Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 4)
The CFL would love to start moving away from the league being a part of Canadiana and into the international stage.
It is a part of their goals with their new direction to make this an international game more than just something Canadians own.
They have tried that before and for smaller markets, it works well but for big markets, it falls on deaf ears.
They are looking to showcase the wide-open version of the sport that a bigger field provides and the pace that only three downs can drive.
Yet, all of this is what makes the CFL so unique in its own special brand of football that doesn’t follow the same rules as down south.
Three downs and a 20-second play clock help the game speed up and a wider field helps to open the play more than any other version of the game.
These unique parts of the game are what make the league so much different and as some would argue so much better than the other versions.
That uniqueness shone through this week when the BC Lions escaped Toronto with their first win in the most Canadian football way possible.
Both teams didn’t have the best performance but they fought it out to a tie in the fourth quarter.
The Lions began marching with time ticking down and with only a few seconds left lined up for a field goal.
It went through the uprights to give them the win until the referees announced an illegal procedure penalty on the play.
It forced them back to get another shot at the win and this time the kick went just left of the uprights.
In American football that would mean more football as overtime would be next after the missed field goal.
In Canadian football, things are a little different as the Rouge comes into play after a missed field goal.
The Argonauts were happy to see the ball go just left but they would need Chris Rainey to grab the ball and run it outside of the endzone to avoid the Lions earning the single point, or the Rouge.
Unfortunately for the Argos as Rainey went back to return the ball he paid more attention to the ball than where his feet were.
As he caught the missed kick he stepped on the back line of the endzone to give the Lions the single point and the win.
For some it brought up an old point, how can you reward a team for missing a field goal by giving them a point?
It seems counterintuitive to reward someone for failing to do what they were aiming to do but for Canadian football fans, it is commonplace.
The rule might not make sense on the surface but for a game that prides itself on unpredictability and surprises, it fits perfectly.
A rouge lends itself to a game where the uprights are placed at the front of the endzone rather than behind.
It forces the other team to play no matter the result as it is an easy thing to take a play off when lining up for the kick.
The possibility of the rouge takes that ability away as the opposite teams need to play in case they give up a point even on the miss.
It also can lead to some pretty electric plays as kick returns are some of the most electric plays in football and the rouge provides another opportunity for that return.
It adds another opportunity for excitement in the game and forces the teams to continue playing rather than just lining up and going through the paces.
The rouge is so uniquely Canadian and makes the Canadian Football League a unique league where the only thing that is sure is a surprise at some point in time.
The arguments against the rouge made their way across the internet after the Argos loss but there is no doubt that it is part of what makes the league great.
Unique rules like the rouge, three downs, bigger field, shorter play clocks and so much else have carved the CFL out their own space in the football world.
As much as the CFL moves away from the idea that this game is uniquely Canadian it will never shake that and that is a great thing.
The CFL will continue to expose this brand of football to the world with all of its strange rules and dimensions because that is what makes the game so great and so Canadian.
Fourth Down
More QB Woes
Bo Levi Mitchell was the latest to hit the Injured List this week after hurting his shoulder in Week 3. The Stampeders placed him on the 6-game injured list joining Zach Collaros and James Franklin on that list. Meanwhile, Montreal goes forward with Vernon Adams Jr. as their starter after Antonio Pipkin was hurt in Week 1. It has been a bad year for the quarterback but what it does bring is opportunity. The backups are now looking to take advantage of their chance to start games. Some will have no chance of keeping their spot when the starter comes back but to put something on tape in meaningful games is an opportunity that nobody should pass up.
An Impressive Showing
The Montreal Alouettes were a team that was clearly not going to be competing for the Grey Cup this year. They had struggled for years to find something to get excited about and struggled through multiple seasons. As this season began the story seemed the same as they could never get anything going through the first three weeks. They were set to face-off against Hamilton, a team with their sites on a trip to Edmonton this November, with almost everyone assuming a bad showing. Then came William Stanback who rushed for 203 yards and caught one ball for 49 yards. Stanback took over and helped the Alouettes to a surprise win that Als fans are hoping can lead to something special this season.
CFL 2.0 in Action Again
The CFL continues to invest in their future with the #TryFootball campaign launched this week. The campaign ties directly to one of the main points of CFL 2.0 in trying to get more amateur athletes to play the game. It is a serious concern for every football league as they are struggling to find players after concussions became a major story. The CFL is looking to encourage more kids to play using their own flag football league and better tackling techniques for young football players. If they can encourage kids to play the CFL can continue to be successful for years to come with plenty of athletes ready to play and love the game.
The Sport Addiction 