CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[Pete]

To me a fundamental change would be addressing the use of excessive force on any player. This last weekend was a showcase of potential career ending hits.
 This would be eliminating shoulder as well as helmet hits.forcing tacklers to wrap up and tackle properly.

[theaardvark]

I'm all for moving forward, so long as the game changing changes don't change the game...

[TBURGESS]

Announce a major change for tomorrow. Fan bases spend a day debating which changes would be good and bad. Have the data to see if the change will go over big before the announcement. Change the announcement if needed. 

[theaardvark]

Announce a major change for tomorrow. Fan bases spend a day debating which changes would be good and bad. Have the data to see if the change will go over big before the announcement. Change the announcement if needed.

Here's the thing.

Any changes announced will have had to be vetted by owners and execs first.

You can't make these changes "on the fly" based on social media reaction.

That said, you can announce that you have a laundry list of ideas, and want to engage the fans in the debate/decision, and put out a survey to gauge fan support for the new ideas, and then based on that, come up with a plan that the execs/owners then vote on to approve.  Sort of a large scale focus group.

But leaving it up to social media to give recommendations got us Boaty McBoatface, so I'm not sure that's the optimal route. 

[Blueforlife]

Thanks for the votes and responses

The masses have spoken

[Waffler]

"I'm being told to prepare for an Americanization of the CFL game beginning in 2026," former Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice and now sports talk host Rod Pederson posted.

[blue_gold_84]

"I'm being told to prepare for an Americanization of the CFL game beginning in 2026," former Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice and now sports talk host Rod Pederson posted.

Rod Pederson is human garbage.

[Waffler]

I guess it really depends on what the changes are.

If we become a feeder to the NFL, I would actually like that. It would give me reason to watch the NFL.

but why would the NFL want a feeder league that doesn't play their rules?

[theaardvark]

7 teams lost money

If they have solid data on how "Americanizing" the game will increase revenues, I'd give it an honest look.  And I would not fault owners/execs from doing so as well.

I do hope, however, that the revenue calculations include lost viewers/fans as well as gained viewers/fans.  Messing with 100years of tradition is going to lose people, for sure.  The gains have to outweigh the losses, and the gains have to be long term, because the losses were.

[blue_gold_84]

If they have solid data on how "Americanizing" the game will increase revenues...

They won't have any such data. Becoming NFL Jr. is not the answer.

[Waffler]

What I'd like to see is salaries capped by position. You'd see a lot less player movement this way. It would help build fan loyalty by familiarity. Lawler for example, he's ours, not ours, ours again and now not ours.

[Blue In BC]

What I'd like to see is salaries capped by position. You'd see a lot less player movement this way. It would help build fan loyalty by familiarity. Lawler for example, he's ours, not ours, ours again and now not ours.

I don't think that would be legal or make any actual difference. Every team spends money a little differently. Depends on who you have or try to get. In the end the SMS is the SMS.

[gobombersgo]

Argos being sold?

[theaardvark]

What I'd like to see is salaries capped by position. You'd see a lot less player movement this way. It would help build fan loyalty by familiarity. Lawler for example, he's ours, not ours, ours again and now not ours.

A per player cap would be appropriate.  A QB making $700k+ while the best MLB makes 1/3 that is kind of unfortunate.

Maybe a player cap based on veteran status, the longer you are here the more you can make?  Doesn't mean Jake gets a raise, but he'd have the highest potential salary.  Players coming off ELC's wouldn't be able to break the bank, as all teams would have the same number they could match.

[gobombersgo]

Live stream:

https://www.cfl.ca/2025/09/21/commissioners-press-conference/