CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[TBURGESS]

Doesn't look like any changes are to make the game better:

35 second clock is to make all games much closer in run time which makes it easier for the TV folks.
Shortened field is to provide extra revenue.
Shortened end-zone and teams on opposite side of the field is to standardize the fields. 
Moving the goalposts & eliminating the rouge are to make the game easier for the US market to understand.  

Easy to sell those to upper management who think ooooh we're going to make a big bag o money with a US TV deal. 

[theaardvark]

Not if SSK sews the lines in again.  I'll laugh when they spend $1.5M on the '27 turf and Johnston hits them with 10Y EZ's in '28 and it's another $1.5M!  Whoopee!  (Someone check if Johnston has 100% allocation to publicly traded turf companies...)

Like the huge success that was the IGF NFL PS game?  Widely known as the biggest screwup in all of NFL and CFL history, and the laughing stock of everyone.

Unless the field is identical, AND they don't allow the Usports / old-CFL post-accommodating "haphazard turf patch", NFL will complain and the same thing will happen.  I've never seen a bigger bunch of kitty kats and wahmbulance-callers in my life as those clowns.

You realize the new configuration is exactly the NFL one, with the exception of the field width (wider) and EZ depth (deeper).

Sewn in or not, to make any CFL field into an NFL field, you chalk the sidelines in narrower and the EZ shallower.  All it takes is some chalk.

No changes to FG posts, or any other turf mods. 

Just some chalk.

And no NFL team will complain.  And fans will get to see an NFL game as it was meant to be, not some haphazard crap like at IGF.

[The Zipp]

as with most things in life...follow the $$

I don't really have an issue with the changes - my tin foil hat is starting to burn a bit and I wonder if the CFL owners are chasing the massive dollars the NFL has and is literally hoping for some crumbs of $$ that an affiliation in some form will have.  Like it or not the NFL is King and is only going to get bigger.  The NFL owners have tasted the good water and are not going to stop growing the league and revenue.

Watch the Jerry Jones documentary - sure it was sided to play him in a positive light and he is a terrible GM but the old coot is a marketing genius and most of the other owners are filthy rich because they are smart.  CFL owners want to be tied to them in some way and this is likely the start.  Our CFL Commissioner has eyes on Roger's armchair...

[Tecno]

Sewn in or not, to make any CFL field into an NFL field, you chalk the sidelines in narrower and the EZ shallower.  All it takes is some chalk.

Not according to what Commish/3down/SSK has said.  They will 100% for realz replace their brand new turf with the new-dimensions-lines turf for this change.  And 1-2 other stadiums, too.  Because of sewn-in lines.

There is no "chalk" solution.  Even once at 100, if (when!) they change the width issue and 15->10 EZ issue, if they did sewn-in again in '27, they will be forced to buy new turf AGAIN.  One would hope they would go non-sewn (like PAS), but... it would sure be darn funny if they trusted Johnston to not make more changes and he does.  $3M wasted on new turf in 2 years.  LOL.

No changes to FG posts, or any other turf mods. 

Reread what I wrote about the little turf patch over the old GP position.  That was the entirety of the NFL PS game debacle.  I was there, and I followed all the news and aftermath closely.  If Usports doesn't match the CFL GP/dimensions changes then there will be by definition that little patch in all shared stadiums and the NFL will complain about the exact same thing they did @IGF.

Now, if Usports change to match the CFL, then this problem goes away (assuming they "properly" permanently patch that old hole).  But who knows if that will happen. 50/50

[Tecno]

fatboi should have helped him up. 

Ace inside joke

[theaardvark]

Not according to what Commish/3down/SSK has said.  They will 100% for realz replace their brand new turf with the new-dimensions-lines turf for this change.  And 1-2 other stadiums, too.  Because of sewn-in lines.

There is no "chalk" solution.  Even once at 100, if (when!) they change the width issue and 15->10 EZ issue, if they did sewn-in again in '27, they will be forced to buy new turf AGAIN.  One would hope they would go non-sewn (like PAS), but... it would sure be darn funny if they trusted Johnston to not make more changes and he does.  $3M wasted on new turf in 2 years.  LOL.

Reread what I wrote about the little turf patch over the old GP position.  That was the entirety of the NFL PS game debacle.  I was there, and I followed all the news and aftermath closely.  If Usports doesn't match the CFL GP/dimensions changes then there will be by definition that little patch in all shared stadiums and the NFL will complain about the exact same thing they did @IGF.

Now, if Usports change to match the CFL, then this problem goes away (assuming they "properly" permanently patch that old hole).  But who knows if that will happen. 50/50

Which USports stadium will host an NFL preseason game?  I don't see your point.

Every Usports facility can and will make the adjustment to the new field dimensions and configuration, might not be immediate or a permanent change, might have to be a bit slapdash, but it is easy to do by planning it in the next upgrade.

And I have no idea why you can't see that chalking (or painting) new lines INSIDE any sewn lines is a no brainer.  There are no obstructions or issues, save for the FG posts actually being 5 yards deeper.  And I'm sure that engineers could even come up with an answer for that.

[Blue In BC]

Don't promote that as a talking point.  The CFL posts are wrapped in 1 foot of foam.  I touch them after every PAS game (ya, forbidden, come at me brah!).  Your youth post was a solid hunk of anodized steel.

I've seen 2 post hits in 10 years, only one "forceful" (blind hit) and every time it's absolutely nothing for the player other than an annoyance and a laugh.

There. Is. Zero. Player. Safety. Issue. With. The. Posts.  Don't give them that talking point.

Oh ya!  And players catching or diving at the back of the EZ can still hit said post!  You just moved the risk from where everyone is used to to where they are not!  We've never seen a DIVE into our current posts... just wait and see one in 2 years!

I wasn't. Just kidding about my youth playing on high school fields with 2 wooden posts and no protective coverings. Also of note, this was just touch football in summer and tackle in winter. The main point was that neither were played with any equipment to protect from being tackled let alone the darn goal posts. lol

[GOLDMEMBER]

I'm so over this league's pitiful antics. On the one hand, it's struggling to attract fans and generate revenue. On the other, it continues to operate like some secret organization with no accountability to the public.

Good on key figures like Rourke and O'Shea for calling out the CFL's tiresome way of operating.

LIKE!!

[Blueforlife]

MOS not consulted on this.  Huge fail imo.

[Blueforlife]

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

Low sugar please lol

If there was a love button I would have pressed it

[BlueInCgy]

Gotta wonder how much influence (if any) TSN had in this decision and if Johnston was installed (from TSN) to execute it. 

[wpg#1]

It may have been said here already but I want to point out that the shorter field pretty much eliminates kickoff returns. In the nfl, kickoffs almost always go right through the endzone, with no return ( touchback). The same will happen here. The nfl has little to do with the foot part of the name. Football ? Kicking and punting is really nothing in the nfl with the touchback and fair catch. Don't move the goalposts and DO NOT shorten the field.

[The Zipp]

It may have been said here already but I want to point out that the shorter field pretty much eliminates kickoff returns. In the nfl, kickoffs almost always go right through the endzone, with no return ( touchback). The same will happen here. The nfl has little to do with the foot part of the name. Football ? Kicking and punting is really nothing in the nfl with the touchback and fair catch. Don't move the goalposts and DO NOT shorten the field.

NFL changed their kickoff rules/process to eliminate this.

[wpg#1]

NFL changed their kickoff rules/process to eliminate this.

OH, so there's no more touchback ?
I don't watch the NFL until after the Grey Cup.... maybe !

[GOLDMEMBER]

I can t remember if I cried , when I read about his widowed bride, but something struck me deep inside, the day, the music, died.......