The Belt & The Boot

[IAmPappy]

 

UPDATED: Changed the names to Championship Belt and Championship Boot. Clarified and simplified a bunch of text. Thanks Lofty for the Boot name idea.

If you’re not familiar with the “Championship Belt” concept, check out the current World Football Belt Champion. In a nutshell, it’s just like professional boxing or pro wrestling. The defending champion, who is the current holder of the Championship Belt, defends the Belt at every match until another club defeats the champion. At that point, the Belt changes hands, and a new reigning champion is declared.

 

The CPL Championship Belt: The Rules

1. Pacific FC became the very first club to lift the CPL Championship Belt on 28-Apr-2019 when they registered the very first outright victory in Canadian Premier League history.
2. A Belt Match occurs each time that the defending champion has a competitive match against another CPL club. Competitive matches include Canadian Premier League matches, Canadian Champion (Voyageurs Cup) matches, and (future) CONCACAF matches, but does not include friendlies or exhibition matches.
3. The Belt only changes hands if the challenger registers an outright victory, regardless of method or duration (ex. PKs after extra time). Any draw goes in favor of the defending champion, who retains the Belt. Below is a list of all Belt Matches in 2019.

 

The CPL Championship Belt: 2019 Highlights

• The first ever CPL match (27-Apr-2019, Forge v York9) resulted in a draw, so the Belt remained unclaimed until the next day when Pacific defeated Wanderers.
• There were 35 Belt Matches in 2019; 32 in the CPL, and 3 in the Canadian Championship.
• The Belt changed hands 11 times in 2019 and was held at some point by every club in the CPL except Wanderers (despite 6 attempts).
• Cavalry and Forge dominated 2019 equally, each with 18 Belt Match appearances, each with 13 Belt Match victories/defenses, and each now a 3-time Belt Holder.
• Forge FC are the defending CPL Belt Holders going into the 2020 season.
• The table below shows summary statistics for the Belt during 2019. 

 

The CPL Championship Boot: The Rules

The Boot is the ying to the Belt’s yang. The CPL Championship Boot is not something that you want your club holding onto for too long. The Boot is always held by the loser of a Boot Match and is held by that club until they defeat another CPL club and give them the Boot.

1. Wanderers became the very first club to get the Boot on 28-Apr-2019 when they registered the very first outright defeat in Canadian Premier League history.
2. A Boot Match occurs each time that the Boot Holder has a competitive match against another CPL club. Competitive matches include Canadian Premier League matches, Canadian Champion (Voyageurs Cup) matches, and (future) CONCACAF matches, but does not include friendlies or exhibition matches.
3. The Boot only changes hands if the Boot Holder registers an outright victory, regardless of method or duration (ex. PKs after extra time). Any draw goes in favor of the Boot Holder’s opponent, and the Boot Holder retains the Boot. Below is a list of all Boot Matches in 2019.

 

The CPL Championship Boot: 2019 Highlights

• The first ever CPL match (27-Apr-2019, Forge v York9) resulted in a draw, so the Boot remained unclaimed until the next day when Wanderers lost to Pacific.
• There were 30 Boot Matches in 2019; 28 in the CPL, and 2 in the Canadian Championship.
• The Boot changed hands 9 times in 2019 and was held at some point by every club in the CPL except Cavalry (blocking it on 4 occasions).
• Pacific played in the most Boot Matches (14) and held the Boot going into 9 of those matches (tied with Valour). Pacific is also the only 3-time Boot Holder.
• On 6 occasions during 2019 (highlighted in grey), a Belt Match was also a Boot Match, but each time the Belt Holder prevailed, so we have never seen both honours change hands in the same match.
• On the last day of the 2019 season, the then-Holder Pacific defeated Valour, effectively giving Winnipeg the Boot for the off-season. Going into the 2020 season, Valour FC are the CPL Boot Holders (my club ☹). 
• The table below shows summary statistics for the CPL Boot in 2019.

 

Going into the CPL 2020 Season:

• Holding the Belt: Forge FC.
• Holding the Boot: Valour FC.

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by IAmPappy

[CanSuffer]

shoelace?

[IAmPappy]

52 minutes ago, Lofty said:

Very interesting idea. I think you need a better name for the "buckle" though -- it isn't derisive enough. I thought of "suspenders" which are hardly flattering when used in place of a belt to keep trousers from sliding down a large belly but then again they are rather attractive when holding up stockings, particularly black ones!

Yah, I was two drinks in by the time I started writing that portion and I giggled at my own wittiness. In retrospect, “the Buckle” is a really bad name. I’m hoping for creative suggestions, and I’ll gladly update the post. And no Lofty, we will not go with “Lacy Black Stockings” 😉

[Tigers]

The Ranfurly Shield, NZ's provinicial rugby equivalent to this, is known as the Log o Wood.

So maybe lump of coal or something? The short straw? 

I didn't mind shoelaces mentioned above.

[IAmPappy]

Always impressed by the breadth of knowledge on this board. Log o Wood. In rugby. In NZ. And not just rugby, but provincial rugby! Learn every day 😎 

As the clock ticks, I feel more and more ikky about that “buckle” name. But if I’m honest, I’m currently partial to the simplicity and symmetry of “The Belt & The Boot” ...

Edited February 26, 2020 by IAmPappy

[IAmPappy]

Ok, all set:

• Renamed to "The Belt & The Boot".
• Overhauled the introductory post.

 

Current Belt Holder: Forge FC.

 

Current Boot Holder: Valour FC.

 

[RickC]

Great idea but before I got to the description of what the boot was I assumed it was something to do with the highest goal scorer (individual). That's the immediate connotation I had with boot.

[ted]

Yeah, cute idea, but a "boot" has a long history as the award for the individual who scores the most goals in a specific competition (league season or single tournament) so this context makes no sense.

[IAmPappy]

I’m not wedded to any particular names or terms. I like the idea of one club “giving the Boot” to another club. Also, the term for top scorer is usually Golden Boot, if that makes a different. Finally, I just like the alliteration of Belt & Boot. That said, I will gladly acquiesce to whatever the outcome of this revolt 😂

Edited February 27, 2020 by IAmPappy

[CanSuffer]

Have to say that boot is heavily weighted with the top scorer idea and I would stay away from it ....

[IAmPappy]

So, back to this for a moment. “The Boot” may be getting the boot in this democratic process. Here are some other options:

• The Belt & The Boot (yah, still like it)
• The Belt & The Shoelace (humble award)
• The Belt & The Button (humble, alliterative)
• The Belt & The Lump-o-Coal
• The Belt & The Boxers (under-garments)
• The Belt & The Suspenders (or Garters?)
• The Belt & The Strap (got the strap)
• The Belt & The Spoon (common but still good)
• The Belt & The Galosh (variation on Boot)
• The Belt & The Welly (short for Wellington)
• The Belt & The Sandal (specifically, flip-flop)
• The Belt & The Bonnet
• The Belt & The Bandana
• The Belt & The Cummerbund (kinda like that)
• The Belt & The Pooh (Disney might not like)
• The Belt & The Bag (holding the bag)
• The Belt & The (Belt)Buckle (what? Back to this?)
• The Belt & The Balaclava (hide your face)
• The Belt & The Sisyphus Rock (google it)

Why, yes, I did have a couple of sodas with some buddies tonight, why do you ask?

(Let’s get this season started already!)

[IAmPappy]

100% agreed. I'm all-in with your comments regarding the Boot. Unless we get a sudden grassroots movement for "The Belt & The Overripe Banana" or something like that, we'll probably just pick 3-4 names and take a vote. This topic has dragged longer than I anticipated, and I apologize for that.

However, I'm intrigued by your other comment about awarding a proper "trophy", not for the Boot (or over-ripe banana, or whatever), but for the Belt. Hear me out for a minute ...

Imagine a proper, large, glorious Belt, either backed by a corporate sponsor, or financed by the fans (Voyageurs?). My thought is that the league's team/equipment managers would be the Belt caretakers. It would be one more item that equipment managers carry around to road trips. Nothing to do with players. Say for example, Wanderers just got the Belt from Pacific. The equipment managers would quietly exchange the Belt immediately after the game. The next morning, on the Wanderers website, we would see a picture of the equipment manager, or the team's physio, or the team's marketing guy, or a few Wanderers supports, lifting the CPL Championship Belt in triumph. That's it, no media, no hype, no players. Just a little recognition for all the great people that run and support these great teams across the country. Even the players would get behind this because they would be motivated to win the Belt for their clubs/supporters without all the added baggage of appearances.

Think about what happened today at Watford FC. This morning, the goliath, Liverpool FC, rolled into town. I'm not tracking this, but having gone ~400 days without a loss, I'm going to speculated that Liverpool were the defending EPL Belt champions. Watford is fighting to avoid relegation, so any 3-points from any match will help, BUT this was Liverpool! THE Liverpool that is 20+ points clear of second, and the defending Belt Champion. Final Watford 3-0 Liverpool. Now imagine Sunday morning, on the Watford website, a dozen Watford supporters, rabid, lifting the EPL Belt! It's these little victories that will keep fans engaged, motivated, and inspired during a long season. Now imagine the Crystal Palace fans, as they look forward to next weekend, when they face and try to dethrone the defending Belt Champs. Neither of these teams are going to win the league, but the fans can enjoy a few minor victories along the way.

Just an idea.

Edited March 1, 2020 by IAmPappy