Calgary @ Winnipeg

[Blueforlife]

I think he'll be an asset once he's ready to go. I'm curious if he'll end up on KR/PR duties; Smith ain't it.

Smith has progressed and I expect him to continue, looks like another guy was also practicing this as well.  Nothing wrong with a little Lucky once he is in game shape but only if needed, keep him healthy and fresh would be my idea.  I would also use him on screen pass, over the middle and an occasional sweep.

[Blue In BC]

Ok...so Blue lives in BC right. Are Lions games that much more expensive than previously?

I was making a general comment about inflation overall over time.  I used to pay $6 to park and now it's $30 - $35 for games.

Gas costs, food costs, merch and everything else. Traffic. Some days the Lions play the same day as the Canucks.

Now the Canucks have been around since 1970, but there is also the Whitecaps. Other cities have gained hockey teams, baseball, basketball and soccer. Over time that has taken away discretionary spending that might have gone to football.

Aging populations of baby boomers on fixed incomes. Younger generations less interested in history of any particular spot has eroded football fan bases more than some sports.

As I mentioned, the invent of HD widescreen colour tv's with every game being broadcast.

I've lived in Vancouver since 1965 and remember games at Empire Stadium with 30K+ in attendance. I've also gone to games in the late 80's or early 90's where there were less than 15K even when they were winning.

Each city has it's own issues. It's clear attendance is dwindling across the league. Winning helps improve that in some cities but in others it's almost a flat line.

Generally we have had larger, better stadiums and a more entertaining game compared to the past IMO.  Now we've reached a point where some facilities need to be replaced. Watching some games is like watching UFL spring football games from an attendance point of view.

Edmonton attendance this year over 3 games. They aren't winning but they have been entertaining.


1   1   20,681
2   2   15,790
3   3   10,857

[Pigskin]

Sounds like Strev17 was pretty banged up. Looked like he was moving well today. But, he didn't practice today.

[The Zipp]

Sounds like Strev17 was pretty banged up. Looked like he was moving well today. But, he didn't practice today.

He took a beating - that is why a QB of his skills just is not sustainable.  No human can take hits and run full out, then expect to shake it off in 30 seconds and read a defence and execute a precision play. Just not possible in the long term. 

I appreciate what he does - he is a full blown beast who has a high pain threshold but it won't last as a Qb.  If Zach needs to ever miss 3 games - Streveler isn't lasting, it's Terry time then. 

[markf]

30 games over 3 years... is that enough for an NFL pension?

not sure....

[GOLDMEMBER]

Sounds like Strev17 was pretty banged up. Looked like he was moving well today. But, he didn't practice today.

I saw him at Stella's on Sunday. He was walking normal and was in a great mood.   

[TecnoGenius]

You watch again. Opposing QB's have had way too long to look for receivers in every game. There is no push from the interior of the DL and DL in general.  We lose contain as well and QB's run for good yardage.

Yes, but that's not all on Fatboi.  It's a unit, not one man.  I think Fatboi is producing at a mid-high level similar to what he's done in the last 2-3 seasons.  He's not Stove, nor Nevis, nor Sayles.  And he's not Laurent at Laurent's peak.  But he is Fatboi.  After posting my last reply I watched more of the OTT game and Fatboi is almost always tying up 2 OL.  It's a numbers game and he's doing his part.  I bet MOS would agree... I'd rip on the other DTs and the DE not-named-Willie before Fatboi.

I'd disagree that no ratio means an equivalent to XFL or USFL.  Half the Canadian starters are usually OL. Who really watches them unless they make a mistake.

You keep saying that, but you don't justify it.  We 100% would become the XFL/AAF.  Not a "feeder league" per se, but a NFL-reject and never-drafted all-American wasteland.  Why wouldn't it?

Or flip it on its head: the XFL/AAF had no ratio (clearly) and they hired virtually no Canadians.  Why would they?  The best went to the NFL.  So why would a ratioless CFL hire Canadians?  If anything, a ratioless CFL would hire less Canadians than XFL/AAF because the CFL (currently) has a higher SMS/budget than the loser-leagues, and thus can vie for the more expensive tier of Americans who don't like the fixed-salary limitations of the loser-leagues.

As everyone always points out: if there was no ratio there would be no Demski.  Period.  He was pretty weak for all his SSK years, without showing much promise.  So would that be a good thing?  Either explain how no-ratio would still get Demski a job, or explain how no-Demski is a good thing.  If you can't do either, then the ratio is a good thing for the CFL.

[TecnoGenius]

Nothing has changed to decrease the participation in youth sports. So your argument is completely out to lunch. The ratio is still there but the attendance is going down. How can we rationalize how Gen X or Gen Z relates to the CFL history or heritage of the game.

I'd say "nothing has changed to decrease the participation in [ U ] sports" because the CFL continues to provide the promise of a pro-level future and decent-to-big money.  If you take that away by ditching the ratio, guaranteed the participation in Usports declines.  You're making it sound like something has changed already re: ratio or earning power of Canadians in the CFL: it hasn't.  Attendance is irrelevant to this argument.

Many of the recent DPs (i.e. the Philpots) talk about how their dreams all through high school and U were getting to play pro in the CFL.  No ratio, virtually no Canadians hired (the truly best going to the NFL), thus no dreams for the Canadian teenagers.  Ya, maybe the 1% of the 1% might be told/think they are NFL material, but all the rest, nah.

[TecnoGenius]

I think he'll be an asset once he's ready to go. I'm curious if he'll end up on KR/PR duties; Smith ain't it.

Smith gets a longer leash.  At least he hasn't flubbed up and (possibly) cost us a game like Mitchell did.  To me that's job #1 and 90% of the ask.  I have no doubt that even if Lucky is ARd, Smith is the main guy returning (unless he flubs).  At most Lucky will get to be an other-side co-returner.

Even BC was barely ever using Lucky on returns for his final 1.5 seasons there.

[TecnoGenius]

DEPTH CHART IS UP

Haha, good one.  You had me checking the calendar and doing a double-take on the day-of-the-week.  Then I started reading the names... sneaky b!

[TecnoGenius]

No Loffler?  That's only 8 NATS starting, we need 10...

I'll see your 10 and raise you 2 more.

Heard in the halls of PAS recently (allegedly):

KW: I think we're starting a lot of NATs.
MOS: You think that's a lot of NATs?!  Just you wait to see what I can do!  I'll show you NATs!

[TecnoGenius]

Generally we have had larger, better stadiums and a more entertaining game compared to the past IMO.  Now we've reached a point where some facilities need to be replaced. Watching some games is like watching UFL spring football games from an attendance point of view.

ALL stadiums need to be designed so the cameras are on the visitor side.  So many stadiums, especially the "empty" ones (TOR, OTT, EDM, BC) and the newest ones (TOR, OTT), have very decent attendance on the home (or bench) side.  Yet the cams are there too, pointing towards the empty side.  You can confirm this when the kicks show sparse stands but the odd ground-level shots that pan up the home/bench side show a dense crowd.

Heck, even PAS has this problem, as just by a quick glance across at the E I can tell my C-yard line area on the W is at least 20-25% better attended.  But PAS is so well attended it doesn't matter that they are showing the E.  Other stadiums don't have that advantage.  (SSK's toilet bowl actually charges more for home-side tickets!!  A very smart idea.)

It's easy to solve in a new stadium: put all cameras on the other/sparse side!!  Either that, or do Mosaic tricks to even out the sales.

[TecnoGenius]

BinBC: Fatboi -- check out OTT@WPG 4Q14:51 where Crum throws the INT to Bonds.  Ya, who is 1Y away from Crum getting him all antsy... who pushed back his OL guy a full 7Y and had him on his heels barely upright?

Fatboi.  Antsy QB = bad decision = INT.

Who, the play before, on an Armstead run tied up 2 hoggies so Biggie could come into the gap and stuff the run?

Fatboi.

Much of the game was like this.  Most games are.

Fatboi goes unnoticed because he gets almost no stats.  But don't say he's not doing much or the weakest of weak links until you spend entire rewatches focusing on him.  If you're not looking for it, you'd never notice it.

Ya, MOS does.  I bet Fatboi is still playing DT for us in 2025.

Edit: 4Q3:39 Fatboi beats his hoggie faster than anyone could imagine and is in Crum's face when he's trying to pass, Crum has to scramble and others chase him OOB for a loss.  That is 100% all Fatboi.

[Jesse]

Meh, Thomas should not have even been starting this season, but Lawson got hurt.

[Blue In BC]

Yes, but that's not all on Fatboi.  It's a unit, not one man.  I think Fatboi is producing at a mid-high level similar to what he's done in the last 2-3 seasons.  He's not Stove, nor Nevis, nor Sayles.  And he's not Laurent at Laurent's peak.  But he is Fatboi.  After posting my last reply I watched more of the OTT game and Fatboi is almost always tying up 2 OL.  It's a numbers game and he's doing his part.  I bet MOS would agree... I'd rip on the other DTs and the DE not-named-Willie before Fatboi.

You keep saying that, but you don't justify it.  We 100% would become the XFL/AAF.  Not a "feeder league" per se, but a NFL-reject and never-drafted all-American wasteland.  Why wouldn't it?

Or flip it on its head: the XFL/AAF had no ratio (clearly) and they hired virtually no Canadians.  Why would they?  The best went to the NFL.  So why would a ratioless CFL hire Canadians?  If anything, a ratioless CFL would hire less Canadians than XFL/AAF because the CFL (currently) has a higher SMS/budget than the loser-leagues, and thus can vie for the more expensive tier of Americans who don't like the fixed-salary limitations of the loser-leagues.

As everyone always points out: if there was no ratio there would be no Demski.  Period.  He was pretty weak for all his SSK years, without showing much promise.  So would that be a good thing?  Either explain how no-ratio would still get Demski a job, or explain how no-Demski is a good thing.  If you can't do either, then the ratio is a good thing for the CFL.

Why do I need to justify that the CFL wouldn't be an NFL feeder league. Rosters have 23 imports now and it's not a feeder league. The CFL has always had NFL cuts and non drafted players. A few get signed as TCF each year but few stick.

The NFL has a vast pool of players they can draft each year.

If the CFL increased the imports by 20 for each team that's only another 180 players. The NFL isn't going to jump up and down with joy about a larger pool. If they wanted to consider us as a feeder league, they'd negotiate sending some of their draft choices to the CFL for a year to get them experience. They'd have some sort of financial investment if they thought it was beneficial ( like NFL Europe ).

Regarding whether we'd see top Canadians still make rosters, I'd say yes we would. Even with the vast number of imports we bring to camp, most are quickly tossed. We have to scour the leftovers to find players to fill the roster.

So in the same way that at times teams can't find enough good Canadians, they also can't find enough good Americans.

No ratio does not mean no room for Canadians on the roster. Roster size, ratio, SMS are all part of a tricky balance. Trying to operate at a profit level as well is becoming more of an issue with several teams losing money each season.

Ratio has been fluid over the past 50 years. When roster size was 32 we only had 15 imports and 17 Canadians. The ratio has moved towards more imports and that hasn't stopped Canadian kids still living the dream.

We can continue this discussion more if you wish by DM's. The string took a detour I didn't intend. Or you can start a new string specific topic.