2018 CFL Season Thread

[CaptainCrunch]

The guy was a tremendous pass rusher, he probably had one of the quickest first steps that was ever seen.

He was also a character known for the feather in his helmet.

People tend to forget that he was pretty small for a defensive lineman at the time, but he became the prototype for the next generation of rush linemen, because when he played they were all big strong gap fillers there to step the run.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I thought the tickets prices for the Grey Cup might be a little more reasonable this year given how big Commonwealth is. Got an email from the Stamps today offering season tickets holders a chance to buy tickets to the game in Edmonton and they are as delusional as ever. $200 bucks for a ####ty seat (plus taxes and fees) and their are two price levels above that. Guess I’ll hold off until the week of the game when they are scrambling to fill the stadium and reduce tickets by 75%.

[Joborule]

Hah, that's cute of them to set the prices that high.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Hah, that's cute of them to set the prices that high.

especially after the farce that was toronto, giving them away with pizza. i agree, i will wait it out.

[TheAlpineOracle]

The prices are ridiculous. CFL just loves to ensure they’ll be a dead league in ten years. You turn casual fans into regulars on showcase games. I understand you want to charge a premium, but what they’ve started to charge the past 4-5 years is ridiculous. No one under the age of 30 gives a flying #### about the CFL, and ensuring they can’t afford to go to the Grey Cup isn’t going to do anything to fix that.

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Hah, that's cute of them to set the prices that high.

One of the many reasons why I watch Stamps games on TV over going to McMahon Stadium.

[dash_pinched]

Only in the CFL - Federkeil gets popped for a positive drug test after announcing his retirement from football. Test was performed at some point after the 2017 Grey Cup game.

https://twitter.com/user/status/983401829936574464

[jayswin]

That's classic CFL. Just a dumb strategy in the social media age. They're trying to sucker a bunch of people during the "opening buzz" of starting ticket sales, thinking they'll just fill the stadium later with discounts.

There's too much talk online about this kind of stuff. They could get away with that once, but now the cats out of the bag. Everyone knows to wait, and now they're going to blow getting a significant number of hopeful hometown fans committed before the season which is where a lot of grey cup sales come from.

Instead they'll get ****ty initial sales and then have to pray to god that Edmonton is in. Or else the few Esks fans that bought early will flood their tickets on the market to compete with the ones the league is trying to sell.

[jayswin]

It's just a nasty downward spiral from this league. They've made LITERALLY every mistake they could POSSIBLY make in the last decade. It's truly amazing and sad to watch. They just don't know how to do anything and their league is going to die because of it.

They needed real leadership with a smart team of true experts, planners and marketers and I'm guessing they just felt they couldn't justify putting the proper money into the league, but unfortunately they'll find out that spending that difficult money back then would have likely saved the demise of the league which will cost a hell of a lot more money.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

You're way off base.

Cohon and Ambrosie are both amazing commissioners and have done a ton of great things for the league. They've done everything they can to make the league viable and have almost made every possible correct decision and very few, if any, mistakes. The idiot in between was bad though.

Now, the CFL may yet die a slow and terrible death, but it won't be because of terrible decisions. It'll be because of shifting landscapes in their major markets and how fans spend their entertainment dollars. They need Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto to be healthy.

Right now I'd say all four have been in a steady decline for the past 5 years. Calgary and Montreal may yet be saved. Vancouver and Toronto I think are too far gone. CFL football will never be able to compete in those cities.

Some sinking ships just can't be saved, no matter who is in charge.

[Drake]

Kent Austin no longer Vice President of Football Ops.....named consultant.

“Kent’s made a great contribution to a very successful period for the Tiger-Cats,” said Mitchell. “When you lead the team to three-straight Eastern Finals and two Grey Cup appearances, and play some of the most exciting playoff games in Tiger-Cats history, it’s a period of time that fans will never forget. We think we’re poised for another run and Kent has been a very important part of that architecture. We’re looking forward to his continued contribution, albeit in a new role.”

“Roles in organizations change from time to time and I have been privileged to work for outstanding people for many years here in Hamilton,” said Austin. “As I transition to a new role, I am excited to continue to have the opportunity to play a part in the team’s future success and to cultivate even stronger relationships that have been developed during my career with the Tiger-Cats.”

“With Head Coach June Jones, Assistant Head Coach Orlondo Steinauer and Defensive Coordinator Jerry Glanville, in combination with the collective experience of Eric, Shawn and Drew, we feel very confident we have a structure and collective group of people who will help us get to where we want to be which is competing for the Grey Cup,” added Mitchell.

http://ticats.ca/kent-austin-named-t...ts-consultant/

[Erick Estrada]

Sounds like a standoff between Young and Austin who's under contract for two more seasons. Young has demoted him now twice and Austin is willing to take the demotion rather than quit and leave money on the table.

[Drake]

BC releases a player on a supposed "good-faith" NFL agreement, gets fined. Toronto refuses to release 2 players who say they have a similar "good-faith" agreement, get applauded. Allows Montreal to write an NFL-option clause into a contract which violates a TON of league policies and player union policies. LOL

The CFL allowed the Montreal Alouettes to sign defensive lineman Justin Zimmer to a contract that included an out clause if he received an NFL offer – in violation of their own policies.

On April 18, the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons announced that Zimmer was one of three players who had signed with the club, despite the fact that he was still listed on the Alouettes roster. The 25-year-old joined Montreal last September and started in the team’s final game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Nov. 3.

The Alouettes announced they had released Zimmer on April 25, raising questions about the timing of the transaction and whether the club had cut a “side-deal” that allowed Zimmer to pursue the NFL. A “side deal”, in CFL parlance, is a handshake agreement between team management and a player that he will be released from his contract if an NFL opportunity presents itself.

Such arrangements violate CFL policy and commissioner Randy Ambrosie made it clear in February that he would crack down on them. The B.C. Lions were “heavily fined” after releasing linebacker Micah Awe, despite the fact that he had a year remaining on his CFL contract. Awe subsequently signed with the New York Jets.

But the league now admits it allowed the Alouettes to sign Zimmer to a CFL deal that included language that made such an arrangement part of the actual contract.

“In this case, a contract for Justin Zimmer was registered with the CFL in November 2017. That contract included a clause that would grant Zimmer his release should he receive an NFL offer. This did not constitute a side deal,” the league said in a statement. “Having said that, such a clause is against our rules and procedures. That contract should not have been registered by the CFL. ”

The league has also cleared the Alouettes of any wrongdoing.

“That error rests with the CFL and so the Als are not under investigation,” the statement said.

According to the league, the Falcons actually signed Zimmer on April 17 but that contract was voided because he had an existing deal in the CFL. He signed with Atlanta the following day after securing his release from the Alouettes.

“His release was shown on the CFL’s roster report on the 18th even though the Alouettes did not announce the transaction until April 25,” the statement said. “Under our media policy, teams can announce roster changes ‘at their discretion’ during the offseason.”

The issue of a so-called “NFL window” has been a contentious one this season. In addition to the Awe fine, Toronto Argonauts James Wilder Jr. and Victor Butler claimed they were being denied NFL opportunities – despite promises made by team management. The league came out strongly in support of the Argonauts decision to hold the players to their contracts. Wilder Jr. ultimately signed a contract extension with the club while Butler remains on the roster but has said he won’t play this season.

http://3downnation.com/2018/04/27/cf...rds+√%29

[Erick Estrada]

Ha ha ha I love the CFL but man it's never going to be able to turn the corner into a legit professional league as long as head office can't get the teams to follow league rules.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Drake

BC releases a player on a supposed "good-faith" NFL agreement, gets fined. Toronto refuses to release 2 players who say they have a similar "good-faith" agreement, get applauded. Allows Montreal to write an NFL-option clause into a contract which violates a TON of league policies and player union policies. LOL



http://3downnation.com/2018/04/27/cf...rds+√%29

Definition of bush league.

Different rules for different teams will inevitably lead to fans turning away.

Well done Randy...this is a massive blunder. Fireable offense IMO.

If Im Ken King or Huf...I would be livid.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I defend Ambrosie a lot, and this isn’t his fault directly as I doubt he’s the one reviewing contracts, but as the commish the responsibility lies with him.

Bad look for sure.

[Drake]

Really underwhelming draft.... They must have wanted Champman bad to move up one spot....


#Ticats set to take receiver Mark Chapman first overall in #CFLDraft: sources
https://t.co/OiBvbDbvck https://t.co/VSCgRsmcLH

[Drake]

I think the Lions just drafted the best OL in the draft. Question is whether dumbass Jonathan Hardaway will let him be at training camp...

[transplant99]

Stamps go OL with the Sceviour kid from Uof C.

I like those home grown O Linemen.

[Drake]

WIth the 17th pick of the CFL Draft the Stampeders select linebacker Eric Mezzalira out of McMaster.


What a night for the University of Calgary, honestly. stunning. Five taken in the first 15 picks is insane.