The CFL ... worth watching today
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by InterMat
Here in the states, the NFL is king of all professional football. I believe college football is more exciting, more teams, better rivalries … but there’s something to be said about the Canadian Football League.
There’s a presence here on ArmchairGM, a CFL presence that you won’t normally find on any other sports blog, wiki, whatever.
It’s Sunday here in Lancaster County, Pa., and I spent the day dealing with Comcast issues with my high speed internet only to finally get things up and running around 11 p.m. Eastern.
During the day, I slept off a hangover and awoke to the local Comcast SportsNet station playing Saturday’s Edmonton Eskimos vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL game.
I used to love watching the CFL, mainly because of the Southern expansion that nearly brought a team to Norfolk, one of the seven cities in the Hampton Roads area which I grew up.
The problems over the Baltimore franchise’s name – Colts or CFL’ers, or whatever it was – was a story that thrust the CFL into mainstream sports media in the U.S.
The previous airings of the CFL were during NFL strike years and during ESPN’s early programming days, you know, when they showed sports rather than spelling bees, poker and hot dog eating contests.
Today’s game was an absolute blowout. The Roughriders scored at will, it resembled a mid-major college football game, but what I loved about it the most was the fan enthusiasm.
While it’s not as nutty as the Dawg Pound or Oakland Raiders games, I found the wide-open style of the game refreshing. No primadonnas, just guys out there playing football – in Canada.
I don’t expect the CFL to really collect a following here in the states, but it’s worth watching, because it sure as hell is better than Arena Football. I used to love arena ball, again, when it was on during the wee hours on ESPN with teams like the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the Chicago Bruisers. Gambling reject Art Schliester was the quarterback for the Detroit Drive and Cleveland Rockers, but the arena game is being pushed onto us by NBC, ESPN and whoever else thinks it’s cool
Hell, EA Sports even has Arena Football on its video game platforms.
The replay of today’s game actually spurned me to go finally purchase NCAA 2008 – only to find out I failed to wipe out the 2005 game’s data from the memory card.
The blowout resembled the first game I’d played, with my created alma mater, which of course didn’t save.
Wonder if EA Sports is ever going to throw out a CFL game. With the rules, the funky motion of the backfield, and who doesn’t like a rouge!
Basically, I enjoyed watching the game. Couldn’t tell you one way or the other who the players were, the broadcasters were above average – and I’d take them over Brent M. anyday.
If you’re unfamiliar, give it a look … it’s a better choice than watching “Frankenfish” or “Snakehead Terror” on Sci-Fi. And it’s better than arena ball.
Pointless rant over.
