CFL NOTEBOOK: PLAYOFF CHANGE AND XFL EXODUS
RANDY’S ROAD TRIP
Randy Ambrosie has started floating a new playoff format to CFL fans.
On Saturday night, the CFL commissioner began his annual cross-country trek in Ottawa by offering a new twist on the league’s current post-season format. Under the formula, the East and West Division first-place finishers would secure opening-round byes.
The next top four finishers – regardless of division – would claim the remaining four berths, with the third- and fourth-place clubs hosting the bottom two in semifinal action on a Saturday. The following day, the franchise with the best regular-season record would choose which opening-round winner it wanted to face in its conference final.
“It’s just so interesting because there’d be the fan intrigue of which team is going to be chosen,” Ambrosie said during a telephone interview Tuesday prior to meeting with Montreal football fans. “Because your top-six teams are all getting a shot at the playoffs we think it could actually keep more teams in the playoff hunt longer and create more intrigue.
“Obviously being in fifth place would be better than sixth, being fourth would be better than fifth. We’re thinking it could create more fan engagement and more interest in the later-season games.”
Ambrosie said the new format was the brainchild of Winnipeg president Wade Miller and has the support of the league’s innovation committee, which includes representation from the CFL Players’ Association. The proposal is expected to be presented to the league’s board of governors March 17.
GREEN, DENNIS OFF TO XFL
On Monday, free-agent Derek Dennis – the CFL’s outstanding lineman in 2016 – signed a contract with the XFL’s reserve team. He became the league’s second high-profile player to do so after veteran S.J. Green.
Green signed his XFL deal Feb. 10, the day before the start of CFL free agency, after being released Feb. 7 by the Toronto Argonauts. The Seattle Dragons added the six-foot-three, 216-pound Green – a three-time Grey Cup champion, to their roster Feb. 11.
Both Green and Dennis are proven CFL performers. Over 13 seasons in Canada, Green has amassed 716 receptions for 10,222 yards with 60 TDs and is an eight-time all-star.
Dennis has spent four of his five seasons in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders, helping them a Grey Cup title in 2018. Green believes more CFL players will be making the jump.
“There will be more to follow,” he tweeted.
Ambrosie has taken notice.
“My No. 1 priority is to focus on our business plan and build the biggest, strongest global CFL possible,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you and obviously whenever a really good player finds a different league it’s a cause for concern.
“We don’t want to lose great players but at the same time we’ve got to be very excited about the path we’re on and stay focused on building our own best league. That’s literally where my mind is focused every day but I can tell you it’s (losing veterans to XFL) is very important and I pay attention to it.”
(Canadian Press)
With this playoff scenario the Roughriders would be in tough to make it to the dance. Every other team in the league has loaded up while the Riders sit and stagnate in their rocking chairs growing older and older by the minute.
So what you’re saying is that unless you “LOAD UP” you can expect failure with your team? So the only way to build your roster is to just wait for free agency each year? With your philosophy we could eliminate a whole scouting department as we can just “LOAD UP” using other teams free agents each year and save our team money! Ask yourself who “LOADED UP” last year and then look where they ended up. Teams that build within will be successful in the long-term rather than just being a flash in the pan for one year. You obviously… Read more »
Other teams are loading up with existing player from around the league through free agency to their team needs. You build your roster by doing your job, getting off your a**and finding player talent here there everywhere. Saskatchewan Roughriders need new young player talent before it’s too late, they can’t ride
the Chris Jones team build forever, that’s not conducive to long term success moving forward. SeeSeeRider post below, he’s got it right.
The XFL is no threat to the CFL to me it’s just another one of those wanna be leagues starting up and ready to fail after 2 years,this is the talk I’m hearing from sports talk radio in the USA in which I listen to daily,I heard yesterday that the stocks were down as 40 % when they first started up.Dennis saying “more to follow” is just being ticked off as nobody has offered him a contract to play in the REAL league of the CFL .To me he is just grasping at straws to make sure he has some… Read more »
Probably right. I think the offers weren’t right for both Green & Dennis. I think once training camp settles & you get into the season there may be teams looking for a guy like Dennis if they get off to a bad start or injuries happen. BC picked up Matthews @ LT but that was it. The OL looks better but not sure about their depth. Same goes for the Riders – very thin past the starters. Not a bad move & they’ll be in shape. Your team, I believe it’s the Eskimos, are extremely deep on the OL. Because… Read more »
Good morning, First: Randy Ambrosie finally came up with a good idea regarding the playoff format change. The original plan why you had East/West was to give teams an extra revenue gate by hosting a “home” playoff game regardless of a .500 record or less. The way it should be is the best play the best end of story. The other issue is there is no exodus of CFL players. You have two players – one who had no option in the CFL as he wasn’t good enough. The second is a 34 year old legend who is probably not… Read more »
When a CFL veteran player actually turns down a legit contract offer to go play in the XFL then it can be considered a threat.
Nobody has yet to leave the CFL.
If people ever are threatened then they need to look within – we start 7 Canadians. We have an endless supply of American Receivers/Running Backs you name it to fit the schemes run up here. We have a very good quality league. I am on record as stating I want a viable, legitimate, stand alone Spring Football league. This is a good thing as it wets the beak waiting for the first round of NHL playoffs and CFL to start.
Armanti Edwards has left the building and now the XFL’s gain. Others with one year contracts to follow this new trend In the very near future.