CFL: The CFL thread - Part IV

Status
Not open for further replies.

Holden Caulfield

Eternal Skeptic
Feb 15, 2006
22,807
5,400
Winnipeg
Another thrilling finish to a Bombers-Als game. I'm not really sure why Winnipeg attempted an open field punt on the last play in regulation. If you get up to midfield, sure, but standing inside your 10 yard line? That almost backfired big time. One big bounce and Montreal wins that game on an improbable single.

Not my favourite play but it was banking on surprise and the players not knowing the rules I think. The Bombers did have a couple guys onside that could have ran down there, but Montreal responded really well. O'Shea did seem to be talking to Lankford as that 2nd punt I think was not what was supposed to happen for sure.

I am really glad the Bombers are done with the Als. Durant always plays well against the Bombers and the Als D is pretty good. The east will get more competitive in the 2nd half, IMO, as long as Ray stays healthy, Ottawa finds a way to win close games and Montreal continues to have such a strong D. They don't compare to the top 3 in the West, but those 3 east teams are not as bad as they are made out to be.
 

Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
25,785
7,632
Winnipeg
I almost want them to go straight up no holds barred on the playoff format.

Double or even triple crossover rule. Only safe team is whoever finishes at the top of the weaker division. So let's just assume the standings stay as they are as of now;

East:

1st - Toronto
2nd - Montreal
3rd - Ottawa
4th - Hamilton


West:
1st - Winnipeg
2nd - Edmonton
3rd - Calgary
4th - BC
5th - Sasky

Add more crossovers;

Winnipeg and Toronto get byes to the division final on virtue of being first in the division. Calgary and Edmonton play in the West final. Instead of BC moving east to play Montreal in a playoff game, both the Lions and Riders cross over. BC gets a home playoff game against the Riders while Montreal and Ottawa are rightly sent home.

This works for everyone. The good teams get to play more football, you don't totally screw over eastern fanbases by at least ensuring the first place team gets a home game and you probably don't have to worry about this being a constantly occurrence because it's really rare for an entire division to outclass the other this badly.
 

Holden Caulfield

Eternal Skeptic
Feb 15, 2006
22,807
5,400
Winnipeg
What the hell happened to Jonathan Jennings? After a great year last year and was playing really well to start this season he has been beyond horrendous since returning from injury. I wonder if he rushed his rehab because of how Lulay played in his absence and is still hurt. He looks pathetic out there.

Winnipeg and Toronto get byes to the division final on virtue of being first in the division. Calgary and Edmonton play in the West final. Instead of BC moving east to play Montreal in a playoff game, both the Lions and Riders cross over. BC gets a home playoff game against the Riders while Montreal and Ottawa are rightly sent home.

This works for everyone. The good teams get to play more football, you don't totally screw over eastern fanbases by at least ensuring the first place team gets a home game and you probably don't have to worry about this being a constantly occurrence because it's really rare for an entire division to outclass the other this badly.

This doesn't make any sense. Why would both 4 and 5 seeds cross over? If you were going to do this, you'd have to have 2 and 5 cross over, with 3 and 4 staying put, IMO.

What might be a good compromise might be using the old NHL conference style. You have divisions, but for playoffs it becomes combined. The divisions are used for having spots 1 and 2 locked in for division winners. Then seeds 3-6 are mixed. You can still have a "west" and "east" final with each of the two division winners getting the bye.
 

Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
25,785
7,632
Winnipeg
You're right, that makes way more sense than my idea.

I just want a system where these trash can teams aren't safely resting in a playoff spot by week 12 while actually good teams like BC/Saskatchewan have to scratch and claw.
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
13,301
4,352
Hopefully this season is finally the straw that breaks the camel's back as far as divisions go. If the playoffs started today, a 7-2 team would be going on the road while a 3-6-1 team hosts a playoff game and a 4-6 team gets a bye.
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
185,677
37,464
Hopefully this season is finally the straw that breaks the camel's back as far as divisions go. If the playoffs started today, a 7-2 team would be going on the road while a 3-6-1 team hosts a playoff game and a 4-6 team gets a bye.

I really don't understand why a 9 team league isn't just playing 2 games each against the other 8 teams.
 

Holden Caulfield

Eternal Skeptic
Feb 15, 2006
22,807
5,400
Winnipeg
I really don't understand why a 9 team league isn't just playing 2 games each against the other 8 teams.

It's an 18 game season up here. Has been for quite a long time. Much better to go 2+18 than 4+16. They do play each team twice, then have 2 teams they play 3 times.
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
13,301
4,352
I really don't understand why a 9 team league isn't just playing 2 games each against the other 8 teams.

As Holden said, they basically do, with 2 extra games against divisional opponents added in there. The real question is why the archaic divisional structure for the standings still remains, besides the tired "Eastern fans will lose interest if they don't automatically host 2 of the 4 playoff games" reasoning. Fans aren't dumb. They aren't going to pack the stadium to watch a 6-12 team with vigorous interest just because they got gifted an undeserved home playoff date.
 

Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
25,785
7,632
Winnipeg
Former Baylor head coach and noted pile of human garbage Art Briles has been hired by Hamilton to be June Jones' assistant head coach for offense.

Predictably, people are outraged the Ti-Cats willingly gave him a job. (for good/obvious reasons)
 

Carolinas Identity*

I'm a bad troll...
Jun 18, 2011
31,250
1,298
Calgary, AB
Former Baylor head coach and noted pile of human garbage Art Briles has been hired by Hamilton to be June Jones' assistant head coach for offense.

Predictably, people are outraged the Ti-Cats willingly gave him a job. (for good/obvious reasons)

the press release they put out about him being a "good man caught in a bad situation" made me spit tea halfway across my office

and the fact tonite is their "pig skin and heels" or w/e its called event is even more amazing

i hate myself for laughing but this couldn't have been more hilarious if it was scripted
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
185,677
37,464
When you have a chance to give America an opportunity to acknowledge the CFL, you gotta go for it.

It's an 18 game season up here. Has been for quite a long time. Much better to go 2+18 than 4+16. They do play each team twice, then have 2 teams they play 3 times.

They don't even need divisions though is my point. It must be worth the expenses in doing so, though.
 

Holden Caulfield

Eternal Skeptic
Feb 15, 2006
22,807
5,400
Winnipeg
They don't even need divisions though is my point. It must be worth the expenses in doing so, though.

Well there's not really any expense to having the divisions. It's mostly a tradition thing, West v East. Canada is quite diverse and their is pretty significant culture changes from West to East.

More and more though I am agreeing that the playoff system needs to be overhauled. I kinda like the hybrid system I proposed to Blitzkrug's idea. Like the old NHL conferences. Still ensures an East final and West final (even if the away teams might be not from that division) while allowing top 6 teams in.
 

Holden Caulfield

Eternal Skeptic
Feb 15, 2006
22,807
5,400
Winnipeg
The Briles decision looks bad on CFL, IMO. Not the end result, since that is the proper decision. However Hamilton earlier gave a release that said that the CFL had OKed the move. I believe that that was the case and the CFL only retracted after the outrage started. Screams a rookie move to me. Particularly while new commissioner rushed out his diversity campaign, he should have seen this coming and blocked it from the start.
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
13,301
4,352
Bizarre that Hamilton would even attempt this. A guy in his 60s... with no connection to the CFL whatsoever... who has never run a pro offense at any level. That's a move right out of left field even before the obvious PR disaster that predictably unfolded. Was Hamilton hoping to lure Robert Griffin III to the CFL or something?
 

Carolinas Identity*

I'm a bad troll...
Jun 18, 2011
31,250
1,298
Calgary, AB
Bizarre that Hamilton would even attempt this. A guy in his 60s... with no connection to the CFL whatsoever... who has never run a pro offense at any level. That's a move right out of left field even before the obvious PR disaster that predictably unfolded. Was Hamilton hoping to lure Robert Griffin III to the CFL or something?

Apparently the connection is something something June Jones was HC at SMU when Art and RG3 killed them, and Art also, in addition to RG3, tried to recruit Manziel at Baylor before he signed with aTm, and Hamilton owns both QB's CFL rights, so Jones was hoping the presence of Briles would help lure one or both of them to the CFL.

Or at least, that is what I got from TSN.
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
13,301
4,352
Apparently the connection is something something June Jones was HC at SMU when Art and RG3 killed them, and Art also, in addition to RG3, tried to recruit Manziel at Baylor before he signed with aTm, and Hamilton owns both QB's CFL rights, so Jones was hoping the presence of Briles would help lure one or both of them to the CFL.

Or at least, that is what I got from TSN.

Wow, I was pretty much just throwing poop at the wall with that suggestion... apparently Hamilton was too!

RG3 would be interesting if he was able to come in healthy. I wouldn't touch the clown show that is Johnny Manziel with a 10 foot pole though.
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
19,892
5,875
Wow, I was pretty much just throwing poop at the wall with that suggestion... apparently Hamilton was too!

RG3 would be interesting if he was able to come in healthy. I wouldn't touch the clown show that is Johnny Manziel with a 10 foot pole though.

Ricky Williams 2.0?
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
13,301
4,352
Ricky Williams 2.0?

Williams didn't live up to expectations, but I wouldn't say he was a big distraction or actually detrimental to the team. At least by my recollection.

Manziel would bring his entourage, probably walk in assuming he was going to dominate the league, and a media circus would ensue. It would likely be a disaster on and off the field.
 

cutchemist42

Registered User
Apr 7, 2011
6,705
220
Winnipeg
Was listening to TSN1290 here in Winnipeg this morning, and its interesting to ntoe the league can only block player signings, and not signings in other areas of team employment. This was basically the CFL convincing Hamilton of why it was bad, without having the teeth to force it.

From the sounds of it today on faN590, Mitchell still seems like he would want to make this move. This season has been so good too, it sucks that Hamilton is dragging the whole league down with it.
 

Mightygoose

Registered User
Nov 5, 2012
5,586
1,382
Ajax, ON
Statement from Bob Young

http://ticats.ca/statement-from-bob-young-on-behalf-of-the-hamilton-tiger-cats/

“We made a large and serious mistake. We want to apologize to our fans, corporate partners and the Canadian Football League. It has been a difficult season and we are searching for answers. This is clearly not one of them. We have listened, we are reviewing our decision-making processes and we will learn. We will go on. We want to thank our fans, partners and the CFL for their help and support.”

Making no excuses and right to the point.
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,757
1,256
Canada
What a great injustice it will be for whatever West team that finishes 5th and misses the playoffs this year.

Do you remember the 1987 MLB playoffs? at that time only 4 teams out of 30 made the playoffs, the Jays were the 2nd best team in all of MLB and missed the playoffs because they were in the American League East. Imagine only 4 teams make the playoffs and 3 of them have worse records than you, that is worse than the 5th team in the West CFL this year.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->