major announcement - big changes to cfl playoff and season start

[ModAdmin]

What about posts that start with "no offense" but are clearly meant to offend?

We have the report to moderator option if you feel any post is a personal attack.

[Blueforlife]

No thanks.  I cancelled my seasons after a long long time.  I do not support this crap.  I will go to the odd game but they will not get $2000 off of me this year.  Wade voted for this to get money.  He likes money. That's his only thing. As a Canadian I expected better from him.  But he's about the party and the money, no longer the tradition of the game. 

I loved the CFL and the 110 yard field and the 3 downs and the long end zones you could make amazing plays in.  We have 3 downs for now, but who knows for how long.

That playoff format is a farce.  I thought Ambrosie was bad...well he looks good now.  Wow.   Many cannot afford multiple playoff tickets.  Some can, but how many?  I guess it's ok for some, but I'm not sure all cities will sell.

Want the next gen of fans to come? Get halftime shows.  We have a crappy band playing.  BC gets it.  We do not.

I'll buy a jersey but that's it for this year, maybe the home opener to see how awful it is. I want to support my team, and I will a bit, but Wade doesn't get my full money this year.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Bomberforlife

I am happy the mods are trying to keep the peace, good job. 

[Tecno]

Surveys have shown that ~5% of CFL fans will cancel their ST's or not go to games if the 2027 changes (100Y,GPs) go through.

Not a single survey of any sort has shown 5% new people will start buying ST or go to games because of the changes.

That's a major problem, and unless it just magically materializes, Johnston is harming the league, not helping it.  That's the reality of the here and now.

[Tecno]

Can you explain to me h
How about you explain to me how adding playoff games that never existed before wouldn't earn significant revenue?

Well, it all depends on if each game shows a profit or a loss!  The "poor" teams, are they losing money for every home game they host (incl reg season)?  Is the "poorest" team (TOR? EDM?) running every single game at a loss?

Clearly each stadium will have a break-even crossover point in terms of butts in seats.  It shouldn't be hard to run the math.

If so, then every extra playoff game they might host would just cost the team money, assuming they don't get a better-than-normal turnout (which is probably a safe assumption -- why would they, it's like a reg season game if they are 6th place facing the 7th!).

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Well, it all depends on if each game shows a profit or a loss!  The "poor" teams, are they losing money for every home game they host (incl reg season)?  Is the "poorest" team (TOR? EDM?) running every single game at a loss?

Clearly each stadium will have a break-even crossover point in terms of butts in seats.  It shouldn't be hard to run the math.

If so, then every extra playoff game they might host would just cost the team money, assuming they don't get a better-than-normal turnout (which is probably a safe assumption -- why would they, it's like a reg season game if they are 6th place facing the 7th!).

...Pretend your job is negotiating media rights and try again.

[Tecno]

Wade voted for this to get money.  He likes money. That's his only thing. As a Canadian I expected better from him.  But he's about the party and the money, no longer the tradition of the game. 

I wouldn't be too hard on Wade, nor impugn motives.  We simply don't know the inside of his mind, nor do we get many interviews to try to get hints.

I think it's just as likely some cabal on the BoG pressured or outright forced some Prez's to go along with the crazy ideas.  It wouldn't help WM, WFC, or probably the CFL for WM and 2 other Prez's to stick their heads up, go against the flow, and say the changes suck.  Besides personal "punishments", the league could be like Darth Vader and "adjust" the "equalization payments" to steal another $1M+ from WFC next season... "Pray I don't adjust it any further!"

No one knows.  We also don't know how much power WM has on the BoG.  As a very "small town" (compared to the others) Prez he might count for nothing.

I agree that many of us miss Unca'Brosie.  At least his changes didn't touch 60+ year traditions, and his Global Experiment can be shut down on a moment's notice at zero cost.

[Tecno]

...Pretend your job is negotiating media rights and try again.

You're assuming TSN wants MORE games... It seems like every season they reduce the # of PS games they show on TV.  And what are their channels showing the rest of those weekends?  5 channels of South Sudan Open golf repeats all night?  Our PS is basically free content and they're like "nah brah, South Sudan Open is cool".

Doubt anyone except us is tuning into the exciting new Play-In of 8th place TOR vs 7th place EDM come late Oct, especially when NFL and NHL is back on, right?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Great, everyone's favourite dickhead will be front and center on Friday Night Football broadcasts, he alone could drive more fans away from the CFL than the proposed rule changes!

https://3downnation.com/2026/05/04/luke-willson-announces-colour-commentator-role-for-cfl-on-tsn/

[Sir Blue and Gold]

You're assuming TSN wants MORE games... It seems like every season they reduce the # of PS games they show on TV.  And what are their channels showing the rest of those weekends?  5 channels of South Sudan Open golf repeats all night?  Our PS is basically free content and they're like "nah brah, South Sudan Open is cool".

Doubt anyone except us is tuning into the exciting new Play-In of 8th place TOR vs 7th place EDM come late Oct, especially when NFL and NHL is back on, right?

By "us" do you mean Bombers fans? Because, ummm...yes, that's exactly who the the CFL will monetize if the Bombers are in the 7-8 playoff game. Bombers fans. Woah, what a shocking conclusion.

You guys are so set on fighting change you're willing to argue more playoff games will lose money. I can't even begin to comprehend the mental gymnastics required to convince myself of that but prey I never get there.

[Tecno]

By "us" do you mean Bombers fans? Because, ummm...yes, that's exactly who the the CFL will monetize if the Bombers are in the 7-8 playoff game. Bombers fans. Woah, what a shocking conclusion.

Clearly WFC & fans aren't who I was talking about.  It's the bottom-half of teams that may lose money with the extra playoffs.  I'm not saying it's so, I'm saying it's possible.  Clearly TSN ran the math and figured the PS games aren't worth the tiny investment of flying a crew out.  If a #6 v #7 play-in has the same interest as a WPG/SSK PS game (a distinct possibility!) then they won't be worth it either -- noting that each recent year TSN shows 1 or 0 WPG/SSK PS games.

You guys are so set on fighting change you're willing to argue more playoff games will lose money.

That's why I asked where the breakeven for butts is.  If EDM has to put 20k in the stands to break even on a game, and they don't, then the extra game only hurts them.

I don't know the numbers on either TV or butts, but we can try to guess.  Surely, because of the constant cry of "poor!", we can assume they are close to break even in both aspects!!

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I'll keep this very simple for you: more playoff games equals more money for the teams, players, league and media partners.

I have no idea why you're bringing up pre-season games and trying to equate them to playoff games whether they be new or old. Only someone clever enough to stick a "never go full Johnson" on their profile would need this explained. The guy operates in business circles you don't even know exist and he'll probably bring in more corporate revenue in a year than you will in your entire life. But whatever. You're the expert. Happy?

[Tecno]

he alone could drive more fans away from the CFL than the proposed rule changes!

I'm still convinced Wilson was a plant to soften us all for a year before Johnston released the whirlwind.  It's all being directed, working on longer-term plans than we've been privy too.

Look back to Wilson's famous "I hate all these CFLisms" rant with the above in mind and it'll all make sense.  He was dissing precisely what Johnston was going to hose a few months later "out of the blue".

That said, he may be mildly amusing in color.  We shall see.  We may have to hold our noses and try to put aside our distaste.  In any event, he'll probably be eased in and host the lowest number of games of all the crew.  Kind of like Matty did.  They'll ramp him up next year if fans managed to suppress their gag reflex.  I hate BLM, but have no problems with him taking a panel spot -- this could be a lot like that.

[Tecno]

The guy operates in business circles you don't even know exist and he'll probably bring in more corporate revenue in a year than you will in your entire life.

Appeal to authority fallacy.  I judge the man by his actions, not the actions by the man.

You don't even attempt to argue the points.  Just wave your hand.

It is very much possible a EDM/TOR play-in gets less TSN viewers AND butts in seats than a WPG/SSK PS game!!  In fact, I might put money on it!  The butts-in-seats is a virtual shoe-in.  28k tickets sold for @PAS SSK PS game in 2025.  No way a @EDM or @TOR play-in game of bottom-feeding teams sells 28k.  TV numbers will be harder to come by, but I do know that any PS game SSK is in has half of that province watching.

But whatever, you do you.

Edit: let's just have a 1 week regular season then and all the other 17 weeks + playoff weeks are "playoff games" with new stupid "play-in", "play-under", "play-out", "play-above" names, and all 9 teams get in.  Because they have the magic "playoff" word they'll be profitable, right??  Pffft.

[BlueInCgy]

Great, everyone's favourite dickhead will be front and center on Friday Night Football broadcasts, he alone could drive more fans away from the CFL than the proposed rule changes!

https://3downnation.com/2026/05/04/luke-willson-announces-colour-commentator-role-for-cfl-on-tsn/

Never thought anything would make me long for Rod Black on a telecast, but suddenly I do...

[Pete]

Great, everyone's favourite dickhead will be front and center on Friday Night Football broadcasts, he alone could drive more fans away from the CFL than the proposed rule changes!

https://3downnation.com/2026/05/04/luke-willson-announces-colour-commentator-role-for-cfl-on-tsn/

yeah this guy reminds me a lot of high profile social media types... anything to draw attention to himself, regardless of what he knows or doesn't