Blue Bombers Transactions - August 17, 2025

[Tecno]

This whole ratio business is so poorly thought out. It isn't even the least bit Canadian.

I argue more Canadians would feel proud and identify with a league that has equal rules for all, where talent and hard work alone is celebrated. A league where it doesn't matter where you are from, if you are good enough, you will be welcomed and find comfort in friends, family and teammates.

You could just as easily go the other way.  Let's change the CFL to exclude everyone who's not Canadian.  I'd probably rather do that than turn into XFL-North.

In fact, I do believe at one time that was the case -- before the concept of an "IMP".

[theaardvark]

Ratio will always be part of the CBA discussions, and as long as ratio means that more than 50% of the league needs Canadian status, we know how that works.  Stack the voters...

The minute the union gives in on any of the ratio, then the ratio becomes in peril of totally disappearing.  Because when the union is majority non Canadian, why would they vote to exclude themselves?

The biggest issue with True Canadians making the league is the fact that Americans have access to high level training and coaching from the time they can walk.  Canadians in certain areas have good high school mentors, and a limited number get into Universities with decent levels of coaching, and a select few come up through the junior ranks, but in general, by the time they are eligible to play CFL ball, their skills are just not honed the same way Americans are, or "fake passport" Nats. 

So True Canadians need some time at the pro level to catch up and blossom.  Creating a pathway for them to develop at the pro level, be it special PR's or expanded AR's that allow you to carry addition True Canadians on ELC's need to be in place to protect that development.  There will be some that jump the line due to pure talent, like the Philpots, but others will need a few seasons of "seasoning".