Virtual Fan State of the League with Commissioner Randy Ambrosie

[the paw]

Lawyers are going to have a great time arguing what the word suspended means. The CFL's lawyers that the league wasn't and isn't suspended. Managment is still in place and the league is still moving forward for a 2021 season. The CFLPA lawyers will argue that the 2020 season was suspended, so the contracts are over.

IIRC the league said they were cancelling the 2020 season, not suspending it, so my guess is they will win the argument, but I'm no lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

I cant point to concrete evidence, but I believe that when the CFLPA and the league agreed to collaborate on making sure players were mostly eligible for the COVID benefit payments, that was the carrot for the CFLPA to agree that the clause cancelling all contracts would not be in force.  But, if I am not mistaken, all current contracts still have a year tick off the clock.

That means all the free agents from the end of 2019 who were not re-signed, plus anyone whose contract was set to expire after 2020, plus all the guys who elected to opt out of their contract to try the NFL, will all be hitting the free agent market going into 2021.

I expect massive player movement, plus there is a strong likelihood that they "modify" the salary cap for 2021 to accommodate pandemic impacts.  This will allow teams to sign players to somewhat less generous one year deals.  That will act as a bridge to whatever the new business model and CBA is going to be post 2022.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it....

[blue_or_die]

Lawyers are going to have a great time arguing what the word suspended means. The CFL's lawyers that the league wasn't and isn't suspended. Managment is still in place and the league is still moving forward for a 2021 season. The CFLPA lawyers will argue that the 2020 season was suspended, so the contracts are over.

IIRC the league said they were cancelling the 2020 season, not suspending it, so my guess is they will win the argument, but I'm no lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

As for the vaccine... I'll get it as soon as it's availble to me. If I were running things, and I'm not, I'd make it so you got an offical document and it goes into the medical database to prove that you had both shots and I'd make it manditory to have had the vaccine to travel. If I were any country or cruise line or all incusive etc., I'd make it manditory that people coming in had been vaccinated to greatly reduce the risk of having to shut down yet again.

Sounds like a fabulously expensive way to blow $$$ for a cash-strapped league! 

[Blue In BC]

The league and CFLPA must be in on going discussions. We don't know which direction the arguments are heading.

Contracts can lean one way or the other legally but winning the legal argument is not always in the best interests of a given winning side. The leagues survival is in play here.

Taking a worst case position, if the league has to pay 2020 salaries, the league is done. A 2nd aspect worst case position is total free agency of all players.

Even we we get a covid solution and approval for fans in the stands, either of the above wouldn't be good. Surviving and any sort of team continuity are both important factors.

It's ugly and hopefully I we get more info in December or at least before the draft.

[TBURGESS]

I cant point to concrete evidence, but I believe that when the CFLPA and the league agreed to collaborate on making sure players were mostly eligible for the COVID benefit payments, that was the carrot for the CFLPA to agree that the clause cancelling all contracts would not be in force.  But, if I am not mistaken, all current contracts still have a year tick off the clock.

That means all the free agents from the end of 2019 who were not re-signed, plus anyone whose contract was set to expire after 2020, plus all the guys who elected to opt out of their contract to try the NFL, will all be hitting the free agent market going into 2021.

I expect massive player movement, plus there is a strong likelihood that they "modify" the salary cap for 2021 to accommodate pandemic impacts.  This will allow teams to sign players to somewhat less generous one year deals.  That will act as a bridge to whatever the new business model and CBA is going to be post 2022.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it....

Good theory. I seem to remember something like that too.

[Blue In BC]

Free agency in February 2021 will be interesting. If people don't have confidence in a Covid solution as vaccines come available, will there be an unwillingness of players ( or teams ) to commit to new contracts.

Will teams be willing to have signing bonus contracts without absolute certainty of a season?

[Donny C]

Hoping you're not the majority.

We will miss you at games, Donny.

I don't think that it will be made mandatory to attend games. Time will tell!

My wife is the CFO for a fairly sizable health organization and meets with doctors...so I will continue to watch the attitude of those in the field.

[Donny C]

Recent reports indicate that the vaccine will be a 2 does vaccine and not readily available...I don't think the CFL will be able to wait for a vaccine.

[Pigskin]

There are new vaccine info every day. To day on CNN there was a report that there is a new company in the game. There vaccine can be stored at normal fridge temps for long periods of time and is waiting for the US, FDA approval next month. Sounds like this is a one injection vaccine. 

[the paw]

There are new vaccine info every day. To day on CNN there was a report that there is a new company in the game. There vaccine can be stored at normal fridge temps for long periods of time and is waiting for the US, FDA approval next month. Sounds like this is a one injection vaccine. 

You are talking about the Oxford vaccine.  It is apparently 70% effective with a single dose, but if they give you a single dose and then a half-dose, that can go up to 90%.  So, still two trips to the doc, but it requires a little less vaccine to be produced.

The two biggest things about the Oxford vaccine are the ability to store it in fridge (as you mentioned) and that it is much more affordable than the others.  In Canada we will probably see all 3 vaccines deployed initially, but globally, I think the Oxford is likely to be the vaccine of choice.

But whether any of these three are widely available prior to a CFL season is pretty speculative. I think by fall, things might look a little more possible. 

[Pigskin]

You are talking about the Oxford vaccine.  It is apparently 70% effective with a single dose, but if they give you a single dose and then a half-dose, that can go up to 90%.  So, still two trips to the doc, but it requires a little less vaccine to be produced.

The two biggest things about the Oxford vaccine are the ability to store it in fridge (as you mentioned) and that it is much more affordable than the others.  In Canada we will probably see all 3 vaccines deployed initially, but globally, I think the Oxford is likely to be the vaccine of choice.

But whether any of these three are widely available prior to a CFL season is pretty speculative. I think by fall, things might look a little more possible. 

The problem for Canada is, we are not producing any vaccine. We have to rely on other countries.