This week’s Insider Talk is full of discussion about TSN’s television contact, the CFL’s three biggest markets, and the upcoming Global Draft.
Insider Talk is an exclusive weekly feature that includes anonymous quotes from people around the CFL — players, coaches, personnel experts, and agents — regarding the latest news in the league. It’s a combination of insight, analysis, rumours, and friendly gossip.
Enjoy this week’s quotes and come back next Wednesday for another edition of Insider Talk.
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Our TV deal is so under market relative to the ratings. Combine that with new gambling initiatives and the league will be more than fine. If RedBird sees the league as valuable and right now it isn’t, that should tell the owners they don’t have the right people in place in the league office.
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If Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver want to leave for the XFL, then let them. They’ve been holding the CFL back for a decade. F*** them. You can put new teams in other Canadian cities and rely on more regional sponsorships.
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The CFL’s problem is that not all of these owners see their teams as ‘hobby’ assets anymore — something like a classic car or a yacht. That’s not enough for them. They’ve got dollar signs in their eyes from the NFL and feel like teams should be making them millions of dollars each year.
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What we need is a global player who can inspire a generation of kids around the world to play football. Someone to do what Vince Carter did for basketball in this country. Is he in this year’s draft? No. But maybe he will be in three to five years.
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A lot of the best Global players aren’t going to sign CFL contracts because they’re locking into three-year deals worth $54,000. If they want to play football, they can do it at home without it impacting their off-field jobs.
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The talent in the global draft is getting better but overall it’s not as good as the national draft. There’s still lots of development that needs to take place.
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If you put (Canadian quarterback and Hec Crighton Trophy winner) Adam Sinagra in an Eastern Washington uniform, he would be signed and given a legitimate opportunity to compete for a roster spot. But because he played for (the University of) Calgary, CFL teams unfortunately will overlook him.
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(Defensive lineman) Mohamed Diallo isn’t getting nearly enough hype (in the 2021 CFL National Draft). His combination of size and athleticism is just remarkable. It’s not every year that you get the chance to draft someone as disruptive as him.
