Report Card ~ The Commish ~

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has instituted CFL 2.0 in an attempt to promote the CFL around the world.  During different discussions on ABC Rider Fans and other social media pages it would seem that fans have a less than average rating of how Ambrosie is handling the affairs of this league we love so much.  With that in mind I revisited The Commish, a blog I published in May of 2017 and asked fans to tell me their thoughts on whether I had it right or the CFL got it right.

✅First and foremost the new Commish needs to be someone who knows and understands the league in all it's glory and issues.  They either need to be Canadian or someone who has played/coached/worked for the league.  They need to be fair in all judgements by treating all the teams equally and at the same time reserving judgement of issues covered by law up to the law makers.  None of this 'grey' rules for you while black and white rules for others.  They need to be in the public promoting the brand and attending games regularly so that fans see that he/she has our best interests at heart...which of course they must have always.

Randy Ambrosie, the 14th commissioner of the CFL, played offensive guard for Calgary, Toronto and Edmonton.  He hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba and played for the Manitoba Bison.  After retiring from the CFL mostly due to injury he became secretary for the CFLPA and gained a degree in commerce.  He was head of sales for HSBC Securities and worked for AGF Management Ltd. as head of sales and marketing.  He was promoted to AGF Funds and was reportedly praised for his ability to shake things up.  He became CEO of Accretive 360 Inc. and then went on to the investment firm MacDougall, MacDougall and  MacTier as president and CEO.  It would seem that Ambrosie not only has the knowledge of the Canadian Football League but also a better than firm grasp of business know how as well.  

✅This is the Canadian Football League.  Let's make it truly Canadian...really show What We're Made of...by having football teams located coast to coast.  The fan base is already in the Maritimes, willing and waiting.

Last season the story broke that the league was looking at expanding to a 10th team to be located in the Maritimes.  Hallelujah!  A contest was held to name the proposed team and in my opinion there was no other name that could possibly ever be used than the Atlantic Schooners.  For years I've followed a fan who's Twitter account had a Schooners emblem and was a huge CFL fan.  Even at Grey Cup fans showed up to all the parties.  The name won the contest and was registered with the CFL.  Soon after, and without a stadium to play in, season tickets were being sold and merchandise was marketed.  While I think this is a huge win there are big hurdles to overcome as the question of a home and place to play games looms.  When the 2019 CFL season schedule was released on December 20th it was also announced that two teams would be participating in a Touchdown Atlantic game.  It seems like it's all really happening.  If you want to stay up to date on the latest Schooners news then visit their website Atlantic Schooners.

✖Player safety is incredibly important and with new research coming out constantly on concussions then this has to be something the new commissioner supports.

If I had a buzzer I'd be pressing it right now.  It would have appeared early in Ambrosie's tenure that he might be the guy to set things straight.  One of the first things he did was change the coaches challenge rules not only mid season but mid week.  As time has gone on though other issues have become apparent.  Player safety should be Randy's first concern.  Without healthy players to play in the CFL we don't have a CFL.  Quarterbacks seem to take the brunt of this lack of attention while their assaulters barely get a slap on the wrist.  Only after Zach Collaros was removed from a game and there was a blatant hit to Brandon Bridge was a band aid applied.  Was it to change a rule or discipline the offending player?  No.  Instead another official was added to the field.  I'm not only complaining because this directly affected my Saskatchewan Roughriders but when we live in a time where talent is getting harder to find and lure to Canada we don't want to be losing our starting players to head injuries.  This problem is two-fold.  The referee's in the CFL need to be better educated and I don't believe for a second that they aren't intelligent because to evaluate on your feet and within seconds that something is or isn't a penalty is a job I'd not want.  Fans become irate when told "I didn't see it because I wasn't looking" or "someone was standing in front of me."  No.  CFL fans deserve better and Randy Ambrosie, the fans and players demand better.

✔...they should be developing a video game and online streaming for fans as well.

My statement may have been a big short sighted.  I realize these two things are likely out of the control of the CFL commissioner.  Every once and a while someone brings up the idea of a video game.  The CFL did come out with a video game app for tablets and smart phones called CFL Football Frenzy.  No I am not the best person to play a game like this because I can't even succeed at Crossy Roads!  However for a time it seemed like fans were having fun with it and at Christmas there was a release of a holiday version.  Next up on the agenda is online streaming.  As it stands, if you currently have a cable provider subscription you can stream games on the TSN site.  They've also brought out a subscription service for people who have cut the cable cords.  What I believe fans are really looking for though is for a game to be streamed on Facebook or Twitter or even by the CFL themselves.  Many people depend on streaming services like Netflix for entertainment and why not?  It's less expensive than a cable provider.  This is the way of the future and I believe if it's made easier to watch then fans and prospective fans will tune in.

✖The fans of this league have high expectations...please don't let us down.

When I asked CFL fans for input on how Randy Ambrosie is doing as commissioner they didn't hold back.

John Strutt's (ABC Rider Fans Moderator) assessment of the Commissioner

Jeff Scoggin (loyal football fan) lists his many concerns

Kerry Etter from recent podcast fame uses a Jones coined quote

Kerry (@kerette45) has it exactly correct.  Randy Ambrosie has made strides in some areas of the league that needed direction and help while in other areas the things implemented appear rushed into action with little detail being provided to media and fans.  Will CFL 2.0 actually work out?  Many fans are skeptical.  How will the coaching cap effect coaching development and luring new coaches to the CFL?  Can Ambrosie work with the CFLPA and strike a deal in the CBA negotiations?  These are all questions among others that require answers in the coming months.  So far...the jury is out.

Friday Football 5 ~ Everything is Happening

Holy smokes what a week.  They say there's never a dull moment in Rider Nation and that has never rang more true that this 3rd week of January.  A lot of fans have been left with mouths hanging open and minds boggled.  Hopefully my thoughts will help the rest of Riderville digest all the news.

In random un-numbered order this is my Friday Football 5.

Monday the CFL's first ever draft occurred in the Mexican football league.  It would seem that this would be all the talk of the week.  Some General Managers bowed out and teams only sent representatives.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders had Jeremy O'Day and Stephen McAdoo in attendance.  We drafted an offensive lineman (Rene Brasser), a Wide Receiver (Sebastian Olverr) and Defensive Back (Francisco Gracia).  I know there are mixed feelings over this experimental CFL 2.0.  I've come to believe that if all avenues of the CFL market are exhausted in Canada then it makes sense to look elsewhere to expand viewership and participation.  The LFA draft was shown live on Facebook and at one point I saw the pure excitement on players faces as their names were called and they stood on stage wearing their new teams colours.  Imagine being able to make a dream come true and have an opportunity that wasn't there a week ago!  I'll admit that the very thought made me a bit emotional.

It's important to note that Chris Jones was not at the Mexican draft because he was holding Rider try outs.  Or that's what we were told.  Many General Managers didn't make the trip to Mexico so none of us thought anything of Jones not making the trip either.

Screenshot via Twitter of CFL News 

Tuesday brought the breaking news via a CFL News tweet that Chris Jones had resigned from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to pursue an NFL opportunity with the Cleveland Browns.  As news unfolded, it seemed the whole process was a whirlwind.  It happened over a matter of days from being phoned, interviewed and hired.  Let's all remember it was only a week ago that Chris Jones had signed a contract extension and the Roughriders coaching staff was announced.  Now what?  Official Press Release.  According to the new cap on coaching staffs, there can only be 11 coaches.  Chris Jones held 4 different titles.  This means that the Roughriders need either a Head Coach who is also a Defensive Coordinator to just step into that roll OR Stephen McAdoo is relieved of his position and the new HC is an Offensive Coordinator and then a DC would need to be hired.  Another kink is that prior to Jones leaving all coaching staff members were signed to 1 year contracts so any dismissal would mean a salary cap hit.  My personal preference and belief is that the Riders President Craig Reynolds and incoming General Manager Jeremy O'Day will promote from within and that could leave Rider fans reeling more than the news of Jones departure.  They will be looking for continuity and that's not only important for landing unsigned free agents but also bringing in a badly needed quarterback.  In my last blog post there was a poll about who the next Roughriders quarterback should be and the majority voted for Jonathon Jennings.  Will the new Head Coach make the decision that the team needs?  Keep your popcorn ready.

As I've said numerous times before, I was on the Jones bandwagon since day one.  I think our Roughriders were blessed to have someone of his calibre in the organization.  Yes, he made some very unpopular decisions but I have always believed those things were done to propel the green and white forward because keeping aging players and fan favourites wasn't getting them where they needed to be.  Some fans going on 4 season later still hold on to anger from Dressler and Durant being released and traded.  We are all entitled to our feelings and opinions.  A portion of fans wished for Chris Jones dismissal and in fact are happy that he's now gone.  Why would you wish for someone to lose their job?  For them, Jones could not do anything right.  3 minutes from the Grey Cup in 2017 and hosting a play off game in 2018 was still not anything someone in the anti-Jones camp will listen to as well as how the Roughriders record steadily improved every year Chris Jones was under contract.  Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for because now that he's gone do you see the predicament our beloved team is in?  Is that what you wanted?  I hope you also realize that it doesn't change anything.  Dressler is still a Blue Bomber and Darian Durant is still retired.

Wednesday, when we were all trying to make sense of the Chris Jones era being over after 3 seasons the news dropped that Rod Pedersen has resigned not only as Voice of the Riders but from CKRM altogether.  I'm floored.  For me Roughriders game days and Rod Pedersen goes hand in hand.  It's been the way for the last 20 years.  Training camp meant listening to Rod on location at Griffiths Stadium laughing about the track meet and moaning how their feed cuts in and out.  Summers for me are getting to listen to Sportscage live while I listen to podcasts during my teaching season.  Whether Roddy knows or not, he has been an institution in this province just as much as football has been.  Pedersen is the reason we say Winnipegish and Whaaaampeders.  He's the reason there are Lynchisms.  He's the reason we shout THAT. JUST. HAPPENED.  He was the reason to tune in at 4pm every weekday to CKRM.  Rod Pedersen is going on to a new venture just as our free agent players are and Chris Jones is and Darian Durant did when he went off to Montreal.  We are all replaceable in our professions but some people make impressions on us far deeper than they know.  We have to take 100% of the shots we get.  No regrets.  Good luck Rod in all you do.  Thank you.

All week long I've been reminiscing on my blog and posting on ABC Football Facebook about Darian Durant.  Last Sunday was the 2 year anniversary of his trade to the Montreal Alouettes.  He believed in himself and after a moderately successful experience in 2016 decided he had to take the opportunity to prove himself elsewhere.  We know that he was released and then signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then took his signing bonus and scampered off in early 2018.  Darian did return to Saskatchewan and had spots on CKRM's Rider Game Day broadcasts called Double's Take.  This Saturday in Saskatoon Darian Durant is an honourable member of the Saskatchewan Rush.  He's been signed to a one day deal and will be on hand for the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse game at SaskTel Centre Saturday January 19th against the Rochester Nighthawks.  It seems he does still have deep feelings for our province.

Times change.  People move on.  It's how the world works.  As of Friday January 18th the Roughriders announced Jeremy O'Day is the new General Manager and Vice President of Operations.  His first and biggest task will be finding a Head Coach. It'll be interesting what transpires next.

Revisiting ~ It's Not June Yet

My 4th most popular blog of all time is a post entitled It's Not June Yet from March of 2016.  A co-worker had asked me about the temperament of Rider Nation and I complied with a blog post.  Let me set the stage for you...Corey Chamblin had been fired as Head Coach of the Riders late in the 2015 season and Bob Dyce had coached out the remainder of the season.  In November of that year Craig Reynolds landed Chris Jones much to the chagrin of Edmonton Eskimo fans.  In December, Jones released an unprecedented amount of Rider players then in January Chick & Dressler, which was not taken well by much of the fan base.  By the time I wrote this blog in March some big names had been signed and news was just amping up for the season.


As I stated in the opening of that blog post, a lot of people didn't even really know I was a football fan in real life.  I can pretty much guarantee that has changed.  I've never been one to shout it from the rooftop because I feel that when I am at work, I am there to work, and I'm hoping my employer likes it that way.  However, it does bubble over sometimes.  While my fandom isn't tattooed on my arm it is in my heart at all times.  In my classroom there is a Grey Cup champions sign from 2013 and a couple other tell tale signs if you look hard enough.  I do tend to wear a lot of green and to answer my question from It's Not June Yet, there is never enough Rider green.

Back in March of 2016 the temperament was mixed and divided.  Some love the Chris Jones regime, others hate him and others just hate his personality but love the coach. There are still (in March – 2 months later) fans who bring up the whole Chick/Dressler releases. Ridernation doesn't forget much.  In the first season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders they went 5-13.  It was a total and complete rebuild situation.  2017 was an improvement at 10-8 and less than 3 minutes from participating in the Grey Cup which our victors, the Toronto Argonauts would go on to win and let's not forget that Corey Chamblin our ex head coach was their defensive coordinator that year too.  Flash forward to last year 2018 and the Riders once again improved on their over all record at 12-6 and hosted a home play off game for the first time in several years.  While those same fans are still out there upset over how Chris Jones handled things (not this fan - I was on board from Day 1) it's easy to see how he was not only nominated for Coach of the Year but took home the award in November.  Each year that Chris Jones has been with the Roughriders organization has been an improvement over the last.  Yes, there's been some problems and some ugly losses (The Big Goose Egg) but if one was to take the temperament of the fans at right this moment I'd say we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we started.  We are just missing that one quarterback ingredient, but I'll get to that later.

Here we are in 2019 and Corey Chamblin has become the Head Coach for the Toronto Argonauts after Marc Trestman was dismissed.  It's always shocking when someone gloriously leads their team to victory one year and then is fired the next.  It seems to be the way so often in professional sports.  We know that in Chamblin's final year with the Riders he changed.  We don't know if it was winning that did it or something else but we saw issues where coaches and players didn't want to work for him or with him.  He has said publicly that he learned from his experience here in the fishbowl.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of culture he's able to create in a place like Toronto that seems oblivious to the very existence of the CFL.  

Rider Nation waited anxiously after an NFL reporter mentioned in an article that Chris Jones should be on the radar of several NFL teams.  We wondered if it was news being created in the absence of football news in the CFL and we have seen an exodus of players to the NFL so why wouldn't coaches be going elsewhere too?  Thankfully on Tuesday all the rumours were put to rest when news finally broke for the first time since December 20th, Chris Jones had signed a contract extension through 2020.  He said there's unfinished business with the Roughriders and as I've always suspected, he wants to win a Grey Cup with our Riders.  Hey, I'm all for that attitude!

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that we don't say #isitjuneyet anymore.  There has been an effort and movement to move the season up to avoid disasters like the 2018 Grey Cup and it's snowy onslaught.  What a complete embarrassment that was!  It was bad for the teams playing and it was disappointing to watch players slip and slide on TSN.  In 2019 the season will begin in June and preseason begins in May.  Wahoo!  That also means training camps will open a week earlier and that completely works out for my schedule.  So...#isitmayyet?  I am assuming that the Riders return to Saskatoon for training camp in 2019 but we will have to await that news.

Back to my 2016 blog post...I went on to talk extensively about meeting new players and then how accessible fans are to CFL players.  Aren't we lucky?!  The three players I posted about were only Riders for a short time.  I did mention my curse with meeting players and their dismissal.  That tweet

Will Scott Moe like this post?

even got the attention of Premier Brad Wall.  Coincidence?  I have been so blessed to meet most of our Riders at events over the years.  I always thought it was a CFL thing but perhaps it's mostly a Roughriders thing.  At any rate, I am thankful that it's possible at all.  I guess when you are in a position to meet a lot of players you also might find a lot of those same players get released.  I will let you know that I will not be the first fan marching off to get a customized jersey...

Four years ago I was not a season ticket holder. 2019 will be the 3rd season that I hold tickets.  I love that the Roughriders and Mosaic Stadium organizations have options for all fans.  In 2016 I bought what was called Flex Tickets.  Now, with my season tickets they have a great resale option available for games I am not able to go to.  Sometimes, even if you are the biggest fan, it's just not possible to drive the 3 hours due to other adult responsibilities.  I've loved being in section 126 and I enjoy being close to the field.  What I don't enjoy is having to watch most of the game on the big screen because I can't see what's going on.  In February I'm going to look at upgrading to another section.  It'll be a great opportunity to meet new people and participate in the terrific Mosaic Stadium game atmosphere.

We said goodbye to Taylor Field and we welcomed Mosaic Stadium with open arms.  We worked out the bugs in hosting a home play off game and now we are ready for more.  It's go time.  The next few months are going to be full of news and we will see some beloved players move on and we will also welcome new players into the fold.  I'm not making any bold predictions but with every improving year - this is the year to do it all and it starts with Chris Jones going out and getting us the quarterback to lead us there.  Who will it be?  Take part in the poll posted below and let me know your thoughts!  Stay tuned for the results!

Who is the next Riders Quarterback?

Zach Collaros

Johnathon Jennings

Mike Reilly

Bo Levi Mitchell

Other

Created with QuizMaker

5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2018

Stores are frantically filling their empty shelves with Valentine's and Easter goodies but this Roughrider blogger is still feeling nostalgic.  I'll be packing up my Christmas decorations this weekend but for now I'm still looking back at 2018 and some of the topics which readers of ABC Football read and reacted to the most.  I've been reading over the last month about what makes sports blogs better and the thing I've seen most is 'don't put stock into the amount of views' and while keeping tabs on numbers isn't the number one thing I do in my spare time (what's that?) I won't discount that without readers there's no way I'd still be consistently putting out blogs since my first post in 2012.  I've learned a lot since then and I think the following topics in this weeks installment of the Football Friday 5 show that.  If you haven't had the pleasure of following all these stories I encourage you to step back with me and don't hesitate to explore the links listed here or in my blog archive.

5.  HOW SWEET IT IS was a post written right after the Labour Day Classic on September 4th 2018.  The Riders had just beat the Bombers and all of Rider Nation was riding high at 6 and 4 at that point in the season.  Chris Jones had made his first appearance in the Rider green Diversity is Strength tee shirt a few games earlier and we all decided he should never take it off.  It's funny how much conversation the mans wardrobe has always garnered.  

Meme from ABC Rider Fans Spirit Week

4.  T G D C was an acronym standing for Thank Goodness for Duron Carter and the title of a blog post from May 2nd, 2018.  Not much was going on at the time and there was a lull in the CFL news when Duron Carter started tweeting about how Bring 'em Out had gotten old and it needed to be shaken up.  His tweets broke up the doldrums.  Other topics of my blog consisted of Training Camp, parking for game goers, Don Narcisse moving home, CFL clothing, Brodie Lawson and the Broncos bus crash.  Who knew that by Labour Day Carter would find himself released from the Riders and who knew that Rob Bagg who had been released with other vets at the end of Training Camp would be welcomed back into the Riders locker room with open arms.  This change seemed to have a huge impact on how the Roughriders finished their season.  While Duron seems to be a terrific guy off the field we do see him without a team in 2019.  Will he end up in the AAFL too?  I guess we have to wait and see. 

3.  WINNIPEGISH.  Winnipegish is a word I first heard used on CKRM's Sportscage to describe Blue Bomber fans and their reactions to pretty much anything.  I thought it was appropriate to use as the title of this May 14th 2018 blog about Darian Durant and how he had signed with the football club and then scampered off with his $70K signing bonus.  Fans laughed at Rider Nation as players like Maurice Price signed, got the bonus and then promptly retired.  Apparently, it's not so much fun when the cleat is on the other foot but it sure was entertaining from this side of the border.  I was a huge fan of Darian Durant and I did support him.  I also worked through many of my feelings on him and the entire subject of his trade to the Alouettes in other blog posts.  Rider fans are not known for accepting change very well either.  Durant had Rider Radio pregame segments and did return to Mosaic Stadium to watch a home game...will CFL fans see him end up on the coaching side of football or after his contract with the Bombers expires will he end up elsewhere?  

Shared from the Saskatoon Hilltops Twitter while Durant was game ambassador.

2.  Number two and number one on this list work hand in hand.  My second most popular post of 2018 was a follow up blog entitled Weighing a Response.  Without giving away the number one post of 2018 I'm moving on. Please continue reading!

Quote from Sue Turner Moderator at ABC Rider Fans

1.  SIZING UP THE CFL was a blog post published on February 16th 2018.  This was a blog post that had male and female CFL fans commenting, tweeting, and messaging me their thanks for bringing up the subject of the lack of quality, sizing and choice for fans who don't fit the "model".  Female fans having to buy men's merchandise to represent their team because the ladies sizing was poor, more expensive and just not all inclusive.  Men told me that they too had issues with sizing not being right for them.  Fabrics were either cheap feeling or not comfortable enough.  It was a subject in which I got an overwhelming response.    At the urging of several people, who you'll find named in WEIGHING A RESPONSE , I emailed my blog to Randy Ambrosie who passed it down the chain I'm guessing because I did get a response from the CFL.  I was assured that I would see the model change and that they were working hard to ensure every fan has comfortable merchandise to choose from.  Now a lot of people thought that was just a form letter type of response but near the end of the 2018 season we did see the announcement that the CFL was ending it's relationship with Adidas and New Era would be taking over in 2019.  You can read that announcement HERE.  I am strongly encouraged by this news as I do own a few pieces of New Era merchandise and I think this is a move to make us all more content.  You can bet that when the full line rolls out I will be there to review everything.  As I promised, this is not a subject that our diverse fan bases cannot ignore and I will continue to keep my eyes on the topic.

There you have it - my 5 Most Popular Posts of 2018.  If you liked this blog don't forget to share it with others who might also enjoy it.  Don't miss out on last weeks feature 5 Biggest Stories in the CFL of 2018.  Thanks for reading in 2018 and don't forget that our continued interaction helps to make blogging all worth while.