To Be or Not To Be – That is the Question for the CFL in 2020

One key to all of this is if the CFL can qualify for the federal wage subsidy that will cover a portion of wages. The CFL will have to cobble together some kind of proposal to the federal government and on Thursday BC owner David Braley threw some cold water on the hub city concept by saying in BC they could put 2,500 fans in the lower level and 2,500 in the upper level at $50, they could cut their losses to a manageable level.

The problem with all of this, hub city concept , adopt a team where the west would bring in and host an eastern team, or Braley’s business as usual, is that there are too many moving parts to guarantee this would work to any extent. Major League Baseball was set to open training camps but then a number of players tested positive and teams were sent home to their own ballparks and well, let’s see what happens from there.

The difference in the level of infections here versus south of the border has many wondering if American players will get the OK to return, go into quarantine and then play. While it is easier to go from Canada to the States, especially by flying, those driving up will find there may be problems in crossing.

I look at that argument as a bit a red herring because if a plan is presented to the feds and the various provincial ministries of health in provinces where the CFL plays, a waiver could be signed allowing CFL players to cross the border as long as they abide by quarantine rules.

With the provinces opening up at differing rates, it might be possible to have fans attending, just not in the numbers seen in previous years. If there is social distancing guidelines, proper procedures for cleaning things like washrooms, and perhaps masks, you could see a third of the stadium made available for fans.

To make that work, there would have to be some rules such as forbidding fans over the age of 60 from attending. Those fans who own season tickets could get refunds or use their deposits and payments for next year. Those over 60 are at risk from Covid-19 as well as those with underlying health conditions so using common sense and not having them risk their health in attending would be wise.

In watching the National Rugby League live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, the Aussies have opened their games to some fans, and in a brilliant marketing play have fans pay $10, send in pictures of themselves and those pictures are put on cardboard cutouts that fill the seats. You could do that to build goodwill and bring in some revenue.

While it may seem obvious, the CFL has handled all of this with a ham-handed approach that seems better suited for a Vince McMahon wrestling evening than for a professional league. It’s not that I am not without sympathy for Commissioner Randy Ambrosie, but his handling of the Covid crisis and how to figure things out has not inspired confidence starting with the botched presentation to the House of Commons finance committee.

Another interested party to all of this, the CFL Players Association, is watching all of this and making it clear that while they want to be part of the solution, they might not be ready yet to accept that everyone will likely not be paid the same as they were last year.

Some CFL players are choosing to retire because of the uncertainty of playing this year like James Wilder who is choosing to run a fitness centre and do coaching this year. That is not unexpected since Wilder had one eye on a post CFL career since his first year be it an NFL tryout, WWE or now this.

Wilder’s decision does underscore a very real concern amongst CFL players of how long do should they wait for the CFL to cobble something together while all of them have bills to pay and families to support?

Add to this the CFL playing tough last year during CBA negotiations and while the CFL cut $500,000 off of football administration budgets, it’s not clear how much if any has been cut from team presidents and the Commissioners’ salary. While comparisons with the NFL are not helpful, the NFL commissioner reduced his salary to zero before getting the league office to take their own cuts.

Ambrosie by comparison is using a big stick to demonstrate to the players that once football management has its budget cut, players will be next. There is an opportunity here to reset the league and perhaps move things in a better direction, but the CFL doesn’t seem willing to publicly move in that direction.

News that Major League Baseball is talking with federal and provincial health authorities about submitting a plan for restarting while Public Health Canada is looking at getting professional sports to restart under Canadian plans to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. There is a chance for the CFL to open, but it will require testing and thinking through what happens when a player tests positive – is the player quarantined for 14 days, is the team quarantined, if a team is quarantined, do they forfeit their games?

Dave Naylor reported this week about the possibility of the CFL declaring bankruptcy and then reorganizing, but it wasn’t clear which teams would still be standing after such an announcement. If the intent was to impress upon the public, players and Parliament the seriousness of the situationthen it kind of worked, but also ticked some people off for seemingly being nothing more than a negotiating play to impose a new vision of player relations.

To be sure there is posturing on both sides, which is understandable but also unnecessary because the focus should be how to play the games if possible this season without risking the health of players, staff and fans. MLB in its agreement with the players that came out on Thursday said fans can be allowed into games with the approval of the area health authorities and the league. So if the CFL decides to go with teams in their original cities, teams like the Riders and Bombers and probably the Lions with their low rates of infection could benefit the most from having more fans in the stands to wreak havoc with opposing teams.

In the meantime the CFL simulation which you can catch on Facebook Live or on Twitch.TV is providing fans with at least some kind of football action. I watched the Saskatchewan-Hamilton game and I have to admit to being impressed with the players and the programming involved.

Apparently it is a very work intensive process to get players –programmed so their performance on the field matches their abilities. But credit to Rod Pedersen and friends for doing play by play and treating it like a real game.

The Riders won 26-4 and all the games can apparently be seen on Twitch TV, which I may check out depending on my work schedule. Adding to the fun are the comments on the side of the page, a fair number coming from current and unsigned players who seem appreciative of the efforts to build and sustain interest in the league at a time when it might seem like a lost cause.

The growing interest in the CFL Sim game also points out the need for the CFL to have its own video game that does not look it came out of the Strat-o-matic Era of football games. The argument is the return on developing such a game might not justify the investment but maybe the CFL could give developers an opportunity to showcase their craft and put together a game that especially in these times could work to sustain interest.

We are rapidly approaching July 1 and the fact of the matter is we probably have about two to three weeks before the league will have to make some sort of decision about the 2020 season. The problem is trying to plan with a virus that is not predictable or known so things seem to change on an hourly if not daily basis.

The CFL is facing a choice between potentially cutting their losses and putting their efforts into next year or opening the league, getting some attention and hoping that attention may result in new customers while also potentially threatening players and fans with the prospect of increased likelihood of an infection getting in and floundering a team’s season.

I’m pretty sure this is not the scenario Randy Ambrosie had in mind when he took over the job.

by Greg Urbanoskki

To Be or Not To Be – That is the Question for the CFL in 2020

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