Canadian Premier League

[matty]

22 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Depends on the amount of teams but with so few I would like to see themselves play each other 3 times. 

What I find hardest about supporting hockey is the meaningless amount of times teams play each other and also the close proximity in days that take the impact away from results.. yay big derby between Edmonton and calgary...yay Edmonton won, oh short lived celebration we play again the next day and calgary thrashed Edmonton. Obviously the joke there is Edmonton winning a game and having fans hopefully you get my point.  

I quite like that 3 games give the chance of a definitive decider game for bragging rights between teams.

4 games is too much. 2 makes a short season.  Combine the 21 games with an expanded voyageurs cup and I think that is a nice length of season and easy for new fans to follow.

3 games would be interesting. Only issue is who does and doesn't extra home games

[Ansem]

No one can argue how much of a critical role Hockey night in Canada played to make hockey in this country so big over the decades. CBC are amazing sports broadcasters in general.

CPL is in good hands if they replicate the hockey model with them. We take it for granted the the level of information and the quality of it being shared with the viewers on players, teams, league and organizations during pre-game, between periods and post game is pure quality.

CPL will need CBC to do exactly the same for them. To do what MLS broadcasters don't do, EDUCATE viewers to get them to care about the league. Just like HNIC, talk about all the teams, players, talk about V Cup and make it matter. 

People need to know why winning the V Cup is so important, same for CPL Cup.  Why the CCL is so important and exciting. Explain how it's linked to the rest of FIFA and our place in the FIFA universe. 

That's something we can do correctly like UK tv does for EPL, something that MLS, I feel hasn't done quite well. Not sure many MLS fans knows or care about CCL. Good thing the CSA will expand the Victor cup and CONCACAF will revamp CCL

[toontownman]

7 minutes ago, matty said:

3 games would be interesting. Only issue is who does and doesn't extra home games

Thankfully it won't be an American franchise league or the third games would all be played in neutral stadiums and Regina vs calgary would be played in the maritimes and Halifax Hamilton would be at mosaic. 

*the third games would simply have to alternate every year between the teams. If it's done fairly it shouldn't affect revenue.

[Ansem]

4 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Thankfully it won't be an American franchise league or the third games would all be played in neutral stadiums and Regina vs calgary would be played in the maritimes and Halifax Hamilton would be at mosaic. 

*the third games would simply have to alternate every year between the teams. If it's done fairly it shouldn't affect revenue.

That's very smart if you want to show the game live to markets like Halifax, Saskatoon etc... to get some buzz so other investors old be tempted to start a team

[matty]

16 minutes ago, Ansem said:

No one can argue how much of a critical role Hockey night in Canada played to make hockey in this country so big over the decades. CBC are amazing sports broadcasters in general.

CPL is in good hands if they replicate the hockey model with them. We take it for granted the the level of information and the quality of it being shared with the viewers on players, teams, league and organizations during pre-game, between periods and post game is pure quality.

CPL will need CBC to do exactly the same for them. To do what MLS broadcasters don't do, EDUCATE viewers to get them to care about the league. Just like HNIC, talk about all the teams, players, talk about Voyageur Cup and make it matter. 

People need to know why winning the V Cup is so important, same for CPL Cup.  Why the CCL is so important and exciting. Explain how it's linked to the rest of FIFA and our place in the FIFA universe. 

That's something we can do correctly like UK tv does for EPL, something that we MLS I feel hasn't done quite well. Not sure many MLS fans knows or care about CPL. Good thing the CSA will expand the CCL and CONCACAF will revamp CCL

I pitched something a while ago on here I called "Soccer Day in Canada" that would profile players, coaches and fan clubs. I think that would be good TV for the general Canadian audience on CBC.

MLS's TV product is awful compared to the Big Four (North America's not Soccer's) but I say that's not the cause of the MLS's low ratings. The lack of promotion is. If CBC is involved with the CPL then they will be promoting this league extensively.

I will make this bet: If CBC is involved the CPL will do better ratings in Canada than MLS does in the US.

[Ansem]

5 minutes ago, matty said:

I pitched something a while ago on here I called "Soccer Day in Canada" that would profile players, coaches and fan clubs. I think that would be good TV for the general Canadian audience on CBC.

MLS's TV product is awful compared to the Big Four (North America's not Soccer's) but I say that's not the cause of the MLS's low ratings. The lack of promotion is. If CBC is involved with the CPL then they will be promoting this league extensively.

I will make this bet: If CBC is involved the CPL will do better ratings than MLS does in the US.

That's totally possible. That's what's already happening in hockey has the TV contract for NHL is $5.2B in Canada while being $2B in the entire USA with 10 times the population. We could do it for CPL over time. Should be our goal.

My analogy above, is one of the arguments I used in the gamebids forum. They kept saying that by default the US being bigger meant more money, more viewership etc... I shut them up in the last page.

http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/topic/18683-fifa-world-cup-2026/?page=40

[Complete Homer]

38 minutes ago, masster said:

That is assuming TSN makes a bid. The ratings are so poor we have to consider the possibility that they may just walk away. With Bell as the Whitecaps kit sponsor, maybe that is unlikely. Does anybody know when that deal is supposed to come to an end?

Eh, the ratings on TSN have been bad, but I can't see them walking away from MLS after losing out on a decade of hockey. 

[Ansem]

Just now, Complete Homer said:

Eh, the ratings on TSN have been bad, but I can't see them walking away from MLS after losing out on a decade of hockey. 

And they need content for their sports channels

[matty]

3 minutes ago, Ansem said:

We could do it for CPL over time. Should be our goal.

Oh I mean it happens during season 1

[Complete Homer]

5 minutes ago, Ansem said:

That's totally possible. That's what's already happening in hockey has the TV contract for NHL is $5.2B in Canada while being $2B in the entire USA with 10 times the population. We could do it for CPL over time. Should be our goal.

My analogy above, is one of the arguments I used in the gamebids forum. They kept saying that by default the US being bigger meant more money, more viewership etc... I shut them up in the last page.

http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/topic/18683-fifa-world-cup-2026/?page=40

Let's not start comparing it to the sport that has been central to our national identity for the past 150 years

The idea of copying HNIC in many ways - namely educating people about the game and why they should care - are good ones, but let's not go overboard with expectations  We still don't even know if it is really CPL, let's wait and see a bit more

[toontownman]

13 minutes ago, Ansem said:

That's very smart if you want to show the game live to markets like Halifax, Saskatoon etc... to get some buzz so other investors old be tempted to start a team

Within reason for sure. But you are risking a really crappie turn out from a stadium of neutral fans. The brand would have to be built up enough to be able to sell tickets. Some showcase games makes sense under the right circumstance. Pre-season is good for that also though. 

[Complete Homer]

2 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Within reason for sure. But you are risking a really crappie turn out from a stadium of neutral fans. The brand would have to be built up enough to be able to sell tickets. Some showcase games makes sense under the right circumstance. Pre-season is good for that also though. 

Pre-season is perfect, considering you can save face if the draw is poor by saying "it is just pre-season"

[Ansem]

Just now, Complete Homer said:

Pre-season is perfect, considering you can save face if the draw is poor by saying "it is just pre-season"

Yeah... spot on.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Worth noting that the CBC registered "Basketball Night in Canada" back in 2010 and subsequently abandoned it in 2012 when the rules over proving actual use were still a lot stricter:

http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/vwTrdmrk.do?lang=eng&status=&fileNumber=0920416&extension=0&startingDocumentIndexOnPage=1

Think that fits the scenario of wanting to prevent other broadcasters from copying the HNIC brand? The timing coincides with the launch of the NBL in 2011:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_League_of_Canada

They also appear to have registered "Football Night in Canada" in 2007:

http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/vwTrdmrk.do?lang=eng&status=&fileNumber=0918202&extension=0&startingDocumentIndexOnPage=1

and have kept that one active without any obvious broadcasting that would fit that trademark, so probably best to file SNIC under if it seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

[jpg75]

On 1/5/2016 at 8:54 PM, SoccerCoach said:

From Duane Rollins on Reddit:

• Ottawa is part of the planning of this CPL and will join it
• Edmonton wants to stay in NASL and is pissed about this league
• Hamilton Ti-cats are part of this
• Expect CFL cities minus Edmonton (What are the chances here that the Edmonton Eskimos or the Oilers buy off FC Edmonton from the Fath brothers?)
• Toronto and Vancouver ownerships are the current stumbling block 
• 8 teams expected. 6 solidly committed now. 2017 start expected 

Actually, I was expecting for 10 teams (which includes the following cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City). I'm seriously hoping that Regina and Quebec City are part of this scheme. Now aside from Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver, who are these 6 committed cities? Anyone has an idea?

So....133 pages on this thread. Is there any indication that the CPL is actually starting in less than 6 months? Have any announcements been made? I thought Ottawa were looking into joining USL?

[shermanator]

Coming to a Saturday night near you:

 

[Complete Homer]

6 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Worth noting that the CBC registered "Basketball Night in Canada" back in 2010 and subsequently abandoned it in 2012 when the rules over proving actual use were still a lot stricter:

http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/vwTrdmrk.do?lang=eng&status=&fileNumber=0920416&extension=0&startingDocumentIndexOnPage=1

Think that fits the scenario of wanting to prevent other broadcasters from copying the HNIC brand? The timing coincides with the launch of the NBL in 2011:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_League_of_Canada

They also appear to have registered "Football Night in Canada" in 2007:

http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/vwTrdmrk.do?lang=eng&status=&fileNumber=0918202&extension=0&startingDocumentIndexOnPage=1

and have kept that one active without any obvious broadcasting that would fit that trademark, so probably best to file SNIC under if it seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

Good finds. Even still, if it is made in protection against CPL, it is still decent news. You don't protect yourself against fantasies

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

17 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

Good finds. Even still, if it is made in protection against CPL, it is still decent news. You don't protect yourself against fantasies

Suspect it was a kneejerk response to the CBC Hamilton story about trademarks being registered from Ticats HQ. Victor Montagliani talking up a new league in the Toronto Sun back in February and more recently Bill Manning of TFC talking about wanting to be involved in it both with attributed quotes is what has moved this beyond the realm of Rollins/Totera and very much into the mainstream. I have always argued that a rebranded USL approach complete with the three MLS B teams would be relatively easy to achieve. It's the emergence of a rival genuine competitor to MLS that I find far fetched.

[matty]

3 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Suspect it was a kneejerk response to the CBC Hamilton story about trademarks being registered from Ticats HQ. Victor Montagliani taking up a new league in the Toronto Sun back in February and more recently Bill Manning of TFC talking about wanting to be involved in it both with attributed quotes is what has moved this beyond the realm of Rollins/Totera and very much into the mainstream. I have always argued that a rebranded USL approach complete with the three MLS B teams would be relatively easy to achieve. It's the emergence of a rival genuine competitor to MLS that I find far fetched.

It could compete in Canada if it's promoted right with and does have the payrolls Rollins has hinted at. MLS does generally shitty ratings for what it costs because of its lack of promotion in both Canada and the US. When you're losing to Liga MX in your own country, you don't have a monopoly on soccer on TV in another even if you're in 3 cities.

[Ansem]

23 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

I have always argued that a rebranded USL approach complete with the three MLS B teams would be relatively easy to achieve.

Easy? Yes

Solving our problems on the national team and international level? Not in our lifetime

Clearly that's not what CSA is looking for and understand creating a division in USL and NASL under USSF/leagues rules won't make much of a difference.

23 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

It's the emergence of a rival genuine competitor to MLS that I find far fetched.

In a North American context? No

Domestically in Canada? Absolutely.

8 years since MLS came into Canada, TV ratings remains low except when Canadian teams are playing one another or play in Champions League.

MLS is a regional/city thing, not a national phenomenon on the Blue Jays level or the Raptors (playoff time only).

I know for a fact that outside of Montreal Metro (I'd argue Montreal Island only), no one cares about the Montreal impact and could care even less about MLS in the rest of the province. TFC being Ontario team? That's a laughable claim, it's Toronto centric. I don't know Vancouver enough but I think it's the same.

CPL plan of going everywhere else plus penetrating the big 3 markets gradually is the best course of action. MLS grip over Canada is truly overrated and its their own fault. Hard to be enthusiastic about having hardly any Canadians on those teams/league...

[Ansem]

On 23/09/2016 at 0:40 PM, Ansem said:

A note on Montreal:

I had discussions with friends in Montreal and they are of the opposite opinion that a CPL Montreal team could indeed work based on theses factors:

• Location: CPL stadium MUST be downtown, and ideally use the McGill Percival Molson stadium or build a new one. The Saputo stadium where the Impact plays right now is in Eastern Montreal, next to the Olympic Stadium on the green subway line. It`s not the most ideal place for people to get there, and quite frankly, I always thought it was an odd location to pick.

Montreal Impact

Potential downtown CPL venue

Downtown has 3 metro lines providing links to South shore, downtown business area and literally the heart of the city, making this location very convenient to just hop on the metro and go see a game.

Percival Molson Stadium of McGill University on the mountain: Perfect for TV

25 000 seats

 

• Establishing a rivalry right away : What`s hotter than a Toronto-Montreal rivalry? In hockey, it`s Boston-Montreal but hey, the MLS did such a poor job in replicating this rivalry in soccer that no one even notices the New England Revolution. So we have Toronto and now Ottawa in hockey. This is where CPL can shine and since we`re all Canadians, they surely get it where MLS doesn`t. Regular Quebec City vs Montreal CPL are automatic sellouts! The hate between those cities transcends sports and a CPL Quebec City playing against a CPL Montreal downtown team would create instant magic. Those 2 teams due to the local politics would try their best to develop elite Quebec players, preferably locally and go at it like it`s war.
• Local content: Quebec being the most nationalistic province in the country, local stars like Patrice Bernier (seeing less minutes) and Olivier Occean would instantly make the team loved by the locals. Drogba is gone after this year and Impact are going more and more after Italians and South America outside of the Americans they have on the team. Where it`s hard to give minutes to Quebec players on the team, a Montreal CPL would most likely start them.
• TV Contract: A Quebec City team would most likely be covered by Quebecor`s TVA sports who are already covering the Montreal Impact. I could see their rival RDS going after the CPL Montreal team and by default trying to outbid each other for the rights to CPL as a whole. TSN would be interested to broadcast CPL Montreal for West Island English Viewers. That`s a good thing for the league.
• Ownership: Quebecor for Quebec City or the Montreal Canadiens & Molson Family for CPL Montreal?

So in conclusion, I got convinced last night that a downtown CPL Montreal team with a rivalry with Quebec City and Ottawa would indeed work. Montreal Metro area is half the province of Quebec, so there`s definitely room for another team.

So now that we all agree that CPL Toronto can work, and hopefully I made good arguments for a CPL Montreal, can someone from BC make the case for Surrey?

Thank you

Just reposting why CPL Montreal can work.

[matty]

35 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Easy? Yes

Solving our problems on the national team and international level? Not in our lifetime

Clearly that's not what CSA is looking for and understand creating a division in USL and NASL under USSF/leagues rules won't make much of a difference.

In a North American context? No

Domestically in Canada? Absolutely.

8 years since MLS came into Canada, TV ratings remains low except when Canadian teams are playing one another or play in Champions League.

MLS is a regional/city thing, not a national phenomenon on the Blue Jays level or the Raptors (playoff time only).

I know for a fact that outside of Montreal Metro (I'd argue Montreal Island only), no one cares about the Montreal impact and could care even less about MLS in the rest of the province. TFC being Ontario team? That's a laughable claim, it's Toronto centric. I don't know Vancouver enough but I think it's the same.

CPL plan of going everywhere else plus penetrating the big 3 markets gradually is the best course of action. MLS grip over Canada is truly overrated and its their own fault. Hard to be enthusiastic about having hardly any Canadians on those teams/league...

Impact and Whitecaps were the least popular teams in the league based on Google searches from 2012-14. TFC however was #5. http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/02/09/ranking-mls-most-popular-teams-new-research-reveals-fascinating-results/

Also the Impact were less popular than TFC in Quebec prior to signing Drogba http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/inside-mls/fox-soccer-facebook-project-mls-fans-in-united-states-and-canada-maps-030615?cmpid=tsmtw:fscom:foxsoccer

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Been a long time since I could claim anything close to fluency in French, but I think this tweet suggests that a podcast from Montreal is going to explain on Tuesday what the SNIC trademark registration by CBC was all about, and apparently it's a big surprise that isn't going to be CPL related:

 

Maybe just the usual attention seeking by bloggers and podcasters, but might be worth paying attention to.

[Ansem]

12 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Been a long time since I could claim anything close to fluency in French, but I think this tweet suggests that a podcast from Montreal is going to explain on Tuesday what the SNIC trademark registration by CBC was all about, and apparently it's a big surprise that isn't going to be CPL related:

 

Maybe just the usual attention seeking by bloggers and podcasters, but might be worth paying attention to.

It translates as follow

"Don't miss Soccer Today! this Tuesday...

There's a big surprise and no, it's not regarding CPL"

-Seems like he's just hyping his show to me

[matty]

31 minutes ago, Ansem said:

It translates as follow

"Don't miss Soccer Today! this Tuesday...

There's a big surprise and no, it's not regarding CPL"

-Seems like he's just hyping his show to me

You forgot to include the wink. That wink clearly means it's really about the CPL........or he's just a playful and nice guy