Why the CFL hate?

[Kenners]

I'm sorry if this has been addressed before, I did a search and couldn't find anything. The word "hate" is found quite frequently on these forums lol.

I seem to be greeted with laughter, scoffs and/or blank stares when I mention the CFL specifically from my millennial generation. I like football, but prefer to be a fan of my home team. Personally I find it difficult to get behind a team from a city i'm not a part of (i.e. no connection to Baltimore, so even though I like the Ravens there's no real connection, other than the fact I liked Ray Lewis) and I love the idea of watching live games, them being at BMO next year is even better.

My questions is why the hate? Is it just in TO? (A few posts mentioned that the CFL is alive and well in the West) I mean I read the rules, and albeit being a little different, they weren't complicated to understand. Canadian football seems to be faster, and although I'm new to this whole thing, that doesn't seem like a bad thing.

I'm still getting used to the larger field, I found US football a bit more conducive to strategy due to the smaller field, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Is it that TO is more inclined to follow the US in terms of what is popular? Argos had a winning team in 2012 and yet, there was no Double Blue wave.

I just can't seem to wrap my head around it all and figured I'd throw it up to get a better insight.

Again, if this was somewhere else, please let me know where to read it all and I'll check there.

thanks!

[AngeloV]

Many of us believe that as soon as the Blue Jays had success, people like Paul Godfrey AKA Douchebag, put it out there that Toronto was a world class city and they "deserve" world class football.

I believe that is a big part of it, but I also believe that around 1983 when the NFL had their first major work stoppage, the salary discrepancies between the 2 leagues became such that many people started to look at the CFL as minor league. Sadly a lot of casual sports fans believe that more money means better quality.

[argotom]

Many of us believe that as soon as the Blue Jays had success, people like Paul Godfrey AKA Douchebag, put it out there that Toronto was a world class city and they "deserve" world class football.

I believe that is a big part of it, but I also believe that around 1983 when the NFL had their first major work stoppage, the salary discrepancies between the 2 leagues became such that many people started to look at the CFL as minor league. Sadly a lot of casual sports fans believe that more money means better quality.

Absolutely.
Similarly, the US wannabe factor here in the city as it was no longer cool to watch teams from our country only versus the New York, LA etc.

[T-Bone]

Here are a few old threads that I think are relevant to this topic:

Why do some people see the Cfl as joke?

Argo Tickets Disposable by Steve Simmons

Leave it to the Toronto Star to write about this

[Argo57]

Here are a few old threads that I think are relevant to this topic:

Why do some people see the Cfl as joke?

Argo Tickets Disposable by Steve Simmons

Leave it to the Toronto Star to write about this

Another proud moment for Steve Simmons advocating killing a Canadian institution (CFL) funny how you still see that jackass down at Argonaut games, I guess he has no choice many years later now that the NFL thing hasn't worked out.

[AngeloV]

Another proud moment for Steve Simmons advocating killing a Canadian institution (CFL) funny how you still see that jackass down at Argonaut games, I guess he has no choice many years later now that the NFL thing hasn't worked out.

I have more of a problem with the editor that allowed that to get in the paper in the first place. Simmons never should have written garbage like that in the first place, but he doesn't have final say as to what reaches print and what doesn't.

[paulwoods13]

Another proud moment for Steve Simmons advocating killing a Canadian institution (CFL) funny how you still see that jackass down at Argonaut games, I guess he has no choice many years later now that the NFL thing hasn't worked out.

It was written 26 years ago. Do you have the exact same opinions you had 26 years ago?

[R.J]

It was written 26 years ago. Do you have the exact same opinions you had 26 years ago?

Simmons didn't seem to care about the potential effects the Bills in Toronto Series might have had, he, along with many others thought it would lead to the NFL in TO dream, knowing full well what would most likely happen to the Argonauts. Also, only a month or so ago he mockingly stated how he was going to watch the Argonauts game on a Friday Night, of which Hayes said "good for you", Simmons reply was something along the lines of "just kidding, nobody watches the Argos". It seems as though Simmons tune has only changed recently either because Jerry Jones told him that the NFL is no longer looking at Toronto or he wants to be a part of the BMO experience.

[paulwoods13]

Simmons didn't seem to care about the potential effects the Bills in Toronto Series might have had, he, along with many others thought it would lead to the NFL in TO dream, knowing full well what would most likely happen to the Argonauts. Also, only a month or so ago he mockingly stated how he was going to watch the Argonauts game on a Friday Night, of which Hayes said "good for you", Simmons reply was something along the lines of "just kidding, nobody watches the Argos". It seems as though Simmons tune has only changed recently either because Jerry Jones told him that the NFL is no longer looking at Toronto or he wants to be a part of the BMO experience.

So he should be chastised for writing anti-CFL columns from time to time, and he should be chastised for wanting to be part of the BMO experience? Is there anything he shouldn't be chastised for?

[Argo57]

It was written 26 years ago. Do you have the exact same opinions you had 26 years ago?

Actually Paul, regarding the CFL I do have the same opinion I did 26 years ago, still a fan.
Sorry constant cheap shots this guy takes at the league and the Toronto Argonauts then seeing him at the Dome covering games seems a bit hypocritical.

[paulwoods13]

Actually Paul, regarding the CFL I do have the same opinion I did 26 years ago, still a fan.
Sorry constant cheap shots this guy takes at the league and the Toronto Argonauts then seeing him at the Dome covering games seems a bit hypocritical.

If being critical of a team or a league and then covering games makes one hypocritical, then every sports columnist in the world is a hypocrite. They are paid for their opinions. And they -- like all humans -- are capable of having contradictory opinions, changing their minds, and so on.

[R.J]

I've honestly never been able to figure out why the CFL is hated, it makes no logical sense whatsoever. It seems as though NFL only fans hate it because the Argos are "supposedly" the reason why the NFL isn't in Toronto. TFC fans seem to hate the Argos because of the whole stadium situation dating back to when C+S pulled out of York, though IMO it now seems like they hate the Argos out of fear that the Argos will eventually take over BMO as the #1.

I absolutely loathe the "Argos Tickets Disposable" column written by Simmons.

[Fumblitis]

I think there's this misconception that the CFL is second class because it's a "bunch of NFL cast offs". What they don't realize is that the most of the American players that come here are too small for the NFL. But the haters will tell you that the CFL players just aren't good enough which is a load of shit.

[argos1873]

I think there's this misconception that the CFL is second class because it's a "bunch of NFL cast offs". What they don't realize is that the most of the American players that come here are too small for the NFL. But the haters will tell you that the CFL players just aren't good enough which is a load of shit.

Also some NFL players just aren't good enough for the CFL. If the leagues were financially the same, this would be very evident.

[Argo]

The combination of ignorance and snobbery - the former invariably a component of the latter - is something that too often characterizes the Canadian "sports fan".

[Kenners]

All this insight is awesome. I really appreciate it. I've also spoken to a few friends since this post and although they aren't CFL Fans they aren't against coming to watch a game or two next season, just seems to be a few people who know nothing about it and just hate for the sake of it not being the NFL. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to tomorrow's game.

[1argoholic]

Simmons was beat like a drum as a kid in school and he still carries it with him today, the miserable little piece of crap.

[Scooter McCray]

If everyone in Toronto followed his advice back in 1989 we would not have experienced....Pinball Clemons, John Candy as Owner, Rocket Ismail, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, Damon Allen, Matt Dunigan, Chad Kackert, Chad Owens, Andre Durie, and on and on and on..........

What would we have got? The CFL would have eventually collapsed without the TV revenues supported by having a Toronto based team. Toronto may or may not have got their NFL team but no guarantees. The NFL doesn't need to come here. They have the Canadian fan base that regularly supports the Bills in Buffalo, the Lions in Detroit, the Browns in Cleveland, the Seahawks in Seattle and takes weekend junkets around the US. Why place a team in Toronto that will just bleed away TV viewers from the States on a Sunday and hurt their TV deal money?

When I read articles like Simmons it gets me mad because I actually take it seriously and think other people will act on it and kill something I love. I remember reading that article the day it came out and being furious. I think I called the newspaper to complain about it. But guys like him have been saying stuff like this for a long time and the CFL and the Argos survive because there are enough people that do appreciate the game for what it is and how entertaining it is not because the players aren't making millions of dollars. I am thankful that most people don't take Steve Simmons seriously but what he does is irresponsible and shameful and not opinion at all but hatred.

[paulwoods13]

When I read articles like Simmons it gets me mad because I actually take it seriously and think other people will act on it and kill something I love. I remember reading that article the day it came out and being furious. I think I called the newspaper to complain about it. But guys like him have been saying stuff like this for a long time and the CFL and the Argos survive because there are enough people that do appreciate the game for what it is and how entertaining it is not because the players aren't making millions of dollars. I am thankful that most people don't take Steve Simmons seriously but what he does is irresponsible and shameful and not opinion at all but hatred.

Aside from the fact that this is way over the top -- seriously, "hatred"? -- the column in question was published TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO. Since we're going back in time, how about we all rip Scott Young a new one for a column he wrote making fun of the Argos in 1976? Or Milt Dunnell in 1968?

[Scooter McCray]

Aside from the fact that this is way over the top -- seriously, "hatred"? -- the column in question was published TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO. Since we're going back in time, how about we all rip Scott Young a new one for a column he wrote making fun of the Argos in 1976? Or Milt Dunnell in 1968?

When there is a pattern in place over a long period of time and the commentary is beyond criticism what is your preferred term? I don't believe Young or Dunnell were consistent in their commentary or called for the outright mercy killing of the CFL and made jokes about not watching the games. They were making criticisms of a bad team.