‘You could feel the passion’: Mike O’Shea calls Nathan Rourke’s criticism of CFL rule changes ‘fantastic’

Photo: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Mike O’Shea is the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers but it appears he’s a big fan of Nathan Rourke, who is currently giving chase in the West Division standings as the franchise quarterback for the B.C. Lions.

The CFL announced a number of rule changes that will be rolled out over the next two years, including the shortening of the field, modifying the rouge, moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone, and adapting a new play clock. Rourke ripped the announcement, calling the changes “garbage.”

“(Rourke) was fantasic. You could feel the passion coming right through the TV,” O’Shea told Derek Taylor on 680 CJOB on Monday night. “I’m a purist, I like the game the way it is. It’s exciting, it’s stood the test of time. There’s things about our game that are so unique, that make it so special.”

O’Shea admitted that he’s yet to read through the details of all the changes and the league’s reasoning behind them, saying he only received the brief on Monday and he’s currently focused on helping his team prepare to face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.

Regardless, the 55-year-old native of North Bay, Ont. made it clear some rules are non-negotiable for him, saying he’d “never be in favour of eliminating the rouge.” He also pointed out that by moving the uprights to the back of the end zone, the CFL will mostly eliminate missed field goal returns. Trey Vaval, the team’s rookie returner, set a league record this past week when he recorded 199 missed field goal return yards in a 26-18 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.

O’Shea said he wasn’t consulted on any of these changes, though he acknowledged that some of the affected elements are debated each year in rules committee.

“In general, when changes are affecting your ability to do your job or affecting your job, you would like to have a say in it, for sure,” said O’Shea. “Some of these ideas — people have been talking about the rouge for a long time. It’s part of a whole offseason discussion almost every year, which drums up discussion about the CFL, creates debate and is probably good for us.”

O’Shea also expressed concern about what the changes to field dimensions, which will be implemented in 2027, might mean for U Sports and amateur football across the country. The six-time Grey Cup champion played collegiately at the University of Guelph and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2007.

“What are the budgets like for these U Sports teams to change everything? I don’t know,” said O’Shea. “Hopefully, there’s money going to these programs, then — minor football. What do you do with all these fields across Canada? Where’s the thought into that?”

U Sports released a statement on Monday saying the organization will spend the coming weeks and months speaking with stakeholders about possible changes down the road, though it remains unclear if any or all of the CFL’s rule changes will be adopted.

Winnipeg team president and CEO Wade Miller told 3DownNation that the field dimensions at Princess Auto Stadium, which is shared between the Blue Bombers, Manitoba Bisons, and the CPL’s Valour FC, won’t be a problem locally as all lines are painted-on and the uprights can be moved easily. It’s unclear if this is also the case at other shared venues.

However, one thing seems sure: Nathan Rourke and Mike O’Shea would be much happier if the CFL continued playing on a 110-yard field.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-5) at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday afternoon with kickoff slated for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats defeated the Edmonton Elks last week with a walk-off field goal, while the Blue Bombers bested the Ottawa Redblacks despite completing only three passes.

The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of 22 degrees with sunny conditions. The game will be broadcast on TSN and CTV in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on the Ticats Audio Network and CJOB 680 in Winnipeg.