Canada has brought plenty of good into the world. Neil Young. Rachel McAdams. Degrassi Junior High.
The beer isn’t too bad either and the food ranges from the cheesy goodness of French-Canadian poutine to the sweet delicacies known as Beaver Tails.
Of course Canada also must bear the responsibility for unleashing the evil power of Justin Bieber, Celine Dion and Nickelback.
This time of the year, however, I’m thankful for another of Canada’s unique creations: the Canadian Football League or CFL. Note: if you speak French, which you probably don’t, it’s LCF.
The 2015 CFL season opened over the weekend and provided a nice alternative to the latest news about Deflategate and whether or not the Broncos really wanted to trade Peyton Manning to Houston.
With the NFL and NCAA football seasons a couple of months away and the Arena Football League not much more than a venue-filling gimmick, it’s great to have ‘real’ football back on Australian television screens.
Granted, Canadian football is different and if you haven’t seen it before, you might find yourself stopping every now and then and wondering just what the hell is going on.
First of all, the field itself is 10 yards longer and 12 yards wider. The end zone is 10 yards longer with goal posts on the goal-line.
There are 12 players instead of 11 and three downs instead of four.
Even stranger, more than one player can be in motion prior to the snap – and they can even move forward – which makes the second or two prior to the snap look messy and herky-jerky when compared with the NFL.
Other differences include defensive players needing to line up one yard back from the line of scrimmage, no fair catches allowed and a three-minute warning instead of two.
Quirkiest of all, there’s a one-point scoring option called a rouge (the French word for red) or a ‘single’. If a punt or a missed field goal cannot be returned out of the end zone, the kicking team gets one point. Or un point if you’re French-Canadian.
The rouge can create some wacky scenarios like this one, which looks a bit like rugby, since teams are allowed to punt it back and forth.
The CFL has been around since 1958 and is the highest level of professional football (gridiron style) outside of the NFL. The league currently has nine teams, four in the East Division and five in the West Division.
The names (Ottawa Redblacks notwithstanding) are delightful. Who can’t get behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats or Saskatchewan Roughriders?
Although a number of these franchises – eg: Montreal, Toronto, British Colombia – have private owners, a few in Canada’s west are community owned, a la the Green Bay Packers or teams in the Australian Football League.
Saskatchewan, founded in 1910, may be the oldest community-owned professional sports franchise in North America. The Roughriders play in Regina, the smallest market in Canada, yet draw a loyal fan-base from all over the province and even across Canada.
If that doesn’t impress you, how about a mascot called Gainer the Gopher?
The CFL salary cap is a paltry $5 million (Canadian) per team.
Rosters are littered with former American college stars, although teams must keep 21 ‘non-imports’ – Canadian citizens or those who have residency – on their roster.
It’s a fast-moving, wide-open game and because of that, it’s been an outlet for talented American players considered too small for the NFL.
Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie played for a number of NFL teams, but because of his height coaches never fully committed to him as a starter. The 5’10” Flutie became a superstar in Canada, winning three Grey Cups (The CFL’s Super Bowl) and six MVP awards.
Similarly Damon Allen – brother of Raiders’ Hall of Fame running back Marcus – couldn’t catch on in the NFL, but won four Grey Cups with three different teams.
The most famous American to play in the CFL was quarterback Warren Moon, who won five consecutive Grey Cups with the Edmonton Eskimos before NFL scouts were convinced he could play in their league.
Moon eventually ended up starring for the Houston Oilers and earning selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other well known Americans who played in Canada are Joe Theismann (he of the gruesome broken leg), Jeff Garcia and Rocket Ismail. Controversial running back Ricky Williams played for Toronto when he was suspended for the 2006 season for failing drug tests.
The CFL season runs from July to November, so it starts in the hot summer and finishes with the approach of winter, which in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan can be like playing at the North Pole.
Attendance, which was slightly down last season, is around the 25,000 per game mark. That puts the CFL ninth among worldwide domestic sporting leagues, ahead of Italy’s Serie A and just behind Spain’s La Liga.
So if you’re looking for a taste of football before the NFL gets started, give the CFL a try. You might find yourself thinking four downs is too many or perhaps you’ll start emailing Roger Goodell and asking him to add the rouge to the NFL rulebook.
CFL games can be found on ESPN here in Australia and this is the league’s website.
Now excuse me while I go crack open a Kokanee and put on some Arcade Fire.
Eric Nicholls
Guest
Well, there's still a Rugby league, but it's not as popular as the CFL or NHL.
Eric Nicholls
Guest
That's awesome dude. They are doing great this year. 2018. #GoStampsGo!
Eric
Guest
#GoStampsGo. They'll win the Grey Cup this year. No Levi Mitchell is a great QB, and Paredes is a great kicker.
Eric Nicholls
Guest
Great article. I live in Canada and I'm a big fan of the Stampeders. NFL is a copy of the CFL and not the other way around. Canadian football is older and strongly derived from Rugby.
chris
Guest
Would of been great if the Canadians had stayed with Rugby (be it Union or even League) as they would of been up there with the AB's, Boks and Wallabies on the international scene and would of been a great place tour for the British Lions.
ZoneCadet
Guest
G'day Ed, Love your work. So glad to see the CFL getting it's due, it has been through some tough times in the years I've been following it, which is from 1988, but through it all the games themselves, and therefore the players playing them, have always been competitive and entertaining. BTW, did you see Ryan Smith's grab i n Saskatchewan's game ? Not a bad effort in any league. Here's the link - http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/112283
Ed Wyatt
Expert
Crazy start to the season with so many QB's injured in the first week of play.
ZoneCadet
Guest
Roughriders !!!!!! I was an NFL fan since about 1973 but from the first CFL game I attended in 1988 I have been a fan ever since. It is a much better version of football than the American game. The fact that so many don't even know it exists only goes to show some things are worth looking for. Now if only Darian Durant hadn't got injured in the first game..........
Reegs82
Guest
Found myself watching it last weekend, previously I have only watched the Grey Cup when televised. I actually really enjoyed the two games I watched. I decided I had to chose a team, I told myself I could not look at records, Grey cup wins etc After doing all the math (looking at team colors), scientific evaluation (looking at logs), I decided due to being a Colts fan I would stick with Horse themed teams and chose the Calgary Stampeders, I considered the roughriders horse themed but I thought they sounded too much like a porno and or a condom brand. I am already prepared for the bandwagon barbs if the Stampeders go back to back and will also resist the urge to jump on the Roughriders bandwagon if they do win it and may have some regret about calling them a condom. STAMPEDERNATION FAN SINCE JUNE 2015
TimberTim
Guest
I also thank Canada for Trailer Park Boys, Rush, Hockey and calling $1 and $2 Loonies and Toonies.
Genre Slur
Guest
Long standing CFL fan here, and I feel it should be pointed out that, due to the three downs, and taking the rouge into account, appreciators of the sport recognise the primacy of the special (ie kicking/receiving) teams in the CFL. Think of the CFL as three-platoon football. Offense, defense, and special teams. The teams that win the Grey Cup invariably i) maintain field position control through the special teams, rather than through the offense, and ii) are the least penalized at the end of the regular season. So if you're watching a CFL game, pay attention to the special teams play, it's much more important in determining the outcome of the game. Also, watch kickers when they score a rouge for their team -- almost always, they're mad at themselves and the coach chews them out. It's known as 'giving up the rouge', as it penalizes your team by awarding the receiving team with very good field position. Most coaches would rather not get the rouge and give the other team very bad field position. The rouge is kind of a consolation prize, or think of it as a penalty you receive in the guise of a point -- it indicates the other team has a much better chance at scoring a touchdown or a field goal. P.S. -- gotta love my hometown team, the current Grey Cup champions -- Calgary Stampeders! #Horsepower #CFL
Christopher
Guest
For the record, Most real Canadians do not drink the garbage lagers that everyone thinks we do but at least they are better than most American beers..... But when you go to our football games there is a large selection of tasty Ales. I invite anyone to come up to Vancouver, enjoy a football game and some hoppy beverages from one of the more than 100 local micro-breweries.
ron bates
Guest
I figure 100k to 250k and up is pretty good pay ! Remember NFLers rather end up in wheelchairs or dementia than good sense !
ron bates
Guest
Considering the evolution of professional football in Canada began in the early 1900's and Grey Cups were in play about the same time the NHL's Stanley Cup was Rugby appeared in a more united front such as Ontario Rugby Football Union or the Quebec Rugby Football Union ! This was amateur football under one umbrella for administrative and competition reasons . Professional teams in West ,Western InterProvincial Football Union and the Big Four in the East . These Pro teams then played for the Grey Cup . As for the CFL it was decided in 1958 that for organizational reasons and TV rights this was the chosen route for the future . Voila c'est bien . Biggest crowd in CFL history the Big O Alouettes and Rough Riders (Ottawa)1978 . 68 k and change only the Olympics drew more for ceremonies in 1976 . The best game played in regular season sport according to the press . Roaring 68 k as Als won ! Many former US college stars and future NFLers on both teams . Canadians by the way from the True North are tough rugged and fit ! Just ask us ! Recent season has seen more image guys who don't fit and drop passes ! Okay mate Aussi's in Ottawa like their beer and our (their football CFL). The CFL has produced great citizens and business people and fans . So careful about quirky , check with us first . Problem we are facing the loss of top flight US coaches and fresh leg Canadians for at least one year deals . Canadian coaching replacements are confusing and creating offensive chaos, best is tightly controlled run game , executed blocking , with tight passing not hellium football ! Attendance goes way up , chaos driveas it down , you know have to watch our frontier troubles. rb
Stamps CFL
Guest
I love the CFL. The Stampeders are my team. Born and raised in Calgary. The game is exciting, fast paced, and just a great game to watch. These guys play for the love of the game and not the paycheck. They don't make the millions of dollars that alot of NFL guys do. I don't mind the NFL I watch the game a bit but CFL is my game
Minz
Guest
I find it heaps more watchable than NFL - less advertising breaks and less hype. NFL's great, but watching it live is a real drag, as even my next-door neighbour at a match once admitted, and he'd been an NFL season ticket holder since the 1970s! Cramming those 12 minutes of playing time into 4+ hours of... well, waiting time, mostly. CFL live is good fun, in accessible boutique stadia, and it's a much more fast-paced game.
Ed Wyatt
Expert
Good question. Quarters are 15 minutes long but I believe you only have 20 seconds to get the next play off, so a bit faster than NFL (but with one fewer down). The game is intended to fit into a 3-hour window. Emphasis on 'intended.'
Football
Guest
Hey Ed how much game time is played in the CFL? If in the NFL it can average around 12 minutes per game out of a 3 hour timeframe, is the CFL any different? Thank you
Ed Wyatt
Expert
Great comment about the three downs. I hadn't actually thought of that, but you're absolutely correct about the back-and-forth versus sustained drives.
kick to kick
Guest
Spent some time as a youngster in Canada and watched the game quite a lot. I like the relative openness and it seems less choreographed than NFL. I always found the 3 down rule frustrating though. It essentially means only two chances to advance the ball. The result is more regular swapping of possession - maybe that's in the Canadian character which is more egalitarian than to the south. But games can degenerate into a fragmented your turn/my turn tedium without the compelling sustained drives of the NFL.