THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. CFL REVENUE SHARING: These things go in cycles and it seems like the privately-owned teams who are bleeding red ink have resorted to finger-pointing at the community-owned franchises who are viable. To be clear, I’m in full support of some revenue-sharing in the Canadian Football League and YES that would include the Roughriders providing a minimal subsidy for some of the have-nots like the Argos, Alouettes and BC Lions. But don’t mistake that for suggesting it’s okay for Rider fans to foot the bill for poor marketing in these bigger cities. The lack of outreach to the Chinese-Canadian and Indo-Canadian populations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver has been nothing short of appalling. Canada is a changing place and the CFL has been painfully slow to adapt. Why haven’t the BC Lions hosted a night playing with Chinese or Punjab lettering on their uniforms in the way the NBA has honored latinos?
2. BUSINESS MODEL ISN’T BROKEN: Although we have to remember that with no CFL would mean no Riders, I do take exception to the CFLPA’s suggestion that revenue-sharing is going solve all of the league’s financial woes. As a matter of fact, it would probably hurt the players, themselves. Think about it. Right now, the rich teams will spend and the money-losers have deep-pocketed ownership willing to absorb the hit. For the CFL players, that sounds like a win-win. The league does need to cut back on its coaching expenses and allocate more of those funds to the players but the head office has already taken steps to address that and these are issues that will produce minor results and have no real impact on the CFL missing 2020 or even 2021.
3. CANADIAN FOOTBALL WILL SURVIVE ANOTHER LOST YEAR: I’m going to predict right now that 2021 will be an abbreviated post-labour day schedule. But I’m preparing to hunker down for another missed season as I would much rather under promise the fan in me and let the league over-deliver. But either way, the league will come roaring back by 2022. The longer we wait, the more demand that will build up across the country.
4. GREY CUP WEEK: None of us thought Grey Cup 2020 in Regina would look like this but sometimes we just have to play with the cards we’re dealt. For once, I’ll enjoy an NFL Sunday in November and try to remember what it feels like to not have a CFL playoffs or Grey Cup. I can promise you I’ll never take another Grey Cup Sunday for granted after this year.
5. SOLUTION TO SURVIVING COVID: Be pro-mask and anti-shutdown. You can’t really have one without the other. Go out and live your lives like you normally would within the new rules of the day. For most of us, it’s not that hard. And if you’re livelihood has been affected, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Someday you’ll get a chance to return the favor.
6. AMERICAN POLITICS: The historian on NBC from election night nailed it. Generation after generation of loyalty to one party has been built up and it has hurt the American public’s ability to vote for the other “team” when the circumstances warrant. I’ve been guilty of this, too. This whole exercise has inspired me to challenge myself to vote for the other party when the situation warrants. Loyalty to the brand is okay but if your leader, local candidate or party’s platform is really disappointing you, then, well, you know what to do.
7. LOCAL POLITICS: A week before complaining the Americans were too divided, I was on here complaining that we aren’t divided enough. Proof again there is no perfect system or perfect outcome. Some of us are only happy when we’re unhappy.
8. THIS WEEK’S SALUTE: Sportscasters. No, seriously. I struggle to generate content on a weekly basis. Just imagine doing it daily. If you can be an even moderately successful sports broadcaster/writer in all of this, you’ve got it made in the shade.
9. ARGOS BOAT LOGO: Happy to see the Toronto Argonauts go back to their boat logo of the 1980s. I’m not naïve enough to think it will make a dent in penetrating the Toronto market for Canadian football but it’s a start. I can criticize Argo ownership all I want, with good reason, for failing to connect with the new Canadian. However, they at least they deserve credit for listening to their existing fan base.
10. QUOTE OF THE WEEK: New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton on squeaking out a win on Monday Night Football over the Jets, “I was getting tired of sucking”.
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
