CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[jets4life]

What a dumb arugment.

I think some people might just have more faith in Amar Dolman, Bob Young, Wade Miller, etc versus you and your ideas. I think it's reasonable to suspect they know what they are doing on this topic, wait for it, again....more than you.

I think anyone who steps aside and puts on adult clothing and looks at things rationally, sees that.

If you like American style fields, and rules, why don't you just move to the United States?

In any case, you are making the most ridiculous arguments for these catastrophic changes.

[ModAdmin]

People have strong feelings on this subject but maybe let's wait to see how the new rules/arrangements play out. They are going to be implemented anyway.

[TBURGESS]

People have strong feelings on this subject but maybe let's wait to see how the new rules/arrangements play out. They are going to be implemented anyway.

That's like saying the Tariffs are going to be implemented anyway, let's just wait and see how they play out. 

[blue_or_die]

People have strong feelings on this subject but maybe let's wait to see how the new rules/arrangements play out. They are going to be implemented anyway.

The problem is that once they're implemented, there's very likely no going back. If you think they are going to do damage, having this attitude is just rolling over.

Dissuading discussion is pretty counterintuitive to the point of this forum, isn't it?

But you're right that they're going to be implemented. We will "wait and see" - if the changes have a positive impact, result in growing the fanbase, and it turns out the elements being removed weren't as big a deal as some of us think, great. If the changes result in forever losing what many paying customers believe are some of the cultural/core identity pieces of the league and reduce their loyalty while simultaneously having nil effect on growing revenue, then what? In that case, well, we waited...and we saw...

[bomber beetle]

No matter which side one is on, I think almost everyone would agree that the proposed changes will not significantly increase viewership or attendance.

I can't imagine that the CFL brass sees this measure alone as a way to grow the league.

I have to believe it is about positioning for more changes that will come within the next five to ten years. There must be a bigger vision.

So at this time, getting worked up either way about this is kind of pointless.
Change is necessary, and it is in the hands of the league officials to find a way out of losing millions every year.
If the league was a money making machine, then sure, the fans could feel that they should have more of a voice. But that is not where things are at.

[theaardvark]

15 yard wider field, 5 yard deeper endzones.  This is NOT an NFL field and in no way could be mistaken for one.  In fact, it will look even more different because the length to width ratio will get more exaggerated.

Goal post to the back of the EZ makes the field cleaner, no obstructions.  More open route running, and goal line stands will not have a post obstructing the D.

Every field in the CFL can be the exact same size, no transitions, no corners cut off, no slightly shorter EZs.

There will still be kicks into the EZ to be returned. 

These are the benefits now.

Does it open things up for more down the road?  Either in hosting other leagues games here, or playing games elsewhere?  Sure, it actually opens the ability to START a discussion, where the IGF NFL game slammed that concept shut.

"The sky is falling" crowd losing their marbles over a few cosmetic changes is touching, that they love the CFL game so much that any change is terrible.  Saying you will watch less CFL because of these changes is crazy.  If you love 3 down ball with 12 men on a 65 yard wide field, that has no "fair catch" and has the most exciting OT in sports, and so many other weird and wonderful features, these changes do not in any way change the fundamentals of the game.

The rouge changes are far more "Americanization" than field sizes and goal posts.  But again, they retain a definite un-NFL character for the CFL.

And the clock, well, that is pure NFL and IMHO the only change that is crap.  Unless, of course, they come up with a modification for it, like a 15+20 clock, ref has 15 to blow it in, and the regular 20 second clock continues.  Because in my mind, that is the objection to the current that the new rule addresses.

I can see it getting tossed completely in PS next year, in favour of either an additional official or more input from TEITS / non-command centre..

[ModAdmin]

That's like saying the Tariffs are going to be implemented anyway, let's just wait and see how they play out.

Hardly a good comparison.

[blue_gold_84]

Hardly a good comparison.

It's making up a problem and then offering a dumb solution to fix it. What's not good about the comparison?

No matter which side one is on, I think almost everyone would agree that the proposed changes will not significantly increase viewership or attendance.

Bingo.

[ModAdmin]

It's making up a problem and then offering a dumb solution to fix it. What's not good about the comparison?

Bingo.

Yet to be determined.

[theaardvark]

No matter which side one is on, I think almost everyone would agree that the proposed changes will not significantly increase viewership or attendance.

I can't imagine that the CFL brass sees this measure alone as a way to grow the league.

I have to believe it is about positioning for more changes that will come within the next five to ten years. There must be a bigger vision.

So at this time, getting worked up either way about this is kind of pointless.
Change is necessary, and it is in the hands of the league officials to find a way out of losing millions every year.
If the league was a money making machine, then sure, the fans could feel that they should have more of a voice. But that is not where things are at.

We have no idea on how it will affect viewership until it is implemented, and until we have had a few years of it.

Existing CFL fans are not the target of these changes.  New fans are what we are looking for.  And the conversation alone will create tire kickers that may look at the league now that they have "modernized" and become slightly less weird.

Once the rules are in place, once the fields are modified, then we will see the effect on how the game is executed.  If, as they hope, the game gets faster and more exciting, more scoring, and a cleaner presentation, we will see more new viewers, and more fans.

If the changes have negative effects on the game play, then sure, pack it in.

But these changes are not for change sake, they are changes proposed by a group that includes football minds that have hundreds of times as much knowledge and success at the game than any of us, and a guy who's literal job is eyeballs on screens.  These guys are not throwing darts at a wall to decide what adaptations to make, they all have a vested interest in growing the league, and zero benefit if the league contracts or dies.

These are the best CFL minds, that actually have skin in the game, making these decisions.  And, to re-iterate the most obvious endorsement, these changes had 100% unanimous support, even from WPG and SSK.  Every entity that will have to make investments to make these changes agreed they were worth it.

100% support from better CFL minds than ours.

And Ed Hervey.

[TBURGESS]

It's making up a problem and then offering a dumb solution to fix it. What's not good about the comparison?

Bingo.

You like "If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it" better?

[blue_gold_84]

Yet to be determined.

What is? From what I can tell, the powers that be have taken this stance: the CFL in its current state is unsustainable from a profitability standpoint, so let's change the field dimensions, goalpost location, etc. to make it so. It's garbage.

To compare it with the tariff/trade war nonsense is pretty accurate, IMO.

You like "If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it" better?

Did you mean to quote me there or someone else? Because I agree with you.

[theaardvark]

What is? From what I can tell, the powers that be have taken this stance: the CFL in its current state is unsustainable from a profitability standpoint, so let's change the field dimensions, goalpost location, etc. to make it so. It's garbage.

As a business, if the status quo means failing, you have to change the status quo.

They could have moved to 4 downs, they could have busted the union and scrapped the CBA / ratio.  They could have gone to 11 men, and gone to an actual NFL size field.

Instead, they decided on tweaks to hopefully make the game more presentable and attract more fans.  Literally modernizing the game.  I hope that some marketing comes along with this, "Sticking with tradition, into the future" or some such schmaltz. 

I have no doubt that these changes will come with some support from the league in the way of promotional videos that show how the changes improve the league, to be aired outside of CFL games.  They have over a year to come up with the campaign, "we're still wider and deeper"  and "We've retired the "doink"" with some clips of Cody and company failing in the endzone through no fault of their own.  "let the players win or lose, not the goalposts" or a modified 13th man idea...

And next year, they can do the "Farewell tour" to the 55 yard line and goal posts...

At worst, it has the CFL in the conversation.  And any publicity is good publicity, right?  As long as they spell your name right.

[blue_gold_84]

As a business, if the status quo means failing, you have to change the status quo.

The status quo related to league operations and why the CFL continues to struggle financially has little to do with field dimensions, goalpost location, or the rouge.

The fabric of the game is not why the CFL is cash poor.

[theaardvark]

The status quo related to league operations and why the CFL continues to struggle financially has little to do with field dimensions, goalpost location, or the rouge.

The fabric of the game is not why the CFL is cash poor.

That's the point.  New commissioner, new ideas at the top.

What's your marketing idea?  "Come watch the CFL, its exactly the same as you've seen before".  How do you market without making positive changes?

Small, cosmetic changes give you something to talk about.  And the tweaks, in the commissioner and BOD's eyes, are positives, that can gain more viewers.