OUT OF THE TUNNEL: SEASON LOOK-AHEAD & GLOBAL DRAFT

It sounds like there will be a decision made sometime soon on whether or not the CFL season will be delayed because of this third wave. Now we won’t dive in (again) on the XFL’s potential impact on a season being played or the league’s second failed crack at getting federal funding to get back on track because both of those have been beaten to death.

What the CFL needs to have any sort of a season is simple enough — fans in the stands. Simple in the sense of knowing what is the heart and souls of the league although it’ll be a difficult road to get to that point. At this current time and situation we aren’t really positive that a season will happen.

One thing that would get the provinces on board on allowing fans in the stands is something that countries and other leagues are coming to grips with: a mandatory vaccine to enter any stadium.

To be completely open and up front about this, we are 100% on board with this idea. This is about people’s safety in the face of the slow reopening of society as we remember it.  

The provinces would be more comfortable allowing larger events to return in the summer and early fall if all precautions are in place. Mandatory vaccinations to enter stadiums would provide a blanket of protection to the 20+ thousand people in the stands (plus the thousands of close contacts), the workers selling food and drinks, plus the players and staff. This has already been hinted at in both Alberta and Saskatchewan and with B.C.’s and Manitoba’s handling of the pandemic, they are closer to having things re-open. 

But what about ‘muh rights and ‘muh freedoms’ to not get the vaccine? That’s cool, fill your boots (and apologies to anyone who can’t get one for health reasons) but you will not be allowed into the stadiums in 2021. This is not crushing your rights or your freedoms. These are set up for freedom of expression and the rights to equality with amendments in place for the provinces to implement rulings for the betterment of their society. 

So if you don’t want to spend an hour or two to get your vaccine and then proceed to piss and moan about your rights being violated, you be you. We want to go to the games. Also, if you think not getting the vaccine will impact your ability to see a football or hockey game in the fall, good luck trying to get into another country if and when those countries (ahem United States) implement mandatory vaccinations to enter.

This gets us to the only real CFL news from the week and that’s the atrocious continuation of the international experiment. In 2021, its newest incarnation is the first full CFL Global Draft.

Now we are nowhere near as articulate or funny as Rob Vanstone was in his piece about the first CFL international draft but this week confirmed all of our thoughts since day one of this useless and costly experiment. 

We will now take former CFL long-snapper Randy Chevrier’s lead and now call this the CFL Punt2.0 draft. Rarely does something so subtle sum up something so dumb but Chevrier did it. 

In summary, if this experiment continues, the only mandatory international players on CFL rosters will be Australian punters.

Other players of choice were ones who couldn’t make NFL rosters from the NFL International Practice Squad Program. What this tells us is a player that isn’t good enough to be signed as a free agent needs to be chosen in a goofy draft and possibly have a mandatory spot on a CFL roster?

Is this what all of the money is being spent on? In times where money is as tight as it has ever been in the CFL while also putting extra stress on each team’s ever-shrinking player personnel department in the face of what could be the most difficult CFL Draft ever (to even have that draft is a topic we will cover later). 

We would take the top ten players from either of the Canadian senior football leagues in Alberta and Ontario than any of the players taken in this draft. These leagues at least have a better record of having players actually play in CFL games (two being Aaron Crawford and Tanner Green).

Like we have said so many times before, this money should be put into developing Canadian players who are on the fringes of making CFL rosters but still need some polishing. There are opportunities already in place in Canada to help this process and make not just the CFL better but any post-secondary football better.

Take that extra roster spot for the development of a non-traditional Canadian position like quarterback, defensive back or defensive end that wasn’t taken in the CFL Draft but has the athletic capabilities that with a little extra help would later make the roster and expand the depth of CFL talent.

All of this money and time was spent on a three-round event that will end up having just one player that has a mandatory spot on a roster. If there is a need for an international player on a roster, this doesn’t need a draft. Just place this in the hands of free agency. 

For those who wanted this event streamed, give your helmet a tap. TSN can barely get the actual CFL Draft off the ground. Good luck trying to polish this turd of a manufactured event.

CFL international needs to end. The money isn’t there for such an unnecessary and fruitless endeavor. If and when the league returns and a handful of these players make some sort of impact then we will eat our words but if this draft is any indication there will be a huge influx of Australian punters in two years. Until then, we will be over here patiently waiting to get our vaccine, in the hopes of sitting in the Mosaic Stadium seats under a hot September sun.

(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF)