CFL quarterbacks can’t wait to get their hands on new ball
WINNIPEG Depending on which CFL quarterback is talking, the league’s new footballs are either going to make a huge difference in how they connect with their receivers or barely have any impact at all.
One thing they can all agree on, though, is that the sooner they can get their hands on the new pigskins, the better.
The CFL announced earlier this week that it will be rolling out a new ball for the 2018 season that uses a slightly harder leather that is essentially the same as what is used in the NFL.
To the layman’s eye, though, the ball is almost identical to what the league was using last year.
For the men who are actually going to have to throw the ball downfield, though, any little change might make a big difference — positive or negative.
“If it’s the leather the NFL uses, I think it’s a great switch because the balls that we had in the past really kind of unravel in the wind if it’s any sort of non-spiral,” said Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris.
“When you watch the NFL games, even if it’s a non-spiral, it still cuts the wind.
“I haven’t gotten a new ball, but I’ve been actively searching for one. If I can get my hands on one this weekend, that’d be great.”
The new ball’s harder leather allows it to hold its pebbles better, according to its manufacturer, Wilson. When touched, the ball does feel like it’s slightly easier to grip, but it’s not so different that it would likely make any difference for your average rec-league player.
Even the pros are divided on what sort of impact the ball might have. The new ball’s circumference may be an eighth-of-an-inch larger upon inflation, but it is the same length and still uses the same laces and stripes as in previous seasons.
Whether or not quarterbacks believe it’s going to make a difference or not depends on who you’re talking to.
Harris and Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Jeremiah Masoli both want to begin practising with the new balls as soon as possible.
Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray, on the other hand, mostly just shrugged about the change. “(In my time in the CFL) they’ve changed the laces and they changed the stripe one year,” Ray said. “I’ve thrown so many different kinds of footballs throughout my life that I don’t see it being a problem. It’ll be a little bit of an adjustment, but once we get through training camps and get some throws in, we’ll get used to it.”
On Friday, CFL staffers brought an old ball and a new one to a media event in downtown Winnipeg and let reporters try to guess which was which. Most media members couldn’t tell the difference, and even Blue Bombers slotback Weston Dressler needed a couple minutes to figure it out.
Dressler ended up guessing correctly, but admitted quarterbacks were the players most likely to really notice a difference.
They ’re the ones with the ball in their hands most, after all.