Elks: Edmonton Eskimos 2019 v2

[guymez]

40k take home in 6 months is pacing for 6 figures before salary. That’s pretty good for minor league pro. I have buddies who play pro hockey overseas for significantly less.

In terms of Pro Football in Canada the CFL is it. There are only 9 teams in the League and they have a pretty solid TV deal. Your buddies games probably arent televised and their Leagues probably dont have near the gate revenue the CFL has.

Also...if you do the math you will find that after taxes the min salary isnt $40K...its closer to $30K.

 

[MessierII]

In terms of Pro Football in Canada the CFL is it. There are only 9 teams in the League and they have a pretty solid TV deal. Your buddies games probably arent televised and their Leagues probably dont have near the gate revenue the CFL has.

Also...if you do the math you will find that after taxes the min salary isnt $40K...its closer to $30K.

I could be mistaken but the last CBA I thought 60 k was the new minimum contract. With the exception of rookies.

 

[MoontoScott]

Its ridiculous.
There is no reason why more of the TV/Gate revenue cant be shared with the players. The minimum salary should be closer to $100K IMO....not $48K.
Just my thoughts.

It's strange isn't it? When it comes to the EE name people get charged up and talk about being "outraged." They demand action because a few people are upset about it.

But when you talk about the CFL player salaries and fairness to athletes it generates next to no discussion.

 

[rboomercat90]

It's strange isn't it? When it comes to the EE name people get charged up and talk about being "outraged." They demand action because a few people are upset about it.

But when you talk about the CFL player salaries and fairness to athletes it generates next to no discussion.

Doesn’t make much sense does it?

 

[guymez]

It's strange isn't it? When it comes to the EE name people get charged up and talk about being "outraged." They demand action because a few people are upset about it.

But when you talk about the CFL player salaries and fairness to athletes it generates next to no discussion.

I hear you....couldnt agree more.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

I said after tax.

Yes, and 40k after tax is not a bad living at all for 6 months of work. Sure you need to stay in shape in the off season, big deal. Millions of people keep themselves in good shape year round while working normal civilian jobs every day.

If the players can get more money, all the power to them. But why should the owners just increase salaries for the hell of it? The league has had no trouble attracting talented players under the current salary structure. If faced with going to play football or taking whatever entry level job your college degree enables you to get, pretty much anyone is going to keep playing a sport if the money is comparable. And I can almost guarantee a CFL contract is more lucrative financially than whatever job a degree from Alabama or Clemson or wherever is going to get you, at least in the short term.

From what I gather though, base salary isn't necessarily the crux of the impasse. I think it's more to do with medical coverage, insurance, etc. Basically all the secondary stuff. Hopefully a fair balance is agreed upon and everyone leaves the table satisfied.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Its ridiculous.
There is no reason why more of the TV/Gate revenue cant be shared with the players. The minimum salary should be closer to $100K IMO....not $48K.
Just my thoughts.

Do you have numbers that show the CFL could still be viable with a $100k salary minium? I mean maybe it could be, I legitimately don't know. But given the financial struggles of many teams in this league over the years, it seems doubtful to me. This is a league that just brought in a cap on coaching salaries. If every team was on the same financial footing as the Eskimos, it might well be possible to pay all 50 guys on the roster a six-figure income. But as best we can tell, the likes of the Argos and Als are running bare-bones operations off the field in order to survive under the current salary cap. If the cap increases by millions of dollars it would likely be a death knell to the poorer franchises.

We've got to remember, the CFL is essentially a mom and pop operation compared to the other massively profitable major leagues. I don't think too many of these owners are cashing 7-figure cheques at the end of the year. In fact, I doubt anyone besides the Grey Cup host typically does so.

I could be way off and it's entirely possible these clubs are making money hand over fist and doing a good job of not letting the general public know about it. But I've always been under the impression that CFL player salaries are at the level they are because that's simply what teams can afford to pay, not because they're sitting on their wallets.

 

[guymez]

Do you have numbers that show the CFL could still be viable with a $100k salary minium? I mean maybe it could be, I legitimately don't know. But given the financial struggles of many teams in this league over the years, it seems doubtful to me. This is a league that just brought in a cap on coaching salaries. If every team was on the same financial footing as the Eskimos, it might well be possible to pay all 50 guys on the roster a six-figure income. But as best we can tell, the likes of the Argos and Als are running bare-bones operations off the field in order to survive under the current salary cap. If the cap increases by millions of dollars it would likely be a death knell to the poorer franchises.

We've got to remember, the CFL is essentially a mom and pop operation compared to the other massively profitable major leagues. I don't think too many of these owners are cashing 7-figure cheques at the end of the year. In fact, I doubt anyone besides the Grey Cup host typically does so.

I could be way off and it's entirely possible these clubs are making money hand over fist and doing a good job of not letting the general public know about it. But I've always been under the impression that CFL player salaries are at the level they are because that's simply what teams can afford to pay, not because they're sitting on their wallets.

I wasnt saying the minimum should be $100K...I was just suggesting that the minimum should be closer to $100K than it is now.
In terms of revenue...I have never seen the TV numbers for the CFL. I dont even know if it is public information.

 

[guymez]

I could be mistaken but the last CBA I thought 60 k was the new minimum contract. With the exception of rookies.

So I did a little checking and the CFL minimum is $53,000. So (depending on the Province) after tax thats approx $40,000. So kudos to @MoontoScott because thats what he stated earlier in the thread.

This is an interesting article...it talks about the minimum salary being an important issue in the upcoming negotiations. It sure appears like $75,000 is doable based on the info in the article....

Raising the league’s minimum salary key to CFL’s upcoming CBA negotiations | 3DownNation

In Canada, an increase in salary from $53,000 to $75,000 moves one from the 54th income percentile to the 69th percentile, a much more substantial increase in lifestyle.
The increase would also make the CFL a much more palatable option for American players looking to extend their careers after NFL opportunities have dried up. American players are often taxed twice on their CFL earnings — once in Canada and once in the U.S. — while getting nailed on the exchange rate. $53,000 Canadian dollars is currently worth just $40,000 in American funds, further diminishing player earnings.
So, what would it take to increase the league’s minimum salary by almost $25,000?
As it turns out, not that much.
Approximately half of the CFL’s players make at or little more than the current league minimum of $53,000. For argument’s sake, let’s pretend that exactly half of each of the league’s active rosters would require a $22,000 raise to reach a new minimum salary of $75,000.
The total cost? $506,000. Half a million bucks per team.

 

[Drivesaitl]

In terms of Pro Football in Canada the CFL is it. There are only 9 teams in the League and they have a pretty solid TV deal. Your buddies games probably arent televised and their Leagues probably dont have near the gate revenue the CFL has.

Also...if you do the math you will find that after taxes the min salary isnt $40K...its closer to $30K.

Some posts like this just draw me in. So much wrong in this breakdown.

1) It isn't a complete mystery what respective pro sports revenues are. heres a wiki link and including citations. 10sec search yielded that.

List of professional sports leagues by revenue - Wikipedia

2) Comparing a hockey roster with a much larger football roster is misleading. Did you even think that twice as many players have to get paid in football to play the games? Obviously that has major ramifications on what you can play each player. This should be a basic consideration in any of the apples/oranges comparisons going on.

3) If you're playing hockey in the Swiss league, SEL, Finnish league etc travel and room and board expenses are negligible. Most trips being close by. To and fro away games with same day travel. Which could even occur on a lowcost highspeed train. Absolute convenience. Not navigating thousands of miles of travel for a lot of games, getting in and out of far away airports, etc. This just in. Canada is big. A costly endeavor for any league or org that needs to pay out the travel and room and board costs involved in national business travel. You can't just look at revenues, have to look at operating costs as well.

4) Football requires much more medical staff, equipment, and with many more injuries per game. Thus ever greater roster costs in replacing players that go down like good soldiers on the front.

5)Perhaps the most salient point, CFL football is 18 games. Spread through never more than 6 mths. In hockey in Europe including league play, exhibitions, Euro tournaments you can play something like 70 or more games. 4 times as many...

6) SEL, Swiss League, Finnish league, even DEL are every bit as top rank as CFL is in Football. Indeed you would find more players in those leagues playing in the NHL than you would find ex CFL players actually playing games in the NFL.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I wasnt saying the minimum should be $100K...I was just suggesting that the minimum should be closer to $100K than it is now.
In terms of revenue...I have never seen the TV numbers for the CFL. I dont even know if it is public information.

I've quoted CFL numbers probably 100 times on this board, in these very threads. Yes, its available information.

CFL ratings report: Regular season numbers show solid increase | 3DownNation

google is hard.. lol, the information is on the same damn site you cited.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Next. If you talk to any minor league player of any minor league anywhere the impetus to keep playing in feeder leagues is the CHANCE that you could hit the payday one day in the premier leagues in any respective sport. So to that extent the toil is not just about the earnings in situ, its about the continuing chance of a major pay out at the end of the rainbow. Even carrying a clipboard is more lucrative in the NFL, and sought after, and will always be the case. Continuing in football also yields myriad management or coaching, scouting potential gigs in any College football program. Theres so many more premium gigs in Football in the US then there are good paying hockey gigs. Football players will continue to play for that, even in the CFL, for the promise, if not for just the pay. No reason CFL shouldn't benefit from that primary impetus.

Multiple people are comparing respective pay without considering that continuing residency in pro football yields quite a lot of potential opportunity not necessarily found in other fields of endeavor. Not even mentioned is for many football players there are advertising contracts, community gigs, belated careers in a city based on your Football earned name etc. For many Football players you could even go into politics...

Plus the cheerleaders are good.

 

[joestevens29]

At what point does the CFL just go with replacement players? This is the one league that the talent can be replaced rather easily for the most part.

 

[trick91]

Deal is done

https://www.tsn.ca/cfl-cflpa-reach-...new-collective-bargaining-agreement-1.1306016

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

like the CFL could ever afford to go on strike...

 

[oXo Cube]

like the CFL could ever afford to go on strike...

Might be faulty memory but I'm pretty sure this played out pretty much exactly the same the previous time the CBA was up.

This is a league where neither side of the negotiation can really afford to miss games.

 

[yukoner88]

Kind of a short deal at 3 years. Hopefully both sides keep a positive relationship throughout this deal

 

[guymez]

Anybody hear any details regarding the min salary and if it was increased?

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Increased to $65K per season. The cap itself will only increase 1% each of the next three years, so it will be the higher paid guys taking a bit of a haircut to benefit the bottom of the pyramid. You've got to give those guys credit for that. You sure as hell don't see the top paid guys looking out for anyone besides themselves at the bargaining table in the other major sports leagues.

 

[joestevens29]

Increased to $65K per season. The cap itself will only increase 1% each of the next three years, so it will be the higher paid guys taking a bit of a haircut to benefit the bottom of the pyramid. You've got to give those guys credit for that. You sure as hell don't see the top paid guys looking out for anyone besides themselves at the bargaining table in the other major sports leagues.

Isn't there more lower end guys then higher end guys anyway? Would think those lower end guys would be the vocal majority.

 

[Drivesaitl]

At what point does the CFL just go with replacement players? This is the one league that the talent can be replaced rather easily for the most part.

The contract is still yet to be ratified by the players and the BOG but these are usually largely formalities as players tend to take the word of the player Reps and the Association heads that came to the agreement. In most such leagues newish players on minimum salary contracts don't have much voice. In pro sports associations these proceedings are seldom democratic in that sense. its more oligarchical with the power players having the most influence, and who get listened to the most. Soon as I heard Reilly speak and say that it was important to just get a deal done you knew this was over.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Isn't there more lower end guys then higher end guys anyway? Would think those lower end guys would be the vocal majority.

You'd think, but look no further than the NHL. The league minium salary is like 3% of the league maximum. Players with less than 3 years of tenure in the league have their earning potential severely limited relative to those with more than 3 years. CBA negotiations are typically by the stars, for the stars. Refreshing to see that wasn't the case in the CFL.

 

[Paralyzer]

Hmm, I wonder if Adarius Bowman is trying out for the Eskimos again...

 

[Cloned]

Hmm, I wonder if Adarius Bowman is trying out for the Eskimos again...

He's going to be named as one of the coaches I think.

 

[Paralyzer]

He's going to be named as one of the coaches I think.

I dunno about that. In his other tweets, he still wants to play. My guess is he will try out for the Eskimos, and if he isn't as good as what we have here, then maybe a coaching gig.