CFL fans should brace themselves for change

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4th&long
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by 4th&long »

Tank55 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:02 pm
4th&long wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 11:20 am Again the windfall here is to 86 the CFL and move to the NFL. That may be the real goal.

Because if 3down FB goes no reason not to go to NFL
Windfall for who? You think current CFL owners think they're going to end up as NFL owners?
do u really think the big 3 canadian cities will be satisfied in a 4down league more American than Canadian not named NFL?

Once CFL goes to 4downs with American teams the clock is ticking on move to NFL

While the CFL owners dont have the where withall the value of their teams will go up as they anticipate the inevitable. and they could sell out to those that do

CFL owns the names but they could sell to DG/RB/Rock who would have a backdoor way into NFL

So the big money is NFL and all parties will cash in to some degree

bottomline NFL would love to go international and CANADA is the logic prime target once that pesky CFL is gone
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by Tank55 »

4th&long wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:24 pmbottomline NFL would love to go international and CANADA is the logic prime target once that pesky CFL is gone
I think you're totally off base. The NFL has been a great friend and supporter of the CFL. If they wanted to move into Toronto, they'd do it, regardless of how many downs the Argonauts get to move the chains.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by GDAWG »

laxtreme56 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 11:17 am
GDAWG wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 11:11 am CFL fans don't want their league to become NFL Canada, which is what their league would be if it became 4 downs.
They may not have a choice. As CFL analyst Rod Peterson said, if the CFL were being supported in its big 3 cities they wouldn't be in these talks. Minor league hockey is big in Canada, the Toronto Marlies sell out even though they share a market with the most popular hockey team in the world. There's a higher ceiling for secondary 4 down football in Canada than there is for"major league" 3 down football. Perhaps not 30 years ago, but certainly now.
Still, CFL fans will demand the Canadian Government to keep Canadian Football and not become NFL Canada. They don't want to be NFL Canada and if that happens, they will probably never watch the CFL ever again.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by Tank55 »

GDAWG wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:53 pmStill, CFL fans will demand the Canadian Government to keep Canadian Football and not become NFL Canada. They don't want to be NFL Canada and if that happens, they will probably never watch the CFL ever again.
First, the CFL just asked for the government's help and were turned away. But maybe you're right, and this pushes the government to step in and help. That would still be a win for the current CFL owners.

Second, the current CFL fan base isn't enough to support the league. They need more fans, younger fans, and American fans (or really, American television subscribers). There will undoubtedly be some current fans who will walk away and never come back. Many others will moan and complain but come back anyway. And there will be new fans created. The hope is that they'll come out ahead. Maybe they won't. But their current path is unsustainable.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by GDAWG »

Tank55 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 1:16 pm
GDAWG wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:53 pmStill, CFL fans will demand the Canadian Government to keep Canadian Football and not become NFL Canada. They don't want to be NFL Canada and if that happens, they will probably never watch the CFL ever again.
First, the CFL just asked for the government's help and were turned away. But maybe you're right, and this pushes the government to step in and help. That would still be a win for the current CFL owners.

Second, the current CFL fan base isn't enough to support the league. They need more fans, younger fans, and American fans (or really, American television subscribers). There will undoubtedly be some current fans who will walk away and never come back. Many others will moan and complain but come back anyway. And there will be new fans created. The hope is that they'll come out ahead. Maybe they won't. But their current path is unsustainable.
Oh I agree that the current path is unsustainable, but there will be Canadian football purists who will fight to the bitter end to stop this.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by GregParks »

Ignoring all of the other major issues with the NFL just absorbing multiple CFL teams, keep in mind that the Buffalo Bills see Toronto as being part of "their" NFL market. Being a small-market team as it is, I'm not sure how welcoming they'd be for Toronto to get an NFL team and take a chunk out of their local revenue.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:59 pm Ignoring all of the other major issues with the NFL just absorbing multiple CFL teams, keep in mind that the Buffalo Bills see Toronto as being part of "their" NFL market. Being a small-market team as it is, I'm not sure how welcoming they'd be for Toronto to get an NFL team and take a chunk out of their local revenue.
They wouldn't necessarily absorb but they'd buy in and the NFL would love that $$ including buffalo. Toronto IS the Mega market of Canada.... That team could fetch $3-4billion.

The CFL may get a cut of that for the name and history, and that's where RB and CFL owners profit.

Again there are 3 big markets, 3 medium-small markets (no NFL interest) and 3 minor league markets (Really no XFL interest) . NFL could get 2/3 big ones and make $6-7 billion in expansion fees - they aren't saying no. PLUS the greater TV exposure to $37million people.

NFL is the ONLY major sport with no Canadian teams - if they can get in they will and so will the CFL/XFL owners (ie sell out). Its major $$$, it may even be a way for RBCapital to get into the NFL big time. If the CFL ceases to exist while they all make Coin$$ - too bad so sad all the parties will say.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by laxtreme56 »

There's no NFL worthy stadium in Canada right now. The Bills flirted with moving to Toronto, but the SkyDump is not sustainable much longer. The roof in Montreal is literally collapsing, and BC Place is too small for NFL standards plus it's already Seahawks country there. I think the current CFL owners would be happy just seeing a return on their investment. More teams and better ratings will cause the TSN contract to be renegotiated. Toronto doesn't get excited about playing Calgary, but NY or LA and they feel like big time hot shots. All 3 MLS teams in the countries biggest markets outdraw their CFL counterparts, in Toronto by a rather large extent.

Look change is hard, but that's life. For every 60 year old Calgarian that walks away, two 25 year old Torontonians will jump on board. Who knows, a 16 team XCFL can become a de-facto NFL farm league, just like what the AAF wanted. Sign all players to 2 year contracts and if the NFL desperately wants one of the new league stars they pay a transfer fee to obtain said player.

At the end of the day, if the XFL folds up shop again, that would suck for us fans, but at this point there's no players, staff, sponsors, or vendors to let down. The CFL on the other hand would lose thousands of employees, have large stadiums in Hamilton, Ottawa, and Regina sit empty and affect the local economy by millions in lost revenue. Whatever the Rock is cooking, the CFL needs to say "thank you sir, may I have another."
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by Tank55 »

4th&long wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 3:17 pmthey'd buy in and the NFL would love that $$
The NFL isn't MLS; they don't just hand out a franchise to anyone who can meet the expansion fee.
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Re: CFL fans should brace themselves for change

Post by GDAWG »

Tank55 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 3:32 pm
4th&long wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 3:17 pmthey'd buy in and the NFL would love that $$
The NFL isn't MLS; they don't just hand out a franchise to anyone who can meet the expansion fee.
They also have to have a legit stadium plan, which Toronto would not have at this point.
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