CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[Tecno]

Hahaha the worse argument for keeping the ratio of all time.

Wooosh <---- what I said going stratospheric above a certain noggin

My point was: of course one of the only Americans left on the panel/booth doesn't "get it" about the CFL.

[Tecno]

I watch a lot of NFL. I've never heard any team, player or announcer say "oh no we're too close to the end zone"

Where do you guys come up with this stuff?

It's been said over and over by commentators, players, and coaches who come up here.  On TV, in print, everywhere.  What they say is the bigger EZs open up the playbooks, give more space to run complex routes, more space to work with.  They talk about how constrained and jam packed with players the NFL EZs are in comparison.

Of course the NFL people WHO HAVE NEVER COME UP TO THE CFL haven't said boo about it because they literally cannot fathom it any other way.  If you told them about our 20Y EZs, and they really gave it some thought, they'd probably come to the same conclusion as the people I'm referencing.

And please tell me how a tinier 10Y EZ can result in MORE TD production when you're in the red zone?  That is counter-intuitive, especially with our 12 players.  When CFL finally goes 10Y EZ (it's coming) then it'll look like the subway at 5pm in Tokyo in the EZ on red zone plays!

Surely you can't dispute this?

[Tecno]

Hate them.  I stand with Nathan on his speech.  This is not the CFL I grew up with and love.  Sure, make a few small tweaks, maybe the rouge.. but don't touch the 55.  That and the goal post moving   made me the maddest.

The last PAS game I saw some young ladies standing near the 55YL where the number is painted, taking pictures of themselves with the 55 visible.  We're all going to need to do that because once Johnston steals it from us, you'll never see it again.

I'll be taking a ton of pics with my kids on it next game.  Might even haul out the SLR camera for this.  He'll be telling his kids in 25 years about when he was a kid the CFL had the number 55 printed on the turf.  His kids will probably say "what's the CFL daddy", and he'll answer "it's what we used to call it before it became NFL North and started having as many fans as Valour"      

[Tecno]

Additionally, the third down CFL QB sneak gets run 10 times a game and it's incredibly boring.

Dems fightin' words!  Don't you dis my sneak.  It's literally my favorite part of the game.  No joke.

[Tecno]

I'm good with more changes. Getting rid of the yard off the ball would be a good next step.

I'm pretty sure you're literally alone in your extremism on this board.  Nothing wrong with being alone, mind you.  Consensus != correctness.

But this one is pretty drastic.

Keep in mind the yard-off and the 4-downs are a both or none proposition.  You can't have 4 downs with the yard off or (nearly) every drive ends in a TD.  You can't have no yard off with 3 downs or (nearly) every drive ends in a punt.

But you already knew this, you sneaky ...

[Tecno]

RIP end of an era that I will always cherish and never forget.  It won't get better than what we had.

Now THAT gif gets you a forum hero cookie.  Spot on.  McCallum special has been redirected to SB&G.

[Tecno]

Maybe true. Who knows. But again. The Bombers can't play Regina 15 times a year.

They can't?        Every game a sell out, fans making the drive every few weeks, and no player left unmaimed come post-season.

I'm pretty sure we could have a league with just WPG & SSK and one of us gets the cup every year and it would be extremely entertaining.  Just sayin', we have our back up plan if Johnston destroys the CFL.

[Tecno]

Do you think we're done? I don't.

And you are 100% right.  They are boiling us slowly.  If they want 10Y EZs and NFL widths, just come out and do it now.  It'll save SSK from spending $1.2M on new turf in both '27 and '28.

No one likes dishonesty or realizing they've been played, Johnston.

[Tecno]

https://3downnation.com/2025/09/22/opinion-the-cfl-finally-delivers-big-with-changes-that-will-make-the-game-pop/

How can they publish such tripe?  Who is this "Madani" clown?  How much did Johnston pay 3down under the table to be such "yes men"?

The arguments are, frankly, tired and brain dead.  So much fallacy, I'm falling over myself.  If no one at 3down gives a counter-article then the respect I had for down just went from a 2/10 to a -5/10.

If you think you don't have time to read it, here's the opening paragraph that only a SB&G could love:

At last, the Canadian Football League is getting out of the dark ages and modernizing a product that, while at its peak can be a beautiful thing to watch, has so many archaic, nonsensical idiosyncrasies that it affected how the game is played and presented.

I'm going to attack each fail in this article over the night as I find time, so as to not overwhelm.  Feel free to chime in on your take.

[Tecno]

You do know the chain gang still has to move the chains, and the refs still need to place the ball.  Now all that has to happen within 35s?  That's 5s less than even the vaunted NFL with all their top-physique officials and assistants.  Is this realistic?

Can you imagine the stress on the chain gang to keep up with this?  Have you seen those stick-holders?  The majority I see are moderately overweight 28 year olds.  They ain't jogging to get the sticks in place.

And the players are supposed to huddle and position and plan often before the sticks or ball are in place?

Many of our officials are "older".  I'm not sure they can handle the stress of doing this for a full 3 hours.  Proulx's head is gonna pop off his shoulders and hit the jumbotron in BC Place some time in the 2nd quarter.

And when they botch it.  What then?  They thought the Americans were laughing at our rouge?  Wait until they see Proulx fighting with the spot with a QB standing over him, or the 290lb stick kid tripping on the chains like keystone cops.

[Tecno]

Instead of the 35s drastic change, why not have a "soft clock" just for the refs/chain-gang and better training/procedure?  Teams can be told they have to sub faster, and aim for the soft clock too.  Refs/chains can hustle more.  Everyone can aim for 35s.  Officials/crew can get graded on how well they meet the deadline.

Refs can spot & chain-move to the new tempo and blow in the play when THEY are ready, FORCING the teams to get their subs done or get TMM or TC penalties.

Most of this could have been achieved without the NFL-like move.

[Tecno]

Best post on Riderforum so far:

"No rouges on missed field goals has lauther in shambles."  -- Thestatue

[Pete]

Currently when teams use a no huddle sequence to either confuse the other team or prevent changes it doesnt seem to be an issue so likely 35 seconds is fine.
Its like most changes players/officials adapt, and if 35 seconds is too short or long adjustments can easily be made.
  Too many here look at change like the sky is falling.
As long as it remains 3 downs, with wider field, and 12 men the rest isnt a big deal . The effectiveness of the new changes will determine where they go or dont go from here To the cfls credit they aren't just status quo  Like the man said if you arent going forward your left behind

[gobombersgo]

https://3downnation.com/2025/09/22/opinion-the-cfl-finally-delivers-big-with-changes-that-will-make-the-game-pop/

How can they publish such tripe?  Who is this "Madani" clown?  How much did Johnston pay 3down under the table to be such "yes men"?

He was the Bombers' communications guy for a year or so before Darren Cameron.

He's been at Sportsnet for years now and   always finds fault with the CFL. So it makes sense that he agrees with the changes as it validates all the nonsense he's been throwing out there over the years.

[Tecno]

Like the man said if you arent going forward your left behind

Fallacious and specious reasoning, can be used to justify any change.  Exactly as useless as the "right side of history" sophistry.  And 100% against my personal philosophy.

Most of the reasons cited for these CFL changes are easily rebutted.  Almost comically easily.

I'm not a boomer, but some of the wordplay being put forth amounts to "ok boomer!" drivel; and that's NOT a good tactic when a huge portion of the paying butts-in-CFL-seats are 55+.