Regina gets the Inaugural CFL Week
I was fortunate to get the opportunity to get to be at the CFL’s major announcement at The Great Canadian Brewhouse this week (Many thanks to Paulo and Lucas at the CFL for hooking me up). The commissioner himself was in the house to announce the first ever CFL Week, March 20 to 26, and I must admit I am excited to see it in action.
The fact that Regina was getting the combine was a poorly kept secret that Justin Dunk broke a few months ago so it was a matter of what was coming with it. CFL has taken the combine and instead of just making it a traveling even they have decided to amp it up to make it a destination event like Grey Cup week. In addition to the combine, there will be the Hall of Fame gala, which used to be Grey Cup weekend, a fan expo where fans can meet players and coaches from around the league, coaching clinics for grassroots, and the TSN Top 50 players will be in town for the yearly photo shoot.
This has the potential to be a great experience for fans of the league, and of course, launching it in Regina just makes sense. I look forward to witnessing it myself and hopefully it can stoke the fan enthusiasm after a long winter before June.
Get ready for those #IsItMarchYet? tweets.
BRB... I’m off to Hallmark to get CFL Review and Officiating a “Get Better Card”
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| They make a card for everything these days... |
OK, I am back… Seriously CFL, get better. I do not understand how consistency in calls can get worse as the season progresses instead of getting, I don’t know...more consistent.
This week the CFL came out and apologized (again) for blowing two late calls in the Eskimos/Ticats game, even though there was a video review of the play. They got the call wrong twice, hell they got two calls wrong twice on that review.
Why have the technology in place if you are still going to get calls either wrong or not call the same thing on two different occasions? It is frustrating as a fan that we no longer know if or when we can cheer because that big play is probably coming back. When you see tweet after tweet by long-time CFL beat reporters every week that can’t explain what is now pass interference and what isn’t you might have taken a step too far.
I understand the appeal of making everything reviewable. Keeps everyone honest, the official makes a mistake and review can cover for them, but when you must apologize multiple times in a season maybe it is time to look at an overhaul.
Take a step back so you can move forward, don’t try to jump the chasm… it just goes down.
So… About my Durant guarantee…
In an earlier blog post, I stated that it made the most sense for Darian Durant to sign with the Riders. I still stand by that statement for all the reasons I mentioned in that post. However, it seems like the relationship between Durant and the team has gotten colder than sitting in a playoff game in Regina.
After my post came out Jones called Durant “moderately successful” and yes by the win totals completely right. 58 wins, 54 losses and 1 tie, those are not numbers that jump off the page. Obviously, rumours are Durant is less than impressed of what was said but once again where is he going to go.
Could he go somewhere as a backup, get called into service, and show everyone what he still has in the tank despite everyone saying he’s done? He could, but that job is already taken by Kevin Glenn in perpetuity until he finally retires.
As it stands right now, I see it as 70-30 to him signing, and the 70 is not on the happy spectrum.
The Riders need Durant as much as he needs them, not just on the field but to placate the fan base. There are only 4 Grey Cups in Rider history, you can literally count them on one nervous shop teacher’s hand.
Fortunately for everyone February is a long way away.
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