Global status in 2024 and other conversations

[Blue In BC]

And there's the rub.

We don't have the popultation of the US. Never will. We don't have the religious like devotion to football that certain parts of the US does. Never will.

We do have the Harris's, Demski's, and Oliveira's who want to play football but weren't given a ball in their cradle. In order to develop Canadian talent there needs to be a place for them to grow and develop later in life than in the states; in some cases, merely because they started later in life.

Canadians do need that extra help. They need those dedicated spots. The CFL then gives back to grassroots programs to renew the cycle. It's not just marketing for fans, it's a renewable cycle of Canadian football that can easily cease to exist if you upset the habitat.

And, again. It is the Canadian Football League. The Argos are currently celebrating their 150th anniversary. The Bombers were one of the first teams to invite and American player in 1935, riding the legs of Fritzie Hansen in 1935. About 85 years ago. Americans are invited to play here. But it's our league.

In the past there were 10 Canadian starters. There were no DI's taking away playing time from Canadians. There were no global players taking away playing time from Canadians. PR lists were smaller. IIRC in the 1960's it was 6 players.

In any case, the ratio has not been a status quo situation and nothing says you can't achieve a new version. The league seems bound to find work around designations to reduce Canadians on the AR. That's a bit of a complicated problem.

Our current PR has 12 players of which only 1 is a Canadian.  There are 4 Canadians on our 6 game IR.

It's interesting that the PR creates up to 3 spots for global players but doesn't have a specific number of spots for Canadians. Both are limited size of talent pools.

Some posters wanting development for Canadian players but supporting global and / or Nationalized Americans is a contradiction. I think everyone would support larger rosters but there is an economic cost and the question of under what designation players would be added.

There are many variations that could be considered. The simplest variation would just be to add 2 additional Canadians to the AR. On one hand they are somewhat just place holders but on the other hand they might get some work on ST's, in game injury situations and in blow out situations.

That wouldn't be my 1st choice but it's an option. Should note that the CFL is losing more Canadian draft choices to the NFL. NFL option window makes it more difficult keeping some for extended periods. Rourke and even our own T. Ford come to mind. Desjarlias previously.

Developing Canadian players but giving them an NFL option window are conflicting ideas.

[TecnoGenius]

In any case, the ratio has not been a status quo situation and nothing says you can't achieve a new version. The league seems bound to find work around designations to reduce Canadians on the AR. That's a bit of a complicated problem.

What if the ratio tracks the talent level of the available NATs in that year or era?  We might think the changing ratio is capricious, but maybe it just morphs to reflect what keeps a maximal quantity of Canadians in the game whilst still proffering an entertaining product?

In other words, some years/eras will see more good/great NATs than others, and maybe the ratio adjusts to reflect that.  Who knows what drives this cycle.  As you said, a lot more NATs have gone to the NFL lately, it seems.  And it seems that more are sticking, or at least getting 2-3 year looks vs the usual 9-months-then-done.

For instance, recently we accounted for a lot of quality NAT QBs appearing by adjusting the ratio regarding starting NAT QBs.

If you think about it, there are very few "placeholder" NATs that are starters in the league today.  The Hurls of the world are becoming rarer.  There are still a few, sometimes the 5th string receiver, or sometimes a much weaker guy on D.  But for the most part I think NAT talent is better right now than it was 8 years ago.

Case in point: fantasy.  I used to almost never pick a NAT WR in fantasy; they were cheap but didn't produce.  Now I regularly have 1 or 2 NAT WRs, and sometimes I don't even look at designation, I just pick who I think will have a big game.  And it's not just our team: many teams have very serviceable or even top-tier NAT WRs.

If this trend continues (and the NFL doesn't steal them all), we may eventually see an increase to the NAT starter ratio, not the decrease the historical trend would imply.

Developing Canadian players but giving them an NFL option window are conflicting ideas.

For sure.  But the carrot of insane-$$ NFL money works just the same on both IMPs and NATs.  I'm pretty sure most Canadian U Sports players don't sit there dreaming: "I want to be a CFL NAT STer when I grow up!".  As much as it sucks when we lose the top-5 Canadian talents to the NFL every year, it's the secret sauce to the whole enchilada.  The best we can hope for is the top NATs each year are shorter / smaller and thus are ignored by the Giant Humans Football League.

[Blue In BC]

What if the ratio tracks the talent level of the available NATs in that year or era?  We might think the changing ratio is capricious, but maybe it just morphs to reflect what keeps a maximal quantity of Canadians in the game whilst still proffering an entertaining product?

In other words, some years/eras will see more good/great NATs than others, and maybe the ratio adjusts to reflect that.  Who knows what drives this cycle.  As you said, a lot more NATs have gone to the NFL lately, it seems.  And it seems that more are sticking, or at least getting 2-3 year looks vs the usual 9-months-then-done.

For instance, recently we accounted for a lot of quality NAT QBs appearing by adjusting the ratio regarding starting NAT QBs.

If you think about it, there are very few "placeholder" NATs that are starters in the league today.  The Hurls of the world are becoming rarer.  There are still a few, sometimes the 5th string receiver, or sometimes a much weaker guy on D.  But for the most part I think NAT talent is better right now than it was 8 years ago.

Case in point: fantasy.  I used to almost never pick a NAT WR in fantasy; they were cheap but didn't produce.  Now I regularly have 1 or 2 NAT WRs, and sometimes I don't even look at designation, I just pick who I think will have a big game.  And it's not just our team: many teams have very serviceable or even top-tier NAT WRs.

If this trend continues (and the NFL doesn't steal them all), we may eventually see an increase to the NAT starter ratio, not the decrease the historical trend would imply.

For sure.  But the carrot of insane-$$ NFL money works just the same on both IMPs and NATs.  I'm pretty sure most Canadian U Sports players don't sit there dreaming: "I want to be a CFL NAT STer when I grow up!".  As much as it sucks when we lose the top-5 Canadian talents to the NFL every year, it's the secret sauce to the whole enchilada.  The best we can hope for is the top NATs each year are shorter / smaller and thus are ignored by the Giant Humans Football League.

I don't see the number of mandated Canadian starters going up. I could imagine lowering the number of back ups on the AR by a couple and increasing the number mandated on the PR.

Adding 2 global players to the AR has already done that. The 3 on the PR is due to and increase in size to the PR. Regardless, just be eliminating the global designation leaves room now filled by
them.

That contradicts my suggestion of reducing the AR by a couple of Canadians but it is an option to create more room for Canadian players to develop.

The option I would prefer is to eliminate the global designation and convert them to two regular DI positions. Global players are in fact a form of DI in the 1st place.

That change would eliminate a specific need on the PR for 3 global players that could be converted to Canadian depth. To some degree it reduces the need for as many imports on the PR. The argument would be whether imports are better than global and more likely to progress faster etc etc.

A bigger question is whether teams can find another 3 Canadian players to roster on the PR? In theory they could be do that now at the expense of an import or global or 2.

A hard sell would be a 3 year contract for draft choices and no NFL option window.

[theaardvark]

The NFL window is the most attractive part of the NAT program.  And for Americans as well.

Being able to showcase one's talents And get paid to do it is great.  We will lose players on a regular basis, but many of those players would never have come here without that option, so its a sum zero loss. 

What needs to be done is a better RFA/UFA system.  Steal it directly from the NHL, reducing the RFA period a bit.  Offer sheets lend themselves nicely to the CFL players returning from the NFL, after the ELC of course.   

We WANT players to learn and grow in the CFL and eventually become NFL level, and return when that window passes to complete their careers here.  Look no further than our own Doug Brown. 

[Blue In BC]

The NFL window is the most attractive part of the NAT program.  And for Americans as well.

Being able to showcase one's talents And get paid to do it is great.  We will lose players on a regular basis, but many of those players would never have come here without that option, so its a sum zero loss. 

What needs to be done is a better RFA/UFA system.  Steal it directly from the NHL, reducing the RFA period a bit.  Offer sheets lend themselves nicely to the CFL players returning from the NFL, after the ELC of course.  

We WANT players to learn and grow in the CFL and eventually become NFL level, and return when that window passes to complete their careers here.  Look no further than our own Doug Brown. 

The problem is that Canadians in the CFL are drafted while the imports are not. Drafted Canadians almost make the roster by default because of the supply / demand restrictions.

The NFL option window hasn't always existed and fewer Canadians went to the NFL in free agency.

It falls a little under the you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Don't slant the concept to the imports as much. Suggesting they wouldn't come here in masses if not for the NFL option window? Obviously it has some impact but very few of the imports leave in their NFL option year within their 1st ELC contract.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The problem is that Canadians in the CFL are drafted while the imports are not. Drafted Canadians almost make the roster by default because of the supply / demand restrictions.

The NFL option window hasn't always existed and fewer Canadians went to the NFL in free agency.

It falls a little under the you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Don't slant the concept to the imports as much. Suggesting they wouldn't come here in masses if not for the NFL option window? Obviously it has some impact but very few of the imports leave in their NFL option year within their 1st ELC contract. 

I'd like to know what small percentage of players the NFL option actually works out for, it could be less than 1% and yet they are willing to distort the purpose of the league to serve a very small number of players who are capable of benefiting from it.  It's nothing but a distraction and a confirmation of an inferiority complex. 

[TecnoGenius]

I'd like to know what small percentage of players the NFL option actually works out for, it could be less than 1% and yet they are willing to distort the purpose of the league to serve a very small number of players who are capable of benefiting from it.  It's nothing but a distraction and a confirmation of an inferiority complex. 

It's the psychology.  Doesn't matter if it's only 1%: every young buck player thinks they are that 1% and wants to prove it.  It probably is the main driving force for most young players.  Just look at all of Strevie's talk since going to the NFL: the CFL was simply a way to get film and show his stuff to get his "real" job.

It's like those dumb "refer your friend to our store and be entered to win $1k": you'll never ever win it as your odds are probably diluted by a million other entrants, but a lot of people do the referral with magical thinking that they'll be the one to win.

But hey, nothing wrong with being optimistic!  Beats the alternative   The players who think they are the best could actually turn out to be great, the ones that think they are mediocre will never be better than mediocre.