Possible work stoppage could hurt the CFL: analysts
Posted May 6, 2019 12:16 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2019 12:38 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – It’s that time of the year when football fans start to get revved up for the upcoming CFL season.
However, labour struggles between the players union and the league could put the 2019 season in jeopardy.
Late last month, 97 per cent of CFL players voted in favour of a strike if a new deal with the owners can’t be reached.
READ MORE: 97 per cent of CFL players vote to support strike
Peter Klein from Sportsnet 960 The Fan says any work stoppage can be disastrous for the league and its fans.
“You don’t want to show an already dwindling fan base that there can be life without the Canadian Football League and you can’t get people into the habit of doing something else on a Friday, Saturday night instead of watching the CFL.”
Klein notes that while the league is doing relatively well in the prairies, major markets like Toronto, Vancouver and Hamilton are struggling.
“Even Hamilton has had a bit of a rough go at times which has been a traditional CFL stronghold. The league has a lot of work to do outside of Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.”
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CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie says the two sides are trying to get a deal that is a win-win situation. He adds the league is also focused on building the game more in Canada specifically outside of the prairies.
“We’ve got to do more work in our big markets,” he said Monday during a stop in Calgary. “We’ve got to do more work in Montreal, Toronto, B.C. We have to find a way to reclaim some of that sports market in those big cities.”
When it comes to CBA talks, Ambrosie says he feels confident a deal will get done.
– with files from Sportsnet 960 The Fan and Kenny Mason
