Canada's Dream Team

[Nob]

Interesting article by Ian Busby on Slam yesterday. In it he talks about football being an Olympic sport, and if it was who would be on team Canada (sorry, I don't know how to paste the link here. Maybe somebody else can. It is a good read.).

Of the 39 Canadian players (all in the CFL) that he picked only 3 (yes, three) are Argos. He picked Foley and Van Zeyl as starters, and Durie as a back up.

Let's not lose perspective of whether Durie should be a starter or a back up. The point here is one that I'm sure a lot of you are tired of hearing me harp upon - the Argos NI content needs a talent infusion. I get that we lost Greenwood and Holmes to the NFL, and that it's too early for some of the recent draft picks. Other teams have the same challenge too. However, the Argos aren't getting quality Canadian players.

Sorry to be repetitive, but I think you are only as good as your Canadian talent is.

[1argoholic]

Nob I agree with you totally as I've been harking on about our Canadian talent as well. I don't know how to copy and paste either. Only with a pen, paper and glue. haha.

[Nob]

I was curious as to what people outside the Argo faithful thought of the Argos' Canadian content. I think Busby's opinion doesn't differ much from mine.

[ArgoZ]

Canada could field a good team. Quarterback would be the only problem. At least we would be gauranteed a Silver! This would never happen though in the NFL. You don't pay Drew Brees 20 Million a year to get injured during the summer.

[argolio]

Goodell is either insane or looking for publicity. There's no chance football will ever be an Olympic sport with pro players.

[Gill The Thrill]

The NFL is very envious of the publicty that the NBA gets in the summer games for sending their pros, and even envious of the notoriety the NHL gets for snding their players to the winter games.

It's all about selling jerseys and marketing their players and the NFL knows that they are behind internationally to the NBA in that regard...you could make an argument they're even behind the NHL for international marketing.

In reality, football should not be an olympic sport even though Goodell says 64 countries play American Football...The sad thing is that these countries are not playing the better brand of North American Gridiron....Canadian Football.

[AngeloV]

Goodell is either insane or looking for publicity. There's no chance football will ever be an Olympic sport with pro players.

You are correct. There is no chance that the NFL would send players to possibly play 4 or 5 games in a 2 week period. Their union for starters would likely not allow it. There is a reason that football is only played once a week.

[jerrym]

Having good Canadians has always been one of the keys to success in the CFL. Furthermore, as Canadian talent has steadily improved (as seen in the growing stream of Canadians heading to the NFL and the July victory of under 19 Canadians over the US squad) it will become even more important. The Argos therefore need to make a major effort to develop more Canadians if they are to have long term success.

[OV Argo]

The old CFL cliche that "you win with your Canadian content" is over-stated and not realistic IMO; you win by having good football players, period - and you need both good imports and NIs; AND, maybe more importantly, by having sharp coaches drawing up the plays, formations, schemes and adjustments, plus deploying their talent smartly - IMO; but since the good ole CFL has moved to allow more imports on the rosters, and are not increasing Canadian content - seems to me, import talent is more important anyways maybe - when almost three quarters of your starters can be imports.

And Candian talent may be improving - with more and better CIS programs and lots of good junior programs too, plus more and more Canadian players getting US college ball training - but you can count on the good oles who run the CFL whining and clamoring for more imports and / or less NIs when Ottawa comes back in the league or any other expansion is considered. There may be plenty of good Canadian football talent, but that talent pool getting the respect it deserves - from some of the "radicals" in the CFL - is another matter alltogether.

As for the question of the Argos' NI talent - i think it's OK, but hardly great or as good as a number of other CFL teams; the Argos need to get wayyyyyyy better in the draft IMO - a source of weakness for years now; and they might start signing more top NI free agents when they become available - these are things that the key football decsion makers on the team - GM, HC, director of personnel - need to care about and do lots of work at.

[ArgoRavi]

The old CFL cliche that "you win with your Canadian content" is over-stated and not realistic IMO; you win by having good football players, period - and you need both good imports and NIs; AND, maybe more importantly, by having sharp coaches drawing up the plays, formations, schemes and adjustments, plus deploying their talent smartly - IMO; but since the good ole CFL has moved to allow more imports on the rosters, and are not increasing Canadian content - seems to me, import talent is more important anyways maybe - when almost three quarters of your starters can be imports.

And Candian talent may be improving - with more and better CIS programs and lots of good junior programs too, plus more and more Canadian players getting US college ball training - but you can count on the good oles who run the CFL whining and clamoring for more imports and / or less NIs when Ottawa comes back in the league or any other expansion is considered. There may be plenty of good Canadian football talent, but that talent pool getting the respect it deserves - from some of the "radicals" in the CFL - is another matter alltogether.

As for the question of the Argos' NI talent - i think it's OK, but hardly great or as good as a number of other CFL teams; the Argos need to get wayyyyyyy better in the draft IMO - a source of weakness for years now; and they might start signing more top NI free agents when they become available - these are things that the key football decsion makers on the team - GM, HC, director of personnel - need to care about and do lots of work at.

I agree with much of what you say here, OV, about Canadian talent and there should absolutely be no movement afoot to further reduce or minimize Canadian content. The Argos have made a couple of good recent signings in Walter Spencer and Etienne Boulay. Both have helped the coverage teams immensely while Boulay is now taking snaps on defence as well.

[matchuk]

You are correct. There is no chance that the NFL would send players to possibly play 4 or 5 games in a 2 week period. Their union for starters would likely not allow it. There is a reason that football is only played once a week.

not to mention north america is the only place "american football" is played...would be pretty sad watching usa vs china in football

[OV Argo]

not to mention north america is the only place "american football" is played...would be pretty sad watching usa vs china in football

The game of football - as we call it in Canada & the USA - is only played seriously by those 2 countries; a bunch of other nations play a bit of American football in a very minor way = not even close to an international / Olympic sport; other countries who play some "football" couldn't come close to putting together a team that wouldn't get anything but absolutely slaughtered by either the US or Canada - total waste of time reality idea, but i guess an interesing discussion idea in the time of Olympic games.

OTOH - baseball, basketball, hockey and of course soccer -those are true international team sports played seriously by a lot of nations - and worthy of some interesting international competition.

[1argoholic]

I think there's plenty more nations playing the game at younger ages due to the NFL pushing the sport overseas. Look at that Challenge Cup that Canada won this year. I think it's highschool kids. One kid I got to see play here in Duncan with a Victoria team was in that game last year at did very well. Terrell Davis is his name and he's starting his freshman year at Arizona St this year. Plus he's a rb. Nice name to have to live up to.

[LLB997]

The article gets a little silly when the writer said something along the lines of Canada has a good shot at silver. Canada would be more of a shoe in for a silver than usa would be for gold. Even with a college QB leading a CFL Canadian All Star team who exactly would be challenging Canada for the silver? Greece? XD

[Will]

The Japanese have taken a liking to football apparently and fields a descent team from what I understand.

[LLB997]

Ive seen a bit of that Japanese league on the net (XFL). i personally don't consider them any sort of threat to a Canadian CFL all star team with all due respect to the Japanese side.

[Argocister]

Last year there was an international competition for players over the junior age..... 22 or 23? Canada fielded a team of older university players, CFL free agents that didn't have a team, and other Canadians that either just recently turned to coaching or play in the European league. It was held in June so CFL players already are committed to their training camps.
Canada did get the silver.
I believe they are planning another " senior" international competition in 3-4 years.
Maybe this is the " practice" Olympics to see if they can try it some year. I think timing will be the biggest issue though. Once the host country for the Olympics wants it held in September, all the players will be at their respective teams.
The time needed to put together a team and play for 3 weeks is too long for a summer Olympics. I can't imagine any CFL team , let alone NFL team allowing some of their top players to take off for 4- 5 weeks. NBA is lucky as their season doesn't coincide with the summer Olympics. NHL doesn't need to release the players for as long.