Blinded by Faith

The truest, deepest CFL believers drink the kool-aid and never, ever brook dissent.

The league is great, has just the right number of teams, the style of football is perfect, the players are fantabulous athletes, a conceded safety is strategic and fascinating and only the blind North American media stops this from being considered the greatest pro sports league currently in existence.

Which brings us to Sunday's Grey Cup.

Folks, the game stunk. And it was boring. And there were too many delays. And it was too much like last year's Grey Cup and an awful lot of games we've seen over the past two seasons.

But don't tell that to the true believers.

Consider the email of one reader who suggested the fact the Green Riders beat Winnipeg by four has to have meant it was a thrilling championship game.

So 4-0 would be a great tilt as well? 11-7? Before you know it, these people will be doing NHL talk, telling you it's not the number of touchdowns that matter, it's the number of touchdown chances.

Another reader suggested that Monday's night's 3-0 victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Miami Dolphins was proof positive of the superiority of the CFL game over the NFL.

Uh, well, except that the Steelers and Dolphins waged their match on what was essentially a field of molasses in a game that was delayed by lightning and rain and should never have been played.

How they get a field like that in football-made Pennsylvania strains the imagination.

But that game surely had nothing to do with the CFL.

They've got a problem with the CFL, and they can deny it if they want or blame it all on sub-par quarterbacking. But this used to be a league that thrilled with zany passing and high scoring, and now its dominated by defence.

I still love the league. But this isn't the football I loved.

Comments

[Kyle]

Amen Damien! I've had a tough time defending the League the last couple of years. I always said the offensive power of the Canadian game was worth watching; that no game was over, even with 2 minutes to go and down by a couple of touchdowns; that the large field led to wide-open passing and game-breaking runs. No more. This game, at this level and at the CIS level, has turned into a defensive-minded, poorly executed quagmire that is difficult to watch. It now appears that the NFL has become the scoring league (minus last night, of course).

[mark]

Finally someone in the media who dares speak the truth. I watched the game and was thoroughly disappointed. I've never seen a guy labeled as 'Most Outstanding' anything perform so poorly. And then there was the golden boy from California, Dimwitty who had trouble completing passes to anyone other than Milt Stegel and celebrated every completion like it was a touchdown. Very bush league. Perhaps defense is dominating the league or perhaps teams need to attract more talented offensive players.. either way, the end product did not look good on Grey Cup weekend and, as you pointed out Damien, this is the second year running.

[Evets]

One really interesting thing about the game, which, amazingly, no one seems to have commented on, is the anti-American sentiment expressed at half time via Lenny Kravitz' version of American Woman. "...don’t need your war machines,...don’t need your ghetto scenes". And just substitute "football" for "woman" in the lyrics to find a hidden agenda of keeping the NFL out of Canada...

[Don]

I didn't watch it. I've often thought it would be fun to start a CFL pool - the winner is the one who gets the most games right from the 'previous' week. It is a boring game played with musical-chair rosters of minor league players. My favourite time of the sports year is now - when I don't have to hear about the CFL any more.

[chris]

I watched the game Sunday, Damien. And I couldn't agree with you more.

With all due respect to James Johnson, if the Grey Cup's most outstanding player comes from the defensive side of the line it stands a very good chance the game was a ginormous pooch.

Quarterbacking, the Intel computer chip of the CFL, was sadly lacking in that game. Kerry Joseph's legs were the only thing keeping him from stinking the joint out. And Ryan Dinwiddie played as well as you'd expect from a kid making his very first professional QB start in a championship game. Which, measured against the curve, wasn't a good one.

The sad thing is that it's not going to get much better. The QBs that used to come to the CFL a decade or so ago are being given a chance to play in the NFL. At the same time, defensive systems are getting more sophisticated up here which has led to the type of game we just saw in Toronto.

The end result, while the CFL and NFL are differentiated by rules, the number of players, and the size of the field, the excitement level between the two leagues is starting to homogenize. That's not a good thing for a mom and pop league facing the very real threat of some rich and powerful Torontonians attempting to bring NFL football to their city.

The style of play is what sells the CFL across the country. If that suffers, the league will be facing some serious problems down the road. Time for Mark Cohon and company to get proactive about it.

[Geoff Read]

Damien,

A question came to mind watching the Grey Cup that I've often thought watching hockey: why is it that when everyone at home can see a play on instant replay and immediately recognize that the referee made either the right or the wrong call, the "replay judges" take forever to reach the same conclusion? I like instant replay because it's fair - I hate it because it disrupts the flow of the game (whether football or hockey). There should be a maximum time for officials to review the footage. You've seen every angle, now make your judgment and get the game started again.

And the CFL needs to pass a rule preventing teams from punting the ball out of bounds. I laughed out loud when Troy Westwood booted the ball into the 5th row on Sunday and Chris Walby went on about what a great kick it was. Exciting stuff.

[paul bass]

True words on the state of the game the league but this to shall pass. It always does with the CFL

[Chris]

LOL, you are consistent that is for sure.

Majority of the media say Black, you say White. I dislike the Leafs so I enjoy reading your constant Devil's Advocate mentality. The one time you supported the Leafs this year just happened to be when everybody was down their throat.

Instead of commenting on the great atmosphere downtown all weekend, the energy at the Skydome you go right at the easiest thing to criticize. The quality of Football.

I expected nothing less.

[Andrew]

The game was not nearly as exciting as the last time the Green Riders were in the cup, but it was something football fans can appreciate. Defensive ends John Chick and Tom Canada were the best players for their respective teams, which although not exciting, made for great football. This brings us to the true problem with the CFL. It is not the QB's (although a rookie having to start was unfortunate), but rather the dominance of the D-lines over the O-lines. The simple reason is the Canadian quota. O-lines are created with almost exclusively Canadian, where as the D-lines are a mix. The Patriots excitement starts with the O-line, who give Brady so much time to pass, I could pop in The Godfather before he throws 60 yard bomb to Moss. Furthermore, a quality O-line, allows a team to establish a running game. The easy answer is to blame 3 downs, but if Roberts had a strong Guard to follow the whole offense operates more efficiently. Don't get me wrong, I love watching guys I've played sports with on the professional stage, but the quota needs to be lowered.

[Jim Boyd]

Hey Chris - IT IS A FOOTBALL GAME!!!!!! So the quality of the football should be what is important, not the foolish partying!!

That's one of the dumbest comments I have ever read.

I've said it for years - the CFL is just garbage, and for so many Canadians to get so excited about an 8 team semi-pro league is hilarious. The Vanier cup or the Grey cup - could you tell the difference???

[jp]

Damien:
Bull chips.
That one game may not have been the "greatest" game ever, but the fans from both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan made the game. They were incredible, both in Toronto (where record crowds and profits were the norm) and "back home" in -30 degrees C. after the game!!

Community teams really caring about their teams and showing it was the real storyline here. If the Argos had been in, Pinball notwithstanding, I doubt the same emotional result would be there. You only commented on one dimension of the Grey Cup experience and missed the most important part: the CANADIAN experience.

Oh, and there have been many clunkers in the Super Bowl, and yet no one is writing off this league or game or experience.

[Chris]

Hey andrew,

The comment was not about the CFL. "sigh"

It was about Damien Cox spinning something positive into a negative which he always does.
I guess expecting you to interpret is beyond you.

When the media heaps praise, Mr. Cox finds something to criticize. It is the type of columnist he is. The big story was not the game, it was the fact that Toronto after 15 years did a fantastic job of hosting a great party. But Damien Cox does not Praise things unless nobody else is.

Next time you pick up his column, check to see what the rest of the paper is saying, and 95% of the time his view will be opposite. Bet on it.

[Trevor]

Damien absolutely slighted the CFL by ignoring the CANADIAN experience. I have rarely heard the national anthem sung so loudly and proudly by over 52,000 voices. With fans present representing cities from all across the country, there was a pan-Canadian atmostphere that's missing from Stanley Cup games even when a Canadian team makes the finals.

While it's nice to think that the Championship game of every league should be perfectly exciting, this is a far-fetched demand and we see it in leagues everywhere: last year's NHL Stanley Cup, MLB's World Series, dozens of Super Bowls, even soccer World Cups. CFL is no different. We get 'good' games and 'bad' games.

What really makes these championships memorable and fantastic, even when the sport quality is less than stellar, is the fan excitement and atmosphere surrounding the game. In that respect, this year's Grey Cup was a resounding success.

[Mike]

It does seem like the days of the flashy CFL offenses are awhile ago. I hope they come back. I don't want the NFL to take over, but I would like to see some rule harmonization and maybe some exhibition games between leagues. Why 110 yard field? Why in imperial measurement anyways? Why not in metric? 100 metres is just about 110 yards anyways.
I would never give up all those single points and punt returns with our rules. But I might consider going to 4 downs. It creates more balance between run and pass. That is probably too radical an idea though.

[Dave]

Damien, maybe you should stick to hockey. On second thought, never mind.

[chris]

You can have all the CANADIAN experience you want, jp. But if the game continues on at this deteriorating level then all this feel good, flag waving Canadiana won't be enough to keep people coming out to the games nor watching them on TV.

The style of game is what sells the CFL, not this Canadiana bull chips that people like you believe works. If you want it to be truly Canadian, then only players, coaches, executives, and owners should be born and raised in Canada.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the nincompoop.

[Scott W]

I actually go a couple of steps further than you do, Damien.

I used to just pity the CFL and its fans; the people who, heaven knows why, continued to stand behind this tiny league with minor league level players. But now I am just plain angry at the CFL for consistently churning out a second-rate game yet blocking the entrance of the NFL into Canada.

If the CFL brass and fans are so confident about the quality of their game, why don't they open it up to a little direct competition from the rival league south of the border?

As for the Grey Cup, I missed it again this year. I'd rather watch baseball spring training...and that's really saying something.

[Jason]

The CFL can never win with some people. The seasons when it was common to see teams score 40-50 points, the comments going around then was that the defenses in the CFL sucked. Now that defenses have improved people are saying its because the quarterbacks stink. If the receivers in the CFL caught more passes than they dropped that would definitely help keep scoring up. Kerry Joseph had about five of his passes dropped by his receivers if they would have caught them everyone would be saying how great a game he had(he still rushed for over a 100yds).
Comparing CFL to NFL is tiring not one is superior to the other they are just different games with different type of athletes. With the NFL played on the smaller field it is more of a power game with bigger players. The CFL is more of a coverage game due to the larger field a defensive back has more space to cover. I know those comparisons seem simplistic so is saying the CFL sucks.
Out here in the west we have a hard time understanding why Toronto has hard time accepting the CFL. I have been hearing these anti CFL comments for years coming out of there.

[chris peluk]

i think i have to completely disagree with the statement

"The league is great, has just the right number of teams, the style of football is perfect, the players are fantabulous athletes, a conceded safety is strategic and fascinating and only the blind North American media stops this from being considered the greatest pro sports league currently in existence."

the rules are ridiculous at best. watching the east semi-final, the bombers were called for a time count violation in the first half resulting in loss of down, then called again in the second half resulting in a five yard penalty. huh?!? wait let me guess, theres a rule that states that the away team, in the month of november, playing an away game, has time count violations count as loss of down in the first half, and changing to a five yard penalty in the second half, only if their starting qb breaks his left arm and the team is forced to use their back-up in his place. no yards penalty on an attempted catch on a blocked field goal try? what!?!! was that for real? is that an actual rule? what if the argo was trying to catch it? shouldnt that be a free live ball? doesnt that make common sense? anybody? guess not. not allowed to punt the ball out of bounds? unlimited motion in the backfield? receivers allowed a running start? how is every game not 84-77? i really dont care to hear the arguement that you have to be a better athlete to play up here because the best athletes dont. they choose to play REAL football south of the border. here's another example of this leagues fine credibility. a montreal toronto game earlier this year where montreal's kicker was ejected and montreal was forced to used their back-up wide receiver to kick field goals and their back up qb to punt. what a joke! the best part though was the conclusion, montreal trotting out ben cahoon to attempt a 40 yard field goal to break a tie game, reconsidering, and sending out marcus brady to try and punt it through the endzone for the single. its a short punt, prefontaine fields it and punts it back out, game over, time for ot. so what happens in ot? the argos march the ball into field goal range, should be a gimmie for their STARTING kicker, ohhhhh, pulled wide, tough break. montreal's turn, march the ball down and cahoon, the wide receiver, hits the winning kick. what a joke. how bush league is that, and don't confuse exciting for bush league. the cfl is lucky that the grey cup's score is even mentioned on an nfl broadcast. the cfl gets as much coverage as is deserved. and as far as comparing the two games its like comparing chess (the nfl) to checkers (the cfl), i think its time we get over our blind patriotism and sense of canadiana and realize an inferior product when we see it.

[Steve]

As a fan of all kinds of football (Canadian, American and what the rest of the world means when they use that term), in all the back & forth here, why has no one mentioned the brand that - more than ever this year - is miles ahead of CFL, NFL or CIS in terms of pure entertainment. With no dominant team, the NCAA (and SEC in particular) has provided endless hours of Saturday fun this fall. In person, it's always been the best of what you can get on this continent. There's no non-stop assault on the senses via the PA & scoreboard (CFL) - just a band or 2, and no drunken sloths brawling every 20 feet (NFL).

Try it - you'll like it.