CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[Tecno]

Lalji's an affected Rick... did anyone else catch it?  In the Rourke interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD7M3jaWb4s

At 2:00 after Rourke gives his opening opinion on the changes, Lalji answers with
"so um let's talk about couple of things just from like a practical rules as opposed to a philosophical emotional piece which is totally fair".

What a condescending insult, couched in pandering pap.  He's mirroring the obvious league-produced talking point which is tell people their arguments and opposition is merely emotional, and that only Your Betters are the ones being logical or practical.  If you have an objection, well you're just being emotional.

Rourke had just given some a great rebuttal to the changes question, and had more in the tank.  Lalji had to cut him off and redirect because he knew how powerful Rourke's words were going to be to fandom.

I thought Lalji was a BC homer who licked the very ground Rourke walked on.  He's always pandering to Rourke.  I guess it turns out he's either more BC's Man, or simply a CFL league stooge.

Here's the only current player/coach so far to stand up and say it like it is, rather than couching statements carefully for fear of fines or blacklisting.  And lickspittle Lalji tries to shut him down.

And not only does Rourke continue to shoot the changes & Lalji down, he then ignores the presser director who tries to shut down the Change Talk, and continues to speak truth to power.

If Rourke thought Lalji was his "friend" before today, he no longer does.

[Tecno]

P4: "But more than that, finally, the stubborn governors — who have longed craved control over improvement, hellbent on keeping power in place of innovation — have agreed to the vision of modern football from the new commissioner, who has already in five months brought more ingenuity and advancement to the on-field product than his predecessors of the last half-century did."

Five months.  Let that sink in.  Johnston in place 5 months and he's already discarded the 55YL and made a half dozen other drastic, and 95% controversial, changes.  5 months.  A) Who does he think he is.  B) He clearly had this all planned out well before he was installed.  Did he inform the stakeholders at that time what his rough plans were?  Or did he lie to them to get the job?

Ingenuity?  noun: "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance".  There is nothing clever about these changes.  They are brutish, vulgar, grossly overreaching, and merely copies of the NFL.  Copying is never considered ingenuity, because there's nothing clever about it.

Advancement?  Ah, there's the old "progress for progress' sake", aka "all progress is good, even if it's not".  Both are fallacious.  Why is Johnston's vision advancement?  What if it really is retreat?  Instead of standing and fighting the NFL juggernaut we are throwing up a white flag and surrendering.

[Tecno]

P5: "These changes will produce more touchdowns than field goals. They will create urgency between the whistles. They will force a modernization from coaches. They will allow full use of the playbook more than ever.  If you're pinned inside your two-yard-line after a goal line stand, offences will now have room to maneuver and not be pinned by an immovable object behind them."

Let's assume the "full playbook" comment only applies to when team A is backed up to their own EZ -- otherwise it makes no sense.  First, being pinned that deep is a somewhat rare occurrence in the CFL: maybe 1-3 instances a weekend?  Again, they are making rare and really inconsequential things sound so dire and disastrous and common, and that justifies really drastic changes with major repercussions from the CFL on down to high school sports.

I've never heard a QB or OC or REC say "man, when we were backed up we were doomed to failure because that darn post was in the way and it cut our playbook in half!".  I can't recall even one "doink" example in this scenario -- which at least they can attempt to claim at the other end of the field.  A backed-up QB doink literally isn't a thing, probably 1 every 10 years or less.

In fact, I've heard many in the last 48 hours say that they've used or seen used the post as a free blocker -- an extra hoggie.  I think it was Zach (Sep 23 presser) who said he used to see 2014 BLM purposely go behind the post to chuck go routes and no one could touch him.

Another example of solving a problem that doesn't exist.  Well, at least using that "problem" as one of the excuses.  So that's 2 reasons for moving the post destroyed as petty and insignificant: safety and "being backed up".  Let's see what he hits us with next...

[Tecno]

Great riderforum post regarding "moving the posts improves visibility!"

71 years of impacting the vision of QBs and now it's a problem.  --Magnum
==

You could apply the same reasoning to most of the useless "arguments" the league offers for the changes.  I love that many people are seeing through the miasma laid down by the Commish.

[Blueforlife]

Amateur football officials in ...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-amateur-football-cfl-reax-1.7641908

Terrible way to make a change

Good way to alienate

[The Zipp]

Amateur football officials in ...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-amateur-football-cfl-reax-1.7641908

Terrible way to make a change

Good way to alienate

The cost is a concerning factor - these univerties and junior football organizations don't have a lot of extra money flating around, hopegfully there will be some assistance in place.

The good news is that there is time before the changes take place and impacts hit.

On the "crying" about not being consulted - pretty hard to consult with 1000's of entities and have meetings and focus groups etc etc.  You will be into paralysis by analysis, and nothing will get done - if you know what you are doing and have agreement from the major stakeholders (CFL owners) you roll it out ensuring there is time available for everyone to understand what is happening and work through the details.

IF they provide no opportunity to listen to these impacted organizations and assist with the rollout then I think its fair to "cry".

[Tecno]

You will be into paralysis by analysis, and nothing will get done - if you know what you are doing and have agreement from the major stakeholders (CFL owners) you roll it out ensuring there is time available for everyone to understand what is happening and work through the details.

Haha!  You think Johnston knows what he is doing?  That's one big, perilous assumption right there.

[Tecno]

Apparently, total insider plant and stooge Luke Wilson has bashed Rourke, saying Rourke's comments are "utterly ridiculous":

https://x.com/CFLonTSN/status/1970266635052122271

We were all setup, guys.  Rourke is risking a lot here, maybe more than he knows.  The king(s) are going to try to force him to kiss the ring and toe the line.  We'll see what happens.  I wouldn't put past them any underhanded tactic.

[The Zipp]

Haha!  You think Johnston knows what he is doing?  That's one big, perilous assumption right there.

absolutely he does - you may not like or agree with it but dude isn't dumb and uninformed.  He knows exactly what he is doing.

[blue_gold_84]

Apparently, total insider plant and stooge Luke Wilson has bashed Rourke, saying Rourke's comments are "utterly ridiculous":

https://x.com/CFLonTSN/status/1970266635052122271

We were all setup, guys.  Rourke is risking a lot here, maybe more than he knows.  The king(s) are going to try to force him to kiss the ring and toe the line.  We'll see what happens.  I wouldn't put past them any underhanded tactic.

Luke Wilson is a ghoul and his opinions on the CFL are garbage. TSN really screwed up giving him a job.

[Tecno]

absolutely he does - you may not like or agree with it but dude isn't dumb and uninformed.  He knows exactly what he is doing.

Unless you know him personally, you're taking a huge leap of faith.

I never said he was dumb.  He's probably a genius.  He certainly knows all the smooth tricks: I'm having fun documenting all of them here.

But, I may argue, like Rourke does, that he may be uninformed when it comes to the CFL.  He certainly may not "love it" like Rourke (or I, or you) do.

[Tecno]

Uh oh.  It's getting worse:
https://x.com/OverDrive1050/status/1970269411127726513

Commish interview he says:
"You know me, I try to work with pace and urgency.  This isn't going to be the last announcement we make, it is the last amount for now that we are making with rule changes.  But we're pushing forward, we want to take this league and move it to another level."

This doesn't sound like someone who is "done" with the drastic changes.  This sounds like someone hellbent on rapid change, come hell or high water, with no stopping to gauge success.

I know what "level" he wants to move it to.  It's called NFL.

Learned a new term today:

CFL will become Diet NFL

[The Zipp]

Unless you know him personally, you're taking a huge leap of faith.

I never said he was dumb.  He's probably a genius.  He certainly knows all the smooth tricks: I'm having fun documenting all of them here.

But, I may argue, like Rourke does, that he may be uninformed when it comes to the CFL.  He certainly may not "love it" like Rourke (or I, or you) do.

You guys think this one guy is making all the decisions like a king - he works for the CFL Board of Governors - they hire him and they set his mandate.  They choose him based on his ability to lead the league but he is not the one soley coming up with these changes.  They pick someone who is obviously intelligent, can carry out multiple mandates, talk to the media and stakeholders and has an understanding of the league operations and strategic planning.

he obviously wants to do well and build his career and I do believe he wants to usher in some new growth and refreshed CFL and likely tap into the money tree that is the NFL in some way shape or form.

[markf]

I'm making an immediate change...

I subscribe to TSN+ for CFL. I watch almost every game all season. Maybe missed a couple this season.

Ratings will be down this week, Bombers only.

"Act fast" lol

I have emailed TSN a few times about problems with my service. I have yet to receive a response.

This guy seems to run  the league the way Tsn is run. The customers are probably the last thing they care about or take into consideration.

[Tecno]

You guys think this one guy is making all the decisions like a king - he works for the CFL Board of Governors

No, I think he's a figurehead, but a complicit one.  And I don't even think his ultimate masters are the BOG, but that's tinfoil and not entirely relevant right now.

However, from how I understand it based on Johsnton statements and all I've read, Johnston started basically immediately ("many months ago" he said) working on the changes with a small group of people, including a subset of the BOG -- with everyone under a secrecy oath (his words, paraphrased).  Only then did they take the work to the entire BOG.

So I don't think it's valid to say this is the handiwork of the entire BOG, or that even many/most of them knew what was coming down the pipe.

In any event, the optics are that this is all driven by the Commish.  Certainly Ambrosie would not have put us all in this situation.  In fact, now we see why he was ousted, and looked like he was going to cry all the time the last few months.  He knew what "they" wanted, and he likely hated it.  Because Ambrosie WAS one of us, and one of the players, and, and... Johnston is nothing.  Is he even a "lifelong fan"?

he obviously wants to do well and build his career and I do believe he wants to usher in some new growth and refreshed CFL and likely tap into the money tree that is the NFL in some way shape or form.

Boom there it is

If that's the/a goal, he should come out and say it.  Share the vision, outline the path.  Let the fans decide whether they want to get him ousted or not for it before he destroys everything.  He's insulting us right now.