Now, this is a bit of an oddity, admittedly.
Never before have I reviewed anything from the Canadian Football League, and there's a good reason for that: no Canadian Football League games are available where I live (in the United States).
It's not for lack of interest. As anyone who knows me is aware, I love Canada, and pretty much anything that reminds me of Canada. That includes the Canadian Football League (CFL) which, so far as I can tell, really is very Canadian in several ways. It is a smaller league, more down to scale for a smaller country, with much less revenue than the NFL here in the United States. But then again, if that means you don't have to hear about players like Andy Dalton receiving $115 million contracts, then perhaps that is not such a bad thing.
The players in the CFL generally make much more modest salaries. It is fairly popular in Canada, but nothing like the NFL is here in the States. But salaries are not completely out of hand, which means that there most likely is not the same level of greed, or for that matter, of greed motivated defections to other teams, or hold outs, or speeches about how this or that player needs to hold out for an extra ten million or so because they have to feed their families.
The Canadian Football League seems a bit more of a throwback league, with much more modest money, smaller scale stadiums, and a smaller market - and I am not saying that in an insulting manner!
I rather like it, and find that it has a certain charm to it! I would be willing to bet that ticket prices are much more modest, too, which is a good thing! I'd also be willing to bet that there has not been any cases of teams relocating to greener pastures in another city. Ask fans of the Baltimore Colts and Oakland Raiders in the eighties, or of the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Raiders, Los Angles Rams, and Houston Oilers in the nineties. Or fans of the Buffalo Bills these days, who have started an anti-Bon Jovi campaign there, since Bon Jovi is seriously looking into purchasing the franchise, with the possibility that the Bills might be relocated - presumably to Toronto (which would be the NFL's first ever NFL franchise). For that matter, the owner of the Oakland Raiders just made waves by publicly flirting with relocation to San Antonio, mostly because he wants to force his hand with a desire for a brand new stadium. Those new stadiums usually come with quite a hefty price tag, and many have become disgusted with the enormous amounts spent on new stadiums. Case in point, the Atlanta Falcons, who got a new stadium in the early nineties, a shiny, glimmering new dome that was the pride of the NFL for a few years, even earning the right to host a Super Bowl. Now, the Atlanta Falcons are hoping to get a newer, more glitzy (and certainly more pricey) stadium deal, much of it, surely, paid by John Q. Taxpayer.
Of course, Canadians are no strangers to that kind of heartbreak, although not relating to the NFL. In NHL hockey, they lost the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques, while the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators seemed on the verge of departing for greener pastures south of the northern border. Canadian fans of the Montreal Expos in MLB baseball, and the Vancouver Grizzlies in NBA basketball saw their franchises leave town, as well.
That kind of heartbreak for devoted fans, because of the disloyalty and greed of management, is refreshingly missing from the CFL.
Yes, I can understand the appeal. You don't have any players in your face on ESPN or other networks, crying and asking for sympathy and understanding because their multimillion dollar contract this season just isn't enough, and they deserve more. Nor do you have management trying to twist the arms of the local fans for a new stadium deal.
The focus is on the sport, and on the play on the field. To my understanding, many players stay on the same team for a long time, because there really is little incentive to make a move elsewhere, with salaries hardly being huge. You don't have to worry as much about players, and even franchises, breaking hearts by skipping town. Because let's be honest: the first thought in a league like the NFL when a player starts to really enjoy success is that he has earned himself a big pay day in the future. And frankly, I think many, if not most, fans are probably a bit tired of that - especially when the economy and opportunities have dried up, and things have gotten tough recently.
This is especially evident when far too many of those players cannot even behave themselves, despite being blessed with the very best that modern material comforts have to offer, many of these players go ahead and act too self-entitled anyway, showing no limits to their self-indulgence. Witness Michael Vick, who's transfer to the New York Jets, normally my second favorite NFL team behind the Giants, this offseason makes me feel indifferent to them this season. He has quite the track record of poor decisions and not knowing his limits. Or how about Ray Rice, who gets suspended for all of two games for knocking out his new wife, and setting up a second news conference after realizing that forgetting to apologize to her in the first caused all sorts of bad press. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, when confronted by those who question just how committed the NFL is in punishment when it seems that Rice got away with very bad behavior, claims that people are not looking "at the facts". He then went on to state as one of those facts the NFL's belief that "this young man" learned his lesson. Or how about Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for all of six games initially, after forcing himself on a woman - not for the first time - back in 2009. The Steelers, clearly only concerned about women and getting their money's worth, negotiated to bring his punishment down to four games, with the message being that, for the most part, it's no big deal that he essentially seems addicted to raping women. Quite a few players have gotten into trouble for carrying weapons illegally. And never mind the substance abuse problems!
By contrast, the CFL is a refreshing change!
Much like Canada itself, the CFL is kind of there, persisting and doing their own thing, while often overshadowed by their much larger and louder neighbours to the south. And, that's okay. In fact, I find it rather appealing.
So, yes, my interest in the CFL is real.
But you can only get into the league so much when you literally can never see any games (although I watched a game or two here and there while on trips to Canada). Sure, I check the standings online from time to time, and even was happy to hear that the Montreal Alouettes, my de facto favorite team, suddenly were enjoying success!
I cannot honestly say that I am familiar with many of the players, or even teams, in the CFL!
Yet all of that might start to change now that ESPN, at long last, is beginning to broadcast weekly CFL games this year. Suddenly, I can actually watch some games, without feeling I'm wasting time doing so while using up precious vacation time while on a trip to Canada.
This was something that I noticed they were doing just before my recent trip to Canada, but I had not actually gotten the chance to see any of those games, until the most recent one, that was broadcast on Friday night, between the British Columbia Lions and the Calgary Stampeders.
Calgary entered the game as the only remaining undefeated team left in the CFL, with a 4-0 record. Their defense had allowed quite a bit fewer points than any other team in the league, and they were looking good.
By contrast, the BC Lions were struggling with a 2-3 record and, on the road against the only remaining unbeaten team left, were facing a very real possibility of falling to 2-4, which would have been digging themselves in a hole that would probably be too big for them to dig themselves out of.
Indeed, that is exactly where it seemed that they were heading, too, as Calgary built a solid 21-10 lead.
I was particularly impressed with the solid running of running back Martell Mallett for the Calgary Stampeders, who evidently had not played football in years, before being signed by the Calgary Stampeders earlier this year. He ran for 116 yards in his first real game in the league since 2009!
But somehow, the Lions came roaring back, clawing their way back slowly but surely, to pull within 21-19 in the fourth quarter, although their attempt to convert on a two-point conversion after a touchdown to tie it failed.
Calgary was able to respond with a field goal, but the Lions responded once again got a touchdown, as Ernest Jackson caught a ball from BC quarterback Kevin Glenn, who himself used to be a Stampeder, and ran it 65 yards for what turned out to be the game winner. The two-point conversion failed, but the BC Lions were able to make the lead count, holding Calgary off and securing the win.
Glenn completed 22 of 32 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown for British Columbia, and the Lions raised their record to 3-3, handing Calgary their first, and so far only, loss of the season so far.
Also, I should mention that former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia (the man who, among other things, replaced legend Steve Young in San Francisco) has been hired by the Montreal Alouettes to help out with their quarterback problems recently. He has not ruled out pulling on the pads and playing himself, if so asked!
Lions come up big in fourth quarter to claw out 25-24 win over Stampeders The Canadian Press By Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 2 August, 2014:
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/lions-claw-25-24-win-over-stampeders-big-050520184--spt.html
Videos: Dueling pick-sixes played big roles in the Stampeders-Lions clash Friday night By Andrew Bucholtz | 55 Yard Line – Sun, 3 Aug, 2014
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/videos-dueling-pick-sixes-played-big-roles-stampeders-194251314.html
Can Jeff Garcia help the Alouettes fix their offence, or are there too many cooks in the kitchen? By Andrew Bucholtz | 55 Yard Line, August 4, 2014:
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/jeff-garcia-help-alouettes-fix-offence-too-many-002935383.html
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