CFL schedule prompts usual complaints

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This article was published 20/12/2022 (734 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When making the CFL schedule, one thing that’s consistent from year to year is that every market is going to have something to complain about.

It didn’t take long after its release last week for the masses to come out firing, with a steady stream of shots aimed directly at the CFL. Some of the beef is justified, to be sure, including the inexplicable decision of giving the reigning Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts a bye in Week 1.

What’s often lost in all the angst is the fact that making a 21-week, regular-season schedule is a difficult task, especially in a nine-team league. There’s a reason the CFL is pushing for expansion that goes beyond creating a larger footprint in the country; working with 10 teams allows for fewer bye weeks and therefore less juggling.

What also needs to be taken into consideration is that teams have different preferences for when they play at home. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers like Thursday night games earlier in the schedule because it allows people to take off to the cabin over the weekend; the Saskatchewan Roughriders are more interested in weekend games because it’s more accommodating to their out-of-town fans who make the trek into Regina from the surrounding areas; and the B.C. Lions, under new owner Amar Doman, believe day games are the best way of getting families in the door, to build the next generation of fans and bring sustained success to a market that’s struggled for years.

Personally, I prefer to focus on some of the positives, including a number of notable changes for 2023. Divisional playoff games will now be on Saturday instead of Sunday; there are fewer home-and-home series (thank goodness!); and, in what was certainly a surprising development, there are 11 games on Sunday evenings over the summer (before the start of the NFL season).

As for the Argos, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the club’s ownership group, provided the CFL with 10 dates for nine home games last year and told them to make it work. I’d be curious what the arrangement was this season…

It was a busy couple weeks in the three-down loop. Let’s dig into some of the biggest storylines in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) Surprise, surprise. The Touchdown Atlantic game in 2023 is an Argos “home” game against the Riders. It’s the same matchup as last season and in the same province of Nova Scotia, but the game will be played in Halifax this year rather than Wolfville. While it’s not at all shocking the CFL would give the game to Toronto to help boost gate revenue across the league, I was a bit surprised by the announcement. I had heard over Grey Cup week the game was originally supposed to include Winnipeg. Maybe next year Bomber fans.

2) Another interesting tidbit coming out of the schedule release was the Edmonton Elks new ticket promo. The Elks have lost 17 straight games at Commonwealth Stadium — setting a new CFL record — with their last victory on home turf coming back on Oct. 12, 2019. The Elks have released a limited number of “guaranteed win tickets” to their home-opener on June 11 and the ticket gets you in the doors until Edmonton finally breaks its curse.

3) The Montreal Alouettes have been busy. On Saturday, the team announced Jason Maas as the new head coach and a couple of days later revealed that president Mario Cecchini’s contract would not be renewed.

4) Not much to say about the Maas signing, other than it was somewhat predictable given how close he and Als general manager Danny Maciocia are from their time together in Edmonton. The hiring is a bit peculiar, given Maas was recently fired as the Riders offensive co-ordinator after a dismal year in Saskatchewan. We haven’t seen that kind of impressive turnaround since Paul Maurice quit the Jets mid-season, only to take over the Presidents-trophy winning Florida Panthers the next year.

5) As for Cecchini not being renewed, there’s definitely some eyebrows being raised. As first reported by the Montreal Gazette’s Herb Zurkowsky, under Cecchini, the Als saw a notable increase in attendance — from 13,063 in 2021 to 17,683 last year — as well as increased dollars in corporate sponsorship. With the Als being rumoured to want to sell the team, perhaps this is a first step to that.

6) After several candidates turned down the job, the Riders have promoted Kelly Jeffrey to OC. Jeffrey, who was the team’s running backs coach, wasn’t the club’s first, second or even third pick for the job, but he has been given several votes of confidence from players. With the entire coaching staff on thin ice following last year’s disaster of a season, it’s not exactly an enviable spot to be in. But I hope Jeffrey can make the most of a seemingly rough situation.

7) The slow ride into the sunset for John Hufnagel has officially started in earnest. The longtime Calgary Stampeders GM has decided to step down, clearing the way for head coach Dave Dickenson to take over. Dickenson, who has been the coach since 2016, boasting an overall record of 73-29-2 and one Grey Cup victory, will still have his mentor by his side for the foreseeable future, as Hufnagel will remain the club’s president and will still have a strong say when it comes to player personnel.

8) The B.C. Lions enjoyed their breakout season last year so much they’ve decided to keep a couple key figures around to ensure the future remains bright. The Lions gave co-GM and head coach Rick Campbell and co-GM and director of football operations Neil McEvoy extensions through the 2024 season. B.C. finished second in the West Division last season, at 12-6, and hosted the Stamps in the semi-final game. They would eventually fall to the Bombers in the West final.

9) Speaking of the Lions, Campbell told reporters recently they should get an answer soon on whether star QB Nathan Rourke is headed to the NFL. Rourke has worked out for several teams already, including the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, among others. With Rourke’s desire to play a notable role on an NFL team and with coming off a serious foot injury, there’s still a chance he could be back in B.C. next season. If not, it looks like the job will go to Vernon Adams Jr.

10) There’s been a lot of buzz about Bombers GM Kyle Walters and whether we should read into the fact he’s only under contract until the end of 2023. While I think some of it is certainly premature, it will be odd if Walters spends notable time next year on an expiring deal. While Mike O’Shea might like to wait until the very end of his contract to negotiate another multi-year pact, Walters isn’t cut from the same cloth. That said, with the potential of the football operations salary cap rising in the future, this could just be a waiting game. That game can only go on so long, and it will no doubt be a juicy storyline for however long it takes to reach a new deal, assuming one does.

11) Notable signings across the CFL: DE Kene Onyeka (OTT); Rec Nate Behar (OTT); LB Kyrie Wilson (WPG); DB Winston Rose (WPG); DB Nafees Lyon (MTL); DL Jake Thomas (WPG); DL David Menard (B.C.); K Lewis Ward (OTT); Rec Reggie Begelton (CGY); and K Sean Whyte (B.C.).

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton