Garber hints at change to 'Canadians as internationals' rule.

[Macksam]

3 hours ago, zen said:

I was thinking that if CPL is successful, given this new rule, it might be beneficial if CPL evolved to become a division within MLS with 6-10 teams. Each team having affiliates in smaller cities across Canada, each under a different brand. That way these teams and the teams in the various D3 leagues are all considered to be approved clubs. That would actually be huge for Canada.

Will it work? I'm not sure..but it's worth looking at. CPL will never be bigger than MLS. If you can't beat them, join them, right?

CPL has a better chance of gaining TV traction over here than MLS has or will in the foreseeable future over in the USA. If that happens, CPL could catch MLS in revenues that way.

[zen]

Yes it would be better. You seem to have the idea that the CPL will grow into a league that is somehow better than MLS. Hell no it isn't going to. We are 1/10 of their population and the US has a tremendous reach on a cultural level across the globe. MLS teams will become global brands, CPL teams will not. CPL may serve it's purpose by giving players opportunities but it will never grow into something that will compete with the EPL or Bundesliga, we will never have the best players chose to move to Canada over MLS. This sport is as much about business as it is about sport, America's global reach will always ensure we play second fiddle to them in that regard. If you are content with the league serving a little niche then fine, but don't delude yourself into thinking it's going to be something it isn't - I am basing this not just from your previous response but from the things you've been droning on about. I prefer thinking about ways Canada can compete, so don't come back with "Hell no" because as I said it was a thought, but my thoughts actually consider the reality we face, and is not some delusion of grandeur you hope for the CPL.

[Macksam]

3 hours ago, zen said:

No I did in fact mean MLS. If we had our own Canadian division within MLS, they could have 30 American teams, we could support 6-10 teams. Cities that warrant MLS level teams are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Beyond that, I could maybe see Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City and Halifax being able to support teams.

• 40 teams
• 4 divisions of 10
• Home and away within division
• Remainder of the games could be against 2 of the other 3 division, with the divisions being rotated every year for a total of 38 games.

It would mean Vancouver might not have as intense a rivalry with Seattle or Portland, but it would be better for Canadian soccer as a whole.

These teams would have affiliate teams in the USL, in different cities with different branding. Their academies would participate in D3 leagues that hopefully spring up across the country. All teams in those D3 leagues would be on the approved cubs list.

Ideally we would have atleast 8 teams, with 6 it may not be worth going down this route. 10 teams would be a dream

As I said above, it's highly improbable that this could work, it would take a lot of persuasion but if it did it would be even more beneficial than an independent CPL that people hope the 3 MLS teams would move over to.

That would be ideal, but I think Garber is quite clear on no more Canadian expansion. However, if a wealthy group from Calgary, Edmonton or Ottawa stepped forward to bring an MLS team here with an SSS plan and willing to pay the fee, would the league really say no?

[zen]

2 minutes ago, Macksam said:

CPL has a better chance of gaining TV traction over here than MLS has or will in the foreseeable future over in the USA. If that happens, CPL could catch MLS in revenues that way.

I don't disagree, but the potential that MLS has in terms of market size and potential is not something we beat. When MLS does gain the same kind of traction, the revenue from TV deals is going to go through the roof. I think one day it can compete against the big 4 leagues

[bwilly11]

Fuck Garber, this is insulting to me. They clearly looked at the issues and decided we are not equals. They give just enough to imply that they care about Canadian Soccer, but we know its not true. Meanwhile they reap benefits from our markets.

I hope TFC bring the title up north, and repeat until the CPL is up and running. We have massive momentum up here the past few years with the three Canadian teams. Once the CPL is up I bet his tune will change.

[Macksam]

21 minutes ago, zen said:

Yes it would be better. You seem to have the idea that the CPL will grow into a league that is somehow better than MLS. Hell no it isn't going to. We are 1/10 of their population and the US has a tremendous reach on a cultural level across the globe. MLS teams will become global brands, CPL teams will not. CPL may serve it's purpose by giving players opportunities but it will never grow into something that will compete with the EPL or Bundesliga, we will never have the best players chose to move to Canada over MLS. This sport is as much about business as it is about sport, America's global reach will always ensure we play second fiddle to them in that regard. If you are content with the league serving a little niche then fine, but don't delude yourself into thinking it's going to be something it isn't - I am basing this not just from your previous response but from the things you've been droning on about. I prefer thinking about ways Canada can compete, so don't come back with "Hell no" because as I said it was a thought, but my thoughts actually consider the reality we face, and is not some delusion of grandeur you hope for the CPL.

I think it should clarify something, which would have resulted from your above rant from not occurring. I was talking about the short to medium term. MLS is not showing signs of gaining significant traction amongst the American populace in the near future. That's what my theory hinged on. I don't have any delusions of grandeur or anything like so take that bull shit to the park where it belongs. I never mentioned anywhere, even in prior posts, about the league growing into the size of the EPL or Bundesliga. Do I think MLS teams will become global brands? Sure, eventually. Will the MLS be a top league in the world? Yes, eventually. However, I think that eventually will be a long time from now. That's where my theory came from. Can a hypothetical CPL gain traction and sign a bigger TV deal over here than MLS' respective TV deal in the States over the next 20 years? That's possible to.

Does that make more sense to you now? Please tell me what else I have been droning on about?

P.S. Your welcome btw. I let you off the hook easy. I'm not usually this nice with somebody that squares off against me in here.

[zen]

3 hours ago, Macksam said:

I think it should clarify something, which would have resulted from your above rant from not occurring. I was talking about the short to medium term. MLS is not showing signs of gaining significant traction amongst the American populace in the near future. That's what my theory hinged on. I don't have any delusions of grandeur or anything like so take that bull shit to the park where it belongs. I never mentioned anywhere, even in prior posts, about the league growing into the size of the EPL or Bundesliga. Do I think MLS teams will become global brands? Sure, eventually. Will the MLS be a top league in the world? Yes, eventually. However, I think that eventually will be a long time from now. That's where my theory came from. Can a hypothetical CPL gain traction and sign a bigger TV deal over here than MLS' respective TV deal in the States over the next 20 years? That's possible to.

Does that make more sense to you now? Please tell me what else I have been droning on about?

P.S. Your welcome btw. I let you off the hook easy. I'm not usually this nice with somebody that squares off against me in here.

Sorry that quote was meant for Ansem. The guy responded saying "Hell no", like WTH?..and as I stated my response wasn't just addressed to that one comment he made but to his general views on CPL in the long term that he has been going on about.

I actually agree with you about most things  In the short to medium term there definitely is a slight chance we get a bigger TV deal than MLS, just look at the NHL - the Canadians TV rights deal is bigger I believe. In the long term, there are limiting factors (such as population) that will prevent the CPL from being larger than MLS. So when people are dismissive about those factors and believe the sky is the limit I get annoyed because doing that suggest a bit of delusion. I'd rather people be realistic about the situation, and from there work towards a means of getting around, or over coming those limiting factors.

Sorry for the misunderstanding..I had some commitments I had to attend to I couldn't check if I posted the comment as I intended

[-Hammer-]

Just also out of curiosity on this one, does the exsisting 3 players must be Canadians rule still apply to the Canadian MLS teams?

[matty]

8 hours ago, jpg75 said:

Where did you say "rumoured" in your quote above when you were answering BBTB? Let's wait until the league actually launches with real clubs and real owners before making any unsubstantiated claims of any kind.

his claims are not unsubstantiated. unsubstantiated implies there is no evidence to support his claims, while there is no official report yet issued the journalist he cites has proved credible on the cpl story with his claims about locations and what kind of ownership is involved having been proved accurate by people involved in the league including an owner. he claim has evidence behind it so it is not unsubstantiated.

yes he didn't use "rumoured" but it's possible he mixed up "ballpark" with it.

[jpg75]

4 minutes ago, matty said:

his claims are not unsubstantiated. unsubstantiated implies there is no evidence to support his claims, while there is no official report yet issued the journalist he cites has proved credible on the cpl story with his claims about locations and what kind of ownership is involved having been proved accurate by people involved in the league including an owner. he claim has evidence behind it so it is not unsubstantiated.

yes he didn't use "rumoured" but it's possible he mixed up "ballpark" with it.

That same journalist said the league was launching this year or next. He said there would be a number of announcements that came and went without a peep. The league proposal is being ratified in the next couple of weeks and it's proposed it will be launched in 2018 with 6 teams. No offence but a lot can still happen in the next 16 months. Nothing is set in stone on this league. Therefore, until i see games being played and a payroll table released a la MLSPU i will consider that a lack of evidence and therefore any claims to the CPL salary structure to be not supported by evidence ie. unsubstantiated.

[Ansem]

5 hours ago, zen said:

Sorry that quote was meant for Ansem. The guy responded saying "Hell no", like WTH?..and as I stated my response wasn't just addressed to that one comment he made but to his general views on CPL in the long term that he has been going on about.

Damn right hell no. A division within MLS will never happen nor would it be better. They won't even fix the domestic issue permanently to begin with.

This very "Canadian" belief that we need America to help us accomplish anything and everything is getting old, real old but that's just my personal opinion.

I think Canadians out there will surprise us in term of support for CPL, just like I keep being proven wrong by the CFL years after years.

I don't think we will automatically be better in the long term than MLS. That's impossible without Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Those 3 cities are known worldwide yet, as of now, they have teams in a USSF league. CPL can and should fill the soccer gap everywhere else in the country. 

Can we get a bigger TV contract than the US? Yes we can over time which depends on CPL doing things right in the office and on the pitch. If we could ever get CFL attendance and viewership, that's when you know the league matured. Isnt CFL (very sub-par to NFL) proof enough that it can be done in Canada?

Can we be better than MLS? I'll tell you this, I don't believe that in the long term, the gap will be that huge but lots of this is on MLS as well due to a lot of things that league is doing wrong which also explains they're inability to grow their TV viewership  (schedules, overpaying DP past their primes, their marketing is wrong, Yankee Stadium, All star game)... I mean WTF. Look at how critical Klinsmann was of MLS and not wanting to rely on their talent pool. It’s just amusing and amazing how much better our Canadian teams and fans makes that league and then you pause realizing what it could be if that was replicated in every provinces. Am I saying that CPL shouldn't be underestimated or am I saying that MLS is overrated?  I think I'm saying a bit of both.

Regarding your remark that people will always choose MLS over CPL, sure, those at the twilight of their careers looking for one last giant paycheck? Of course, but Montreal showed the path to doing DPs the right way. What's best for your league? An unknown named Piatti at $426k a year in his PRIME who leaves everything on the pitch or a Defoe, Pirlo, Drogba, Lampart past their prime, overpaid, that somewhat cares and that that sometimes barely cares? Why do you think European laugh at MLS? It's for stuff like this that they do. When I listen to morning sport radio they always emphasis on this:

•You should always sign someone for what they are going to do going forward, not for what they've done in the past. (like the Jays nor wanting to signed Batista based on the Bat flip or giving 6 years to Encarnacion...it's about what you're going to do, not what you've already done)

That's how it's done in sports, but MLS didn't get the memo yet. Sure MLS is spending lots of dollars but one can argue that they aren't using their resources the most efficient way.

CPL should avoid doing the same and be like Montreal, scout the southern hemisphere and fill their international spots with gems, and in the world of soccer, there's lots of them. 

But a Canadian division within MLS? Hell no. Don't need a repeat of Gary Bettman's NHL treatment of Canada

[Ansem]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/590/soccer-central-radio/

December 1st podcast

About Gerber solution at 32nd minute mark

• They are talking about Garber piss poor attitude at the press conference about being questioned on his solution and how little he seems to know about the Canadian press (perhaps market)
• They feel that the legal issue excuse=BS
• How insufficient the solution is and that it doesn't address the inequality between US-Canada
• Who's a domestic now
• LOL, John Molinaro says he will re-ask the same question next week to Garber at the press conference

[Macksam]

10 hours ago, zen said:

Sorry that quote was meant for Ansem. The guy responded saying "Hell no", like WTH?..and as I stated my response wasn't just addressed to that one comment he made but to his general views on CPL in the long term that he has been going on about.

I actually agree with you about most things  In the short to medium term there definitely is a slight chance we get a bigger TV deal than MLS, just look at the NHL - the Canadians TV rights deal is bigger I believe. In the long term, there are limiting factors (such as population) that will prevent the CPL from being larger than MLS. So when people are dismissive about those factors and believe the sky is the limit I get annoyed because doing that suggest a bit of delusion. I'd rather people be realistic about the situation, and from there work towards a means of getting around, or over coming those limiting factors.

Sorry for the misunderstanding..I had some commitments I had to attend to I couldn't check if I posted the comment as I intended

No problem my man. 

[Admin]

14 hours ago, bwilly11 said:

Fuck Garber, this is insulting to me. They clearly looked at the issues and decided we are not equals. They give just enough to imply that they care about Canadian Soccer, but we know its not true. Meanwhile they reap benefits from our markets.

I hope TFC bring the title up north, and repeat until the CPL is up and running. We have massive momentum up here the past few years with the three Canadian teams. Once the CPL is up I bet his tune will change.

He won't even notice. 

[Admin]

How has this morphed into the CPL competing with MLS? 

That would require an astonishing country wide cultural shift and at least two decades of it. 

[Levi Oakey]

There is a risk, and this includes with some of the branding, that this devolves into a CFL style issue. "Our League" doesn't have a huge cachet in big cities like Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.

But we can't let that happen here. We have to rise above. The Voyageurs Cup is when we fight it out between leagues, but until than we have to maintain a "it's good for soccer in Canada" mentality. No matter what MLS is about, we have to see it as Canadian soccer. BIG BIG TENT. Let's get in.

[Macksam]

37 minutes ago, Levi Oakey said:

There is a risk, and this includes with some of the branding, that this devolves into a CFL style issue. "Our League" doesn't have a huge cachet in big cities like Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.

But we can't let that happen here. We have to rise above. The Voyageurs Cup is when we fight it out between leagues, but until than we have to maintain a "it's good for soccer in Canada" mentality. No matter what MLS is about, we have to see it as Canadian soccer. BIG BIG TENT. Let's get in.

All the more reason to get things started now because the moment MLS gets that big TV deal and actually becomes major league, the league will have NFL like stature to our CFL like league. However, I don't think it will be as bad considering Canadians will see the benefit the CPL brings when it comes to developing talent for the national team and higher leagues. They'll view it kind of like the CHL, that league gets no disdain in the media because people respect what it does even if there's no real support here in GTA for it. The CFL on the other hand doesn't really have that card to play.

[Kent]

OK, I'm not trying to say CPL will pull down the same TV dollars as MLS (for all I know cord-cutting will dry up TV deals into nothing by the time CPL exists and is popular enough to gain commercial appeal), but it's worth noting that the total TV dollars don't have to be in line with MLS. The more important thing would be the per team numbers.

Ex:
If MLS has a 100 million dollar deal, with a 25 team league at the time, that's 4 million dollars per team.

That would mean for CPL to be on par with that, a 6 team league would only need a 24 million dollar deal, or an 8 team league would need a 32 million dollar deal.

Either way, all the TV talk of course is wild speculation, but I just thought I'd point that out, because it seems to never really be considered. That's also part of the reason why there are expansion fees. Those teams are coming in and taking a slice of the TV (and other sponsorship) deals, which reduces the revenue of the existing teams in the immediate term. So the expansion fee compensates for that.

[zen]

5 hours ago, Ansem said:

Damn right hell no. A division within MLS will never happen nor would it be better. They won't even fix the domestic issue permanently to begin with.

This very "Canadian" belief that we need America to help us accomplish anything and everything is getting old, real old but that's just my personal opinion.

I think Canadians out there will surprise us in term of support for CPL, just like I keep being proven wrong by the CFL years after years.

I don't think we will automatically be better in the long term than MLS. That's impossible without Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Those 3 cities are known worldwide yet, as of now, they have teams in a USSF league. CPL can and should fill the soccer gap everywhere else in the country. 

Can we get a bigger TV contract than the US? Yes we can over time which depends on CPL doing things right in the office and on the pitch. If we could ever get CFL attendance and viewership, that's when you know the league matured. Isnt CFL (very sub-par to NFL) proof enough that it can be done in Canada?

Can we be better than MLS? I'll tell you this, I don't believe that in the long term, the gap will be that huge but lots of this is on MLS as well due to a lot of things that league is doing wrong which also explains they're inability to grow their TV viewership  (schedules, overpaying DP past their primes, their marketing is wrong, Yankee Stadium, All star game)... I mean WTF. Look at how critical Klinsmann was of MLS and not wanting to rely on their talent pool. It’s just amusing and amazing how much better our Canadian teams and fans makes that league and then you pause realizing what it could be if that was replicated in every provinces. Am I saying that CPL shouldn't be underestimated or am I saying that MLS is overrated?  I think I'm saying a bit of both.

Regarding your remark that people will always choose MLS over CPL, sure, those at the twilight of their careers looking for one last giant paycheck? Of course, but Montreal showed the path to doing DPs the right way. What's best for your league? An unknown named Piatti at $426k a year in his PRIME who leaves everything on the pitch or a Defoe, Pirlo, Drogba, Lampart past their prime, overpaid, that somewhat cares and that that sometimes barely cares? Why do you think European laugh at MLS? It's for stuff like this that they do. When I listen to morning sport radio they always emphasis on this:

•You should always sign someone for what they are going to do going forward, not for what they've done in the past. (like the Jays nor wanting to signed Batista based on the Bat flip or giving 6 years to Encarnacion...it's about what you're going to do, not what you've already done)

That's how it's done in sports, but MLS didn't get the memo yet. Sure MLS is spending lots of dollars but one can argue that they aren't using their resources the most efficient way.

CPL should avoid doing the same and be like Montreal, scout the southern hemisphere and fill their international spots with gems, and in the world of soccer, there's lots of them. 

But a Canadian division within MLS? Hell no. Don't need a repeat of Gary Bettman's NHL treatment of Canada

MLS needs to get people in seats first and foremost, that's why they have bought aged stars. I think with time it that trend will change, it already is changing. But nothing will give it the kind of exposure it needs at this stage than players like Drogba or Lampard (I am a Chelsea fan too KTBFFH). The Toronto-Montreal match actually got exposure in the BBC sports section, Seattle-Colorado didn't, why do you think that was? Because of Drogba. 

They have been spending, and it has been working just fine toward slow steady growth. If you are not aware, they spent more money on youth development last year than player salaries during the 2013 season. It does need something extra though to really kick start spending, I think that will be the next TV deal.

MLS' inability to grow the viewership has to do with their demographics ironically. South American's have deep roots in their home countries, and are avid followers of teams back home. This group is largest group of MLS supporters from what I've read, and their numbers will grow, the longer they've been in the US. Most European immigrants moved to the US a long time ago, and while some of those cultural ties still exist, most have completely assimilated in to the local culture in which soccer was not a big part. In Canada, we do have similar issues, but it's still different, the European immigrants that moved to Canada moved here more recently than in the US, and maybe it also has to do with the fact that we are a mosaic rather than a melting pot, many European immigrants here have not completely severed ties to their homelands and cultures, but they have been here long enough to care about their cities and teams here in Canada. That's why you see much larger number proportionally than in the US.

Oh I DON'T believe we need the Americans to do things. For me it comes down to whether there are factors limiting the growth of the CPL, and there are. I wouldn't be making this comment if we had a population around 100 million, and actually exerted some cultural influence around the world. But we don't. If you went to India and asked a middle class person where Calgary was they've wouldn't be able to tell you, ask them where Cleveland is and they would. Everything we do is so tied to the US that we become the victims of their success. Do you think people are aware of how many Canadians are in Hollywood, most people probably assume they're American? Other than a nice country to move to or live in, most people around the world aren't really aware of Canada. In that sense, the CPL has a limit on it's growth,  it's a global sport it needs to be marketed not just here at home but abroad as well, that is a mountain to climb for the CPL. MLS has a huge advantage in this regard. These are just the facts.

Anyways as Socceronly has suggested we should get back to the discussion about domestics.

[Macksam]

20 minutes ago, zen said:

Anyways as Socceronly has suggested we should get back to the discussion about domestics.

Lol, it's too late. Until the league is announced, CPL talk will hi-jack and de-rail every thread in this forum.

[Levi Oakey]

30 minutes ago, zen said:

Other than a nice country to move to or live in, most people around the world aren't really aware of Canada.

This is quantifiable, and it's not true.


The problem is you are comparing us to the country with the largest media presence in the whole world. Yes we are north of America and that leads to us naturally comparing ourselves but it isn't worthwhile, we are comparable to countries like Australia, France, even the UK. 

Why did the BBC report on the two Canadian teams competing. It wasn't Drogba, it was Canada. They have actually had stories on TFC before. Also that game was the most viewed in MLS history, even more than any MLS Cup. I love our country but we are so self-deprecating.

Drogba, Ciman, even Giovinco you will find actually wanted to move to Canada over America. There are a host of reasons why. You mention that Canada has a limit on it's growth based on the fact that people only think of us as a nice place to live or move it. But with a national league, that's exactly what you need. I think you will honestly see some players choose to play in the CPL over MLS. Maybe not the marquee of marquee, but if I am a young El Salvadoran, Honduran or Mexican, do you think America is my first choice right now? You have to remember, soccer players are human, and many people world wide dislike America and see Canada as America but with actually cool people. Canada is also seen worldwide as very safe. I remember playing with a 28 year old in a rec league and he was lighting everyone up. He actually had played for teams in Yugoslavia and even had played on national teams for Serbia/Croatia or something. But Canada was safe and he wanted to protect his family. So he came here. He loved it here. 

I hate derailing the thread further, but seriously. Canada has some good stuff going on and I get really frustrated when I see Canadians shit all over it. Yes, we don't have the cachet of America, but literally no one in this world does. America's media is insanely pervasive. But just because we aren't America doesn't mean that we are meaningless, or that somehow Canadian things aren't great.

[dyslexic nam]

2 hours ago, admin said:

How has this morphed into the CPL competing with MLS? 

That would require an astonishing country wide cultural shift and at least two decades of it. 

 

The point is that the Garber announcement, at least what we can interpret from what has been shared so far, seems to have very serious implication for CPL.

As written, this rule will pre-emptively pressure kids to choose an MLS affiliation versus a CPL affiliation when pursuing a pro contract.  If signing a CPL pro contract as your first contract prevents you from ever being considered a domestic in MLS (which will likely be the realistic ceiling for many CPL-calibre players), then many of the folks who would otherwise populate the CPL will have a strong disincentive to do so.  Instead, there will be a very strong career incentive to sign with an MLS-affiliated/approved club (which the announcement indicates will be at MLS's discretion, and seems to rule out including CPL clubs since that would violate the first-pro-contract-is-MLS rule). 

There may be loan-back opportunities, and other work-arounds that could emerge, but at present it appears that the Garber announcement embeds a structural barrier in the player development stream that will thwart the growth of CPL and help ensure it is firmly a second division league in Canada.  All the debate about having TFC2 in the league becomes moot if the league is populated by players signed onto MLS clubs but not deemed good enough to play for the first team.  If CPL someday manages to equal MLS in career prospects and pay levels, this will be far less of an issue, but the current rule seems to directly discourage that outcome.

That is why I am mystified by CSA being involved in the announcement.  In the context of plans for CPL, it seems to be a net loss for Canadian footy insofar as it advances the opportunities for a small minority of players while constraining the long term growth of CPL.

 

 

[Admin]

11 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

 

The point is that the Garber announcement, at least what we can interpret from what has been shared so far, seems to have very serious implication for CPL.

As written, this rule will pre-emptively pressure kids to choose an MLS affiliation versus a CPL affiliation when pursuing a pro contract.  If signing a CPL pro contract as your first contract prevents you from ever being considered a domestic in MLS (which will likely be the realistic ceiling for many CPL-calibre players), then many of the folks who would otherwise populate the CPL will have a strong disincentive to do so.  Instead, there will be a very strong career incentive to sign with an MLS-affiliated/approved club (which the announcement indicates will be at MLS's discretion, and seems to rule out including CPL clubs since that would violate the first-pro-contract-is-MLS rule). 

There may be loan-back opportunities, and other work-arounds that could emerge, but at present it appears that the Garber announcement embeds a structural barrier in the player development stream that will thwart the growth of CPL and help ensure it is firmly a second division league in Canada.  All the debate about having TFC2 in the league becomes moot if the league is populated by players signed onto MLS clubs but not deemed good enough to play for the first team.  If CPL someday manages to equal MLS in career prospects and pay levels, this will be far less of an issue, but the current rule seems to directly discourage that outcome.

That is why I am mystified by CSA being involved in the announcement.  In the context of plans for CPL, it seems to be a net loss for Canadian footy insofar as it advances the opportunities for a small minority of players while constraining the long term growth of CPL.

 

 

Totally agree. 

It's a bewildering development, and if the whole thing is just a smoke screen to get 'that' agreement it doesn't seem good enough.   It's both possibly too broad in one sense, and too narrow in another. 

 

 

[Ansem]

30 minutes ago, Levi Oakey said:

I love our country but we are so self-deprecating.

I hate derailing the thread further, but seriously. Canada has some good stuff going on and I get really frustrated when I see Canadians shit all over it. Yes, we don't have the cachet of America, but literally no one in this world does. America's media is insanely pervasive. But just because we aren't America doesn't mean that we are meaningless, or that somehow Canadian things aren't great.

Amen.

We're the world's 10th overall GDP...How on earth can we even dare talking about a soccer league that could have the means of it's ambitions?

Shame on me for that

 

 

[dyslexic nam]

I actually observe a significant, positive vibe amongst many Canadians that is distinctly apathetic to American interests.  Not only are many people not self-deprecating in an inferior way, but we pride ourselves in being very much a distinct country. 

There is a big gap between modesty and insecurity, and increasingly I notice a genuine modesty that in no way morphs into America-envy.  Maybe that is coloured by my own patriotism, but I tend to see it at all age cohorts. 

It has been decades since I set foot on US soil, and I don't anticipate doing so anytime soon.  And the election of Trump?  If ever you wanted a reason to be proud your Canadian (and sincerely glad you aren't American) that is it.  At the risk of poking Pandora's box (that may not be right...) I think it is one of the reasons why the CFL persists.  It is OUR game, and it is valued as such.