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CPL Playing During the Coronavirus/Covid19 Pandemic


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7 hours ago, yellowsweatygorilla said:

Canadian Premier League players players are angry. The 25% pay 'deferral' is now confirmed to be a cut. And to rub salt in the wound, 5% is further taken out to be used in a pool for performance bonuses.

I can definitely understand the 25% cut making players angry. The 5% extra cut is just unnecessary in my opinion.

However, the league is doing this because cuts are happening everywhere else and unlike the big leagues, TV money isn't keeping them afloat the same way it does for the big 4. Hell even some clubs from big Euro leagues are getting hurt bad.

So, just showing both sides here. I do support them getting a union. Seeing how MLS is handling the players even with them being unionized, CPL could have done far worse.

7 hours ago, yellowsweatygorilla said:

All this, while the league is pocketing gov't subsidies in relation to COVID19.

Which pays players 75% of their contracts and pays staff salaries while keeping them on the payroll. According to the government program, CPL can't just cash in the check and keep it in the bank.

Also, they virtually have little to no revenues in some cases.

Even if they got the $15M loan from the government, it's a loan that they have to repay which must be to help account for the loss in revenues. 

I'm not sure how they can hold that tournament without paying for it but I'm far more outraged by the additional 5% cut which in my opinion was utterly unnecessary and players most likely didn't care for that being use as a performance bonus

7 hours ago, yellowsweatygorilla said:

It's no wonder that after months, the league has refuse to recognize the players' union, and gone radio silent to inquiries.

We seem to forget that like every other leagues, CPL is a business. The union have to go through the process of getting recognized by each provinces which will take time.

It's not about CPL being anti-union like Amazon or banks, it's about buying time. The league knew that players would be unionized eventually but I think that they were surprised it happened this fast. (MLSPA was founded in 2003, 6 years after MLS launch I think).

They have no incentive in fast tracking the process and go through bargaining in season 2 or 3. It's a business decision and unionization process/employer business is usually kept private until it happens.

7 hours ago, yellowsweatygorilla said:

This is utterly shameful, and the players ought to just boycott this tournament.

Unless they are millionaires (which most aren't), they won't do that. A boycott would hurt the league a lot this early which in turn would end up hurting the players even more.

With USL dropping Canadians domestic status, it isn't in players interest to see the league struggling.

The union will have to navigate this delicate balance of getting more for the players without hurting the league until it's more settled and revenues are way up.

I understand people's disappointment and I'm unionized myself and very much so pro-union but we have to think this through both sides perspective, not just players.

The league could have been far worse

Edited by Ansem
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1 hour ago, Ansem said:

...The way I'm reading this is unlike other leagues in the US, unlikely that CPL would pay extra to test players, the province health system would.

No way they aren't getting tested

Healthcare is a provincial responsibility and being part of another province's system doesn't automatically kick in when you move between provinces. You normally have to wait three months to be part of a provincial healthcare plan, so there may be an issue here on what would be covered out-of-province for the players on some of the teams.

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3 hours ago, Ansem said:

Hard to believe that the province won't make them have those tests.

....

No way they aren't getting tested

Can't even imagine it.  Can't even imagine CPL HQ would try to pull something like that off.  The risk of being savaged in public is waaaay too high.  It's almost guaranteed.  How would that benefit the league?  Get some TV time in exchange for a public flogging?  Madness.

The science behind testing or not testing in that sort of circumstance doesn't even matter.  Too many people have, and are, paying too big of a price during this pandemic to tolerate a soccer league trying to save a few dollars while putting on a tournie.  It's a bad look.

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Guess we've moved well and truly out of the honeymoon phase, so having a domestic pro league is no longer viewed as the magic wand that will cure all that ails Canadian soccer. Instead of the enemy without (an American league perceived as discriminating against Canadian players) people in Canadian pro soccer player sort of circles are now ranting about the enemy within. Capitalists doing the sort of stuff that multimillionaires and their lackeys do to get rich in the first place no matter what flag is being waved (assuming there is no hammer and sickle on it obviously).

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Pulling a random tweet out of the air to help push whatever BS narrative you are pushing is pretty weak.  There is enough pent up anger out there lately that Mr Parrot droppings could probably find someone blaming Trudeau, Trump, the Pope and aliens for whatever is pissing them off at the moment.  Why you would revel in the fact that some people are pissed at the CPL management is beyond me.  And of course you need to circle back around and make it about MLS vs CPL even though you piss and moan when anyone else does that. 

Its been bad for CPL (along with every other sports league and 99% of other business), and most people are getting some sort of raw deal with the virus, either health wise or financially.  You acting all gleeful about a twitter ranter being pissed at CPL and using it to try and prove some point about MLS is just the usual BS you push around here.  

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This is an example of how much worse CPL could have done 

The HABS are filthy rich and they cut people permanently despite the government subsidies. NHL players also had to make pay concessions.

My issue is the timeliness of players being told about the cut, how they were told (some found out on social media which is NEVER ok) & the extra 5% cut for the performance jackpot/whatever and making sure of their safety at all time.

Other than that, it's just outrage for the sake of it.

 

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I really believe next to nothing I read in Twitter but there is this kinda conundrum that is presenting itself. In 1 breath people are outraged at layoffs and pay cuts. In another breath, people are restricting activities that open revenue streams to avoid such actions. You can't have it both ways

I really cant think of any danger in playing a soccer game in July or standing in the stands keeping to yourself watching a soccer game. 

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14 minutes ago, Ivan said:

This is happening in pretty much every NA pro sports league.  Not saying it's right, but happening everywhere.  

...because the profit motive that drives the capitalist system means that the rich dudes that own the clubs/franchises are going to try to trim their expenses to whatever extent is possible if they have more leverage than their employees do and will care not one iota if that means some of the players are only receiving $700 a month as Duane Rollins was tweeting a few hours ago. Don't like it then go and flip burgers will be the mentality.

People that try to view this stuff through a nationalist paradigm in which Canadians would somehow be different on this if they were all united as one big happy family against a negative external American influence are deluded. Capitalism has an inherent tension between the owners of capital and the wage slaves, because the interests of those two groups don't coincide.

It gets even more bizarre when people try to project their nationalist mindset onto others who simply don't see things their way and just want pro soccer to work well and succeed in Canada regardless of who is doing the sanctioning.

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6 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

People that try to view this stuff through a nationalist paradigm in which Canadians would somehow be different on this if they were all united as one big happy family against a negative external American influence are deluded. Capitalism has an inherent tension between the owners of capital and the wage slaves, because the interests of those two groups don't coincide.

It gets even more bizarre when people try to project their nationalist mindset onto others who simply don't see things their way and just want pro soccer to work well and succeed in Canada regardless of who is doing the sanctioning.

barack obama what GIF

Whats this "nationalistic crap" you keep talking about?

 

Edited by Ansem
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Owners have different interests from employees so "By Canadians For Canadians" wasn't going to suddenly be a formula that would have everybody involved living in perfect harmony happily ever after once the malign external influence of USSF sanctioning was removed from the scene. Better soccer generating a lot more ticket revenue, broadcast rights money and corporate sponsorship will be needed to give the players more leverage down the road. Until then good luck, you'll need it...

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Man it's simple economics. The players are getting paid to play soccer. They get paid because it creates revenue. There is no revenue being created. Everything is capitalism. Players, coaches, owners, popcorn person... its a good thing. Get off the internet nonsense 

If it's so unsavory the owners can just leave and the players can get the government to write yet another cheque. Good luck with that 

I've been playing soccer, high fives and all. Wow scandalous. Nobody getting tested, nobody cares

Edited by SpursFlu
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Whatever anger and mixed perception are out there, I will say this: the One Soccer pundits are on one page and Mediapro is on another. One thing is to let your journalists report and interpret what they want (and of course Kurt Larson is the biggest shill in the game), another is how you defend your investment. Mediapro separates the two. 

Especially since we see the major European tournaments are alive. Otherwise they might feel they are going to lose money and need to cut their losses, but as is, they are not getting killed although likely have lost something.

Mediapro has a long history of being generous and sweetening the pot when they have an investment at stake. They threw in something like 3 million euros to get a collective bargaining agreement signed for women's football in Spain, over and above the rights they were already paying. What I am saying: I could see Mediapro helping compensate the league to ensure some form of tournament is held and keep their product alive. Instead of writing off 2020 and this year's investment, and throwing it into 2021 and following, it may make more sense for them to adjust their 10 year payment schedule and advance future funds into this year, within reason, even if it means lesser quantities injected further along (we do not know the schedule of payments, so this is speculation).

The logical scenario is that the league and Mediapro have come to this solution to do a tournament. But the league has to get its act in gear and represent the project better, you can't just invent a new clause without consultation (and this performance clause is bogus, all basic contracts between players and clubs have them, leagues do not negotiate them). Even leagues with no player's union, maybe just an informal association, are negotating conditions and are in dialogue. Maybe time for CPL and Clanachan to learn about what that means: you can't be backed to the hilt by Mediapro, who are saving your butt and the owners' investment too, then go against the players and the fans..

 

Edited by Unnamed Trialist
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As some one else put it, its just good PR if nothing else.  Getting the people involved tested, is a no brainer for venture thats going to be in the public eye and have a lot of scrutiny on it.  

Maybe I'm just an old grouch, but why are certain people posting random goobers from twitter complaining about shit??  And then wanting to argue with us about it on here.  Argue it on twitter where the guy is posting....if I wanted to read idiots on twitter and reddit I would be there and not here.  If its pertinent info go ahead, but do we really need clutter our board with twitter crazies?

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Because random goobers from Twitter complaining about shit has become the gospel to a segment of our society 

Take it from someone who hasn't stopped working and been out in person working with businesses in my community for the past 2 months. I've worked with people never, who have re opened, who are reopening and will be reopening 

Here is the common denominator across the board. Consumer confidence is higher than expected, people's fear is lower than expected, peoples desire to act completely normal is higher than expected and people's perception of the situation is completely different than expected 

Why because if you sit at home listening to goobers on social media and watching the news you quickly become completely disconnected from reality. And now for some reason we have to try and rationalize with these goobers who half the time are just a bunch Robert's anyways

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40 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

He said it will cost 5.5 million to throw this mini tournament. Schill or not. Does anyone dispute this number?

Obvious question would be if the money the federal government is pumping in on salaries counts towards that number? Even with the 25% "trim", total salaries for the season will be in excess of $4 million.  If a streamed game is 50k to broadcast at Onesoccer's production standards as the long since departed Matty told us at one point you can easily be looking at $1.5 million that way before you get into a reality TV show following all eight teams. The number looks credible.

Edited by Ozzie_the_parrot
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53 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

He said it will cost 5.5 million to throw this mini tournament. Schill or not. Does anyone dispute this number?

You have to think that this year Mediapro check would cover the entire tournament if that's the case. 

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One thing not mentioned is if the proposed 25% cut is per game salary or the years salary.

If your playing 11 games in a short season and not the full 28 game season you would expect not to be paid your full yearly salary.

Troo-doh's wage subsidy goes till mid August only at the moment apparently.

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Rant Alert.

Just to borrow something Wallace tweeted.  

Testing protocols vary from province to province. #CanPL won't specify those protocols until a site has been agreed upon and the provincial rules can be followed.

Sounds reasonable enough doesn't it?  And it is.  From one perspective. 

From another perspective, say.... oh I don't know, lets go with "the players" while everything in that statement still remains true, it also says CPL has no covid protocals in place to protect their employees other then whatever provincial requirements are stipulated at that time.

In other words they're going to do THE BARE MINIMUM that's required of them BY LAW in their attempts to keep their employees safe during this very unusual venture.

Oh, goodie.  Isn't that what they were doing at that slaughterhouse in Alberta?

So you see the statement remains true for both perspectives but the take away is something entirely different.

Totally avoidable error.  Especially given the hyper sensitivity which has to be out there given the times.  Just for appearances and the peace of mind of your players state that while complying with all provincial regulations that you're going to echo the protocals in place for Bundesliga if they are more stringent.  Or EPL.  Whichever.  If it's good enough for the millionare footballers, it's good enough for our lads. 

How fu'king hard was that?  Nothing to see here.  Move along.  Lets speculate about the structure of the tourney and keep the conversations positive going into this as yet unannouced event.  But nooooo..  Couldn't do it.

I know things have to be stretched at CPL HQ, there will continue to be growing pains, but this is an unforced error.  One that will hopefully be put to bed very quickly because this tourney is a grand idea that could turn into a great success. 

      

 

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