2014 CFL Offseason Thread

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

This ratification vote will be very close, there are a lot of angry players out there, but I think it will pass, there are too many players in football that can't save their money and need the paycheck, plus careers in the CFL are very short.

at the end of the day, while it sounds greedy, the league overall has been losing money for probably nearly 40 years, of course they're going to be cautious with change with their first big tv deal.

I get that the players wants shares of TV revenues but they were asking for the moon. They wants $18M out $27M from TV revenue. I just don't get why they are asking too much. Yes they are the one entertaining the fans on and off the field BUT the owners are the one putting up the money paying to play the game and so on. I agree with you 100%, the owners are losing way too much money for a long time. Attendance in some CFL team barely keep up with the payroll so I am glad that TSN are finally helping them generate revenues.

I don't think CFLPA will get a lot of sympathies from the fans all over Canada. I am sure if they ask the owners for a little piece of the pie like even $5M out $27M, they might get it but not 2/3 of the TV revenues.

Oh yeah, I had to laugh on Nik's analogy this morning on what they got out of this negotiation. Just love Nik but on his analogy this morning, I thought he sounded like a spoiled brat.

"It's like your dad saying, I am going to get you a car and he brings home a bicycle".

[browna]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Oh yeah, I had to laugh on Nik's analogy this morning on what they got out of this negotiation. Just love Nik but on his analogy this morning, I thought he sounded like a spoiled brat.

"It's like your dad saying, I am going to get you a car and he brings home a bicycle".

Wasn't that more of a shot against the CFLPA executive more than anything else?

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by browna

Wasn't that more of a shot against the CFLPA executive more than anything else?

I guess it is... but it just cracks me up.

I know Cornish said something about 'Union is dead' so I guess players are just not happy the way the Union Executive's performance.

[tvp2003]

Als fire OC (and former Stamps QB) Rick Worman, after only 3 months on the job.

http://www.cfl.ca/article/quick-exit...ys-with-worman

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Toronto beat Winnipeg 24-22 today.

Football is back!!

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I haven't been following this CFL CBA issue, but my question is how do the players even have any leverage in these type of situations? All of them are literally lucky they even have an option to play ball professionally given they couldn't crack the NFL. I don't say that to be dissperaging, but in a 2nd tier league what other options do they have? Agree to the terms or try and get your relator licence, those seem to be the options.

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Als fire OC (and former Stamps QB) Rick Worman, after only 3 months on the job.

http://www.cfl.ca/article/quick-exit...ys-with-worman

and replaced him former Bombers QB Ryan Dinwiddle. Kind of strange to fire an OC after 3 months and season hasn't even started. Als been making some strange personnel moves this off-season. First owners hired HC Tom Higgins without even letting GM Jim Popp know. Now this.... hmmm..

[MissTeeks]

This is one rumor floating around:

“@ArashMadani: A source told me that at an early Als QB meeting, Rick Worman was already in the room - sipping a beer. That's not Tom Higgins culture. #CFL”

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

This is one rumor floating around:

“@ArashMadani: A source told me that at an early Als QB meeting, Rick Worman was already in the room - sipping a beer. That's not Tom Higgins culture. #CFL”

I figured it was something like that -- was initially going to suggest he slept with Higgins' wife but didn't want to go there

Chad Johnson must be wondering wth is happening

[Da_Chief]

You mean Ochocinco? the guy is a circus himself! He's probably feeling right at home.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

You mean Ochocinco? the guy is a circus himself! He's probably feeling right at home.

I am absolutely stoked for June 28 when Ochocinco comes to Calgary

[MissTeeks]

“@danralphcp: Source says CFL players ratification vote will be Thursday. #CFLPA”

[jesters91]

CFL PLAYERS' ASSOCIATION RATIFIES NEW COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

The CFL Players' Association has voted to ratify the proposed new collective bargaining agreement.

The PA confirmed the ratification via press release on Thursday night.

It was unclear which way the players were leaning prior to the vote. After the league and CFLPA struck a tentative deal on Saturday, many players publicly voiced their displeasure over the terms. The five-year deal calls for a $5 million salary cap which was below the PA's opening proposal of more than $6 million per year.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=454713

[MissTeeks]

Officially official:

“@CFL_PR: A new 5 year collective bargaining agreement has been officially ratified by both the #CFL and the #CFLPA - http://on.cfl.ca/xZmMY

“@ArashMadani: Terms of CBA unreported: 9-game injured list is out. Replaced by a 6-game IR. Also, in camp, only one practice a day will have contact. #CFL”

“@ArashMadani: Another new CBA clause: Practice rosters expand from 7 to 10 players per #CFL team. Come September, from 12 to 15 players. Win for owners.”

“@ArashMadani: Language in the CBA has now removed import/non-import (now nationals/internationals). How one is defined as a "national" also changes. #CFL”

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

“@ArashMadani: Language in the CBA has now removed import/non-import (now nationals/internationals). How one is defined as a "national" also changes. #CFL”

CBA notwithstanding, I hope they stick with the import/non-import terminology...

[Fire]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Officially official:

“@CFL_PR: A new 5 year collective bargaining agreement has been officially ratified by both the #CFL and the #CFLPA - http://on.cfl.ca/xZmMY

“@ArashMadani: Terms of CBA unreported: 9-game injured list is out. Replaced by a 6-game IR. Also, in camp, only one practice a day will have contact. #CFL”

“@ArashMadani: Another new CBA clause: Practice rosters expand from 7 to 10 players per #CFL team. Come September, from 12 to 15 players. Win for owners.”

“@ArashMadani: Language in the CBA has now removed import/non-import (now nationals/internationals). How one is defined as a "national" also changes. #CFL”

Are they making it easier for Americans to be considered a "National"?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Fire

Are they making it easier for Americans to be considered a "National"?

You have to be a Canadian citizen or have spent 5 years of your childhood in Canada...

The agreement changes the way players are classified. Instead of being known as non-imports and imports, they will now be classified as nationals and internationals.

A player will be considered a national player if he was a Canadian citizen at the time of signing his first contract, was classified as a non-import prior to May 31, 2014, or was physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five years prior to reaching the age of 18.

In the past, a player could be born in Canada and have Canadian citizenship, but not qualify for non-import status if he received his football training outside of Canada. One example would be the sons of some former CFL players, who may have been born in Canada but learned their football in the U.S.

While some have long argued non-import players should simply be called Canadians, there remain some players in the league who were counted as non-imports even though they are not Canadian citizens.

If I understand that correctly, some players who would have been considered "imports" previously may now be "nationals"; and some who would have previously be considered "non-imports" will now be "internationals".


A couple of years ago, the Stamps brought in an Aussie-rules player to try-out as a kicker and he was considered a non-import because he didn't previously train in the US. I believe that under the new rules, he would be considered an international player.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I'd like to see some sort of clause that awards players who stay with the same team. Something like an international who has been with their team for 5 seasons may count as a national. Or something like that

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Edmonton is up 10-4 on BC midway through the third quarter. Glenn had a nice drive for the Lions. Been some decent contact in this game

[MissTeeks]

“@CFL: THIS JUST IN: The @MTLAlouettes have released RB Jerome Messam. #CFLTC14”