including Hamilton as a city that cares more about the NHL than the CFL). The only place in Canada that the CFL is number one in is Saskatchewan. Every other province either has an NHL team to capture their attention (or multiple NHL teams), or has neither NHL nor CFL, and will default to hockey faster than a fart in a hurricane. Overall interest in sport in this country goes NHL by a huge margin, NFL, MLB, NBA and then probably the CFL. Now that I think about it, the CFL is at best Tier 2 in Canada, but in North America is it likely Tier 5 or 6 - or worse. Nascar has more fans than the CFL and all they do is turn left. Why are the games in the fall scheduled on Friday night and Saturday for the most part? Because the CFL can't compete with the NFL on Sundays.
Like you, I don't have hard numbers but I suspect attendance is down overall in most CFL cities. Winnipeg saw an increase due to the new stadium, but took a hit later in the year. I suspect we'll see reduced numbers there next year. In my circle of friends, most have no idea who is playing on the weekend, what the scores of recent games were, what the standings are, etc. These were all friends that either used to have season tickets or would at least watch the games on weekends, and make plans for the playoffs (Grey Cup party or what have you). Younger fans don't seem to be engaged at all. I see no one in my office wearing a jersey, yet many wearing hockey jerseys on game days. I see more cars with NFL flags on the stupid little antennas than I do CFL flags. I can't recall the last time a friend asked if I wanted to get together to watch a CFL game - actually I can, it was the '08 Grey Cup.
I'm not saying the league is going to fold overnight, and I do think that because it is an institution in this country to some degree it will continue to be propped up by the government, but I do think in 5 years when people look back at the taxpayer money that is being spent in Winnipeg, Hamilton and Regina and then look at what the return on that money is for 9 games a year that are not sold out...there will be questions.
Maybe I'm wrong - maybe the CFL will really catch on and be able to compete with the NHL and other major sports leagues like MLB, NBA and NFL.
Maybe, but I seriously doubt it.