Alouettes executives Cecchini, Maciocia are both expecting the CFL to play in 2021
Montreal Alouettes president Mario Cecchini and general manager Danny Maciocia expect the Canadian Football League team to be playing games in 2021.
Both Cecchini and Maciocia were brimming with optimism Tuesday during Montreal’s state-of-the-franchise video conference. It was part of Grey Cup Unite, the league’s virtual program to celebrate a traditional Grey Cup week after the CFL cancelled its 2020 campaign in August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision came after the CFL couldn’t secure financial assistance from the federal government to play a shortened campaign in Winnipeg.
Cecchini said his optimism for a ’21 season was based solely upon science.
On Monday, Moderna was touting positive trial results for a potential COVID-19 vaccine after Pfizer Inc. suggested last week its vaccine appeared to be similarly effective.
Cecchini said medical people he’s spoken with are hopeful a vaccine could be available as early as March.
“To me, that’s all encouraging news,” Cecchini told reporters. “That’s really the news that counts, which gives me that sense of optimism I’m feeling right now.”
Maciocia was more definitive. “To me, it’s very simple we’re playing,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind ... or else I’d be a fool to wake up at 5:30 a.m. and get on the phone to talk to our scouts and have the multiple numbers of Zoom calls that we have.
“If there was one shred of a doubt, one per cent of a doubt in my mind that we wouldn’t be playing then I wouldn’t be doing it. There’s no question in my mind that we’re going to field a competitive team and no question in my mind that we’re going to play at Mcgill.”
With no football and minimal revenues in 2020, the CFL could again approach Ottawa for financial assistance to kick off a ’21 season. In April, it presented the federal government with a three-tiered request that began with $30 million initially, more in the event of a shortened season and up to $150 million for a cancelled campaign.
In July, the CFL modified that request to $44 million before asking Ottawa for a $30-million, interest-free loan on Aug. 3. However, the two sides couldn’t agree on a deal.
“There is a sense right now that we have more than one scenario,” Cecchini said regarding the CFL’S ’21 plans. “I sincerely believe we’ll see where all that leads but I don’t think it is going to be required.”
There certainly was a sense of optimism in Montreal this year. The franchise was under new ownership — Ontario businessmen Gary Stern and Sid Spiegel purchased the Als from the CFL in January — after finishing second in the East Division with a 10-8 record under firstyear head coach Khari Jones.
Once the franchise was sold, Cecchini and Maciocia were hired to lead Montreal into its new era. It seems a majority of Alouettes season-ticket holders share the optimism expressed by the two executives.
“Close to 86 per cent of them kept their money with us for the 2021 season,” Cecchini said. “We’re extremely appreciative of that, which shows their confidence in us. Our internal surveys are telling us most fans, a great majority of fans are looking forward to coming back to the stadium to watch games.”