3down: If the CFL doesn’t play this year, there could be no partnership with XFL: report

[4th&long]

>> If the CFL doesn’t play football this year, there could be no partnership to explore with the XFL: report<<

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/31/if-t ... fl-report/

>> If a deal is reached, it’s expected to begin in 2022 as the Canadian league continues to work on returning to the field this season after cancelling the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<<

The XFL needs CFL as much CFL needs money. The pandemic, while costing CFL $60-80mm CD, has opened the door to force a change to 4 downs and a more NFL like field. The XFL provides the excuse and needed $ (assumption) The XFL wants the FB mgt expertise and TSN contract, along with those 3 big markets to itself... ie no NFL team exists in them.

So is this merger or XFL end? quite possibly at least for D-R-Rk. And CFL maybe not. But they are looking at needed funding.

[laxtreme56]

>> If the CFL doesn’t play football this year, there could be no partnership to explore with the XFL: report<<

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/31/if-t ... fl-report/

>> If a deal is reached, it’s expected to begin in 2022 as the Canadian league continues to work on returning to the field this season after cancelling the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<<

The XFL needs CFL as much CFL needs money. The pandemic, while costing CFL $60-80mm CD, has opened the door to force a change to 4 downs and a more NFL like field. The XFL provides the excuse and needed $ (assumption) The XFL wants the FB mgt expertise and TSN contract, along with those 3 big markets to itself... ie no NFL team exists in them.

So is this merger or XFL end? quite possibly at least for D-R-Rk. And CFL maybe not. But they are looking at needed funding.

I think the ball is really in RedBird's court here. Nobody is bailing the CFL out and with lockdowns just implemented in Ontario and British Columbia a June or July start is unlikely. Sure they can play half a season, but TSN's $50 million also gets cut in half. As most season ticket holders kept their tickets last year, that's very little revenue for CFL clubs besides a cut of merchandise and beverage sales. If the CFL doesn't compromise Redbird takes their ball and leaves. Perhaps they still put a season on in 2022 or 2023, or perhaps not. At the end of the day it's only a few million dollar loss for them. However, this is a huge loss for the CFL and thousands of players and personnel they employ. I'm thinking we hear something unofficially official by the end of May with a full merger/partnership announced by summers end.

[4th&long]

>> If the CFL doesn’t play football this year, there could be no partnership to explore with the XFL: report<<

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/31/if-t ... fl-report/

>> If a deal is reached, it’s expected to begin in 2022 as the Canadian league continues to work on returning to the field this season after cancelling the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<<

The XFL needs CFL as much CFL needs money. The pandemic, while costing CFL $60-80mm CD, has opened the door to force a change to 4 downs and a more NFL like field. The XFL provides the excuse and needed $ (assumption) The XFL wants the FB mgt expertise and TSN contract, along with those 3 big markets to itself... ie no NFL team exists in them.

So is this merger or XFL end? quite possibly at least for D-R-Rk. And CFL maybe not. But they are looking at needed funding.

I think the ball is really in RedBird's court here. Nobody is bailing the CFL out and with lockdowns just implemented in Ontario and British Columbia a June or July start is unlikely. Sure they can play half a season, but TSN's $50 million also gets cut in half. As most season ticket holders kept their tickets last year, that's very little revenue for CFL clubs besides a cut of merchandise and beverage sales. If the CFL doesn't compromise Redbird takes their ball and leaves. Perhaps they still put a season on in 2022 or 2023, or perhaps not. At the end of the day it's only a few million dollar loss for them. However, this is a huge loss for the CFL and thousands of players and personnel they employ. I'm thinking we hear something unofficially official by the end of May with a full merger/partnership announced by summers end.

So like the XFL of 2020, CFL is a victim of virus from China and RBC is swooping in like a vulture. I tend to agree. Unless the Canadian govt or others step up. And don't be surprised if this ends with RBC/NFL, though that's down the road. Then again RBC may just make a play for CFL and XFL is SOL.

Your timing may be right Extreme, lets see what happens.

[GDAWG]

CFL fans are wanting the government to finally act on the Canadian Football Act.

[MGB01]

There won't be a CFL to partner with, so the headline is actually correct.

Just in the last few weeks since this became public the gradual shift that the CFL is in some sort of position of strength (spoiler: neither are) is a laugh. History means nothing when you're hellbent on gnawing off your only potential lifeline to "save face".

[Firecop]

Isn't the real X Factor here the Canadian Government? It seems to me that the Canadian Football Act of 1974, could determine a great deal in this evolving situation. In essence it is a government approved professional football monopoly given exclusively to the CFL. What can happen with that remaining in place other than a possible merger, under the CFL umbrella, or some type of cross league championship?

[MGB01]

Isn't the real X Factor here the Canadian Government? It seems to me that the Canadian Football Act of 1974, could determine a great deal in this evolving situation. In essence it is a government approved professional football monopoly given exclusively to the CFL. What can happen with that remaining in place other than a possible merger, under the CFL umbrella, or some type of cross league championship?

The CFA was never enacted, it was just used to chase John Bassett away from Toronto. Here you don't have a case of the XFL moving into TO (I can't escape the thought of Rock straight killing them in that promo in 2003), you more or less have the CFL looking for a way forward. So any government involvement would effectively be as a creditor this time around.

[Tank55]

Yeah, it seems like if the Canadian government was interested in helping, they already would have. And it seems like if there was enough popular will to force the government to act, the CFL wouldn't even be in the situation they're in.

[PolarBear]

>> If the CFL doesn’t play football this year, there could be no partnership to explore with the XFL: report<<

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/31/if-t ... fl-report/

>> If a deal is reached, it’s expected to begin in 2022 as the Canadian league continues to work on returning to the field this season after cancelling the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<<

The XFL needs CFL as much CFL needs money. The pandemic, while costing CFL $60-80mm CD, has opened the door to force a change to 4 downs and a more NFL like field. The XFL provides the excuse and needed $ (assumption) The XFL wants the FB mgt expertise and TSN contract, along with those 3 big markets to itself... ie no NFL team exists in them.

So is this merger or XFL end? quite possibly at least for D-R-Rk. And CFL maybe not. But they are looking at needed funding.

I think the ball is really in RedBird's court here. Nobody is bailing the CFL out and with lockdowns just implemented in Ontario and British Columbia a June or July start is unlikely. Sure they can play half a season, but TSN's $50 million also gets cut in half. As most season ticket holders kept their tickets last year, that's very little revenue for CFL clubs besides a cut of merchandise and beverage sales. If the CFL doesn't compromise Redbird takes their ball and leaves. Perhaps they still put a season on in 2022 or 2023, or perhaps not. At the end of the day it's only a few million dollar loss for them. However, this is a huge loss for the CFL and thousands of players and personnel they employ. I'm thinking we hear something unofficially official by the end of May with a full merger/partnership announced by summers end.

Majority of all Canadians will be vaccinated by end of May or mid-June.

There is literally no threat of loss of season and that is coming from all my sources (* and all of them matters)

What my speculative instincts tell me in another month Canada will be like most of the U.S.A with their attitude when weather warms up (just like in 2020) This pandemic has continued in B.C/Ontario due to the gov't lack of international travel restrictions for non-canadians while canadians are forced to pay $2k for 14 day stay in a 3 star hotel. The facts are the facts and the health officials in Canada will be thrown heat real soon with all their mistakes.

Coming Canada Day the mental approach in Canada is that the pandemic is DONE just like places in the U.S.A

[PolarBear]

There won't be a CFL to partner with, so the headline is actually correct.

Just in the last few weeks since this became public the gradual shift that the CFL is in some sort of position of strength (spoiler: neither are) is a laugh. History means nothing when you're hellbent on gnawing off your only potential lifeline to "save face".

History of the CFL is everything. So you are wrong! The CFL is literally not in a threatening or threatened position. Teams losing $$ is irrelevant. There are millions of examples how CFL teams are actually benefiting from no-CFL season. These are extremely knowledgeable businessmen in Canada and many have the best of the best lawyers working for them If you think a CFL team really lost $7 million out of the bank (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) then you need to contact me for a business lesson.

The reason why the CFL even has looked at the XFL are the plans in place to grow the CFL overall to compete w/ the NFL to retain players and help grown their markets so franchises are self-sustained to grow their off-field ventures.