Fans suffer the most as CFL sits silent
On a day when training camp were to open, there is a sense of nervousness around league
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Sunday was going to be the first morning new head coach Scott Milanovich took the field as Edmonton’s 22nd head coach.
In Toronto, the much beloved Pinball Clemons was going to be flashing his famous smile as general manager of his new Argos club.
It was supposed to be the beginning of the Paul LaPolice tenure in the nation’s capital.
In Saskatchewan, Jason Maas was going to walk out in a new shade of green as offensive coordinator of the Riders.
After much pre-season chest-thumping in 2019 turned into a crash and burn, it was also supposed to represent a fresh start in B.C. Day 1 of the Rick Campbell-Ed Hervey-Mike Reilly era for Vancouver.
As the sun rises Sunday morning, Danny Maciocia was going to get his first full look at a pretty good team he inherited from another former Eskimo, Kavis Reed.
And after ending a 29-year drought, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were supposed to sprint out on the grass as defending Grey Cup champions.
Instead, all of those practice fields — and so many more around the country — will be empty. Instead of enthusiasm, there will only be the sound of silence. And in the silence lies plenty of uncertainty.
The COVID-19 crisis has thrown a Mike Tyson-sized punch to the sports world and the CFL may be less capable of taking a knock-down punch than most.
Many believe best-case scenario is a modified eight-game or nine-game schedule beginning around Labour Day.
Quietly, though, many worry the entire season is in jeopardy. And as a result, the future of the league could even be in doubt. A league that operates primarily off gate revenue can’t afford a season without football.
But now, that possibility is real. Very real.
The camps aren’t opening Sunday and no one knows what further pain this pandemic will create.
When CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie recently testified in front of the House of Commons, he revealed a not so great secret. This much loved Canadian institution — the CFL — is vulnerable.
When Ambrosie asked for government assistance in the midst of this crisis, a select few players were quick to offer criticism. They might be wise to be less combative. What about the possibility of having no league to go back to?
The previous Montreal ownership group reportedly lost almost $10 million last year. The new ownership group must be in shock. After stepping up to buy the struggling club, they face the prospect of no revenue and substantial losses.
The Toronto Argonauts have been saved by the generosity of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Bob Young is considered a hero in Hamilton for bringing energy to a once-struggling market.
The B.C. Lions have been owned for almost 25 years by a Canadian icon in David Braley, who’s lost millions. His health challenges have increased his desire to sell the club, yet no potential ownership group looms.
Things could get ugly. Fast. The 107th Grey Cup was played in Calgary last November. That’s a lot of history. Few things are more Canadian than this league and it has brought joy to generations.
The forgotten pain in all of this lies mostly with the fans. In addition to missing football, many of them are out of work, too. In an old-fashioned, gate-driven league, many of those hurting the most are the ones who have kept the whole thing alive by supporting it for years with their hard-earned paycheques.
The players come and go. So do the coaches and managers. But many of the fans are lifetime supporters. It’s generational and it’s true north, Canadian love.
The CFL is not a corporate league.
Instead, it’s a league of the people. So in the sadness of training camps not opening, let’s be mindful of who the biggest losers are — the blue-collar fans who’ve never set foot in an NHL or NBA luxury box.
The CFL belongs to them. It’s their league.
The silence on Sunday only serves as a reminder of just how much the league and the game mean to so many. It’s uniquely Canadian and it’s well worth saving.