M. Betts released....signed with BC

[Pete]

Because the cup is in bc no doubt they will recoup whatever they invest PROVIDED they make it to the cup

[TecnoGenius]

Because the cup is in bc no doubt they will recoup whatever they invest PROVIDED they make it to the cup

Oooooh ya.  Beating them in the WDF (hopefully in cold WPG!) will be that much sweeeeeeeeeter!!  The "BC Sux" chants will be louder than ever.

Imagine if they don't even make it out of the WSF!!  Hahaha.  It'll be epic.

[Jesse]

What's the most a team has gone over in the last, say, 5 years?  That should put BC's moves in perspective.  I don't recall anyone going over by much more than $100k.  But I could be wrong (@Stats Junkie?)

So whoever hosts the cup gets the wink & nod to flaunt the spirit of the cap?  How much do you want us to go over by in 2025?

It's not a wink and nod, it's a calculated decision based on your club's stability and your chances of making it. Hamilton took a high risk in signing Bo Levi during their last host, and fell flat on their faces.

The timing has to coincide with your team being good in the year that you host and players returning from the NFL that will move the needle. Things don't always fall into place like with the Lions this week.

But if we're at the limit next year and Tyrell Ford comes back mid-season from an NFL try out, am I going to complain that we're going to have to pay a fine to bring him home? Nope.

[TecnoGenius]

But if we're at the limit next year and Tyrell Ford comes back mid-season from an NFL try out, am I going to complain that we're going to have to pay a fine to bring him home? Nope.

But $350k over, and on many league-top players?  Really?  We're no longer talking about $100k over here.

[Jesse]

But $350k over, and on many league-top players?  Really?  We're no longer talking about $100k over here.

Again, if the same opportunities came up for us next year, where our top QB and DE became available, I want Walters to do it.

[TecnoGenius]

Again, if the same opportunities came up for us next year, where our top QB and DE became available, I want Walters to do it.

So how much should we go over then?  $350k like BC?  $1M?  $5M?

Avarice is the limit?

Why wait until mid-season?  Why not start offering every $200k superstar $400k in FA2025?  And every $300k $600k.  And so on and so forth.

We could literally build the CFL all-star team right here in blue & gold if money is no object because "it's our home GC year".  That would ensure a win!  Yay!

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Uh, when I worked for a small business doing programming, sometimes my boss would have me answer phones, or greet visitors, or go a door down to get the donuts.  I sure as heck didn't get an extra "marketing salary" for doing that stuff!  It was considered part and parcel of being employed.  (Outside of gov and Huge Corp, this tends to be true.)

So for the entire history of the CFL players were expected as part of their normal contract to do non-football appearances & stuff... but a couple of years back they negotiated free money for what they used to do for free!

And since WPG only pays like 5-6 guys "marketing money", does that mean all the other players who show up for autographs or come out to the player-pen post-game are getting the shaft?  Only the stars get to partake of this gravy train even though they all do the work?

Since Zach gets interviewed at least once or twice every week on behalf of the team and some players never do those interviews, I imagine that is one of the tasks considered promotional work.

[J5V]

So how much should we go over then?  $350k like BC?  $1M?  $5M?

Avarice is the limit?

Why wait until mid-season?  Why not start offering every $200k superstar $400k in FA2025?  And every $300k $600k.  And so on and so forth.

We could literally build the CFL all-star team right here in blue & gold if money is no object because "it's our home GC year".  That would ensure a win!  Yay!

Yeah! Spend away like a drunken sailor! Bring in all the high-priced talent you can find and let the Grey Cup profits pay for it all. Whatever team is hosting the Grey Cup that year spends until they have enough to win it all. What could go wrong?

[Jesse]

So how much should we go over then?  $350k like BC?  $1M?  $5M?

Avarice is the limit?

Why wait until mid-season?  Why not start offering every $200k superstar $400k in FA2025?  And every $300k $600k.  And so on and so forth.

We could literally build the CFL all-star team right here in blue & gold if money is no object because "it's our home GC year".  That would ensure a win!  Yay!

I think you're taking it to some ridiculous places.

We obviously have large portions of our team set. I think we should be aggressive in not letting certain players leave in the coming off-season. If we see a need in FA, I'd like to go after that need.

When it comes to this point of the year. There may be a big name coming back from the NFL or there may not. I don't think we can plan for it, but if it happens (like for BC this year), let's do it.

Obviously, I don't think we have an extra million lying around. And even a successful Grey Cup won't make up a certain amount of spending. But I wouldn't sacrifice an opportunity if the penalties are within a reasonable amount.

[gobombersgo]

What's the most a team has gone over in the last, say, 5 years?  That should put BC's moves in perspective.  I don't recall anyone going over by much more than $100k.  But I could be wrong (@Stats Junkie?)

So whoever hosts the cup gets the wink & nod to flaunt the spirit of the cap?  How much do you want us to go over by in 2025?

I believe Montreal is the only yeam to exceed the cap by more than 100k. They were over by 108k in 2007.

[TecnoGenius]

I think you're taking it to some ridiculous places.

To many of us, $350k that BC is doing right now (and they ain't done yet!) is "ridiculous places".  If you can rationalize $350k, then why not <insert dollar amount here>?

When it comes to this point of the year. There may be a big name coming back from the NFL or there may not. I don't think we can plan for it, but if it happens (like for BC this year), let's do it.

We've had lots of NFL-look guys come back in season that we lost to other teams.  And we lost them to other teams because our SMS was all used up.  That's the way it should be.

If BC had an eye on Rourke & Betts returning, which I'm nearly positive they did, they should have left a decent carve-out in the SMS.  If it didn't pan out, they could bring in other couch-sitters with the leftovers (a la MTL in 2023).

I bet you KW is livid right about now, because he plans for these things and makes sacrifices.

Obviously, I don't think we have an extra million lying around. And even a successful Grey Cup won't make up a certain amount of spending. But I wouldn't sacrifice an opportunity if the penalties are within a reasonable amount.

What was WFC bottom line profit in 2023?  I think $3M or $5M?  So there you go... we can blow past the cap by $1M to $1.5M and still show a profit, even after the fines.  And think of BC's situation: Doman could basically pay $100M in fines and not care.  If there's nothing stopping teams except the "honor system", then why not buy every all-star and build the dream team that never loses a game?  Just because it's "ridiculous"?

Might as well bring Rocket Ishmael back... cause that was really good for the league...

[Blue In BC]

Welcome to every single document the CFL has ever produced!  I've never seen rule book or CBA or anything these clowns have come up with that isn't filled with ambiguities and terrible writing.  It's like they picked the dumbest player in the whole league and said: here, you go write it!

That's what I've been saying for a month now!  Maybe it was all a fast one by the league/CFLPA to sneak more money to star players without looking like you're doing so.  Maybe it was never supposed to be in the public eye... yes, in public docs, but who here ever read that and pointed any of this out until BC started clearly abusing the situation!  No one!

If so, Ambrosie might be mega-mad at Doman right about now...

It's $110K above the SMS. Get over it.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Let's wait until we see how much they go over the cap before throwing fits, hey?

If you add up 2022 and 2023 the Bombers have been more over the cap than any other team in the CFL.

[Waffler]

This is what Farhan said:..
3. A home playoff game will more than cover the cost of Betts salary & any fine

Odd thing for a 3rd place team to be thinking. Nothing is guaranteed this year, not yet.

[Jesse]

Let's wait until we see how much they go over the cap before throwing fits, hey?

If you add up 2022 and 2023 the Bombers have been more over the cap than any other team in the CFL.

Yeah, so the vitriol seems a little unjustified.

Although we could have stayed under the limit last year has we played everyone. We chose to sit a bunch of people which I think was the thing that pushed us over.