Canada Week

[21isSuperman]

The Indianapolis Colts have some CFL connections; the recently-waived Justin Hickman came over from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the immensly-underrated Jerrell Freeman came from the Saskatchewan Roughridgers.  We've also had other CFL guys with far less success (Kenton "Bricks for Hands" Keith).  MMQB is doing a week-long series on all things Canadian football (because Canada Day is July 1).  Some people love it, some people hate it, but many people don't know all the rules and nuances of the CFL.  For example, the CFL season is about to begin (week 1 starts Thursday), and many people like how it is set up because you get some dose of football in the summer when the NFL is not playing games yet.  The NFL Network used to broadcast some CFL games, but I'm not sure if they do that anymore.  For those of you looking to increase your knowledge about the CFL, I present to you the Canada Week articles that have been written so far (and I will update this as the week goes on).

 

Monday - Marc Trestman explains the rules and logistics that make the CFL unique:

The CFL has a collective bargaining agreement, but the salary cap is $125 million lower than the NFL’s this year.

 

When the games are played, no one’s thinking much about the salary cap, however. The population in Canada is about 30 million. In 2009, we played the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup. The TV ratings were incredible—43 percent of the entire nation tuned in to watch that game, the biggest TV audience to watch any show in Canada all year.

 

Tuesday - Doug Flutie says the NFL is becoming what the CFL already is:

The game in Canada was more exciting, more explosive, more wide open. It was what the NFL is now becoming. We were going no huddle, over the ball, from the time I got up there. No-back sets, six wide receivers, throwing the ball all over the field. There is a 20-second clock between plays rather than 40. It just creates a pace that the NFL is now realizing to be more exciting—and actually more effective. The NFL is turning into a no-huddle, up-tempo, fast-paced, throw-the-football type of game now. The CFL has been that for the past 30 years.

 

Wednesday - Bruce Arthur, a Canadian sports reporter, describes how the CFL is small-time, but also has small town charm, which appeals to fans:

 

There are reasons for this. The CFL’s minimum salary just rose to $50,000, and not many players stray too far into six figures. The line between fans and players has never been much of a line, if only because their respective take-home (quarterbacks excepted) aren’t very different at all.

 

So Saskatchewan running back Kory Sheets, the MVP of the 2013 Grey Cup, still worked as a truck driver’s assistant in the oil fields last winter, along with two other members of the team. The guy who beat out Sheets for the league’s Most Outstanding Player award, Calgary running back Jon Cornish, was named Canada’s top athlete in December. He did his conference call while on break from his day job as an investment consultant at a bank, in a shopping mall.

 

Thursday - Emily Kaplan describes how many CFL players have to hold offseason jobs:

Cornish, the 29-year-old British Columbia-born, Kansas-schooled running back is the reigning Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player. Last year, he broke his own single-season rushing record with 1,813 yards, led the league with 2,157 yards from scrimmage and scored 14 touchdowns. When he’s not wearing his No. 9 jersey, he suits up (literally) for his second job at a TD Canada Trust branch near a mall in Calgary.

 

Friday - Jenny Vrentas describes what the CFL feels like, giving her experiences of opening night:

So when Willy completed his first drive ever as a professional QB1 with a 27-yard touchdown pass—one of those fade routes that works so well in the vast 20-yard CFL end zones—there was a cavalcade of noises. Where were we, Seattle? The Bombers’ modern, U-shaped stadium looks like the Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field, and for being half the size—and far from full last night—it sounded a little like it, too.

[lollygagger8]

This is all Nickleback's fault. 

[PrincetonTiger]

The CFL is shown on the WatchESPN app

[Nadine]

I got to get my canada learn on!

[MTC]

The Indianapolis Colts have some CFL connections; the recently-waived Justin Hickman came over from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the immensly-underrated Jerrell Freeman came from the Saskatchewan Roughridgers.  We've also had other CFL guys with far less success (Kenton "Bricks for Hands" Keith).  MMQB is doing a week-long series on all things Canadian football (because Canada Day is July 1).  Some people love it, some people hate it, but many people don't know all the rules and nuances of the CFL.  For example, the CFL season is about to begin (week 1 starts Thursday), and many people like how it is set up because you get some dose of football in the summer when the NFL is not playing games yet.  The NFL Network used to broadcast some CFL games, but I'm not sure if they do that anymore.  For those of you looking to increase your knowledge about the CFL, I present to you the Canada Week articles that have been written so far (and I will update this as the week goes on).

 

 

I remember Kenton Keith. Is he still playing in the CFL?

[jvan1973]

This is all Nickleback's fault.

I blame Bieber

[BOTT]

I hope Doug Flutie is wrong

[twfish]

I blame Bieber

dont use that language here....

[Yoshinator]

My birthday is on July 1st (Canada Day) lol. Glad I live in America where my I can celebrate my birthday on a different day than my country!

[lollygagger8]

I blame Bieber

 

Almost as bad as Nickelback. 

[Valpo2004]

Wow 43% of Canada tuned in for their Championship game.  I wasn't aware Canadians actually cared that much about Canadian football.  I thought they where just all hockey fans.  

[Valpo2004]

The 3 downs is a big difference but a difference they don't talk about much but plays out when you are watching is that players can be in motion at the start of the play.

 

So in pretty much every play that I've seen (I've watched it a few times but don't watch much) the receivers are all running straight at the line of scrimmage and the QB times his snap to just before they get there.  So these receivers are all headed downfield at full speed.  

 

I would have to think that covering them would be harder.  

[21isSuperman]

I remember Kenton Keith. Is he still playing in the CFL?

As far as I know, he hasn't played since 2010 (that's what Wiki says).

 

I blame Bieber

 

dont use that language here....

 

Almost as bad as Nickelback. 

We sincerely apologize for Justin Bieber.  I know a lot of people don't like Nickelback, but I'll take Nickelback over Bieber any day.  At least Nickelback has good intentions.  Justin Bieber....just.....sorry.

 

Wow 43% of Canada tuned in for their Championship game.  I wasn't aware Canadians actually cared that much about Canadian football.  I thought they where just all hockey fans.  

No, sir.  We love our sports.  The Raptors had a huge turnout for their playoff games.  Fans were going nuts, crowding Maple Leaf Square and resulting it in receiving the nickname Jurassic Park.  Even players from the Brooklyn Nets were impressed by the fan turnout.  All over Canada, people were talking about the Raptors during that playoff series

[21isSuperman]

The 3 downs is a big difference but a difference they don't talk about much but plays out when you are watching is that players can be in motion at the start of the play.

 

So in pretty much every play that I've seen (I've watched it a few times but don't watch much) the receivers are all running straight at the line of scrimmage and the QB times his snap to just before they get there.  So these receivers are all headed downfield at full speed.  

 

I would have to think that covering them would be harder.  

That's one thing I really don't like (since I used to play DB).  It makes it really hard to jam the slot receivers at the line and you have to start your backpedal before the ball is even snapped.  It makes the game more exciting for the offense, but as a defensive minded guy, I don't like it

 

I do like the 20 second clock in place of the 40 second one, though.  I think NFL games are far too long, with way too many commercial breaks.  Most sports (hockey, basketball, even soccer) get their games finished in 2 hours.  Football games take 3 hours to finish

[ProblChld32]

I actually enjoy watching the CFL it is entertaining.

[PrincetonTiger]

I actually enjoy watching the CFL it is entertaining.

Agreed

But for everyone else Don't miss Chad Johnson

[Valpo2004]

That's one thing I really don't like (since I used to play DB).  It makes it really hard to jam the slot receivers at the line and you have to start your backpedal before the ball is even snapped.  It makes the game more exciting for the offense, but as a defensive minded guy, I don't like it

 

I do like the 20 second clock in place of the 40 second one, though.  I think NFL games are far too long, with way too many commercial breaks.  Most sports (hockey, basketball, even soccer) get their games finished in 2 hours.  Football games take 3 hours to finish

 

I can't imagine trying to jam a receiver at all like that.  Wouldn't you get knocked down considering they are at full speed?

 

I have to say a 20 second clock sounds like a good idea, it would force the QB's to call all the plays.  The only problem is that there would be very little time to look at the defense and audible.  

 

It would also likely mean more plays per game.  

 

Don't like the idea of stopping the clock after every play in the last 2 minutes of the halves.  It makes that time period way more important.

 

It sounds like you could play really really crappy for 56 minutes of the game but if you play really good in those 4 minutes you've still got a good chance to win.  Besides a 20 second play clock and 3 downs should make comebacks in the final 2 minutes more likely as you can't run as much time out by possessing the ball and kneeling on it.  Right now in our football an offense can run 2 minutes off the clock without having to gain a single yard.  The 20 second play clock would basically ensure that they would have to keep playing.

[21isSuperman]

I can't imagine trying to jam a receiver at all like that.  Wouldn't you get knocked down considering they are at full speed?

 

I have to say a 20 second clock sounds like a good idea, it would force the QB's to call all the plays.  The only problem is that there would be very little time to look at the defense and audible.  

 

It would also likely mean more plays per game.  

 

Don't like the idea of stopping the clock after every play in the last 2 minutes of the halves.  It makes that time period way more important.

 

It sounds like you could play really really crappy for 56 minutes of the game but if you play really good in those 4 minutes you've still got a good chance to win.  Besides a 20 second play clock and 3 downs should make comebacks in the final 2 minutes more likely as you can't run as much time out by possessing the ball and kneeling on it.  Right now in our football an offense can run 2 minutes off the clock without having to gain a single yard.  The 20 second play clock would basically ensure that they would have to keep playing.

I believe the clock stops once the player is tackled, but the offense must immediately line up.  Once the offense has lined up, the clock starts again.  It's like a pseudo-stop, if I remember the rules correctly.  One thing I really like about the CFL is that if an offense is running to the line of scrimmage and the clock hits 0:00, they still get to run one more play if they haven't lined up yet.  It makes for more exciting finishes

[GoPats]

This is all Nickleback's fault. 

 

[Valpo2004]

I believe the clock stops once the player is tackled, but the offense must immediately line up.  Once the offense has lined up, the clock starts again.  It's like a pseudo-stop, if I remember the rules correctly.  One thing I really like about the CFL is that if an offense is running to the line of scrimmage and the clock hits 0:00, they still get to run one more play if they haven't lined up yet.  It makes for more exciting finishes

 

I see so the clock stop is to help prevent the defense from taking their time in getting out of the pile so as to prevent offensive players from lining up.  

[Valpo2004]

 

I really don't understand why people love to hate Nickelback or Bieber.  You don't like their music. . . don't listen.

 

Beiber isn't even really directed at adults anyway, it's directed at teenage and pre-teen girls mostly and he's wildly successful at that.  That's his niche and he's good at it.  I'm not mad at him for being good at what he does just because I'm not in his target market.  

 

Sometimes I honestly think people who direct the most hate to a certain group or song really in secret like the group/song but are ashamed of liking it. 

 

Otherwise why bother putting one's energy into hating such a thing?  Just so you can be internet cool?

[ProblChld32]

Agreed

But for everyone else Don't miss Chad Johnson

 

Lol, i actually forgot he made his way to the CFL

[21isSuperman]

I see so the clock stop is to help prevent the defense from taking their time in getting out of the pile so as to prevent offensive players from lining up.  

I guess so.  The clock starts when the ball is ready to be snapped.  So if the ball is ready, but the QB wants to call an audible, the clock keeps running.  In that sense, it's not stopped.  But yeah, I guess it's to prevent defenses from milking the clock.

 

I really don't understand why people love to hate Nickelback or Bieber.  You don't like their music. . . don't listen.

 

Beiber isn't even really directed at adults anyway, it's directed at teenage and pre-teen girls mostly and he's wildly successful at that.  That's his niche and he's good at it.  I'm not mad at him for being good at what he does just because I'm not in his target market.  

 

Sometimes I honestly think people who direct the most hate to a certain group or song really in secret like the group/song but are ashamed of liking it. 

 

Otherwise why bother putting one's energy into hating such a thing?  Just so you can be internet cool?

I don't mind Nickelback.  I think they're alright and get more hate than they deserve.  But Bieber has had a run of incidents that include being rude and disrespectful to people (I think he spit on someone's car or something, he said Anne Frank would have been a "Belieber"), breaking the law (I think he was caught speeding and has a DUI), being racist, and overall just being a terrible person.  It isn't his music that annoys people, it's him being an unintelligent, annoying, rude, pretentious, arrogant, disrespectful person who thinks he can get away with anything.  The music is whatever.  The person is horrible.

[CanuckColt]

I can't watch Canadian football. 

It is just Arena-ball on a much larger field.

[GoPats]

I really don't understand why people love to hate Nickelback or Bieber.  

 

I don't, really... I don't honestly care one way or the other. I just remembered seeing that Dave Grohl tweet and thinking it was funny. 

[Valpo2004]

I guess so.  The clock starts when the ball is ready to be snapped.  So if the ball is ready, but the QB wants to call an audible, the clock keeps running.  In that sense, it's not stopped.  But yeah, I guess it's to prevent defenses from milking the clock.

 

I don't mind Nickelback.  I think they're alright and get more hate than they deserve.  But Bieber has had a run of incidents that include being rude and disrespectful to people (I think he spit on someone's car or something, he said Anne Frank would have been a "Belieber"), breaking the law (I think he was caught speeding and has a DUI), being racist, and overall just being a terrible person.  It isn't his music that annoys people, it's him being an unintelligent, annoying, rude, pretentious, arrogant, disrespectful person who thinks he can get away with anything.  The music is whatever.  The person is horrible.

 

Yeah he's getting in trouble.  So are a lot of celebs who got famous as kids.  He's still being singled out a bit.  And the hate for Bieber was there before he started getting in trouble.

 

I'd rather put my efforts into being mad at someone who's a terrible human being in her 50's but is sadly smart enough to do terrible things that don't get her in trouble with the law.  Nancy Grace.

 

But I guess she's not Canadian so we can't blame Canada for her.  She's an absolutely 100% home grown horrible human being doing her best every day to wreak our justice system.  

[21isSuperman]

Wednesday - Bruce Arthur, a Canadian sports reporter, describes how the CFL is small-time, but also has small town charm, which appeals to fans:

 

There are reasons for this. The CFL’s minimum salary just rose to $50,000, and not many players stray too far into six figures. The line between fans and players has never been much of a line, if only because their respective take-home (quarterbacks excepted) aren’t very different at all.

 

So Saskatchewan running back Kory Sheets, the MVP of the 2013 Grey Cup, still worked as a truck driver’s assistant in the oil fields last winter, along with two other members of the team. The guy who beat out Sheets for the league’s Most Outstanding Player award, Calgary running back Jon Cornish, was named Canada’s top athlete in December. He did his conference call while on break from his day job as an investment consultant at a bank, in a shopping mall.

[21isSuperman]

Thursday - Emily Kaplan describes how many CFL players have to hold offseason jobs:

Cornish, the 29-year-old British Columbia-born, Kansas-schooled running back is the reigning Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player. Last year, he broke his own single-season rushing record with 1,813 yards, led the league with 2,157 yards from scrimmage and scored 14 touchdowns. When he’s not wearing his No. 9 jersey, he suits up (literally) for his second job at a TD Canada Trust branch near a mall in Calgary.

[21isSuperman]

Friday - Jenny Vrentas describes what the CFL feels like, giving her experiences of opening night:

So when Willy completed his first drive ever as a professional QB1 with a 27-yard touchdown pass—one of those fade routes that works so well in the vast 20-yard CFL end zones—there was a cavalcade of noises. Where were we, Seattle? The Bombers’ modern, U-shaped stadium looks like the Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field, and for being half the size—and far from full last night—it sounded a little like it, too.

[Andy]

It's an incredibly exciting sport. There are 4 games each week (except for 2 weeks) and at least 3 of them are nerve-racking and exciting. 

 

I'm very happy, as a Canadian and a big CFL fan, to see my American counterparts giving the CFL its due respect. There is a ton of talent in the CFL, and if you guys turn on a Montreal Allouettes game this week, you'll see Troy Smith throw to Chad Johnson!! Either way, it's a great league and I'm happy to see it's getting good recognition!

[jvan1973]

It's an incredibly exciting sport. There are 4 games each week (except for 2 weeks) and at least 3 of them are nerve-racking and exciting.

I'm very happy, as a Canadian and a big CFL fan, to see my American counterparts giving the CFL its due respect. There is a ton of talent in the CFL, and if you guys turn on a Montreal Allouettes game this week, you'll see Troy Smith throw to Chad Johnson!! Either way, it's a great league and I'm happy to see it's getting good recognition!

do they have fantasy cfl football? There would be some big numbers in that league

[21isSuperman]

do they have fantasy cfl football? There would be some big numbers in that league

Yep, there is: http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/story/?id=455251

[ruksak]

I really don't understand why people love to hate Nickelback or Bieber.  You don't like their music. . . don't listen.

 

Beiber isn't even really directed at adults anyway, it's directed at teenage and pre-teen girls mostly and he's wildly successful at that.  That's his niche and he's good at it.  I'm not mad at him for being good at what he does just because I'm not in his target market.  

 

Sometimes I honestly think people who direct the most hate to a certain group or song really in secret like the group/song but are ashamed of liking it. 

 

Otherwise why bother putting one's energy into hating such a thing?  Just so you can be internet cool?

Justin Bieber is living every young mans dream of dreams. Any bad things or judgement one could launch at him comes from pure, unfiltered jealousy imo. I believe the idea that Justin's average day is an experience few men that exist will ever know. 

 

As for his music.....have you people heard what most music sounds like these days? R&B, Hip-Hop etc....sounds like talentless robots to me. Not liking the music is one thing, but to display "hate" for an artist who's music you don't like is just silly. 

[Andrew Luck's Beard]

In case you guys didn't know, ESPN has the rights to broadcast CFL games now. The first game's tomorrow, June 28th, at 3:00 PM ET,

[Dustin]

Justin Bieber is living every young mans dream of dreams. Any bad things or judgement one could launch at him comes from pure, unfiltered jealousy imo. I believe the idea that Justin's average day is an experience few men that exist will ever know.

As for his music.....have you people heard what most music sounds like these days? R&B, Hip-Hop etc....sounds like talentless robots to me. Not liking the music is one thing, but to display "hate" for an artist who's music you don't like is just silly.

This is a dude who spits on his fans and gets DUIs. I dislike him because he's a huge * by all acounts.

[BrentMc11]

I started singing the Canadian National Anthem....and my kids yelled "STOP!!!!!"

 

I looked at them and said "That is the Canadian National Anthem."

 

They said...."Really...Really...Seriously? "  Nick said "I am glad I live in the US."

 

I said..."Okay I will sing our national anthem."  They said "NO!!!"

 

Now I am wondering if it just MAY HAVE BEEN my singing......   

[jvan1973]

Justin Bieber is living every young mans dream of dreams. Any bad things or judgement one could launch at him comes from pure, unfiltered jealousy imo. I believe the idea that Justin's average day is an experience few men that exist will ever know.

As for his music.....have you people heard what most music sounds like these days? R&B, Hip-Hop etc....sounds like talentless robots to me. Not liking the music is one thing, but to display "hate" for an artist who's music you don't like is just silly.

This coming from you confuses me. You were railing on Irsay for driving under the influence doing 5 mph. Yet you applaud this kid when he was arrested for dui at high speed. Zero consistency on your stance

[ruksak]

This coming from you confuses me. You were railing on Irsay for driving under the influence doing 5 mph. Yet you applaud this kid when he was arrested for dui at high speed. Zero consistency on your stance

I had no idea. I guess maybe he is a little %. 

 

Not real up to snuff on pop culture teenage trends.....ya know....like you are. 

[jvan1973]

I had no idea. I guess maybe he is a little %.

Not real up to snuff on pop culture teenage trends.....ya know....like you are.

yeah, watching the news is tough

[ruksak]

yeah, watching the news is tough

I heard he was arrested for racing, which is a pretty dumb thing to do, granted. But I tune out or turn the channel the second the news switches from pertinent to sensationalist. All I probably heard was "And in other news, Justin Bie..".

 

I'm a news watchin' fool, but in a very discretionary manner. 

 

Oh, and I've noticed you have quite a tone with me anymore. My advice, don't drag animosity from one thread to another. It creates a nasty schism, considering we're all going to disagree with each other at some point. 

 

If you do not comply, I will crush you. If you don't find me a threat, you'll think differently when you hear my small army of robots scurrying around in your bushes. Yes, I have robots. Ones that CRUSH my enemies.