GDT Mtl at Edm, Sat Jun 20, 3:00PM

[dd]

Talk about finding the sliver of a silver lining!  When it comes to EDM, you play up any positive you have.  Did you see those stands?  Yikes.  I didn't think it could get worse than last year.  Crowd in OTT was horrific too.  Though it looks like in EDM it was raining prior to the game.

Week 3 and attendance still bad.  When do we panic?
calgarys attendance was brutal tonight as well.

and laugh all you want about Edmonton, but rankin is going to kill our defense next week

[Tecno]

LOL, last play of Q1, Mack makes a sick catch.  First they DPI him with a jam that's hard enough to knock him down (semi-illegal IMHO), then the DB is screening his face from behind (definite DPI, but never called in CFL), and then the same DB turns his screen into a facemask tug (100% penalty).

Refs missed all of it.  There was an ad break right after and I thought EITS would auto-review and call a FM down, but they must have been out getting Tim's.

Also, Luther has screwed up many times so far.  Last game too.  I'm not sure why they keep trying with that guy.  And he's wasting an IMP spot.

[Tecno]

Thorpe keeps forgetting he can't be on the field.  Taking yet another flag on the MTL bench.  2nd one this season.

This new rule (well, new enforcement) seems to be a real problem for him.  He gets way too far into the game and forgets where he is.

I'm glad Mafia is waaay cooler than that... and most of our coords sit up in the booth.

[Tecno]

3Q6:47 That's a crackback block by Cody to spring Rankin.  He can't "forcibly" hit while running back towards his dead ball line.  I think it's "forcible enough" because he's clearly giving it his all (which isn't much).  And it doesn't matter that's partially moving laterally... he's still also heading back to his line.  It also doesn't matter that he doesn't use his hands (he sneakily uses his back) -- hands are not part of the rule.

a) Cody didn't have to do it, Rankin was going to dodge that guy anyhow.
b) Refs let it slide because it's a QB doing it, AND the splash play looks good on TV, and it would suck to call it back

Command reviews all TDs, and should have flagged it (but see (b) above) as it's a player safety issue.

Change my mind.

[Tecno]

Uh, Theiss back in the game in O/T after *clear* being unconscious at the end of the 4th... shouldn't that be impossible nowadays?

[Tecno]

To be honest, I think the rule changes have been a net positive so far. The 35 second play clock is good. The hard stop at 3:00 keeps more time for teams at the end.

Uh, basically no one is complaining about the 2026 changes.  The real controversial changes are the 55 and the GPs.  That's it, that's all.  Don't straw man.

If Johnston comes out today and says "55 stays, and GPs stay at GL" then everyone is happy and we don't lose another 5% of butts in seats next season.  It's really that simple.

[Tecno]

Is that infamous ref #22 I see?  The same pockmark-faced ref made 2 controversial calls in this game.  Two "ref conference" calls where clearly 2 refs have differing opinions.  And BOTH calls went EDM's way.  Forcing a command review where it's harder to overturn.  Hmmm.

As for the Rankin fumble, I think both players were touching it as it went out.  So now we have a conundrum: the rule book doesn't address that case.

I think the MTL guy had it "more" before it went out, and his facemask seemed to be on it as it went out.

But bummer Alexander's streak comes to an end TO GARBAGE-PAIL EDM.   

The EDM guy kind of stole it away after it went out, but was probably touching it too.  So what do you do when both players are riding that ball out and neither has it in possession?

Look to the only other similar problem that the rule book addresses: simultaneous completion.  And in that case it goes to the O.  I suspect if they address this problem they will write the rule in a similar vein.  So in that sense I think command got it right.

[Jesse]

Uh, basically no one is complaining about the 2026 changes.  The real controversial changes are the 55 and the GPs.  That's it, that's all.  Don't straw man.

If Johnston comes out today and says "55 stays, and GPs stay at GL" then everyone is happy and we don't lose another 5% of butts in seats next season.  It's really that simple.

I've heard a few complaints about the "35 second clock" because of how they're doing it. It hasn't been what they said it was going to be at all. It's inconsistently started and still runs off 40-55 seconds per play. You still see examples of refs waiting to put the ball down and there's no 35 sec clock posted.

[TBURGESS]

I hate the new rule that allows returners to watch the ball go through the end zone instead of having to play or give up a point. It's significantly reduced the kick/punt returns, which are some of the best plays in CFL football. 

The 35 second clock isn't as bad as I first thought it would be, but they have to make it more consistent. Sometimes they place the ball right away and sometimes with <10 seconds left. It's really affecting the kicking game. 

[dd]

To me, the whole 35 second clock thing is a sham. Like others have pointed out consistently inconsistent, so what's the difference between this and the refs starting the 20 second clock once the ball has been spotted ie the old way?! A big tado about nothing

[Jesse]

I hate the new rule that allows returners to watch the ball go through the end zone instead of having to play or give up a point. It's significantly reduced the kick/punt returns, which are some of the best plays in CFL football.

The 35 second clock isn't as bad as I first thought it would be, but they have to make it more consistent. Sometimes they place the ball right away and sometimes with <10 seconds left. It's really affecting the kicking game.

I hate getting rid of the rouge, but I can't see this being the case. Teams would gladly give up the point for the field position every time. I don't see how this would affect a player returning a ball or not.

That said, getting moved up to the 40 is and has always been ridiculous.

[TBURGESS]

I hate getting rid of the rouge, but I can't see this being the case. Teams would gladly give up the point for the field position every time. I don't see how this would affect a player returning a ball or not.

That said, getting moved up to the 40 is and has always been ridiculous.

Paying a point to get the 40 is different than getting it for free. Those points become the difference between needing a 7 point and an 8 point TD or turning 2 FG's into 7 points. 

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Uh, basically no one is complaining about the 2026 changes.  The real

Uh, basically no one is complaining about the 2026 changes.  The real controversial changes are the 55 and the GPs.  That's it, that's all.  Don't straw man.

If Johnston comes out today and says "55 stays, and GPs stay at GL" then everyone is happy and we don't lose another 5% of butts in seats next season.  It's really that simple.

controversial changes are the 55 and the GPs.  That's it, that's all.  Don't straw man.

If Johnston comes out today and says "55 stays, and GPs stay at GL" then everyone is happy and we don't lose another 5% of butts in seats next season.  It's really that simple.

Not intending to mislead you, the changes next year are obviously different than this year. 100%

But it also fair to say that, so far, the tinkering they've done has been pretty successful if you ask me. That a good sign I think.

[Jesse]

Paying a point to get the 40 is different than getting it for free. Those points become the difference between needing a 7 point and an 8 point TD or turning 2 FG's into 7 points.

That's true. It doesn't really change the fact that teams always gave up the point for the field position.

[Tecno]

That's true. It doesn't really change the fact that teams always gave up the point for the field position.

No, TBURGESS is right.  They gave up the point for FP most of the time.  But not all of the time.  For example, in the last 90 sec of a half many teams would try to not give up the point because they were confident they'd bleed the remaining clock in any event.  There were other scenarios, too.

There was a calculation going on the the ST coach, HC, and returner.

Now the calculation is much, much simpler -- and how that one returner this weekend botched it and came out to the 2 is beyond everyone.