Major Announcement from Commish Tomorrow.

[paulwoods13]

The league has been fine for generations with the rouge. It's no secret. If you don't want a single point scored on you, then don't let the offense in range, maybe?

But the league has not been fine for generations, in general. There are currently two very successful franchises, two or three struggling to attract fans, and the rest somewhere in the middle. The CFL is failing as an entertainment business. It has virtually no opportunity to expand, so it has to try to grow its existing customer base. This is an attempt to make the product more entertaining, in hopes of a boost to the business. Time will tell whether it works. But the status quo is definitely not working.

[paulwoods13]

The possibility of returning a missed FG will be virtually non existent. How often do you see a FG attempt come up short? With the 55 yard line being removed, where will a team scrimmage after a FG is missed? The 20? Seems like it's going to be even more difficult to play Defense with these changes.It could have been much worse however.

Returning missed FGs happens very infrequently as it is, and in the future will happen only on the extremely rare occasions when a kicker comes up short (likely at the end of a game on a desperation long kick). Sure, it's exciting when a returner brings one back a long way, but it happens maybe three times a season. And under the current rules, field goals happen seven or eight times a game (I'm estimating, haven't looked up the stats) and are almost always successful. I'd be very happy to see fewer field goals and more attempts to move the football (and ultimately score TDs) within opposition territory.

[Scooter McCray]

I love a missed FG return for a TD. Who doesn't, its an exciting football play. But, I believe the opening of the endzone with the moved goalpost will create more TDs and far outweigh the return Td from a missed FG.

After listening to Dunks interview with Johnston, I feel better about not moving to 4 downs, etc anytime soon or that its on their radar.

Status quo is not an option. And we all want to see entertaining football. These changes provide an opportunity to expand our great game without selling out. I'm willing to give it a go.

[RichK]

Ben Grant makes a solid point:

My only concern is how the clock will work within the final three minutes. I don’t want teams to be able to run for a first down with 1:45 remaining and then take three knees.

I’m ok with everything else, this is far and away my biggest concern also with the changes. How could these idiots not think about clarifying how the new 35 second clock will work in the last three minutes of a half? Something really great about this league will be lost without the clock stoppages in the last 3.

[Scooter McCray]

Ben Grant makes a solid point:

My only concern is how the clock will work within the final three minutes. I don’t want teams to be able to run for a first down with 1:45 remaining and then take three knees.

I’m ok with everything else, this is far and away my biggest concern also with the changes. How could these idiots not think about clarifying how the new 35 second clock will work in the last three minutes of a half? Something really great about this league will be lost without the clock stoppages in the last 3.

...Or provide more timeouts, restructure challenges so that they don't eat up timeouts (loss of down maybe). Johnston said yesterday the rules committee in the off-season will look at rule changes around these new changes, NOT at things like 4 downs, etc

[ArgoGabe22]

A fun/funny conspiracy I read is that TSN brought on Luke Willson to soften the blow of these changes by using him to publicly bash the league in lead up. To highlight how broken and antiquated the rules are, play is poor, the game sucks and needs changes. This seems a lot more plausible than flat earth conspiracies.

[AngeloV]

Finally Toronto can move the cameras from the east side to the west side and view the a fuller stadium and the other fans might stop mocking the team. I am sure the stadium will be rewired for the World Cup to accomplish this.

Why would that change? The reason the cameras are on the west side is so they don’t look into the sun.

[AngeloV]

The league has been fine for generations with the rouge. It's no secret. If you don't want a single point scored on you, then don't let the offense in range, maybe?

But the league has not been fine for generations, in general. There are currently two very successful franchises, two or three struggling to attract fans, and the rest somewhere in the middle. The CFL is failing as an entertainment business. It has virtually no opportunity to expand, so it has to try to grow its existing customer base. This is an attempt to make the product more entertaining, in hopes of a boost to the business. Time will tell whether it works. But the status quo is definitely not working.

I agree Paul. The league would have died already if you didn’t have owners willing to take losses for so long. Don’t get me wrong, I wish the only changes were the new play clock, but the majority of the game will still be the same.
By the way, I really feel the reason for the 100 yard field is because US expansion will be on the horizon in the near future….once our governments are friends again, so let’s say 2028.

[IssuesMcgee]

The league has been fine for generations with the rouge. It's no secret. If you don't want a single point scored on you, then don't let the offense in range, maybe?

But the league has not been fine for generations, in general. There are currently two very successful franchises, two or three struggling to attract fans, and the rest somewhere in the middle. The CFL is failing as an entertainment business. It has virtually no opportunity to expand, so it has to try to grow its existing customer base. This is an attempt to make the product more entertaining, in hopes of a boost to the business. Time will tell whether it works. But the status quo is definitely not working.

Sure the status quo is not working, but that doesn't mean Americanizing the game is a good idea.

Look at it this way. I've seen plenty of people here and elsewhere online declaring they will not renew their seasons if these changes go through. So there is at least some evidence to suggest fans will be lost as a result of this change.

Can you provide any evidence the fan base will grow as a result of these changes? Have you seen anyone online saying they will finally start watching the CFL because of this?

Change for the sake of change just doesn't cut it with me. That attitude is exactly how you get an LRT through the city that doesn't work.

[paulwoods13]

Can you provide any evidence the fan base will grow as a result of these changes? Have you seen anyone online saying they will finally start watching the CFL because of this?

No, I cannot. But I can provide lots of evidence that what the league is doing now isn't working -- and likely isn't ever gonna work -- in its biggest market, and is barely working in several other markets. So the new boss, with the support of the Board of Governors whose investments are on the line, is taking a stab at trying something that might work. Or might not. But at least they are trying. I do realize that won't persuade any of those opposed to this, but IMO nothing would.