CFL season 50-50: Pruneau
When asked if there is going to be a Canadian Football League season with the COVID-19 pandemic still wreaking havoc, Antoine Pruneau is hesitant to put a percentage on the chances of it happening.
There are so many variables in play, the Ottawa Redblacks player rep reasons.
Government assistance is a biggie. Reports surfaced in May that the CFL was asking the feds for up to $150 million in financial aid – $30 million up front to help it get through an abbreviated 2020 season, then up to another $120 million if the season is cancelled.
There are, of course, safety protocols to worry about. How do you put nine teams together – likely in a hub city – for at least three months and keep them COVID free?
There’s a CFL ask – that the CFL Players Association agree to renegotiate a collective bargaining agreement that extends through the 2021 season.
Then there’s a tight timeline – a deadline of July 23 – to pull everything together.
“I’m at 50-50 and that’s being positive,” said Pruneau. “There will be an offer and for us it will be, ‘Are we going to accept it or not?’ There are so many things that can go wrong. If there is no government help, there’s not going to be a season – there’s a zero per cent chance – that’s for sure. If there’s government help, I would say maybe there’s a 70 per cent chance of us playing.”
After criticism from the player side there was too little information and communication from the CFL, there seems to be momentum as both sides try to embrace the reality of COVID-19 which makes it unlikely a gatedriven league will be able to have spectators even if it does play in 2020. There will be losses – on both sides – but minimizing the damage is part of the negotiations.
“There’s definitely a way to do it,” said Pruneau. “If both sides negotiate in good faith, we’ll have a chance of having a season. I hope for the best. We’re in a much better place with the league right now. With them sending that first proposal, even though what was on the table is not what we’re aiming for, at least it’s something we can work with it. Maybe we can find a solution that’s good for everyone.”
Some CFL players have stated on social media they don’t want to wait for a CFL season decision. Running back James Wilder recently announced his retirement, at the age of 28, so he could move on with the “next chapter” of his life.
“Most of the guys have a Plan B, but they want to know when to pull the trigger (and do something else),” said Pruneau. “Some guys (may take on another job) and if they do, it’s going to be tough to come back (to football). There’s a physical standard you need to have to be back on the field. If you’re not invested fully in your off-season, it’s hard to compete with guys who are. If you decide to take another job and other guys are training full-time, it’s not a fair competition. There will be tough decisions for some of the players. At this point, I think guys are going to wait an extra 10 or 15 days. After that, guys are going to make a move for sure.”
The CFL ask that the current CBA be renegotiated is a big one, potentially a major stumbling block if it gets that far along.
“I don’t want to speak for others, but to me it’s unimaginable to think we can start working on 2021 at this point,” said Pruneau. “There are people struggling financially that we need to help. If we start thinking about 2021, it’ll delay everything. We have contracts in place right now and we’re not receiving income. Changing the structure of the CBA, what I’m asking myself is why didn’t we have that done before?’ ”
The owners will want the players to take a pro-rated salary – basically have a chunk of their salary whacked based on the number of games that are played. That’s also going to be a tough sell.
Explained Pruneau: “At the end of the day, I have a contract and a CBA. It’s not unlawful what’s going on right now (that the players aren’t getting paid even though they have contracts). (League and team employees) are getting 80 per cent of their salary – here’s my problem, why do you do that with everybody else and not for us? At the same time, I understand the league’s financial situation is not permitting them to pay us our full salaries. We’re in a tough situation, we need to sit down and find solutions together.”
The CFL will have the benefit of seeing what happens with Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and maybe even the National Football League if there is an appetite to begin a season.
“I just hope the other leagues set a good standard,” said Pruneau. “If they fail at restarting, we have no chance. We’re not going to be the miracle league that pulls it off if they can’t. It’s scary to see what’s happening out there.”
And if there is no season, well, that would be a big blow to owners, but also for the players, some of whom are making the league minimum of $65,000 per season.