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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Arena Three Downs Is Enough – The CFL Thread

Discussion in 'Community' started by PymParticles , May 14, 2023.

  1. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    It’s almost June, which means the start of the Canadian football season is upon us. While not as flashy, wealthy or well known as our southern neighbour’s football league, the CFL has just as much (if not more) history behind it, and a quality of on-field play that is higher than I think most people would assume.

    A rundown for those more familiar with the American brand of gridiron football: the CFL was created via a merger in 1958 between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (founded 1907) and the Western Interprovincial Football Union (founded 1911). There are currently nine teams, unevenly divided 4-5 into the East Division and West Division respectively, although there have been plans for some time now to add a 10th team representing the Atlantic provinces in either Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. This season, teams will be competing for the 110th Grey Cup.

    East Division
    • Toronto Argonauts
    • Hamilton Tiger-Cats
    • Montréal Alouettes (Les Alouettes de Montréal)
    • Ottawa RedBlacks (Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa)
    West Division
    • Winnipeg Blue Bombers
    • Saskatchewan Roughriders
    • Edmonton Elks
    • Calgary Stampeders
    • BC Lions
    There are a few major rules differences between the CFL and NFL that make the Canadian game distinctly different. The field is both longer and wider (110 yards x 65 yards); the goalposts are at the front of the endzone, which is 20 yards long; there are only three downs per posession, which leads to a faster-paced and strategically different game; there’s no fair catch rule on punt returns; there are 12 players on the field; there are only two timeouts per team; a missed field goal that either goes out of the endzone or lands in the endzone but is not removed by the defending team is worth one point (this is famously called a rouge). There are others, but these would be the most immediately notable differences when watching a game.

    I have no idea how much interest there will actually be in a thread like this, but I figured if we have threads for the XFL and USFL, why not the CFL? If you want to follow along, the schedule for the 2023 season is linked here.

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2008
    My first and possibly most important question is: does Toronto have a player or coach named Jason? If not, why is this not mandatory?
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2023
  3. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    No, but the team's GM has been by my office a couple of times, so I can make this request in person. Now that you've pointed it out, this is an egregious oversight and just completely unacceptable.
     
  4. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    Hamilton hosting the Grey Cup this year! Last time they hosted Ticats made it. And lost a heartbreaker. So hopefully this year Hamilton Tiger-Cats make it and win. Because we've haven't won a Grey Cup since 1999. In an 8 or 9 team league, that's a feat!
    Anyway Pigskin Pete knows the cheer.

    ALSO Argos Suck!
     
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  5. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    I might head down to Hamilton (if I can stomach it [face_sick]) for the Grey Cup later this year! Hoping to see a repeat win for the boatmen.

    ARRRRRRRGOOOOOOOOS!
     
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  6. Darth Chiznuk

    Darth Chiznuk Superninja of Future Films star 8 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    No one cares.

    :p
     
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  7. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    20,000 Ticat game average fans can't be wrong! (Which is much better than the Argos)
    Suck!
     
  8. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    Yeah, we have by far the worst attendance in the league, which is really disappointing. I love this city, but I think its “we’re a world class city” mentality will keep it from caring unless there’s an NFL team here. I’ll believe that when I see it, but in the meantime: ARRRRGOOOOOOS!

    As a Titans fan, you have no right to make comments about football no one cares about :p
     
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  9. Point Given

    Point Given Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2006
    Question: If the Western Conference has 5 teams, representing the four major western provinces, and the Eastern Conference only has 4, 3 of them in Ontario, why not add one more team either in Quebec City for a second team in Quebec, or in Halifax to represent the Maritimes?
     
  10. starfish

    starfish Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 9, 2003
    I watched a couple games on ESPN+ last year, hopefully they are on that again this year
     
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  11. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    They keep saying there's going to be a East Coast team but no dice. And Montreal is also struggling for keeping afloat, technically owned by the CFL until about 2 months ago. At least we don't have two Roughriders anymore!
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2023
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  12. Darth_Duck

    Darth_Duck Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2000
    There's been talk of adding a team in Halifax off-and-on for decades. It picked up steam (again) a few years ago, but (what little) enthusiasm there was fizzled with the pandemic. They want the governments to build them a stadium. We don't want the governments to do that. So far the governments have not, a rare win for we the people. And there's no other suitable facility. Huskies Stadium is way to small, Wanderers Grounds is this weird semi-permanent soccer stadium and not suited.

    Frankly, if Moncton wants the Atlantic Schooners (that's the proposed name) they can ****ing build a stadium for them. If they have a stadium already then I don't know why the CFL isn't there now, they want an Atlantic team

    (I mean, I do know why they wouldn'tbe there, Moncton, No Funswick, sucks)
     
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  13. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    There have been talks for years about expanding with a team called the Atlantic Schooners in either Halifax or Moncton, NB. Over the past few months it's sounded like the league has gotten more serious about actually moving forward with this, but I'll believe it when I see it. It would probably require a temporary pop-up stadium until they can find a way to build a more permanent stadium. Much like the public hostility to investing any taxpayer money into a potential NFL stadium for a Toronto team, which Goodell has cited as one of the biggest deterrents to expanding the league up here, Canadians are generally opposed to public funding for sports facilities... unless it's a hockey arena, at which point it turns into an election issue. I'm not kidding.

    They've also been a bit more vocal recently about looking at Quebec City, where the local Laval Rouge et Or might be the only truly popular college football team in the country. I think the Alouettes' new owner might help make that more likely. Not only would a team in Quebec City create an instant rivalry with Montreal, which would potentially be a huge boon to that team's popularity, but the owner has been one of the biggest proponents for bringing the Quebec Nordiques back, so he definitely has his eyes on Quebec City (he's also a hardcore Quebec nationalist and former leader of the separatist Parti Québécois, which is frankly hilarious).

    I want separate teams in NS and NB just for the intensely bitter rivalry. Literally no other reason.
     
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  14. starfish

    starfish Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 9, 2003
    they have that one ok brewery, the pump house or something lol
     
  15. Darth_Duck

    Darth_Duck Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2000
    For a second I was excited that Lucien Buchard was making crazy power moves in his 80s, but no...
     
  16. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    This was the weirdest way for me to overcome a “Berenstain Bear” level personal misconception and realize that Lucien Bouchard was stil alive…
     
  17. Darth Chiznuk

    Darth Chiznuk Superninja of Future Films star 8 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Kenneth Morgan

    Kenneth Morgan Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    May 27, 1999
    I started watching CFL games after my brother Bri recommended them. My Mom used to listen to CFL games over CHML, especially the Ti-Cats. I think they're an OK change of pace. And the Grey Cup game from, I believe, a couple of years ago, when the snow covered the field for the first half, was way better than your average, indoor Super Bowl.
     
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  19. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 13, 2007
    Is this to increase the chances of hilarity when someone runs into them?
     
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  20. vin

    vin Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 1999
    Never forget the expansion into the US.
    [​IMG]
    The Baltimore Stallions proved that the city was ready for another NFL team.

    The Birmingham Barracudas uniforms were horrific along with the Memphis Maddogs.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  21. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    I try to forget it after a US team won the Grey Cup. Anyway Ticats preseason game on Saturday! Give me a chance to practice my drinking
     
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  22. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    I was considering driving down there for the game, but my parents are in town so we'll just be up in Blue Mountain instead. Are you going or just watching?
     
  23. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    Going to the game I don't think TSN is even broadcasting it, email says streaming on CFL.ca
     
  24. PymParticles

    PymParticles Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2014
    Oh right, I should have shared this last week when the news broke:

    All preseason games are going to be live streamed for free in the US on CFL Preseason Live (six games are available on the service in Canada; the rest are on TSN/RDS).

    All regular season games not broadcast on CBS will be live streamed for free on CFL+ for US audiences. As always, every game will be on TSN/RDS in Canada.
     
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  25. Kenneth Morgan

    Kenneth Morgan Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    May 27, 1999
    I'm disappointed they won't be on ESPN. I'm not sure my Mom's cable system carries CBS Sports, and she won't be able to see the Grey Cup, since it will only be streaming.