Virtual Fan State of the League with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie

[DCM]

The virtual Fan State of the League with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie takes place on Monday November 16th at 3 PM ET.

Submit your questions at this link: https://www.cfl.ca/townhall/

[Bombers9256]

Anyone listen to this? I did. You missed absolutely nothing. Sad.

[ModAdmin]

Short on specifics but optimistic for a 2021 season with fans in the stands.  Of course it all depends on COVID.  The league is still in discussion with the federal government on funding as well as exploring options in the private sector.  Seems pretty clear the league wants to continue but the status of COVID will dictate where the league goes from here.

[Pigskin]

I wasn't expecting to much.

[Pigskin]

Short on specifics but optimistic for a 2021 season with fans in the stands.  Of course it all depends on COVID.  The league is still in discussion with the federal government on funding as well as exploring options in the private sector.  Seems pretty clear the league wants to continue but the status of COVID will dictate where the league goes from here.

The border will be another big issue. I was asked today if I would support the Bombers if they played with a roster of mainly Canadians for 2021.

[Blue In BC]

The border will be another big issue. I was asked today if I would support the Bombers if they played with a roster of mainly Canadians for 2021.

How did you respond?

[Pigskin]

Yes, if it means keeping the CFL alive, and players employed and on the field, I would support it.

[Blue In BC]

Yes, if it means keeping the CFL alive, and players employed and on the field, I would support it.

Does it accomplish that though? Essentially you'd be getting Canadian college football with some players that were already in the CFL.

Are there even 18 Canadian QB's ( 2/ team ) to add to rosters regardless of skill level?

For that matter: 60 players per team ( 46 AR, 10 PR, maybe 4 on IR ) = 540 players. I have my doubts there are ever that many available at any one time, let alone " qualified " by any stretch of definition.

OTOH, I would watch actual college football if games were televised. Game quality is not usually very good or competitive.

[the paw]

Short on specifics but optimistic for a 2021 season with fans in the stands.  Of course it all depends on COVID.  The league is still in discussion with the federal government on funding as well as exploring options in the private sector.  Seems pretty clear the league wants to continue but the status of COVID will dictate where the league goes from here.

I think we will see one or more vaccines approved in December and deployed to health care workers starting in January.  I don't remember the exact number of doses the government has already contracted for, but it isn't enough for everyone (yet).

So the question is how quickly can the vaccine be manufactured and deployed to Joe Q. Fan?   I think maybe April, but that is a pretty optimistic schedule.  But if that turns out to be the case, we may actually see fans in the stands this summer.  But it is far from guaranteed.  If half the population hasn't been vaccinated by June, then it would be foolhardy to go ahead with the season as normally scheduled. 

I think getting players tested, across the border, quarantined in a team-monitored setting, and into training camp would be do-able.  But its all for naught if you can't sell tickets, so I think all hopes are riding on this vaccine. 

[Pigskin]

Does it accomplish that though? Essentially you'd be getting Canadian college football with some players that were already in the CFL.

Are there even 18 Canadian QB's ( 2/ team ) to add to rosters regardless of skill level?

For that matter: 60 players per team ( 46 AR, 10 PR, maybe 4 on IR ) = 540 players. I have my doubts there are ever that many available at any one time, let alone " qualified " by any stretch of definition.

OTOH, I would watch actual college football if games were televised. Game quality is not usually very good or competitive.

As you do most of the time, your getting far to carried away. The question I was asked was mainly Canadian players. There was no numbers put out there, no said the QB's had to be Canadian.

I attend most if not all the Bison games, also many of the Rifles games. Most games are very competitive and a good way to see the future stars of the CFL and support Canadian Football.

[Sec223]

The border will be another big issue. I was asked today if I would support the Bombers if they played with a roster of mainly Canadians for 2021.

I understand the thinking of mailny Candian players but how many Americans live in Canada year round that would qualify ? Also why couldn't Americans come and isolate and be eligible ? Some teams may have more Americans living in their cities making it unfair ? Why stay in Winnipeg for the winter ?? BC maybe.

[Blue In BC]

As you do most of the time, your getting far to carried away. The question I was asked was mainly Canadian players. There was no numbers put out there, no said the QB's had to be Canadian.

I attend most if not all the Bison games, also many of the Rifles games. Most games are very competitive and a good way to see the future stars of the CFL and support Canadian Football.

Not really. I made a valid point. I also said " essentially ".  Mostly is a wide term but even an optimist can see how difficult it would be to replace key American players, particularly QB's.  Competitiveness would be out the window.

The majority of CFL fans don't attend Canadian college games. Getting them to CFL games is hard enough.

[Pigskin]

The majority of CFL fans don't attend Canadian college games. Getting them to CFL games is hard enough.

Cases and point, yourself.

[Donny C]

Don't count on a vaccine, especially if that is a requirement to attend games.

I know there was a piece done about Ticketmaster requiring people to get vaccines to attend events, but in my opinion, that won't fly!

Fans are already attending games less and less. And there is at least some subset of the population (myself included) that won't be at the front of the line to get a vaccine (in my opinion) that was rushed to market.

[Blue In BC]

Cases and point, yourself.

I've been to college games,  watch every CFL game or college game if on TV.  I record and re-watch all Bomber games several times. I have a Bomber game library on DVD 1985 - 2005 about 230 games, so yes football is more than a passing interest. I never suggested I wouldn't go or watch those games on TV.

It's known that attendance is low at college games and CFL games. So I don't know what POINT you are trying to make. No fans potentially in the stands doesn't bode well for building TV viewership even with normal rosters.

I merely asked for a clarification of what this would look like and suggested some pitfalls that are obvious.

In 2020 our roster would have had 22 imports + 2 global on the AR. Total 24 AR and maybe 10 on PR.

Feel free to define what switching out MOST of that would potentially look like? Even just on the AR. I'd be curious. It's a discussion not an argument.

What does a CFL look like if a given team has their veteran import QB ( let's say BLM or Reilly ) and another team ends up having to roster a Canadian QB. That's just ONE consideration of a reduced roster of mostly Canadians.

What would Bombers look like without Collaros, Bryant, Hardrick, Bighill, Jefferson and Jeffcoat? That's only 6 players. Not sure if any of them live in Canada permanently. However it's just an example of 6 players.