CFL's bad decision

I know this is late in being writing but I was asked by a few people to start writing again, so I decided this would be a good topic. It’s another TSN rant – TSN aka the Toronto sports network! Someone from the CFL fell on their head and decided it was in the CFL’s best interest to have only 1 national network carry all the CFL games from 2008 to at least 2011. Of course who did they pick – the highly unreliable TSN. Now I will say that TSN puts together a way better product then CBC, BUT TSN has been known to move things around and not show what they say they are going to show.

Two examples come to mind right off the top of my head – an Edmonton Oiler/Calgary Flame game was dumped in 1996 in order to show the Toronto maple leafs Vs LA Kings in a battle for last place over all. The other and more important to this conversation was dumping a Labor Day Saskatchewan Roughrider/Winnipeg Bluebomber game in 2005 for NASCAR. Now I know there are a lot more examples then that, but this shows that they can not have exclusive rights to the CFL. TSN has way too many commitments to NASCAR, Baseball, CFL, NFL, NHL, dog shows and National Spelling bees that they can not show four games every single week. It just can’t be done.

TSN claims every game will be shown and I believe them however they have only 2 options, both will not fly with CFL fans. One is to have more games played during the week. I can see Hamilton in Saskatchewan on a Wednesday night – maybe 12,000 people show up for the game but TSN shows the game and it is blacked out in Saskatchewan. Reason is, people come from all around Saskatchewan to go to the game and they can not come in for a Wednesday game, but it’s not Toronto so who really cares? Right TSN?

The other option and I think this is what will eventually happen – they will tape delay the games. A game will be on Sunday at 2pm, but there is a NASCAR race so they will end up showing the CFL game at Midnight Eastern time. Now does that make any sense from a Professional sports stand point - NO! So why did the CFL do this to their fans? Money I guess, but for the next 3 years, after this season, it’s going to be touch and go for the fans of the CFL and the future of the CFL. Hopefully the new commissioner can put a stop to TSN's plans before they start!

I believe they could have done it better with either keeping CBC in the game for at least ½ the season or give some games to Rogers or the Score. Either way every game would have been shown live and they wouldn’t have to rework the schedule for mid week games.

That’s my point of view!