Commentary: You Can’t Stop Change
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It’s Tuesday and time for the Good, the Great & the Ugly! All CFL-style today …
First the good: Well, good or bad, the CFL announced a spate of changes to their game on Monday and Commissioner Stewart Johnston was right; they are major.
Over the next couple of years, the 55-yard line will be gone (favoring a 100-yard field), the goalposts will be moved to the back of the endzone, the endzones themselves will be shortened, the rouge has been “tweaked” and the playclock will go to 35 seconds.
Americanization of the game? It sure sounds like it to me. Time will tell whether this is good or bad. Read on …
Next the great: The only thing great about this is the amount of reaction it’s generated. It certainly woke up any and all fans who have feelings about the CFL.
Most fans seem to be giving the moves a thumbs up – change is inevitable, and innovation too – yet BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke was breathing fire over them, and called the changes “garbage” at Monday’s practice. (Is a fine coming his way?)
Honestly, what’s great is the amount of attention the announcement and changes have garnered.
If people didn’t care or had no opinion, that would be far worse.
And frankly I’m encouraged by the leadership and clarity of Commissioner Johnston. The league office said “this is what we’re going to announce”, and then he did. No monkey business nor mind games.
And lastly the ugly: They drop the announcement at 1 pm ET and we’re asked to give our opinion live on air. Sorry, but I needed some time to digest this.
What’s ugly is that the CFL game as we know it, is dead. Just a few years ago nine new rule changes were introduced and they greatly improved the game. The CFL product that we have now didn’t need any “tweaking” so I’m left wondering why these radical changes were necessary? Like, what’s the end game? The Commissioner was non-committal when asked if the league will move to four downs.
The dramatic missed field goal returns which have been one of the league’s trademarks are now gone. The kickers seem upset today and the electrifying returners like Gizmo Williams, Corey Holmes et al will be going the way of the dodo in short order.
But to quote John Frenzy, I don’t want to be a Negative Nelson.
You can’t stop change from happening.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
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Not all change is good change. Some changes are great, some are downright stupid. This one falls into the latter category.
Change for the sake of change, without actually improving anything. Busy work.
All these changes do is eliminate the distinctive features of the game, in exchange for jack all.
We know Nathan Rourke will defend the Canadian game. Will anyone else demonstrate that level of honour? Or have the CFL braintrust decided that selling out the 3-down game is a better idea?
Disgraceful.
I can sum these changes up with one word. TREASON
These changes all seem geared towards getting more bums in seats in Southern Ontario. I don’t think it will help in those markets. Maybe calling the team the Toronto Bills might work for a little bit.
NFL/NCAA lite will kill interest north of the border. The Canadian NFL boot lickers will always look down their nose at Canadian football and they are lost forever.
That being said, I can live with the changes although I fear that missed field goal TD’s will be as rare as hen’s teeth. Get those Elbows back up Canada and support a league that is not controlled by the USA (Like the NHL is.)
The CFL game is still very distinctive from the NFL game, the Canadian ratio never changed, still 3 downs, still 12 men, the changes were made with the theory of more scoring. It’s still going to be a great game!!
The NFL made rule adjustments, NHL, MLB ect and are still drawing large money and thriving.
Canadian ratio rules have actually changed significantly over the past few years, and not fit the better. Look it up
Whatever. Moving the goal posts back is long overdue. Smaller field feels a little blasphemous, but it’s nothing that will matter 5 years from now.
Of course if the CFL quit trying to exclusively market itself to “New Canadians” and realized white males are what is actually going to pay the bills, then they wouldn’t need these rule changes.
Bring back Dave Randorf and Matt Dunigan.
Last week the CFL had a 128 yard return on a missed field goal. They want to knowingly eliminate exciting plays like that? Doesn’t make much sense to me.
I’m not completely against the changes but I can’t see them creating a lot of new fans. No need to shorten the field. The rouge didn’t have to change but I can live with the new version. Missed field goal returns are now history, hardly ever get missed short or at least short enough in the new format to allow a return. What I am curious about is the clock. Is this new format going to make it difficult to review a play and throw a challenge flag or heavens forbid not allow the command center to add their two… Read more »
MOST FANS A THUMBS UP… I KNOW YOU BOUNCE BETWEEN FLORIDA AND GOD’S FAVOURITE RECTANGLE, BUT I DUNNO WHAT PLANET YOU ARE ON WITH THAT ONE. I HAVE SEEN A FEW SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS, BUT NOT MANY… AND MOST FROM PPL STILL TIED TO THE LEAGUE, SO THEY DONT HAVE MUCH CHOICE. OF COURSE ROURKE WILL GET FINED, BECAUSE HE IS RIGHT… THE LEAGUE DOESNT LIKE THE TRUTH BEING POINTED OUT WHEN IT MAKES THEM LOOK BAD. I DUNNO WHY THE EAST HAS BEEN HOLDING OUT ON OPPOSITE SIDE BENCHES… MEH. I FEAR THE CLOCK CHANGE MAY MESS UP THE WILD… Read more »