Did the commissioners statements and clarifications on the how and why of the rule changes affect how you feel about them going forward?
Does his denying that American expansion and the imposing of any other "Americanization" of the rules quell your fears?
Do you accept that the changes reflect the wisdom of men with hundreds of years of experience in football in general and CFL in particular help you understand that these changes are meant to improve the game and being in more fans?
Or do you think that this is all a ploy to placate the fans and that they are intending on turning the CFL into XFL North?
I don't trust anything this guy says. He just hears what he wants to hear. He gotta go.
I have no confidence in him at all and that's not just because of rule changes recently made or in the future.
The SMS increase in 2025 and the lack of notice or a clear path on how it was to be spent was a big red flag for me. It's still not clear IMO.
Quote from: Blue In BC on November 15, 2025, 03:41:02 PMI have no confidence in him at all and that's not just because of rule changes recently made or in the future.
The SMS increase in 2025 and the lack of notice or a clear path on how it was to be spent was a big red flag for me. It's still not clear IMO.
I trust your opinion regarding the commish because I know you are very up to speed on his goings on.
The optics at a minimum really suck.
Stewart Johnston is a villain.
There was also no official announcement this year to let everyone aware that the East would be home team for the Grey Cup.
If a fan from another city bought Grey Cup tickets with the hopes of sitting on their team's side, (if their team made it) then they would now be sitting on the other team's side.
Quote from: theaardvark on November 15, 2025, 03:08:19 PMDoes his denying that American expansion and the imposing of any other "Americanization" of the rules quell your fears?
Do you accept that the changes reflect the wisdom of men with hundreds of years of experience in football in general and CFL in particular help you understand that these changes are meant to improve the game and being in more fans?
No and no. I'm particularly troubled by the reduction in the length of the field from 110 yards to 100 yards and the reduction in the length of the end zones.
:(
If only we could get peoples honest opinions in an anonymous forum...
The commissioner was hired by the league, given a mandate by the owners, his proposals given 100% endorsement by the teams. Unanimous consent.
I get how some fans may perceive him as a villain, but his actions and intentions are 100% for the betterment and even survival of the league. And the owners of the teams, the people that actually have skin in the game, are unanimously behind him and his actions.
no issues apart from the roll out of the changes could have been better making them less prone to the "americanization" bleating that people adverse to change are making.
if he can't deliver on the things he mentioned in his adress then i will be more inclined to label him as a "dud".
the genius sports nightmare that Randy brought in was handled very very poorly. it should have cost someone their job.
Quote from: The Zipp on November 15, 2025, 05:05:00 PMno issues apart from the roll out of the changes could have been better making them less prone to the "americanization" bleating that people adverse to change are making.
if he can't deliver on the things he mentioned in his adress then i will be more inclined to label him as a "dud".
the genius sports nightmare that Randy brought in was handled very very poorly. it should have cost someone their job.
I agree with your points, communications has not been the forte of the CFL for a long time. The reason I bring up his recent address is that it seems like he is improving that communication. Its not perfect yet, but better.
Using Stew as a figurehead for all the people who have a hand in the changes:
- Continually repeating that there's no "Americanizing" when you've already done it is just gaslighting
- He's walking back comments because of the massive negative reaction. Good. Let's keep it up.
- He's either not paying attention or just trying to control the narrative by talking about all the "positive feedback" he's received.
- He still refuses to communicate a reason behind the changes
- He still refuses to respond to questions about why he didn't consult with football Canada/players/coaches/etc
- He has and deserves zero trust when it comes to any statement he makes about the future
- A new website is good news, but unfortunately the league has been terrible at new rollouts, so gonna reserve judgement and see if it actually works before I think it's a positive step. Our stats system still hasn't recovered from the last technology "upgrade".
Quote from: theaardvark on November 15, 2025, 05:15:01 PMI agree with your points, communications has not been the forte of the CFL for a long time. The reason I bring up his recent address is that it seems like he is improving that communication. Its not perfect yet, but better.
Are you kidding me??? I'd bet a solid nickel you didn't listen to his entire address, it was painful, he speaks to humans as if he's from Mars. It was nothing but reiterated top down corporate mind-speak justifying and defending the dictates he created to radically change the structure of the game which he pulled directly out of his *** with no relevant consultation. Risking millions in revenue by alienating existing fans in the hope that non-interested bystanders will double down and pick up the slack.
This corporate geek is about to go down as the worst commissioner in CFL history. My God how I miss Randy Ambrosie's human touch!!!
He strikes me as a cold, impersonable corporate nerd who has zero credibility in the football world. Zero. He just gives off a weird vibe and I just don't trust or like the guy from the minute I saw him
Quote from: dd on November 15, 2025, 08:44:20 PMHe strikes me as a cold, impersonable corporate nerd who has zero credibility in the football world. Zero. He just gives off a weird vibe and I just don't trust or like the guy from the minute I saw him
I agree. Hope he gets a hearty boo at the game tomorrow.
Quote from: TrueBlue75 on November 15, 2025, 10:21:24 PMQuote from: dd on November 15, 2025, 08:44:20 PMHe strikes me as a cold, impersonable corporate nerd who has zero credibility in the football world. Zero. He just gives off a weird vibe and I just don't trust or like the guy from the minute I saw him.
I agree. Hope he gets a hearty boo at the game tomorrow.
To care about "vibes" is just silly. I'm all about actions and policy. That's what matters.
Quote from: Foxhound on November 16, 2025, 02:50:26 AMI agree. Hope he gets a hearty boo at the game tomorrow.
To care about "vibes" is just silly. I'm all about actions and policy. That's what matters.
Ok, forget about the vibes then, he just strikes me as fake and creepy. Good enough for you oh holier than thou one??
Quote from: dd on November 16, 2025, 02:57:46 AMGood enough for you oh holier than thou one??
Sorry. I don't cotton to any of them religions. Nor am I into virtue signalling. When it comes to most such matters, I'm all business.
;)
Quote from: Foxhound on November 16, 2025, 02:15:47 AMOld men have a lifetime's worth of perspective. It's called common sense borne of experience. Try it sometime.
;)
Ummm...How would one "try" to have a lifetime's worth of perspectives?
An example of common sense, to me, would be logging onto Facebook to get depth charts listed there instead of spending three years coming on here to complain about it... But who knows, that's just my perspective borne of experience.
I'll skip the woke winky emoji.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on November 16, 2025, 04:03:48 AMUmmm...How would one "try" to have a lifetime's worth of perspectives?
Live and learn. That comes naturally to most.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on November 16, 2025, 04:03:48 AMAn example of common sense, to me, would be logging onto Facebook to get depth charts listed there instead of spending three years coming on here to complain about it... But who knows, that's just my perspective borne of experience.
I'd say you need to work on your perspective if you equate a couple of complaints over three years to three years worth of complaining. That's just the kind of common sense that comes with no experience at all.
:P
This new commish is a wannabe. He has no cfl experience. He seems like. A next door neighbor, who has watched a couple games and claims he is knowledgeable, of what fans want. lol!
Come on at least pretend to conduct some fact finding. A survey? Nope. Than the fact finding is bias even in anything the guy says. No sample size revealed. Maybe he asked his other family over Easter supper.
Winnipeg looks like they were one if the best CFL productions. Even if the schlepp on tsn'ssaryrday afternoons show was really at the U of W field house niypt somewhere on in the U of M campus. Who was the rookie host. The next commercial break the kid noted it was the U of W.
Quote from: Foxhound on November 16, 2025, 04:32:05 AMLive and learn. That comes naturally to most.
I'd say you need to work on your perspective if you equate a couple of complaints over three years to three years worth of complaining. That's just the kind of common sense that comes with no experience at all.
:P
Having the answer to your problems a click away but refusing to do it is stubborn and stupid. Not wise and smart.
Pretending you have answers simply because you've lived a long time is equally foolish.
There's young fools and old fools.
Being old simply means your old. You'd know that if you actually used your experience to council anyone or anything of substance.
And people who are old and wise, in my experience, never need to tell anyone they are. The ones who are simply old, do, though.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on November 16, 2025, 02:39:59 PMHaving the answer to your problems a click away but refusing to do it is stubborn and stupid. Not wise and smart.
Not just a click away. First of all I'd need to join Facebook which is an entity I don't want to support for several reasons, e.g. Facebook has acted to kill discussion forums such as this one.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on November 16, 2025, 02:39:59 PMPretending you have answers simply because you've lived a long time is equally foolish.
There's young fools and old fools.
Being old simply means your old. You'd know that if you actually used your experience to council anyone or anything of substance.
And people who are old and wise, in my experience, never need to tell anyone they are. The ones who are simply old, do, though.
Excuse me but I wasn't the one who raised the subject of age! That was your buddy who raised the subject of age with the jibe about me being an old guy throwing rocks or something like that. (All that's now been deleted.)
Now you knew that but you still latched onto my reply while ignoring the initial provocative jibe. Would you perhaps like to explain
that? Are you too young (or too old?) for objective assessments?
Like I say, I wasn't the one who raised the question of age.
>:(
Here's a thought. Let's stick to the topic at hand. And on that subject, my belief is that the jury is still out, that he needs time to gain commissioner experience and we have to consider that people who have money in the game chose him as the best candidate for the job.
As with all professions, we sink or swim with our own ability and results.
Here comes maple maga again personally attacking everyone who doesn't like the new rules because he knows the mods will just lock the thread instead of actually moderating it and just silence any criticism of the direction the league is headed.
Quote from: Colton on November 16, 2025, 07:58:18 PMHere comes maple maga again personally attacking everyone who doesn't like the new rules because he knows the mods will just lock the thread instead of actually moderating it and just silence any criticism of the direction the league is headed.
Some posts were removed because they were political in nature which contravene the rules here. The thread was modified. It was not locked.
What I don't understand about the Commissioner's office is how the past and present denizens have continued to drop the ball when it comes to marketing the product and league. This is the marketing campaign that would resonate with most Canadian sports fans:
"This is Canada. We are Canadians. We are distinct; we are unique. And so is our game."
film clips shown
"Canadian football! Over a century and a half of tradition; over a century and a half of action. Because we are Canadians."
Such a marketing campaign would tug on the heart strings of everybody but hardcore Brit sympathizers, Yanks and Communists.
But no. What they've done without asking the fans is change the rules to make the game more closely resemble the one played south of the border. It is to scream.
:(
Quote from: Colton on November 16, 2025, 07:58:18 PMHere comes maple maga again personally attacking everyone who doesn't like the new rules because he knows the mods will just lock the thread instead of actually moderating it and just silence any criticism of the direction the league is headed.
Yo Colton, good to hear from you.
Are you for the new rules?