"why does the CFL have to be three downs" Because that's what the CFL is. It's literally a league for the sport of Canadian football. The rules are not the issue.
I’ve been a season ticket holder for the Argos for over 20 years. It’s a great product. Too bad many don’t realize what their missing. Is it the NFL? No, but it stands on its own.
Why Toronto sports fans would rather spend huge $$ to watch Jays, Leafs or Raptors lose is beyond me. Argos are exciting winning team and no one, including media, care.
Adopting U.S. football rules would not change the level of interest in my opinion. The CFL product is extremely entertaining, with more than half the games decided on in the last few minutes.. Unfortunately, some Canadians (many in the Toronto area) have bought the NFL Cool-aid. The NFL is over-hyped (IMHO) based on what I've seen on the television.
The CFL on field product is excellent. Marketing and revenue is not as good but improving. Honestly, it was a bigger deal in the 1970s. People would actually flock to the airport to get a glimpse of the teams returning home after a road game. To answer the gentleman's question about why three downs? We Canadians invented football in North America in the 1860s. The USA copied us after they were done with their civil war and modified our game with 'an extra down', smaller field, one less player and some rule changes. One of the first sanctioned games was between McGill and Harvard in 1874 and is was mostly ivy league for a while. The Quebec Rugby Football Union was one of the first conferences including teams from Quebec, Ontario and New England. Commissioner Randy Ambrosie means well but some of his ideas are 'pie in the sky'. The CFL has to be run by people that know and love Canadian football and its history, that understand sports marketing, TV contracts, etc. In the past, the CFL competed head up with the NFL. Our season began in August and ended with the Grey Cup in December. Bye the 1990s, it had moved backwards starting in the first week of July and ending in the last week of November. Those in charge of the CFL business model failed to understand the nature of traditional football fans. They don't like certain kinds of changes. Now they have pushed the season back to mid June. The new stadiums in Hamilton and Toronto are embarrassingly small, B.C., Winnipeg, Regina stadiums are beautiful and Calgary and Edmonton have good sized stadiums. The CFL should recognize that alot of their fan base age is in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. The key demographic is to develop fans between the ages of ten to seventeen, then they may be fans for life. Instead we see our CFL commissioner embarrassing us by wandering around Europe and the USA, hat in hand begging for interest from people who have never heard of the CFL nor care. Lastly, why an odd time number of teams? So that every week, one team will get a week off. Makes perfect sense.
Throughout the world people watch their local league in various pro sports because it's their domestic league. The CFL is the 2nd best gridiron football league and IMO it is embarrassing as a G7 country we have to compare everything to the United States.
Toronto, the largest potential market should be drawing at least 40,000 on average to a game. Season tickets should be more of a priority, even 3 game mini packs. I try to attend three games per year. Keep pushing for higher TV contracts and advertising sponsors to generate interest and revenue.
Horrible, incredibly rude. Has no idea what he's talking about. Basically admits he doesn't know anything about the CFL but yet is sure 4 downs is the answer. I'm surprised Steve put up with his bullshit and didn't just tell him stfu.
God Bless you Steve for advocating for the uniqueness of the CFL & it's rules as opposed to an embarrassment. I agree the last 3 minutes of a CFL game are usually the most thrilling, akin to the last minute in the NBA. As much as I also enjoy the NFL I'm tired of often watching 4 kneels in the final 2 min to end a game. Typical of Canada & especially snobby T.O.in not appreciating what we have & looking south of the border for approval & answers. If there is any solution to growing the CFL it lies in embracing & having pride in our differences. Happy Canada Day all !
Bob is 100% completely wrong. I watch both leagues. The quirks between them hold my interest. IF the CFL adopted NFL rules, what's the point? I'd just watch NFL at that point. Bob, you are wrong.
My answer is to reintroduce Canadian football to a new audience, especially in Toronto. So many newcomers to Canada who don't know the game. They're playing cricket in fields and abandoned tennis courts. Also, what's the state of Toronto high school football? Bettman's NHL sunbelt expansion has produced NHL players that come from homegrown programs, i.e, Austin Matthews.
Like every other domestic sports league in the world, the CFL would've benefitted from having at least two teams in at least one of their major markets. The CFL is strong in markets where the teams represent an identity (i.e. Saskatchewan, Hamilton) and having the Argos represent downtown Toronto or even white collar workers or recent immigrants and a team within the vicinity repping the opposite (i.e. where people live, work, go to school but support different teams based on identity) probably would've helped (though it's probably too late now). The Sydney Swans in the AFL used to suffer from poor membership levels but the introduction of the Greater Western Sydney Giants (the more working class/immigrant area of New South Wales) has helped the Swans to become one of the most popular teams. The Argos represent an area (the GTA, which does not include Hamilton) similar to the same population of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba combined (which have four teams). The Argos represent "everyone" and in so doing represent "no one." If they were given a more defined identity (like being the downtown team/white collar team/immigrant team) people who have those identities would support them because of who they are regardless if they actually like the sport (as what happens in Scotland with Celtic/Rangers and in New York with Mets/Yankees/Giants/Jets).
Great synopsis of the history of football & the CFL taking the lead ! The dynamic nature of pass 1st offence has been copied by the NFL over the past few decades. NFL of the 70's was a boring style of run up the middle for 2 downs & pass on 3rd only when necessary. We need to be more proud of our innovation & pedigree rather than always taking a back seat. Happy Canada Day all !
Bob I am a month older than you and have been a long time listener to PTS. Now you are very hard to listen to due to your post stroke attitude. “Who cares!” and ”I could care less!” seem to be all you have to say. You can be very disrespectful of John and guests. You need an attitude adjustment if you expect people to continue to listen.
I find the quarterbacking to be bad in the cfl. Without good qbs you just don’t have a good game. Maybe they need to raise the qb salary to attract better players from the states.
Bob has lost his mind. It's ALL about money. When CFL and NFL salaries were very comparable in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, no one in Canada ever called the CFL bush or 2nd rate. It's ALL about money and the perception it creates.
Steve make an effort. You are in media for longer than 30 years. Maybe a microphone? Better camera angle? Respect Bobs show and show up like a professional.
I love my Hamilton Tiger Cats put a good product on the field for any team I think more people will watch. Also I disagree with Bob just leave it has three down's but again put a good product on the field.
If TSN didn't have the CFL, they wouldn't have any Canadian content on it's network. All you would get is more 'Merican programming like Poker and Pickleball
@@sirbobloblaws Sports are slowly drifting towards Direct-to-Consumer streaming. The CFL has done that with CFL+, The NHL's Utah Hockey team has broken away from Bally Sports and will now broadcast their games on OTA broadcasts. Professional sport teams are cutting out the middle men to increase profitability.
4 downs didn't help USFL pr XFL . Its people like bob that is the problem he has no clue .. always putting down the league without actually knowing anthing about it.. When he doesnt know how exciting the last 3 minutes if a CFL game can be , tells me he doesnt watch or have a clue. Dont comment on what you dont know..
Bob, the CFL is a uniquely a Canadian game, I don’t care what you think. Take your four down idea crap and throw it in the crapper. Maybe Toronto needs to leave the CFL. Get yourself your NFL team and enjoy. Remember the NFL thrived without having a team in Los Angeles for 20 years. Torontoians are too stubborn to watch what they believe is an inferior product. Let Toronto go.
and because of greed..pending court appeal..each nfl owner has to come up with 440 million dollars..lol..lol..lol..can;;t fleece the public tax dollars on this one..wonder how many teams could fold.
What a bunch of muppets..lack of intrerest they say..go try to buy a ticket for next week's game Calgary at Montreal..they are few and far between. Winning football brings back the interest..not disgusting suspended quarterbacks that can't play for the argos.
@@sirbobloblaws Your right..the victim complained to her employer. the Argonaut football club and they did absolutely nothing. question is who did she complain to and why did that person take no action..also the CFL only intervened after the victim went to court. this is like the chicago blackhawks a few years ago. the optics of this stinks.
Bob McCown should never speak about the CFL. He clearly doesnt know a damn thing but has the arrogance to act like he has answers. NFL is popular has 4 downs, hurrr durrr CFL needs 4 downs then would be massive is such a clown argument. To top it all off, he refuses to listen to Steve, asks him questions, then cuts him and says thats not an answer because its not my answer.
I live in Edmonton and Edmonton is a huge fan city . So 4 downs would be fine . Plus only people that might be considered concerned about having Canadian players is the ones who are dying off literally. Sports should be best players not the best players and percentage of best Canadian only players
The sport is dying in most CFL cities. The trend is attendance lower year after year, even in the traditional cities. They can’t even find a 10th franchise to balance out the schedule as the two most obvious places, Halifax or Quebec City, can’t find enough interest to get a team. If you are watching this video in 2030 does the CFL even still exist? The trend right now says it might not by then.
That's what they were saying 30 years ago yet it's still around. The biggest roadblock to expanding is a stadium. Total government spending will approach a billion dollars to host the 2026 World Cup but we somehow can't fund a stadium for Canada's biggest domestic pro league.
Canadian cities and other government levels have traditionally been much less open to squandering tax dollars on stadiums or arenas than their U.S. equivalents have been. A Quebec City team could play at Laval’s stadium for a while, and Halifax could build a temporary 10,000 person stadium to use for a few years while they build a more permanent place.
As a 42 year old born and raised Torontoian who is a major sports junky, the CFL has never been of any interest to me or anyone I know growing up. There was always some fringe guy who liked the Argo’s or Tiger cats but it was rare. Most people here just like the Bills plain and simple. This City is much more America like then people here would like to admit.
