New rules / commissioner's statements

[VictorRomano]

It has nothing to do with my reasoning. It's simply a fact that sports gambling (online or otherwise) does more harm than good in our society.

One of my (17 year old) students showed me the Grey Cup bets he made online on his phone.  Lost every one, to the tune of dropping almost $400 - money it took him a month to earn.  Good thing he still lives at home.

[Balticfox]

I know I'm a way above average picker from my Fantasy and Blitz Picks results, but I've continued to refrain from dipping my toe into actually betting on the CFL because I know how very difficult it is to beat the house.

[dd]

I m not a gambler as I find the whole exercise a very greasy sinister way to cheat you out of your hard earned money, and am disappointed all the sports leagues openly advertise and promote it, then hypocritically penalize their players for participating in it, which seems odd--if they can't bet, then you can't promote it, oh, but then you wouldn't get revenue $$$, its sad how we sell our souls to the devil for a nickel.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

One of my (17 year old) students showed me the Grey Cup bets he made online on his phone.  Lost every one, to the tune of dropping almost $400 - money it took him a month to earn.  Good thing he still lives at home.

I thought you had to be at least 18 to place a bet?

[55 Stick Car]

Gambling is nothing more than government legalized money laundering.

[Tecno]

Online sports betting is a scourge.

I bet on the CFL since '24.  I put in a couple of hundred a year and play around trying to build it up over the season.  There is nothing wrong with modest gambling for fun, unless your life philosophy/religion forbid it.  If you want to say it's a "bad addiction", it's no worse than alcohol or other "vices".  I don't drink, but if I did I'd have a Singapore Sling a few times a year, and that wouldn't be bad either.  If you can't control yourself, you shouldn't be drinking -- and if you can't control yourself (or you're poor) you shouldn't be gambling.  If you gamble an amount that is really meaningless to you, who cares?

My favorite CFL bets are the first-TD bets.  They have high odds and really make watching the 1st Q a heap more fun.  I often pick one team and passing-only as the 1st TD, then I'm "sweating it out" when the other team has the ball, and cheering when my team takes some EZ shots and miffed when there's a DPI in the EZ... I get a big kick out of it, risk $10-$50 and can make $100 a game.

I also bet on WPG to lose/tie the 3rd Q all season long after week 4.  I made a killing on that, except the one game they won it, and the ESF (doh! LOL).  Often us uber-fan "insiders" will have knowledge Vegas doesn't (they never did adjust the WPG-lose-3rd-Q odds!).  I have a few other favorite weird bets, but I won't go into more details.

Overall I find it a fun diversion that makes the games more exciting for me, and lets me toy with "insider stats" and trying to find the edge that Vegas ignored.  It's a lot like playing fantasy (which I do think is "the gateway drug", BTW, but am fine with it).  My life philosophy is 100% about personal responsibility.  If someone blows the farm, that's on them.  If you want to outlaw gambling, then outlaw booze too, as it (and drugs) are the cause of 95% of police encounters and crime.  No one is wandering down the street harassing people because Ternowski got the 1st TD instead of Snead!

[Tecno]

I think the endless booing of the Commish at the GC is the only answer we need.  Everyone who was there knows what I'm talking about.  I haven't checked how it came across on TV yet.  The boos were extremely loud, like Bombers-are-on-D-in-game loud.  And they didn't stop even once until he shut up.

Dudes behind me were asking "who is this guy" while I was booing.  I said "it's the clown who is getting rid of the 55 yard line".  They both started booing just like me.

I hope that sent a message to Johnston.  These are the elite of CFL fans, from every province.  I didn't see a single person cheering to counter the boos.  Everyone was either silent/ignorant, or booing.  I can picture Aards in his little Pinnacle box being the lone cheerer.     

Good on Johnston finding something most CFL fans, including green & blue/gold ones, can unite around!   

[Tecno]

Easy way to prove the field changes have nothing to do with "Americanization" or the USA market: make the field 90 yards long (or any even number that's not 100).  They say it's "only about more O", well, if 100 gets you more O I promise you 90 will get you even more O!

So make it 90.  Or 98.  Or whatever, just not 100.  They say they still want CFL/Canada to be unique.  So pick any number but 100.

Easy peasy.  But they won't do it.  Because it's not about more O, and it is about Americanization.

Everyone (all 2 of you) who support the 100 yard field, please argue why we can't make it 90?  I'll wait.  Just think of how much closer those N side EZ seats will be to the S side EZ now for a "better show"!!     

[Balticfox]

I think the endless booing of the Commish at the GC is the only answer we need.  Everyone who was there knows what I'm talking about.  I haven't checked how it came across on TV yet.  The boos were extremely loud, like Bombers-are-on-D-in-game loud.  And they didn't stop even once until he shut up.

Dudes behind me were asking "who is this guy" while I was booing.  I said "it's the clown who is getting rid of the 55 yard line".  They both started booing just like me.

Do you think the boos were all about getting rid of the 55 yard line and the other proposed rule changes and nothing but?

I suspect the CFL brass wants to shorten the field to make it easier to expand into U.S. centres which could otherwise not accommodate a CFL field.

[Tecno]

Do you think the boos were all about getting rid of the 55 yard line and the other proposed rule changes and nothing but?

I'm sure every booer had their own reason.  But since Johnston is really only known right now for "the changes", I'm sure that was 99% of the rationale.  As to which specific change, again: everyone has their own reason.  But the polls shown in this thread do hint that the 55YL is the "most popular" booing reason.

I've been to 4 cups with Ambrosie as commish and he never got more boos than Proulx (who got 1/50th the boos Johnston did).  And 'Brosie would always get some cheers (as Proulx doe toos).  I saw ZERO cheers for Johnston -- didn't matter what jersey you were wearing.

[bomber beetle]

Gary Bettman is constantly booed. Fans don't appreciate the choices he has made but the NHL continues to grow and thrive.

If the CFL grows substantially in the next few years, Johnson will still be booed.

It is what it is.   

[bomb squad]

I think the endless booing of the Commish at the GC is the only answer we need.  Everyone who was there knows what I'm talking about.  I haven't checked how it came across on TV yet.  The boos were extremely loud, like Bombers-are-on-D-in-game loud.  And they didn't stop even once until he shut up.

Dudes behind me were asking "who is this guy" while I was booing.  I said "it's the clown who is getting rid of the 55 yard line".  They both started booing just like me.

I hope that sent a message to Johnston.  These are the elite of CFL fans, from every province.  I didn't see a single person cheering to counter the boos.  Everyone was either silent/ignorant, or booing.  I can picture Aards in his little Pinnacle box being the lone cheerer.     

Good on Johnston finding something most CFL fans, including green & blue/gold ones, can unite around!   

When was that? I recall a couple of other people being booed (the head referee and the Prime Minister twice) but not him. When was he talking?

[Tecno]

When was that? I recall a couple of other people being booed (the head referee and the Prime Minister twice) but not him. When was he talking?

Then you bailed before the giving-of-the-trophy.  Johnston gave a little speech right as he gave the trophy to SSK.  I didn't hear a word of it!

[bomb squad]

Then you bailed before the giving-of-the-trophy.  Johnston gave a little speech right as he gave the trophy to SSK.  I didn't hear a word of it!

Oh yeah. You bet I bailed. Thanks for the info. Now I don't have to watch it.