CFL might consider an earlier Grey Cup
Commissioner thinks October might be ideal
So how about a mid- October Grey Cup?
It could happen — at least it’s something CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie wants to take a close look at.
With a U.S. television deal with ESPN soon to expire, the CFL is also looking at increased synergy with the NFL and its NFL Network.
“I’d like to see the Grey Cup earlier; it won’t happen for 2018, but for 2019 it’s possible,” Ambrosie told Postmedia.
“I’d like to see it maybe the third week of October. That week, almost everywhere in Canada is a fantastic weekend. I’ve travelled — we’ve lived in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Oakville (Ont.), Montreal — the third week in October is amazing. The leaves are changing colours. It’s autumn, it’s not cold. I’m wondering whether we can’t take our Grey Cup from the most important sporting day in Canada to increase it two or three times that size if we got the date right.”
If the CFL wants to move its schedule up a month, there could be pushback from its Canadian broadcast partner, TSN. The CFL’s deal with TSN and RDS runs through 2021. Going headto-head with broadcasts of Stanley Cup playoff games may not be a path the TV network wants to navigate. But the commissioner says it’s an idea worth having discussions about.
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s don’t presume.” Ambrosie said.
“Your presumptions prevent you from thinking things through in an open-minded way. Rather than presume I know what TSN thinks, I’d rather take some information to the table and have them take some information to the table.”
But what about hockey? What if the Senators, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Jets, Flames, Oilers or Canucks are in the chase for the Stanley Cup in May, then June?
“I’m a hockey guy, too,” Ambrosie said. “You can’t grow up in Winnipeg and not be a hockey fan. Under the right conditions, we could compete with the hockey season for a short period of time when getting outdoors in a perfect time of year for people to enjoy Canada in its fullest — a night at a stadium with a beer, a hotdog, your family and great football. Can’t we just have a conversation about that being important to Canadians as well?”
Talks with the NFL about providing content have been going on for a long time. There was a strong push a couple of years ago.
“I’ve had several great conversations with them,” Ambrosie said. “What Canadian fans should know is we already have things we’re partnering with the NFL on. Flag football, we had the nine winners of our regional tournaments here and had an amazing event. The NFL has been a great partner with us on that.
“We’re doing some health and safety things. Those conversations are ongoing. We’ve talked about the idea of, what are they doing for programming on the NFL Network, could we be a positive source of amazing content? I’m entirely on board with sharing our game with more people around the world ... and I’m not just talking about the U.S. market. We should stop being so Canadian and shy about this. With three downs and a big field and it’s wide open and these are world-class athletes — we’ve got the greatest game in the world.”
The commissioner is open to exploring any ideas that can give increased exposure to the CFL.
Said Ambrosie: “We should be saying, ‘ What’s possible for us?’ Our content is world-class and we’re talking to the NFL about bringing our world-class content to the NFL and using some of the things they’re doing internationally to broadcast their games. There are some limitations, but could we take our game to other parts of the world with a partner? I’d like to see Canadian Football League fans around the world. I think our game is worth it.”