CFL Special Report : A New Golden Era

[Aaronhere]

FROM THE CALGARY HERALD:

Beginning Friday - A three-part series looking at the financial health of Canadian football. Also, watch reporter Tony Seskus discuss the project on Global TV's Morning Show Thursday at 7:05 a.m

Things I will be looking for:
* Expansion to Halifax
* Expansion to the United States
* The return of Ottawa to the CFL
* An indoor league in Canada


http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=655ff4d5-f967-4c70-8f58-275fbd6ba067

[sportsguy12]

FROM THE CALGARY HERALD:

Beginning Friday - A three-part series looking at the financial health of Canadian football. Also, watch reporter Tony Seskus discuss the project on Global TV's Morning Show Thursday at 7:05 a.m

Things I will be looking for:
* Expansion to Halifax
* Expansion to the United States
* The return of Ottawa to the CFL
* An indoor league in Canada


http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=655ff4d5-f967-4c70-8f58-275fbd6ba067

to the US after the last round did so poorly. Halifax needs a stadium and why establish an indoor league when you have the already-established AFL.

[firewolff]

I know many of the die-hard CFL fans loathe the idea of returning to the States, but just because it didn't work in Birmingham or Shreveport doesn't mean it couldn't work elsewhere.

If a team were to come to Portland here in the West (where there's limited opportunities for expansion in Canada), I'd work another job for season tickets.

But yes, I'm sure the league is more interested in Halifax and returning to Ottawa (if they can get the right people involved) first.

[Shootmaster_44]

I know many of the die-hard CFL fans loathe the idea of returning to the States, but just because it didn't work in Birmingham or Shreveport doesn't mean it couldn't work elsewhere.

If a team were to come to Portland here in the West (where there's limited opportunities for expansion in Canada), I'd work another job for season tickets.

But yes, I'm sure the league is more interested in Halifax and returning to Ottawa (if they can get the right people involved) first.

The reason they went to the States the first time around is the league was nearly broke. They saw an opening to get some expansion fees into the league's coffers and did so. It nearly killed the CFL altogether. The CFL is a different place now and I highly doubt a return to the States will happen soon.

That said, if the CFL were to consider expansion teams in the US, I would hope they would make sure the stadium could fit a CFL sized field. The 9 yard end zones in Vegas (I think it was) were ridiculous. If the stadium could not accommodate a 150 yard field (110 yard plus two 20 yard end zones) then I would not be in favor of it going there.

As for the indoor league, I could see it working if it was tied to the CFL. Either playing during the off-season like the Caribbean Winter baseball leagues do or use the league as a place for the Developmental Squads to play. Either way, the indoor league would have to be tied to the CFL. There would be 8 teams in the league and each could be affiliated with a local CFL team. So essentially, you could have Victoria (BC Lions), Lethbridge (or Medicine Hat or Kelowna) (Calgary Stampeders), Red Deer (Edmonton Eskimos), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan Roughriders), Brandon (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), Mississauga (Toronto Argonauts), St. Catherines (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and Quebec City (Montreal Alouettes) in the league. When the CFL expands then the indoor league could expand.

The other option is to place teams in cities with large CIS football/CJFL followings and capitalize on that (akin to the AAFL). Teams in Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, Kelowna, London, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Halifax. As the league grew in popularity, you could start thinking about placing teams in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

It would need to have some rules to make it Canadianized though, such as the single for missed field goals and perhaps a slightly larger field (if its possible in these arenas). Also you'd either play 7 or 9 man football to be different than the AFL. Of course it would have to be a 3 down league as well. But if all of those are in place it could be successful.