Alex’s CFL Tuesday Takes – March 6, 2018
Published: Tuesday, Mar 6th 2018, 2:03pm
by Alex Dormuth (@RealAlexD)
Anyone else sick of the lack of CFL moves right now? Ottawa released Ryan Lindley. Well HOT. DAMN.
Okay, well the Toronto Argos signed (no longer?) disgruntled Running Back James Wilder Jr. to a 2 year contract extension. What happened to sitting out 2018 for a chance at the NFL in 2019? Sorry James, but you had zero leverage in this. While I agree with the fact that league minimum should be absolutely raised, talk to your Players Union about that, as they are the ones who aren’t fighting that hard for the wage of American players.
Speaking of the Players Association, we’ve always known they’ve been well represented by Canadians (usually Offensive Lineman) and deservedly so. But this year they got rid of Keon Raymond who represented American players and he says that there is no unity in the Players Union. I said before to enjoy 2018, because 2019 will be messy and if there is the divide between the American and Canadian players like Keon Raymond suggests, we may see more players like Wilder Jr. and Victor Butler speak out. It won’t be pretty.
One of my colleagues, Steve (@Safimod) had a great article yesterday calling out the Rider haters who always complain when the Riders sign a player (even when they signed Jacoby Ford and Shaq Evans), saying they have too many players and how do they afford that with the Salary Management System?
SPOILER ALERT: The Riders have the 7th most (that’s 3rd least) amount of players on the roster right now… SIT DOWN.
Last year when CFL Week hit Regina, we were excited because we didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a great time and was a lot of fun to attend and cover, but I said I wasn’t sure that I’d travel for it. Well this year it’s in Winnipeg and I’m even more excited to travel there for it than I was when it was here in Regina. I think I’ve changed my mind to say that I wouldn’t fly for CFL Week, but it’s definitely something to check out if you are close.
Obligatory Duron Carter comment: I don’t care what anyone else says, I love the guy. His personality is GREAT for the league. While I could do without the recent legal trouble around pot possession (which will likely be swept under the rug), Carter is a ton of fun. I get why people don’t like him, after all, most people like their robotic and unauthentic athletes even though they say they like personality, but Carter brings that human element back to the game that was…. well not missing, but wasn’t really prominent in the CFL. He was wrong though, the CFL wasn’t boring before him, but it definitely wasn’t this fun. Like him or not, you can’t get enough of him!
The NFL just wrapped up their combine, but their draft needs to be done at the beginning of April, not the end. That way we can get the CFL Draft done sooner and close the gap on the offseason a bit. You don’t need 2 months after the combine to figure out who you are drafting.
Hamilton and Montreal, please figure your stadium issues out. I really want to plan a Grey Cup trip out to those cities. I love having the next couple in Alberta (Calgary will be getting the 2019 game) but there should be no reason we can’t have a nice 9 year rotation going.
Finally, a heartfelt send off to our CFL friend Max Rosenberg. Max was with the Argos social team before joining the league office a few years ago. You’ll recognize him as that guy who wears a bow tie and went everywhere with Brodie Lawson. Max is going to work with the WE Movement. Congrats on the new gig Max, you are a good man and the CFL is losing someone who clearly is passionate about the league. Best of luck on your new gig, look forward to seeing you in the stands again soon! Can I have your blue check mark on Twitter?
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