Who is smilingriderfan?

Pandemic.

When Covid shut down the CFL in 2020 I found myself without anything to compose blog posts about as well as a lost desire to try to keep up with everything that was going on.  Following the pandemic news and keeping safe in our bubble became the top priority and everything else took a back seat.  Well now that things are starting to feel more like what we used to call "normal" I realized I owed everyone an update on my site.

You might be a long time reader of this blog or you might have just happened upon this site from a link from social media and I thank you regardless of how you found your way to ABC Football.  In late 2019, someone reported my blog page as spam and that has created a lot of issues.  You may have noticed the address has changed.  I had to do this to be able to share my blogs on various social media platforms without getting red flagged. This really really sucked.  Over the next while, I will be updating links and hopefully restoring all the fun things I tried to offer on my blog page.  

In early 2020, I had started a Youtube channel and that as well has been dormant.  I'm going to leave everything in place but at this time I'm not 100% certain I will make videos like I had originally planned.  It's a lot of work to film and edit and if the last year has taught me anything its that a lot of things I spent time on were simply not worth it.

So that's the background on the last year but who was I before the world shut down?  Feel free to click on the About Me tab. You'll find all the necessary information there.  If you prefer the long winded version, then by all means stick with me. * smile *

This is not a blog post about how I became a Rider fan because I think I've already been there, done that, and bought all the Rider tee shirts. If you are interested, this is my Origin Story.

I grew up in Prince Albert and in 2001 moved to Saskatoon.  I took music lessons all of my teenage years and when I was 17 I began teaching piano lessons.  Music has always been a huge part of my life and livelihood.  Except for a 5 year hiatus when we moved, I've always been a teacher.  My interest in practice ebbs and flows but I strive to keep learning and being the best instructor and mentor I can be to all the students who cross my path.  I probably should have become a school teacher but...well, I didn't.

I thought I was going to be a writer.  I did a few years of Arts & Sciences...basically enough to know that I was neither good at learning in that forum and that the learning how had nothing to do with the act of actually doing it.  Now I know that I could have made different choices but things always have a way of working out and because of them I met my Husband who you may have seen me refer to as "Hubby". We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary in December and the one thing we enjoy doing together is going to football games.

I've always been able to succeed at pretty much anything I've ever tried.  That's not me being egotistical.  It's the truth.  No one ever told me I couldn't do something.  I always felt that I was free to pursue my passions.  I play music, I bake, I travel, I draw, I snap photos.....

On a social media forum which has long become extinct I began blogging about every day life, my love of donuts and my teaching stories.  My readers ( a handful of friends ) became wildly aware around 2008-ish that a lot of my blogs were about football.  Some of those very early blogs can be found in the archives on this very page.  It became apparent that I could just write about sports and eventually my page got moved here to Blogger and eventually through a few name changes we arrive at what ABC Football is today.

This page will always be from the fans perspective and over time I think I've become more level headed and logical and less radical.  Yes, I know, crazy words from a Rider fan!   I try to not take football or myself too seriously and I think that's evident through my CFL Power Rankings.  I think we can look everywhere, especially in Saskatchewan, and be bombarded with Roughriders news from sports media people.  I try to not let what's going on around me influence my perspective.  Why try to fit in?  

Sometimes you have to excuse me.  I am the music teacher after all and that often takes precedent.  It also means you might be swamped with vague musical quotations from my current obsessions.  It might mean I don't get to write regularly because of my schedule.  I'm okay with it and I hope you are too.  I will always share my newest posts on my Twitter account, Instagram and the ABC Football Facebook page.  I firmly believe that while I am a Roughriders fan first and foremost, that is not all that I am.  I am diverse and sometimes complicated.  I can enjoy several things at the same time and remain smilingsandra or smilingriderfan or whoever I am :)

I am the administrator of ABC Rider Fans on Facebook.  The group doesn't have the big numbers that some Facebook groups do but the people who are on the page have fun.  It's not uncommon to go off topic or to joke around with each other.  We are friends.  If you've joined, you can expect Game Threads hosted by moderator John Strutt and we love it when everybody posts and shares.  You can expect CFL news while being Rider fans.  The rules are simple and easy to follow.  Search the group up and join in.

A question I get asked often is "why ABC?".  At the time, I wanted something that would come up on a Google or Facebook in an alphabetical type of search.  I also thought ABC could refer to the abc's of football and almost in a football 101 type of way.  Yes, it is also an acronym for Anyone But Calgary and that's a cool thing too but it does not mean the group/page is completely anti-Stampeders.  Not really anyway.

I am a Roughriders season ticket holder.  I look forward to gathering once again with Rider Nation in 2021.  If you see me, stop me and say hi!

I'd love to interact with you.  If there are blog topics you'd love to see me discuss then by all means let me know.  Thanks for reading and as always...

...Go Riders!

A Thrill of Hope

On Christmas Eve my husband any myself gathered around the TV to watch our church's Christmas Eve service streamed live on Youtube.  The service was largely about the true meaning of Christmas but pulled several lines from the carol O Holy Night.

A Thrill of Hope, A Weary World Rejoices.

Well I don't have to tell you how unprecedented or whatever the new catch phrase is to describe our feelings towards 2020.  Here we were back in February just looking forward to a CFL season and my Roughriders having a memorable season and hosting the 2020 Grey Cup.  

How quickly all of that faded.

Without a CFL season I turned my interest elsewhere.  We took more drives.  I took up painting.  I lost 40 pounds.  I discovered I liked free time on the weekends instead of rushing off to Regina for a game every weekend.  I discovered I really liked sitting down with a great cup of tea to relax at the end of the day.  I discovered I could bake bread.

If you'd asked me a year ago what I'd make of all this I know I most certainly wouldn't have had an answer.  Sitting here drinking my Panetone tea out of my snowman mug and still trying to be festive, I still can't put clearly into words what's gone on over the last 8 months.  We've all experienced it differently.  Both myself and my husband have been blessed to both keep our jobs and with the exception of working from home nothing much has changed.  There was a steep learning curve but I taught piano lessons online for 6 months and returned to mostly in person lessons when school resumed in September.  

Everything we've looked forward to has been cancelled and I go back and forth every day about renewing my Roughrider season tickets.  I never even got to sit in my newly upgraded seats.  Just as the song says and as the Roughriders and other CFL teams re-sign and re-negotiate with players we do see a thrill of hope.  Vaccines are rolling out and the Health Authority says that we may see a return to "old normal" by fall 2021.

When the clock strikes midnight our problems won't magically disappear but I also know that when we are finally able to gather again to cheer on our favourite teams we will rejoice.  Imagine how glorious it will all be when another touchdown is scored at Mosaic Stadium and Gainer tours the field buckled into his car while we high five all the fans around us. A weary fanbase will rejoice.

Until that time arrives, stay safe, cherish your loved ones, Happy 2021 and Go Riders Go.

5 of the Most Viewed Posts of 2019

Here we are at the end of the first month of 2020.  I've decided to look back at 2019 and see what the most viewed blog posts were.  Enjoy!

5.  The 5th most viewed blog post of ABC Football is a bit disappointing and shows that drama draws people in.  I want to say that the experience in the blog Gong Show was reviewed and corrected.  There was a follow up blog explaining what happened but it didn't seem to get viewed in the same light.  Please read A Feel Good Story so you know the entire outcome.

4.  5 Things Said in Free Agency was a fun blog.  It was about things the media thought was going to happen and then didn't or other surprising things and how Free Agency 2019 transpired.  It would be fun to track Free Agency 2020 in the same fashion and then compare the outcomes.

3.  5 Reasons the CFL Beat the AAF.  Well we all know what happened to the AAF.  In 2020 we have the XFL starting up and many are saying since there's more money injected into it that it's going to be successful.  I find it hard to think that because it's very hard to compete with NFL dollars.  We just have to wait and see!

2.  If you've noticed the trend here - it seems lists are a popular blogging style of the last year.  I haven't gone back to the Friday Five trend and I've also noticed other writers haven't either.  Maybe that's over.  At any rate, the 2nd most viewed ABC Football blog was actually the 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2018.

NUMBER ONE

5 Reasons CFL Trumps NFL  In this blog post I give reasons why the CFL is a more fun league to follow.  Obviously football fans can follow both or all football leagues and don't need to chose one over the other.  We are diverse like that.

Most Viewed ABC Football Posts of 2019

5 of the ALL TIME Most Popular Blog Posts

A lot of CFL fans are done looking back and are now looking forward to the new season.  Well, I'm not one of the usual fans.  I think it's interesting to always take stock of where we are because it helps us to see where we want the future to go.  So I've compiled a list of ABC Football's 5 most popular blog posts of all time - all time being since the inception of this blog page approximately 10 years ago.

Yikes, it's been that long.

< Narrator: It's actually been longer >

So here we go.

5.  This is a little bizarre.  It's a list.  A list on a list.  It's the 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2018. Wait...2018?  Well I guess I'm going to have to do a list for 2019 as well! 

4.  Weighing a Response is the 2nd in a two parter about the sizing of CFL merchandise for not only women but every fan in general.  I'm glad that I wrote to the Commissioner and I'm pleased I got a response.  I also think that for the most part this issue has been addressed.  You can read more down below though.

3.  5 Reasons CFL Trumps NFL is number 3 on our list.  I'll admit timing and wording helped me out with this post but it did garner a very nice comment from Drew Edwards telling me he enjoyed this post.  I really appreciate that and am always shocked to find out actual people continue to read my page and follow along!

2.  The Elephant in the Room continues to be a popular post.  It's a recap of the whole Darian Durant saga.  At the time there was a great divide in how fans saw the ex-Rider.  Now that he's been retired basically for the 2nd year there is still nothing that irks more fans than the subject of Chris Jones and Durant as will as the release of other favourite Roughriders.  Do Rider fans ever get over anything?  No not really.

*drum roll*

1.  The number one ALL TIME Most Popular Blog Post on ABC Football (get on with it Sandra) is...Sizing Up the CFL.  This was the first part that went along with Weighing a Response.  It was about the poor sizing of fan merchandise, poor quality and pricing.  Last year NuEra took over the licencing of CFL branded team merchandise.  I saw more variety in fabrics and quality and sizes were available in more options.  The price though... It's not easy to be outfitted in Rider gear without breaking the bank.  Some fans own multiple jerseys and that is great but this fan just can't justify even upgrading from my old Reebok style.  The options have certainly gotten better but they still have a way to go in my opinion.  I know the pricing isn't likely to change soon but I'm happy that the CFL saw a problem and worked to fix it.  That rarely happens...but I'm not naming names there.

This is ABC Football's Top 10

Let Me Introduce Myself 2020

You might be a long time reader of this blog or you might have just happened upon this site from a link from social media and I thank you regardless of how you found your way to ABC Football.  We are only a few days/hours/minutes away from the opening of the 2020 CFL season and I thought this was a good time for me to reacquaint myself after an interesting off season.

If you'd like the condensed version, I don't blame you at all, after all our attention is pulled in several different directions these days... then please click on my About Me tab.  You'll find all the necessary information there.  If you prefer the long winded version, then by all means stick with me. * smile *
This is not a blog post about how I became a Rider fan because I think I've already been there, done that, and bought all the Rider tee shirts. If you are interested, this is my Origin Story.

I grew up in Prince Albert and in 2001 moved to Saskatoon.  I took music lessons all of my teenage years and when I was 17 I began teaching piano lessons.  Music has always been a huge part of my life and livelihood.  Except for a 5 year hiatus when we moved, I've always been a teacher.  My interest in practice ebbs and flows but I strive to keep learning and being the best instructor and mentor I can be to all the students who cross my path.  I probably should have become a school teacher but...well, I didn't.

I thought I was going to be a writer.  I did a few years of Arts & Sciences...basically enough to know that I was neither good at learning in that forum and that the learning how had nothing to do with the act of actually doing it.  Now I know that I could have made different choices but things always have a way of working out and because of them I met my Husband who you may have seen me refer to as "Hubby". We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary in December and the one thing we enjoy doing together is going to football games.
I've always been able to succeed at pretty much anything I've ever tried.  That's not me being egotistical.  It's the truth.  No one ever told me I couldn't do something.  I always felt that I was free to pursue my passions.  I play music, I bake, I travel, I draw, I snap photos.....

On a social media forum which has long become extinct I began blogging about every day life, my love of donuts and my teaching stories.  My readers ( a handful of friends ) became wildly aware around 2008-ish that a lot of my blogs were about football.  Some of those very early blogs can be found in the archives on this very page.  It became apparent that I could just write about sports and eventually my page got moved here to Blogger and eventually through a few name changes we arrive at what ABC Football is today.

This page will always be from the fans perspective and over time I think I've become more level headed and logical and less radical.  Yes, I know, crazy words from a Rider fan!   I try to not take football or myself too seriously and I think that's evident through my CFL Power Rankings.  I think we can look everywhere, especially in Saskatchewan, and be bombarded with Roughriders news from sports media people.  I try to not let what's going on around me influence my perspective.  Why try to fit in?  The 2019 Power Ranking can be found by looking for "power grouping" in the Search This Blog box.  If it's just the Art you are looking for then click on the Garfunkel's tab at the top of the page.

Sometimes you have to excuse me.  I am the music teacher after all and that often takes precedent.  It also means you might be swamped with vague musical quotations from my current obsessions.  It might mean I don't get to write regularly because of my schedule.  I'm okay with it and I hope you are too.  I will always share my newest posts on my Twitter account, Instagram and the ABC Football Facebook page.  I firmly believe that while I am a Roughriders fan first and foremost, that is not all that I am.  I am diverse and sometimes complicated.  I can enjoy several things at the same time and remain smilingsandra or smilingriderfan or whoever I am :)

I am the administrator of ABC Rider Fans on Facebook.  The group doesn't have the big numbers that some Facebook groups do but the people who are on the page have fun.  It's not uncommon to go off topic or to joke around with each other.  We are friends.  If you've joined, you can expect Game Threads hosted by moderator John Strutt and we love it when everybody posts and shares.  You can expect CFL news while being Rider fans.  The rules are simple and easy to follow.  Search the group up and join in.

A question I get asked often is "why ABC?".  At the time, I wanted something that would come up on a Google or Facebook in an alphabetical type of search.  I also thought ABC could refer to the abc's of football and almost in a football 101 type of way.  Yes, it is also an acronym for Anyone But Calgary and that's a cool thing too but it does not mean the group/page is completely anti-Stampeders.  Not really anyway.

I am a Roughriders season ticket holder and this year will be in section 118.  I'm pretty excited to sit in a different part of the stadium.  I'm also pumped for the home opener on Canada Day.  Who doesn't love cheering on Canada's Team on the same day we get to celebrate our nation?!  If you see me, stop me and say hi!
I'd love to interact with you.  If there are blog topics you'd love to see me discuss then by all means let me know.  Thanks for reading and as always...

...Go Riders!

Let Me Introduce Myself

You might be a long time reader of this blog or you might have just happened upon this site from a link from social media and I thank you regardless of how you found your way to ABC Football.  We are only a few days/hours/minutes away from the opening of the 2019 CFL season and I thought this was a good time for me to reacquaint myself after an interesting off season.

If you'd like the condensed version, I don't blame you at all, after all our attention is pulled in several different directions these days... then please click on my About Me tab.  You'll find all the necessary information there.  If you prefer the long winded version, then by all means stick with me. * smile *

This is not a blog post about how I became a Rider fan because I think I've already been there, done that, and bought all the Rider tee shirts. If you are interested, this is my Origin Story.

I grew up in Prince Albert and in 2001 moved to Saskatoon.  I took music lessons all of my teenage years and when I was 17 I began teaching piano lessons.  Music has always been a huge part of my life and livelihood.  Except for a 5 year hiatus when we moved, I've always been a teacher.  My interest in practice ebbs and flows but I strive to keep learning and being the best instructor and mentor I can be to all the students who cross my path.  I probably should have become a school teacher but...well, I didn't.

I thought I was going to be a writer.  I did a few years of Arts & Sciences...basically enough to know that I was neither good at learning in that forum and that the learning how had nothing to do with the act of actually doing it.  Now I know that I could have made different choices but things always have a way of working out and because of them I met my Husband who you may have seen me refer to as "Hubby". We celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary in December and the one thing we enjoy doing together is going to football games.

I've always been able to succeed at pretty much anything I've ever tried.  That's not me being egotistical.  It's the truth.  No one ever told me I couldn't do something.  I always felt that I was free to pursue my passions.  I play music, I bake, I travel, I draw, I snap photos.....

On a social media forum which has long become extinct I began blogging about every day life, my love of donuts and my teaching stories.  My readers ( a handful of friends ) became wildly aware around 2008-ish that a lot of my blogs were about football.  Some of those very early blogs can be found in the archives on this very page.  It became apparent that I could just write about sports and eventually my page got moved here to Blogger and eventually through a few name changes we arrive at what ABC Football is today.

This page will always be from the fans perspective and over time I think I've become more level headed and logical and less radical.  Yes, I know, crazy words from a Rider fan!   I try to not take football or myself too seriously and I think that's evident through my CFL Power Rankings.  I think we can look everywhere, especially in Saskatchewan, and be bombarded with Roughriders news from sports media people.  I try to not let what's going on around me influence my perspective.  Why try to fit in?  The Power Ranking can be found under the 2018 tab of this page or by clicking this LINK.  In 2019, my "grouping" will appear under the Blog heading and there will be a separate tab where I will post my Garfunkels...er, art.

Sometimes you have to excuse me.  I am the music teacher after all and that often takes precedent.  It also means you might be swamped with vague musical quotations from my current obsessions.  It might mean I don't get to write regularly because of my schedule.  I'm okay with it and I hope you are too.  I will always share my newest posts on my Twitter account, Instagram and the ABC Football Facebook page.  I firmly believe that while I am a Roughriders fan first and foremost, that is not all that I am.  I am diverse and sometimes complicated.  I can enjoy several things at the same time and remain smilingsandra or smilingriderfan or whoever I am :)

I am the administrator of ABC Rider Fans on Facebook.  The group doesn't have the big numbers that some Facebook groups do but the people who are on the page have fun.  It's not uncommon to go off topic or to joke around with each other.  We are friends.  If you've joined, you can expect Game Threads hosted by moderator John Strutt and we love it when everybody posts and shares.  You can expect CFL news while being Rider fans.  The rules are simple and easy to follow.  Search the group up and join in.

A question I get asked often is "why ABC?".  At the time, I wanted something that would come up on a Google or Facebook in an alphabetical type of search.  I also thought ABC could refer to the abc's of football and almost in a football 101 type of way.  Yes, it is also an acronym for Anyone But Calgary and that's a cool thing too but it does not mean the group/page is completely anti-Stampeders.  Not really anyway.

I am a Roughriders season ticket holder and this year will be in section 118.  I'm pretty excited to sit in a different part of the stadium.  I'm also pumped for the home opener on Canada Day.  Who doesn't love cheering on Canada's Team on the same day we get to celebrate our nation?!  If you see me, stop me and say hi!

I'd love to interact with you.  If there are blog topics you'd love to see me discuss then by all means let me know.  Thanks for reading and as always...

...Go Riders!

Football Funk & Other Football Friday Fun

It's been a while since I've touched base with you, my readers!  Even I feel like I've been leaving my blog out.  Now, I was on vacation for 10 days so that's a thing and then there's the vacay prep as well as getting back into the groove afterwards.  I *think* I might be caught up.  In spite of May being my busiest month of my teaching musical life I found a few hours to put some thoughts down for you in blog form.

I hope you enjoy Football Funk & Other Football Friday Fun.

Say that 5 times fast.  Thursday there was the major announcement from General Manager Jeremy O'Day via live stream that the Roughriders had signed Solomon Ele…elemi...ele…  Elimimian.  Yeah, there's that.  We have a couple weeks to learn how to say the Riders newest all stars name correctly.

I was away for 10 days over Easter Break in Utah and Arizona and it was FANTASTIC.  While shopping for snacks in a market in Kabab, Utah and sporting my Roughriders tank top a man remarked about it.  He knew what it was and I smiled and it made my heart feel well.  Rider Nation is recognized everywhere.  Also while out hiking we at Bryce Canyon National Park we saw an SUV with Saskatchewan plates and a sticker that said Carlton Honda.  My people.  My home away from home.  In all seriousness though, go see Utah, it's amazing.  Also if you haven't heard or tried "fry sauce" it might change your life.

Check out my Instagram: smilingriderfan for more vacay photos!

Wednesday Ricky Ray announced his retirement from the CFL.  What a stellar career he's had and nothing rocked the football world (CFL anyway) like the trade from the Eskimo's to the Argo's.  My only wish was that his career could have ended on the 2017 note and not that horrific injury from 2018.  What I don't get it why when something like this is announced that journalists/columnists/fans feel the need to rank their play.  It really doesn't matter who thinks who is the most legendary...let's appreciate what they did while we got to watch them play.

Tuesday Dan Clark was in a car accident and it was reported he was in "stable condition" in hospital.  He was enroute from a speaking engagement in Cudworth to his home when the accident occurred.  As fans I think we forget how much players do for our/their communities in the offseason.  I'm sure most players give back but it seems to me that players from Saskatchewan get out to more places in the province and do more than any others.  I don't know what this means for Clark's season but I hope he fully recovers and we see him back on the field soon.  Also, let's not pass judgement on the use of seatbelts, not much is going to hold a person the size of this O Lineman in his seat in a rollover.  This aspect of the crash should be the least of our concerns.

Before I embarked on my epic trip I had made a social media comment about how I've been feeling that my excitement has been waning for this 2019 season.  My season tickets arrived and I'm still a bit "meh" about it all.  I did receive a few responses from people who are feeling the same and they weren't all Rider fans.  Usually at this time of year it's all I can do to contain myself from the excitement of camp opening.  But is it really opening or are the players going to strike?  We just don't know.  It would be fun to plan an ABC Rider Fan meet up at camp...but there might not be much to meet up for.  It's really hard to stay in my fandom state of mind and I've found myself delving farther and farther into other interests.  I've even watched basketball.  Send help.  Or, get a jump on the Roughriders season by staying in the know by "liking" the ABC Football Facebook Page and joining ABC Rider Fans.  We are coming up on our 1 year anniversary.  Thanks to everyone who continues to make it a success!

As things try to ramp up it was announced that the Nu Era merch is coming soon.  I am excited about this because not only does my old Reebok jersey have a hex on it (it's been crumpled in the back of my closet since last season) but I'm looking for a better more comfortable fitting jersey.  The design of it or whether the pattern is different doesn't really matter to me.  I want a jersey that makes me feel comfortable.  Fingers crossed.  I also have a gift card to spend so YAY!  At the same time, in recent days I've seen an alarming amount of "sponsored" posts on Instagram and Facebook advertising CFL items.  It's buyer beware.  These items are not CFL licenced and the logos are used illegally.  Usually the items come from the US or outside Canada and are over priced and under delivered.  The sparkly bunnyhug I saw on Facebook, which did look amazing in pictures was really unwearable as reported by one fan and another said the sparkles were actually a print on it and not sparkles at all.  If we really want to support our CFL teams let's ensure we purchase from team stores or they include CFL logos so we know they are official merchandise.  When we finally get to see our Riders hit the field we want to look our game day best. #UniteinGreen.

5 Reasons the CFL Beat the AAF

Last week the news came down that the AAF had closed down shop.  It had seemed so promising and I admit it was exciting to have some football when nothing else was going on.  Then when the league needed an injection of money, games weren't shown on regular network tv etc, you had to know it wasn't long for this world.  So now we wait for the CFL season to start...  But wait...the CFL is boring you say?  At least that's what Ben Volin thinks according to his article Failures of AAF a Predictable Call.  Well, Ben if there's one thing CFL fans do, it's defend the league they/we love so much so thanks for the apology but no thanks.

These are my 5 reason the CFL beats the AAF (and any league really). 

5.  The CFL doesn't proclaim to be a feeder league for any other league.  The Canadian Football League is it's own league and doesn't try to be anything but.  Yes, players sometimes come to Canada and become well known and then return to play in the NFL but that in no way influences the purpose of the CFL to provide Canadian rules football to it's fans.  If you like high scoring, down to the last second, chew your nails off excitement then the CFL is a league for you.

4.  The CFL is a small league.  Because there's 9 teams (soon to be 10) spread throughout the nation it's easy to form a loyal allegiance.  Many of us are born into fandom.  It was difficult to choose an AAF team to root for and I found myself simply choosing a team based on who had the most ex Roughriders.  NFL fans didn't even give the time of day to AAF so no one there chose a team.  How do you choose a team when the league is brand new and you have less than zero feelings about it?

3.  We were all afraid that the AAF was going to steal CFL talent from under our noses.  That never happened.  It did give some players an opportunity to play who wouldn't have gotten a shot any and otherwise.  Let's remember that CFL players need to be great athletes.  There's not only the Waggle to contend with but a lot of other movement that other leagues do not have.  You have to possess great endurance and skill to be a great CFLer.

2.  The Rouge.  Some people don't like it but it can be used as strategy and I think that is the real essence of the CFL.  There are subtle rules which set the league apart from others and those same rules make the game far more exciting during regulation time and in over time.  The rouge itself can prove to be the difference between winning the game or heading to overtime.  

1.  TSN.  The main reason the CFL is so successful is because of the big TSN deal to broadcast all games bringing the game into our living rooms and hearts.  Even if you are a fan of one team you can watch and follow all league games easily.  You can stream them on the TSN apps and webpages as long as you have a cable subscription.  Because of such a great tv deal, the CFL is visible to anyone who wants to watch it. 

If you liked this blog post you might also enjoy a previous post titled 5 Reasons CFL Trumps NFL.  Need more football in your life?  Don't hesitate to look up ABC Rider Fans on Facebook and join a great bunch of fun loving Rider fans.