We’ve received a few email from readers asking us about Canadian Football (CFL) so I thought it would be good to introduce you to the great game played north of the border as a lead up to the launch of CFL football on the Fanyard this June.
First of all, CFL stands for Canadian Football League and has 8 teams divided into two regional divisions. While Canadian and America football are similar, the CFL is not a spin off of the NFL. It is a distinct game that for most of it’s history, has been played only in Canada (albeit there was a brief attempt at a US expansion). In fact, both games have their origins in Rugby that was introduced to North America by the British before we kicked them out.
CFL logo
Wikipedia has a great article on the history of football in North America and the specific differences between Canadian and American Football but in brief, CFL teams use 12 players on the field rather than 11. The field is longer and wider at 110 yards with two 20 yard end zone and 65 yards wide. There are 3 downs rather than 4 and only 20 seconds to put the ball in play, which speeds things up considerably.
Multiple players being allowed to run up field before the snap makes the game fast on the bigger field. Canadian football games tend to be faster than American football with lots of running and passing. If I were to make any comparison, I would say that CFL has more in common with American College Football, with smaller players and more emphasis on speed.
What’s really great about Canadian Football, aside from that fact that is it a great game to watch, it starts in June! That’s two extra months of football for anyone who’s counting. I would encourage all football fans to give the CFL a watch this season. The bad news is unless you live close to the border, you will unlikely be able to find a CFL game on TV. Some games are available on ESPN360, Voom HD, and America One, but not all of them. If you are a broadband internet user, you can signup at TSN (Canada’s version of ESPN) and watch the games live on the internet at TSN.
I for one am looking forward to football in June. Have any information about the CFL that you would like to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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CFL is exciting to watch. Having only 3 downs takes some getting used to but we watched many games last year on ESPN360.
Hey, good overview. I’ll try and catch a game and see if you are right about the action.
NFL & ESPN conspiracy?
«We the fans of the ‘Canadian Football League’ who reside in the United States are voicing the need for a television contract which would allow us to see games live, the way they were meant to be seen.
We are asking the ‘Versus’ network to give serious consideration into starting talks with the CFL for the purpose of aquiring the U.S. broadcast rights for the upcoming 2009 season.
The CFL has many loyal fans in the United States who feel deprived of watching the kind of professional Football they truly love! »
These words come from a petition of CFL’s American fans. They can’t see any more Canadian football in the US. Very strange, this thing should be investigated. If Canadians can see the NFL games in Canada, the U.S. Canadian football fans should have the same rights in the United States. ESPN did very little promotion if not, like it was already planned. Just before the 2008 CFL season started and after the negotiation between the CFL and the NFL failed, ESPN stopped the broadcast of the CFL games not only in the US but also in Europe right after they bought NASH! Is that a coincidence?
ESPN broadcast the NFL games that are a fact. The question now is does the NFL wants to kill the Canadian football league? The very hungry money NFL needs to expend. 8 billions it’s just not enough! Avidity yes like the crash! No respect for the culture of a nearby and friendly Country. The first North American football game was played in 1860 in Montréal. 2008 was the 96th Grey Cup. Yes Canadian football is very old. The oldest football team in North American is the Toronto Argonauts 1871.
After the disaster of the NFL in Europe, the two London games and the Arena football witch many teams are owned by NFL teams. The NFL seeks a new target, Canada. But they are some resistance. In spite of an enormous advertising campaign, the two Bills games in Toronto was a fiasco at least 32,000 tickets had been given away and still it was not a fool house. Plus the two games where awful to watch. The football fans could easily see the different between a faster and more open game of the CFL and the ones they saw from the NFL. It was obvious. Lots of Canadians love the CFL. So, it seam’s to me, the best way for the NFL to assure a place in Toronto first and elsewhere in Canada is to kill the CFL. The NFL as the money and a very strong allied in Canada Rogers Communications. The anti CFL propaganda in Canada is very aggressive. NFL does big time propaganda in the Canadian Medias.
I also started asked myself whether the NFL regards the CFL as a rival. That seems idiotic at first but when you think it more deeply… For example, when the CFL had a team in Baltimore. CFL had a great success. Many believed this is the real reason why this city as now a NFL team, it was to stop the CFL. In 2007, the CFL was available in more and more us fans on TV. Then it stopped abruptly.
Many believed the CFL is a more exiting game. Is it in the NFL interest that the American football fan all around the US knows that? If the CFL was correctly promoted and easily seen, I’m not sure that the NFL will appreciate. Alter all it is business. So it will be much easy if there will be only one type of football the NFL for future expansion. One other thing, the arena football is gone, so there is less football for the US fans. Common sense would have been to show CFL games on TV. It is very suspicious it needs an investigation. Now if there is a conspiracy than it as to be stop!
Good response CFLman
Thank you admin
I like to say it’s a very good and honest overview of the CFL by Walt.