Is the CFL Screwing Canadian QBs?

[OV Argo]

Agreed, big-time.

6 team summer league with a 12 game sched. ? (June to Aug. with play-offs early Sept.) = little to no over-lap with NFL, NCAA or U Sports football (so not heavy competition for football fans).

Start with an Ontario - Quebec loop (maybe Moncton too) - places with stadiums that hold 7K or much more. See how it goes - maybe out West they would start their own division based on the model if it was successful ?

Hopefully could be U Sport & Junior ball all-star calibre players filling out the rosters. Players get paid something decent ($2000 per game ?) And if the XCFL means Canadian players getting way less chance to play than they even get now - might be lots of talent who might give it a try (ex-CFLers: lots of Canadian talent gets cut every CFL TC; lots of top notch Canadian players don't get CFL drafted or try-outs) Gladly watch that level of football - might get to see QBs like Merchant play in a high level of real Canadian football in their own country.

[Mocha]

Agreed, big-time.

6 team summer league with a 12 game sched. ? (June to Aug. with play-offs early Sept.) = little to no over-lap with NFL, NCAA or U Sports football (so not heavy competition for football fans).

Start with an Ontario - Quebec loop (maybe Moncton too) - places with stadiums that hold 7K or much more. See how it goes - maybe out West they would start their own division based on the model if it was successful ?

Hopefully could be U Sport & Junior ball all-star calibre players filling out the rosters. Players get paid something decent ($2000 per game ?) And if the XCFL means Canadian players getting way less chance to play than they even get now - might be lots of talent who might give it a try (ex-CFLers: lots of Canadian talent gets cut every CFL TC; lots of top notch Canadian players don't get CFL drafted or try-outs) Gladly watch that level of football - might get to see QBs like Merchant play in a high level of real Canadian football in their own country.

I think there are some great possibilities there. But why start with just Ontario and Quebec? I think it'd be natural to have western based teams given the strong grassroots support for Canadian football out there.

A Canadian league with all Canadian players would make a Canadian draft a much bigger deal than it currently is for the CFL.

[OV Argo]

I think there are some great possibilities there. But why start with just Ontario and Quebec? I think it'd be natural to have western based teams given the strong grassroots support for Canadian football out there.

A Canadian league with all Canadian players would make a Canadian draft a much bigger deal than it currently is for the CFL.

Travel costs would be a big impediment to start with a cross-country league.

There are at least 7 cities in the (VIA rail) corridor area that I mentioned that have stadiums that could host 7 K plus attendance (and have had such crowds for events like Ruby Canada vs. the US, and international soccer matches; football is much more popular in Canada (sorry soccer snobs) ).

Start with one division (i believe the possibility for some initial success is with the Moncton thru Quebec into Ontario areas with bigger populations to draw from than outside of a few cities out West) ; and then if there is some success, go for a West Division, and have the 2 meet in a National Title game. Similar to Junior ball - which has existed in Canada for decades, but with next to no marketing, hype or media coverage behind it.

Things like a draft or star players getting bigger salaries would be way down the road / no concern at first. Each team could concentrate on some ex U-Sport or Junior ball all-stars from their areas, but not limited to just that; but some good local content might help.

And out West might have had stronger CFL support for some time; but not so much for their U Sports teams - sometimes putrid out there for some reason ? (compared to what Laval vs. the Carabins can draw in Quebec or GGs vs. Ravens can draw at Lansdowne - both games have drawn 20K range or more - in the fall, during CFL, NFL and NCAA ball seasons.

[Mocha]

The travel costs makes some sense, though I think a western circuit could overcome the costs, given CJFL and USports teams do it.

I think teams could be put in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg at least. Not sure about BC though.

It is a bit of an oddity about USports attendance out west. Regina-Saskatchewan games sometimes draw quite well, but other times not so much. It's a shame that Simon Fraser plays in the NCAA, as the Shrum Bowl between them and UBC used to be a big event. It would be great if someday Mount Royal University in Calgary and MacEwan in Edmonton could field teams to create some cross-town rivalry bowls there. Straying off topic here, but I wish BC had at least one more USports football program.

[OV Argo]

Yeah, but - do those cities out West have stadiums with 7K plus capacity if the CFL teams/stadiums would block them from hosting?

IF there was no such issue then by all means try.

Moncton, Quebec City, Montreal (if Saputo would allow them?), Toronto (Lamport); Kingston (Richardson); London (TD) = all have such stadiums; and I doubt Ottawa/Lansdowne would block them from hosting even if the RedBlacks were to play in the sell-out XCFL; doubt they would be prohibited in Montreal from using McGill either (?)

[Mocha]

Calgary has McMahon stadium, which I think is controlled by the U of C, not the Stamps. Anyways, I don't see any teams there blocking an upstart Canadian league from using their stadiums. I think they'd rather encourage it, like they do for university and junior ball now.

[OV Argo]

The travel costs makes some sense, though I think a western circuit could overcome the costs, given CJFL and USports teams do it.

I think teams could be put in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg at least. Not sure about BC though.

It is a bit of an oddity about USports attendance out west. Regina-Saskatchewan games sometimes draw quite well, but other times not so much. It's a shame that Simon Fraser plays in the NCAA, as the Shrum Bowl between them and UBC used to be a big event. It would be great if someday Mount Royal University in Calgary and MacEwan in Edmonton could field teams to create some cross-town rivalry bowls there. Straying off topic here, but I wish BC had at least one more USports football program.

Quebec has added U Sport teams in Laval, Montreal (both powerhouse Vanier winning teams) , Sherbrooke since older days; Junior League there too; a Q team has competed for the Vanier (National Championship) the past 10 straight years and has won 6 of them !!!; plus lots of CEGEP (post HS teams) ball = Quebec is the real hot-spot in Canada for Canadian football IMO - blows away out West.

[Mocha]

I think both areas have much to crow about.

The west has five CFL teams; Quebec has one. Canada West has six USports teams; RSEQ has five (but Laval has clearly proven to be the #1 football school for about two decades now). Quebec has CEGEP football (something I wish colleges around the country would try to emulate). The West has 12 CJFL teams, with Saskatoon being as dominant a program as Laval. I wish Quebec would add teams to the CJFL ranks too.

I'm excited to see what Jim Mullin and Football Canada can come up with to integrate the different regions and leagues and hopefully grow the game even more.

[OV Argo]

[QUOTE=Mocha;153039]I think both areas have much to crow about.

The west has five CFL teams; Quebec has one. Canada West has six USports teams; RSEQ has five (but Laval has clearly proven to be the #1 football school for about two decades now). Quebec has CEGEP football (something I wish colleges around the country would try to emulate). The West has 12 CJFL teams, with Saskatoon being as dominant a program as Laval. I wish Quebec would add teams to the CJFL ranks too.



************************************************** ************
You're wanting to compare 4 Western Provinces combined to just one - Quebec ?


Not only has Quebec added strong football programs in U Sports ball - Laval, Montreal, Sherbrooke - in the fairly recent Canadian football past; but they have (always had) a Junior ball league (not currently involved with the CJFL) and something like 26 CEGEP teams - all with coaching included ;o) Again, per capita wise, they blow away any Western area, in both football participation and lower levels (not the CFL) fan support; the attendance at some very fine CanWest programs like for Calgary Dinos games, is putrid mostly; compare that to Montreal vs. Laval in the Q.