Blue Bombers add to roster - January 23, 2024

[VictorRomano]

Ya, it happens sometimes, but I wouldn't say KO is the most dangerous play in the CFL.

The pressure is coming from a multi-year study done in the NFL, which showed it was twice as likely that a player gets injured on a kickoff, compared to literally any other play.  Teams and leagues are trying to reduce liability for player injury.

[theaardvark]

The pressure is coming from a multi-year study done in the NFL, which showed it was twice as likely that a player gets injured on a kickoff, compared to literally any other play.  Teams and leagues are trying to reduce liability for player injury.

If you've ever watched a CFL game, you will notice on kicks that a defenseless returner can never be legally blown up due to the 5 yard halo.  The problem in the NFL, they have no halo, and if a returner doesn't see that there is a cover team guy on a collision course, he may not call for a fair catch, and that collision at the moment of catching the ball can literally rip his head off.

The CFL has the proper set of rules to make ST plays both incredibly exciting and relatively safe.  Safer even than when a QB throws a suicide pass...

[Jesse]

If you've ever watched a CFL game, you will notice on kicks that a defenseless returner can never be legally blown up due to the 5 yard halo.  The problem in the NFL, they have no halo, and if a returner doesn't see that there is a cover team guy on a collision course, he may not call for a fair catch, and that collision at the moment of catching the ball can literally rip his head off.

The CFL has the proper set of rules to make ST plays both incredibly exciting and relatively safe.  Safer even than when a QB throws a suicide pass...

1. He didn't say that a returner is more likely to be injured, he said "players".

2. I think the CFL disagrees with you, as they are discussing the rule changes.

[theaardvark]

1. He didn't say that a returner is more likely to be injured, he said "players".

2. I think the CFL disagrees with you, as they are discussing the rule changes.

Returners are the primary victims of ST injury.  Which is the reason for fair catches.

Other players on ST plays can get hurt, running at full speed down a huge field, yeah, contact and non contact injuries can happen.  But the plethora of penalties called on ST plays says they are concerned about those actions that are dangerous...

As to rule changes, I truly hope they don't make any.  And just because they are discussing them... 

[Jesse]

Returners are the primary victims of ST injury.  Which is the reason for fair catches.

Gotta say, this sounds made up. Have you seen stats on this or just trying to argue based off of an assumption?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Both Augustine and Demski names active on the CFL transactions list, I take it Johnny has been re-signed and Nic's contract is getting a makeover to free up more money.

Also added:

DB TEXADA, Raleigh

Name seems familiar, I think he attended last year's TC.

[TecnoGenius]

lol. If we let the players vote, there wouldn't be any safety rules.

And remember that with the CTE discussion in football, we're not talking about a player going down on a play, taking him out of the game. We're talking about repeated hits over years that cause these guys to have a life expectancy 20 years lower than the average population.

I don't know... the CFLPA is definitely thinking more about safety than they did, say, 10 years ago.  Like their desire for the (idiotic) no-pad practices.

As for CTE: I'm not sure that's a big thing on kicks.  Blockers/coverage don't really have big collisions as they are all running the same way.  Concussions aren't a big thing in ST plays, but if they do happen it'll be the returner or, more likely, the coverage guy making the big hit/tackle while lowering his head.

It will be a sad day, though, when we don't get to all personally witness things like the Hansen ST double-tackle in the 2019 GC.

Without going completely nuts, I'm not sure what the CFL can do to tweak ST here and there to be "safer".  Maybe a slightly bigger halo?  But players need lines to judge so it would have to go to 10Y, and that seems way too hard to maintain.  Anything else won't be a "tweak", it'll be a major change like no movement until catch.

Maybe for returns every player should be in the IGF-break human-sized hamster ball?

[TecnoGenius]

DB TEXADA, Raleigh

Name seems familiar, I think he attended last year's TC.

Ya, definitely had a Texada here in TC at some point.  Not sure if he made it through to actually play in pre-season though.  Don't recall seeing him on field.  Maybe they think he has growth potential.  We could sure use some more top-notch-but-ELC DB help.

[Jesse]

Ya, definitely had a Texada here in TC at some point.  Not sure if he made it through to actually play in pre-season though.  Don't recall seeing him on field.  Maybe they think he has growth potential.  We could sure use some more top-notch-but-ELC DB help.

I think he was a late PR add.

[Jesse]

I don't know... the CFLPA is definitely thinking more about safety than they did, say, 10 years ago.  Like their desire for the (idiotic) no-pad practices.

As for CTE: I'm not sure that's a big thing on kicks.  Blockers/coverage don't really have big collisions as they are all running the same way.  Concussions aren't a big thing in ST plays, but if they do happen it'll be the returner or, more likely, the coverage guy making the big hit/tackle while lowering his head.

It will be a sad day, though, when we don't get to all personally witness things like the Hansen ST double-tackle in the 2019 GC.

Without going completely nuts, I'm not sure what the CFL can do to tweak ST here and there to be "safer".  Maybe a slightly bigger halo?  But players need lines to judge so it would have to go to 10Y, and that seems way too hard to maintain.  Anything else won't be a "tweak", it'll be a major change like no movement until catch.

Maybe for returns every player should be in the IGF-break human-sized hamster ball?

Just for the record, I entirely agree with you. Kick offs and punt return are some of the most exciting, game changing plays in football and if player safety wasn't a concern, we'd be seeing rule changes the other way in order to increase the number of returns seen - just like the leagues do for offense.

But looking at where both the NFL and CFL are going, it's probably not going to be a part of the game anymore.

[Waffler]

I am on the fence about kickoffs only because of what we all saw in last year's western semi.

A reminder of what can happen.

https://youtu.be/IdcPEii8LkI?t=8041

[theaardvark]

I am on the fence about kickoffs only because of what we all saw in last year's western semi.

A reminder of what can happen.

https://youtu.be/IdcPEii8LkI?t=8041

That can happen on a jet sweep, or a multitude of other plays.  The wide field allows a ball carrier to get up to speed before going north/south, and allow a DB to come from depth.

Yes, ST plays it can happen more, but it takes a perfect storm of circumstance for it to result in serious injury.

Like the Hamlin hit.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

That can happen on a jet sweep, or a multitude of other plays.  The wide field allows a ball carrier to get up to speed before going north/south, and allow a DB to come from depth.

Yes, ST plays it can happen more, but it takes a perfect storm of circumstance for it to result in serious injury.

Like the Hamlin hit.

Can't take returns out of the CFL game, but they have to find a way to slow down ST tacklers.  I whince everytime Grant gets nailed by 2-3 tacklers on a punt return, there seems to be no limit on how many tacklers can pile on after he's down.

Can't blame the ST players as they play with zeal knowing it could be there only chance to make an impact and hold onto their jobs.  Maybe if they would call more head contact penalties on these plays there would be more attention paid to tackling form, instead of just blowing the returner up and body-slamming them into the ground.

[TecnoGenius]

I am on the fence about kickoffs only because of what we all saw in last year's western semi.

A reminder of what can happen.

Ouch.  I forgot about that one!  However, what was the outcome of this in terms of injuries?  What did each player end up with?  Any concussions?  Sometimes the tv looks worse than it was in terms of lasting injuries.

That was probably the biggest ST hit since the Hansen '19 GC hit??  It's not often two players at speed manage to collide like that.  That was some ace tracking, open-field work by the BC player.  Do you change the KO rules for a once every 1 or 2 year crazy hit?

Can't blame the ST players as they play with zeal knowing it could be there only chance to make an impact and hold onto their jobs.

Not just that, but one mistake or lack of 100% effort by one ST guy can mean it's a 100Y TD than lose you the game in all sorts of ways.  Look at all the big returns that occurred against us in 2023: it usually boils down to one guy with the best shot getting held or expertly blocked, or someone falling.  I'd rather our coverage guy put a west-semi type hit on the returner than give up a 100Y TD.

[TecnoGenius]

There's one big unspoken problem with removing or massively minimizing kickoffs... We call the start of the game (and 2nd half) "kickoff".  If it's not a kickoff anymore, then we can't use it in speech anymore!

"Meet me at the gates at 7:15 so we can be in our seats before wimpy lame no-one-can-move-much but super safe play."  It doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well as "kickoff".