Elks: Official Eskimos thread meet Devon Bailey Eskimo Latest draft pick

[Replacement*]

CFL strike? now that is funny

Players need to look at the books of the eskis to see how bad or good teams do--one good thing about come teams being owned by the community--the books are open to the public

The irony in this market particularly is that present players have been so bad that its reduced what is basically a turnkey watch football audience here.

Edmonton follows the Edmonton Esks win or lose. It takes a pretty pathetic club, and group of players, to turn the fans off.

Yet they've done that. I'm barely interested enough to even post on the subject.

Tell me again why I should be worried with a prolonged CFL labor strike?

Bring on the Replacements. That would be my threat if this strike occurred.

Somebody is getting some bad advice. Reality check may be just around the corner.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The irony in this market particularly is that present players have been so bad that its reduced what is basically a turnkey watch football audience here.

Edmonton follows the Edmonton Esks win or lose. It takes a pretty pathetic club, and group of players, to turn the fans off.

Yet they've done that. I'm barely interested enough to even post on the subject.

Tell me again why I should be worried with a prolonged CFL labor strike?

Bring on the Replacements. That would be my threat if this strike occurred.

Somebody is getting some bad advice. Reality check may be just around the corner.

This is why I'm giggling at the CFL labour dispute

pretty sure the replacement would be just as good...if not better...than a lot of these CFL players
these aren't the "best of the best" like the NHL...these are dime-a-dozen players that can be easily replaced by finding the right guys in the States

 

[Gord]

reading this morning, and it seems that the players feel the owners are taking all the money form the new TV deal and giving them crumbs.
they want their "fair share"

As much as I love the CFL, there is a lot of B & C level talent. They also must not realize that the teams don't have the money that a major pro league has.

It wasn't that long also that teams were folding, you couldn't find an owner as the teams lost money every year, and there were times that fundraising had to be done. remember "SOS - Save our Stamps"? this is a league with one guy having to own two teams.

so the teams finally are going to make a small profit, and the players can't handle that, and in my opinion are getting greedy.

 

[Beerfish]

The word 'greed' and CFL players should never be uttered in the same sentence. You do not own a CFL team to make a bunch of money so the line of thinking that the owners deserve to make cash is faulty as well.

There needs to be a fair distribution of the pie in that league for the good of everyone.

 

[Replacement*]

This is why I'm giggling at the CFL labour dispute

pretty sure the replacement would be just as good...if not better...than a lot of these CFL players
these aren't the "best of the best" like the NHL...these are dime-a-dozen players that can be easily replaced by finding the right guys in the States

Yep, like I said the irony is so rich. Most long suffering Esks fans would probably welcome a complete blown up league with all clubs starting over. There'd be maybe a few players you actually miss. What with the turnstyle weve had here I don't know it would be much of a difference except there would be less vets on the other teams.

tbh if they had a halftime program where they spontaneously combusted the entire offensive line from last few seasons I'd pay double for tickets..best halftime entertainment ever. Play Spinal Tap as background music.

To see most of these guys fired and out of work. Yeah, not gonna cry.

Seriously I'd miss Fred Stamps, Reilly, and Bowman and that's it. How sad is that?

 

[Paralyzer]

Yep, like I said the irony is so rich. Most long suffering Esks fans would probably welcome a complete blown up league with all clubs starting over. There'd be maybe a few players you actually miss. What with the turnstyle weve had here I don't know it would be much of a difference except there would be less vets on the other teams.

tbh if they had a halftime program where they spontaneously combusted the entire offensive line from last few seasons I'd pay double for tickets..best halftime entertainment ever. Play Spinal Tap as background music.

To see most of these guys fired and out of work. Yeah, not gonna cry.

Seriously I'd miss Fred Stamps, Reilly, and Bowman and that's it. How sad is that?

And Sherritt. He is my favorite player to watch

 

[Halibut]

I dont know. If the crap eskimos who were bleeding fans last year still made $1.5 million profit then maybe there is something wrong with the salary cap. I've dropped my season tickets two years ago now and I havent missed it so cant say I care much if there's a strike.

 

[Replacement*]

And Sherritt. He is my favorite player to watch

tbh I forgot about him but mainly due to how ordinary he was last season. Really theres probably a handful of players I would miss. I think that in a nutshell is the problem the Esks have had at the gate lately.

Frankly I don't remember anytime when theres been less high profile players here that the fans identify with.

 

[Paralyzer]

tbh I forgot about him but mainly due to how ordinary he was last season. Really theres probably a handful of players I would miss. I think that in a nutshell is the problem the Esks have had at the gate lately.

Frankly I don't remember anytime when theres been less high profile players here that the fans identify with.

I agree with you on that. After those 4, there really isn't any big names we would lose. I am all for replacements. This would make the game a lot more interesting again.

 

[Replacement*]

I agree with you on that. After those 4, there really isn't any big names we would lose. I am all for replacements. This would make the game a lot more interesting again.

I should note I have an obvious bias.

It was formulated during multiple NHL and other league labor impasses. Also look at my join date.

 

[Replacement*]

I dont know. If the crap eskimos who were bleeding fans last year still made $1.5 million profit then maybe there is something wrong with the salary cap. I've dropped my season tickets two years ago now and I havent missed it so cant say I care much if there's a strike.

As long as summer, the province of Saskatchewan, and Beer, exists the homeside will make money and flirt with 30K type crowds.

They could have cheerleader Lawn Bowling going on down there on the pitch and there'd be big crowds.

Or Lingerie Football League with overtime..

But I've gone off the tracks now..

 

[Gord]

The word 'greed' and CFL players should never be uttered in the same sentence. You do not own a CFL team to make a bunch of money so the line of thinking that the owners deserve to make cash is faulty as well.

There needs to be a fair distribution of the pie in that league for the good of everyone.

seems the league is offering a 7% increase to the cap this year.
that's pretty significant. what's that, about $250,000 in total?

the average CFL salary is about $75,000 a year so add 7% to that.
more than fair, to me. if that's not good enough for them, get rid of the bums.

 

[Replacement*]

seems the league is offering a 7% increase to the cap this year.
that's pretty significant. what's that, about $250,000 in total?

the average CFL salary is about $75,000 a year so add 7% to that.
more than fair, to me. if that's not good enough for them, get rid of the bums.

Keeping in mind that's of course not for the year. Its for 6mths of involvement. With a lot of these guys not having a lot of better options. Given supply and demand for their level of talent and other options paying them much more is likely paying them too much.
Just because the CFL is enjoying a rare moment of prosperity should salaries shoot up and revenue sharing be in place?

Few of these guys have been in the league long enough to even be a factor in audience numbers. For the most they're just running numbers going up and down the field. Few players in this league should even be talking about revenue sharing.

Speaking of, heres this, team can designate 3 players per side that they can pay outside of salary cap within reason and with a max. These being the type of players that can drive TV numbers, nobody else on the CFL field does. Maybe toss them some revenue sharing numbers after they agree to 5 yr locked in contracts as marquee players.. There done.

 

[Beerfish]

seems the league is offering a 7% increase to the cap this year.
that's pretty significant. what's that, about $250,000 in total?

the average CFL salary is about $75,000 a year so add 7% to that.
more than fair, to me. if that's not good enough for them, get rid of the bums.

LOL Hockey fans calling 7% of $75,000 to rich and to 'get rid of da bums'. Soooooo damn funny.

 

[Paralyzer]

I should note I have an obvious bias.

It was formulated during multiple NHL and other league labor impasses. Also look at my join date.

I know that lol. Rarely do I agree with your bias but this is for sure something you and I agree with. I have followed a lot of leagues myself and I do see the stupidity of the CFLPA being greedy pigs in this. They are lucky to even have a league that PAYS them. Could anyone imagine the AHL, ECHL and CHL going on strike because "They are not getting enough money"? ridiculous! I have a friend who played in the CFL for 5 years and said he was blessed to even be able to play a sport that pays him an average yearly wage that most work-force people wish they got. He is teaching now, but he said if he was younger and was over a knee injury he suffered in the league, he would join again in a heart-beat.

 

[Gord]

LOL Hockey fans calling 7% of $75,000 to rich and to 'get rid of da bums'. Soooooo damn funny.

are CFL players underpaid as compared to hockey players. yes.
but then again so is almost everyone in the world.
hockey is a different sport, different financial playing field. not fair to compare. has no relation to the financial realties of the CFL.

would I like if every CFL player could make at least several hundred thousand a year?
of course.
is it realistic? heck no.

in this economic environment, a 7% wage increase offer is pretty darn good, and an average salary of $75,000 before the raise is pretty good also.

for example, from stats Canada:
"The average wage for Canadian employees is currently $928 per week – or just about $48,250 a year. This marks an increase of 2.5% or roughly $1,000 more than we were making at the start of 2013. "

 

[MoneyGuy]

I'm going to take the players' side on this. The teams are getting a large increase in their revenue and they're offering peanuts. These players put their health on the line and many leave the game with lingering injuries that affect them for life. There are individual hockey, NFL and basketball players who out-earn entire CFL teams. There is a lack of respect here sometimes for these athletes and their abilities but there are some very good athletes playing a great sport - I think it is - and they deserve more of this money.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I'm going to take the players' side on this. The teams are getting a large increase in their revenue and they're offering peanuts. These players put their health on the line and many leave the game with lingering injuries that affect them for life. There are individual hockey, NFL and basketball players who out-earn entire CFL teams. There is a lack of respect here sometimes for these athletes and their abilities but there are some very good athletes playing a great sport - I think it is - and they deserve more of this money.

I agree.

Now what we really want to know is how many wins are the Esks going to end up with this year?

 

[Gord]

I'm going to take the players' side on this. The teams are getting a large increase in their revenue and they're offering peanuts. These players put their health on the line and many leave the game with lingering injuries that affect them for life. There are individual hockey, NFL and basketball players who out-earn entire CFL teams. There is a lack of respect here sometimes for these athletes and their abilities but there are some very good athletes playing a great sport - I think it is - and they deserve more of this money.

I respect the guys who play in the CFL, and admit they have low wages compared to the major sports in North America. I just can't support their threat to strike.
I also don't think it's fair to compare their wages to major sports (whose players are all vastly overpaid anyway.)

for the first time ever CFL owners are finally going to make some money and the players all of a sudden want to strike if they can't take most of it for themselves.

their average salary before the increase (which is for only six months work) gives them on a weekly average, 3 times what the average Canadian makes.

I think increasing the salary cap for the 1st year alone by $250,000 is more than peanuts. and more than fair if it's also going up in following years.

 

[Starbuds]

Pro athletes = Financially irresponsible
Owners = Wealthy and more likely to hoard wealth

Giving more money to the athletes means more money injected back into the economy. A better economy = better Canada. If you love Canada you should support the players.

 

[Gord]

I don't think I'll comment more until I hear more actual details of the wants both sides have.

IATL is right, we should just guess how many wins the esks will get.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I agree.

Now what we really want to know is how many wins are the Esks going to end up with this year?

I'll say they get to 9 wins this year, there's Ottawa and Winnipeg, plus the improved coaching staff should lead them to 9 wins (or more) this season.

 

[Replacement*]

I'm going to take the players' side on this. The teams are getting a large increase in their revenue and they're offering peanuts. These players put their health on the line and many leave the game with lingering injuries that affect them for life. There are individual hockey, NFL and basketball players who out-earn entire CFL teams. There is a lack of respect here sometimes for these athletes and their abilities but there are some very good athletes playing a great sport - I think it is - and they deserve more of this money.

One of the things I've always thought is that the CFL should have a better player benefit plan that adequately covers such things as LTD and provides adequate security in the case of tragedy in what is a very violent sport where livelihood can be snapped for life in one second.

That's one argument, and I agree with entirely. However, there is no basis in which to claim that CFL players are underpaid. To establish that one needs to look at what they could be making elsewhere. When in fact the overwhelming majority of CFL players are here because their dream didn't pan out. In so many cases the storyline is player was working in a car dealership or some such job (theres been guys flipping burgers) when he got the call for the CFL chance.

So establish then that the CFL is underpaying these players.

 

[Gord]

I tried to be quiet. lol

just wanted to mention that the players want an immediate increase of the salary cap from 4.4 to 6.24 million. (with increases in subsequent years)

doesn't seem reasonable to have just one of your demands be a 40% increase in your wage.

that one demand alone takes care of a big portion the teams will make with their TV money.

It doesn't appear to me the players care about the health of the league or the future.
Let them strike. it just hurts them and the viability of the league. Do they think people in BC or Toronto care if the CFL plays or not?
they'll be easily forgotten.

 

[Dorian2]

tbh I forgot about him but mainly due to how ordinary he was last season. Really theres probably a handful of players I would miss. I think that in a nutshell is the problem the Esks have had at the gate lately.

Frankly I don't remember anytime when theres been less high profile players here that the fans identify with.

That statement pretty much says it all. Hardcore fans like yourself are turning away from the game, imagine someone like me, a casual observer type of fan.

I really have no interest in the CFL at this point, and if they go on strike, I'm done with it. Same thing happened to MLB for me.

Hockey, on the other hand, is special...although I think I watched a grand total of 5 entire Oiler games this year.

It's getting really bad around here.