How Could the Coronavirus affect the Argos and the CFL

[argofan81]

The CFL Combine is proceeding with additional measures in place:

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/11/c...irus-concerns/

The league has officially announced the cancellation: https://www.cfl.ca/2020/03/12/statem...rus-situation/

[paulwoods13]

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I think we need to be prepared for no CFL football this year, or at least not at the usual start of the season. This thing is likely not going to get under control quickly. The NHL announcing a "short pause" to the season is laughably out of touch with reality.

[Neely2005]

The CFL Combine is proceeding with additional measures in place:

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/11/c...irus-concerns/

Combine now cancelled:

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/12/c...rt-as-planned/

[Neely2005]

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I think we need to be prepared for no CFL football this year, or at least not at the usual start of the season. This thing is likely not going to get under control quickly. The NHL announcing a "short pause" to the season is laughably out of touch with reality.

Why is it laughable? The NBA and MLS have announced that their seasons are only suspended.

[paulwoods13]

Why is it laughable? The NBA and MLS have announced that their seasons are only suspended.

It's laughable because "short pause" implies this will end quickly. According to TSN reporters, NHL has privately floated the notion that this "pause" (not a word used by NBA) will be as short as two weeks. Which is a laughable notion under the current circumstances. Not hearing anything about NBA making such absurdly optimistic projections.

[argolio]

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I think we need to be prepared for no CFL football this year, or at least not at the usual start of the season. This thing is likely not going to get under control quickly. The NHL announcing a "short pause" to the season is laughably out of touch with reality.

Maybe it will be an old-school 14-game schedule that starts in August. Starting as scheduled is in serious jeopardy at this point.

[jerrym]

Major League Baseball is cancelling spring training and delaying the start of the season by at least two weeks.

[jerrym]

The XFL is suspending its 2020 season but says it will operate in 2021.

Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games. However, all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit toward future games. The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years.

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/12/x...o-coronavirus/

[Neely2005]

It's laughable because "short pause" implies this will end quickly. According to TSN reporters, NHL has privately floated the notion that this "pause" (not a word used by NBA) will be as short as two weeks. Which is a laughable notion under the current circumstances. Not hearing anything about NBA making such absurdly optimistic projections.

So 2 weeks is laughable but the 30 Days that the NBA and MLS have announced isn't? So where is the line between a laughable and an acceptable length of time?

[paulwoods13]

So 2 weeks is laughable but the 30 Days that the NBA and MLS have announced isn't? So where is the line between a laughable and an acceptable length of time?

Don't you have more important things to focus on? I know I do.

[Neely2005]

Don't you have more important things to focus on? I know I do.

Lol, most things are more important than sports yet here we all are. I'll take that as an attempt at deflection.

[argolio]

They're saying this will peak in May in the U.K. If that's true, we'll peak later than that, which means say goodbye to June, probably July, and maybe August games.

[paulwoods13]

They're saying this will peak in May in the U.K. If that's true, we'll peak later than that, which means say goodbye to June, probably July, and maybe August games.

If this situation lasts four to six months (which certainly seems possible, if not probable), do we even have a CFL season in 2020? I think we'd need nine weeks' minimum (eight-game season, one game against every team). With three weeks of playoffs, season would have to start by mid-September at the latest, which means camp start by late August. That's just over five months from now. I could easily see this situation lasting that long.

And how long before players earning $70,000-ish over a full season decide they would be better off moving on with their post-football lives rather than wait around to possibly be paid about half that for about half a season? Because it's just about guaranteed the CFL will not be paying players for games that don't get played.

[argolio]

If this situation lasts four to six months (which certainly seems possible, if not probable), do we even have a CFL season in 2020?

I'm trying not to think there won't be a season, but, yeah, it's possible.

[Will]

4 months = yes
6 months = no

[Neely2005]

MLB announced the Season won't start until June the earliest.

[paulwoods13]

FWIW, Trump has just said the situation may go on until July or August. First bit of realism from him since the virus first emerged months ago.

IMO it's increasingly likely we will either not see the CFL at all this year, or will see a drastically reduced season.

[Neely2005]

Trudeau finally closed the Boarder to most countries so that will no doubt make players who don't live in Canada think twice about coming for the season.

[Shatto]

The best we can hope for is a reduced schedule, probably stating on Labour Day.

[paulwoods13]

New York's governor said today that the best guess for when his state will hit the peak number of cases is 45 days. That's six and a half weeks from now. That's not for this to be over, it's for it to peak. The need for corrective/defensive action will continue well beyond that time. It's absurd to think Ontario is in a significantly different position than neighbouring New York. The restrictions on movement and public gatherings are going to continue for months. Hockey and basketball seasons are done, baseball MIGHT manage a very short season in best-case scenario, football the same. If we get in an eight-game CFL season, we should consider ourselves very lucky.