Can you smell what the CFL and XFL are cooking?

Panic is unwise as leagues embark on partnership talks

Andrew Harris tears upfield for the Blue Bombers.

“Saskatchewan Roughriders for XFL champions in 2022.”

Just saying that phrase alone is enough to get people in Saskatchewan triggered. Since Wednesday, it seems there are a lot of fans, media members and non-practicing media members across Canada have been in a panic, when it comes to the Canadian version of the game of football.

On Wednesday morning, news broke that saw the CFL and XFL reveal they’re poised to begin serious discussions about a potential partnership. No one on either side would say who initiated the talks.

Both sides said they’ve agreed to collaborate on ways to grow football.

For supporters of Canadian football in circles, this revelation seems to be causing lots of panic attacks.

The CFL is a Canadian institution league that awards professional football’s oldest prize in the Grey Cup to its league champion. The Grey Cup was first awarded in 1909 to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

It has been awarded 107 times with the last coming on Nov. 24, 2019 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The three-down Canadian game has a storied and decorated history.

The XFL is the upstart United States spring time circuit that plays the four-down version of the game. The four-down version of football has obtained mythic status in the United States at the NFL, college and high school levels.

Despite the mythic status, spring football has had various stops and starts in the United States. The XFL existed first for one season in 2001 co-owned by World Wrestling Entertainment and NBC.

The circuit featured numerous gimmicks and the occasional use of WWE personalities on game broadcasts including Jesse Ventura, Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.

The championship game was dubbed the Million Dollar Game after the amount of money that would be awarded to the winning team. The Los Angeles Xtreme would win the lone championship in the only season that first version of the XFL played.

Legendary WWE kingpin Vince McMahon rebooted the XFL in 2018 under the ownership of his Alpha Entertainment company, which was run separately from WWE. The league would focus on faster and simpler play compared to the NFL but without gimmicks and entertainment elements from the WWE, which the original incarnation of the XFL had.

The rebooted more football focused XFL kicked off in February of 2020 and played five week collecting some fairly good reviews. The season was ultimately called off after Week 5 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Since the circuit was still a startup business, the league filed for bankruptcy on April 13, 2020. On August 2, 2020, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and longtime business partner and ex-wife, Dany Garcia, led a consortium with Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital to purchase the XFL for US$15-million.

Bo Levi Mitchell fires a pass downfield for the Stampeders.

According to the XFL’s website, RedBird Capital manages US$4-billion in assets.

Plans were put in motion for the XFL to return in 2022. After the announcement surfaced about partnership discussions with the CFL, the XFL put its plans for a 2022 campaign on hold.

Of course, the biggest panic attack for supporters of the CFL are fears that the three-down Canadian game will ultimately cease to exist. The fear in Canada is ultimately there will be a merger between the CFL and XFL resulting in using only United States rules.

The CFL has experienced eras of financial success and financial turmoil. It experienced heights financially in the 1950s and 1960s.

From the late 1980s through the entire 1990s, it seemed the league was in a spot where it was always on death’s door.

The circuit had resurgence in popularity from 2001 to 2014 and experienced relatively good financial times despite the fact the Ottawa Renegades were born and folded after their fourth season of existence in the 2005 campaign.

 Uneasy but not terrible financial times followed after the 2014 campaign as the CFL experienced slow erosion in popularity.

The CFL wasn’t able to get on the field in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Press reported the CFL’s nine teams are expected to lose a collective $60-to-$80-million for the lost 2020 campaign.

Currently, the eight-team XFL is led by a global star in Johnson. Johnson played defensive line in the NCAA ranks with the University of Miami Hurricanes before attempting to crack the roster of the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 1995.

He views Wally Buono, who is the legendary and now retired head coach of both the Stampeders and the British Columbia Lions, as a friend and mentor.

After being cut by the Stampeders, Johnson joined the WWE in 1996 and shot up to stardom as “The Rock.”

He embarked on a successful acting career and partook in various business adventures. He has over 223-million followers on Instagram and over 15-million followers on Twitter.

Johnson is viewed as brilliant. For the last 25 years, all he does is seemly succeed at every challenge he takes on.

While the CFL has a great history, there is a fear in Canada the XFL could dictate how things go in a partnership due to the financial resources Johnson can bring.

At this point in time, there still isn’t a lot of information about how this partnership will unfold. Football supporters in both Canada and the United States have to wait for the partnership to play out a little more before drawing conclusions.

Right now, most reactions seem to be coming from a heightened emotional state.

Roughrider OL Brendon LaBatte (#57) gets set to drill an opponent.

Just from a local standpoint here in Saskatoon, the time hasn’t come to go around asking University of Saskatchewan Huskies football head coach Scott Flory, Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, officials from Football Saskatchewan or officials from Saskatoon Minor Football if they fear the end of the Canadian game is at hand.

Some interviews with those individuals and organizations have already happened with regards to the CFL interacting with the XFL.

If anyone is realistic, there is a fair chance the CFL might ultimately not survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chances of the CFL getting government money for a bailout are likely not good, because it was dealing with business challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the CFL’s financial woes.

Partnership with the XFL might be the only way the CFL continues on in whatever version that might be.

CPL enters, Marquis Downs horse racing ends, other notes

Horses round the last corner at Marquis Downs in 2017.

How much does it cost to bring a Canadian Premier League soccer franchise to Saskatoon?

Answer: Saskatchewan’s only licensed horse racing track.

In all honestly, there was likely some sort of franchise fee to bring a CPL team to Saskatoon.

Still, Saskatoon’s sports scene still likely hasn’t processed the shock by the earthquake type of announcements that were made Friday morning.

On Friday morning, the CPL announced it has awarded exclusive rights to Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Incorporated to bring an expansion team to Saskatoon. Alan Simpson, who is a 63-year-old businessman from Regina, is the founder of Living Sky Sports and Entertainment and the leader in the effort to bring a CPL team to Saskatoon.

The deal in principle is contingent on Living Sky Sports and Entertainment building a soccer specific stadium that meets the league standards.

In another bombshell, Living Sky Sports and Entertainment identified the Prairieland Park grounds in Saskatoon as the preferred site of the new stadium.

The plan is to build the new stadium on the spot that is currently occupied by the Marquis Downs horse racing track.

Prairieland Park, which is a non-profit corporation, is on board with this plan and confirmed that horse racing at Marquis Downs had been permanently cancelled. Prairieland Park has moved to the point of entering a memorandum of understanding with Living Sky Sports and Entertainment to make the new soccer facility a reality.

Thoroughbred horse racing had taken place at Marquis Downs for 50 years from 1969 to 2019. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, and it was announced in late February the 2021 season would be cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, it is safe to say most in Saskatoon’s sports community did not expect all this news

Those in the soccer community are thrilled about these developments.

Those in the horse racing community are dealing with shock, disbelief and the feeling of being blindsided.

Prairieland Park has offered to pay compensation to horse owners in the form of $1,000 for each horse that ran three or more races in 2019. That is not going to do much for horse owners.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Simpson said Living Sky Sports and Entertainment is looking for a stadium that can accommodate 5,000 to 6,500 to start. CPL commissioner David Clanachan told The Canadian Press the plan for the new soccer venue in Saskatoon would see it capable of expanding to 10,000 to 12,000 in the future.

The hope is to have shovels in the ground in 2022 and the team begins playing in 2023. The CPL currently has eight existing franchises located across Canada.

In an interview with Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Prairieland Park CEO Mark Regier said Prairieland Park lost $590,000 on horse racing in 2019, which was the last full season held before the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said Prairieland Park and Living Sky Sports and Entertainment would both contribute to the cost of the new stadium.

Horses run down the front straightaway at Marquis Downs in 2017.

While this wasn’t outright said in any media reports, Prairieland Park would likely be able to use the new stadium to attract more and better outdoor concert shows for its annual exhibition and other moments throughout the spring, summer and fall.

These developments offered a lot to digest. They unfortunately bring an end to thoroughbred horse racing in Saskatchewan, because Marquis Downs is the only license horse racing track in the province.

A lot of people still attended races on Marquis Downs, so you shouldn’t expect the horse racing crowd to quietly go away. They will likely be vocal and do what they can to express their opposition.

As for building a new soccer stadium, questions will be asked if taxpayer money is eventually needed for this project.

People will note that the 5,000 seat Saskatoon Minor Football Field exists on the grounds of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex and the 5,743 seat Griffiths Stadium, which has held over 8,000 spectators, is on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan campus.

With those two facilities in existence, people will ask if Saskatoon needs another similar capacity sports stadium in the city.

Questions will come up if Saskatoon is getting too saturated with elite level sports teams. Saskatoon and surrounding area has a population of about 300,000.

Elite sports teams that call Saskatoon home include the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team, the Saskatchewan Rattlers basketball team, the Saskatoon Blades WHL club, the Saskatoon Hilltops CJFL team, the Saskatoon Valkyries WWCFL team and the 15 varsity teams that are part of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies program.

You also have stock car racing at that takes place at the Wyant Group Raceway, which is an annual stop on the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. You also have the Saskatchewan International Raceway auto sport facility, which is home to drag racing.

We haven’t even gotten into the various national championship competitions that make their way to Saskatoon from various minor sports on an annual basis in normal times.

If taxpayer money is needed for a new soccer stadium, it might be a hard sell for some Saskatoon residents who are already upset with the money spent on the Remai Modern Art Gallery and the proposed cost of a new downtown library.

When the City of Saskatoon committed $3-million in 2017 for the Merlis Belsher Place sports facility to be built on the grounds of the University of Saskatchewan, it was a divisive decision for the citizens of Saskatoon.

There are many residents in Saskatoon who believe local government officials have a spending problem, or local government officials spend money like drunken sailors enjoying leave time.

The voyage to build a new soccer facility in Saskatoon for a CPL team seems destined to hit very rough waters.

• On Friday, the WHL’s board of governors unanimously approved Shaun and Gavin Semple of the Brandt Group of Companies becoming the principle owners of the Regina Pats franchise. The Semples shared ownership in the team Anthony Marquart and Todd Lumbard before buying the latter two out. Shaun Semple becomes the Pats new governor replacing Marquart. Lumbard, who was the Pats alternate governor and president, will remain with the team in an advisory role.
• On Friday, the Portland Winterhawks announced they will be able to play the last 11 of their 12 home games in their abbreviated WHL regular season in Portland, Oregon, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is their regular home rink. The Winterhawks first official home game is actually being played at ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., on March 21 against the Spokane Chiefs. The ShoWare Center is the home rink of the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Winterhawks first game against at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum is March 26 against the Everett Silvertips.
• On Saturday, the Saskatoon Blades played in their first WHL regular season in over a year. Skating in the East Division bubble at the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Blades downed the Swift Current Broncos 4-2. Brandon Lisowsky, who is a 16-year-old rookie left-winger, scored his first two career WHL goals for the Blades in the win. The Blades selected Lisowsky in the first round and ninth overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft. Previous to Saturday’s contest, the Blades last regular season game was played on March 10, 2020, when they blanked the Warriors in Moose Jaw 6-0.
•  Of course the WHL was buzzing on Friday when 15-year-old phenom centre Connor Bedard made his regular season debut with the Regina Pats in the Regina bubble. The North Vancouver, B.C., product scored twice with his goals coming 48 seconds apart in a 6-3 setback to the Prince Albert Raiders. He is the first player to be given exceptional player status to play in the WHL. Bedard’s first goal on a coast-to-coast rush was a thing of beauty.

🚨 Here’s the history maker

Connor Bedard’s first in ⁦@TheWHL⁩! pic.twitter.com/Wxh2JPChH9

— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 13, 2021

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Riley’s day – Huskies OL goes seventh overall to Roughriders

Mattland Riley will be looking to open up huge holes for the Roughriders.

    Mattland Riley will become the latest to live out the Saskatchewan football dream, and he totally deserves that opportunity.

    On Thursday, the Melfort, Sask., product and left guard with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team was selected in the first round and seventh overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Draft. 
    Riley’s selection helps the Huskies uphold their reputation as “O-line U” as the storied U Sports program has a history of sending numerous offensive linemen to the Canadian professional ranks over the years.

    The 23-year-old becomes the latest player to go on the journey of growing up in a smaller Saskatchewan learning the game of football there, moving on to the university ranks and finding his way to the province’s CFL team.

    Riley, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 300 pounds, played high school football in the nine-man ranks with his hometown Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate Comets before joining the Huskies in the U Sports ranks.

    Over the past two seasons, Riley piled up the individual accolades with the Huskies.

Mattland Riley has been an elite pass protector.

    In 2018, Riley was a Canada West all-star and a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. He helped the Huskies win the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions.

    In 2019, Riley was again named a Canada West all-star and a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. The Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3 record and advanced to the Hardy Cup title game falling 29-4 to the eventual U Sports champions and Vanier Cup winners in the University of Calgary Dinos.

    Riley, who has used four years of U Sports eligibility, has all the physical tools to succeed at the professional level. He is really skilled at using his hands to tie up the hands and arms of on-rushing defensive linemen.

    The engineering major has smarts too.

    On top of all that, Riley is pretty down to earth, easy going and enjoys each day as it comes. He is pretty humble and never likes to have himself put in front of his teammates as individual awards pile up.

    When he arrives with the Roughriders, he is going to find he has a lot in common personality wise with veteran star offensive left guard in Brendon LaBatte, who grew up in Weyburn, Sask. The main difference between the two is LaBatte likes to race fast stock cars and does that as a hobby.

    Riley is one who legitimately puts the team first. He knows that if the team succeeds he will ultimately find success.

Mattland Riley, right, was a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.

    He always notes he plays along with some really good guys on the Huskies offensive line.

Riley will also get to renew some old football ties and seen an old friend when he begins working out with the Roughriders.

    In late November, the Roughriders signed offensive lineman and fellow Melfort product Logan Ferland to their main roster. Ferland was on the Roughriders practice roster last season and played his fifth and final CJFL campaign at left tackle with the Regina Thunder.

    Riley and Ferland were former teammates on the Comets and will now get to reunite in the professional ranks.

    While the spectre of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hangs over the world having shutdown most walks of life in Canada, Riley has continued to work out at home turning the spare room at his place into a weight room.
    On Thursday, he got to enjoy a great day as all the hard work he has put in and continues to put in has resulted in the chance to live out the Saskatchewan boyhood dream, because he will have a chance to play for the Roughriders.

Mattland Riley, right, is at locking up a D-lineman’s hands.

    Overall, Riley was one of five Huskies player to be selected in the CFL Draft. Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected in the fifth round and 46^th overall by the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

    Receiver Sam Baker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, was picked in the sixth round and 48^th overall by the Toronto Argonauts.

    Right tackle, Nick Summach, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 330 pounds, was selected in the seventh round and 57^th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos. Summach’s selection helps further cement the Huskies reputation as “O-line U.”

    Utility player Colton Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds, went in the eighth round and 69^th overall to the Montreal Alouettes. Klassen made an amazing recovery from a season ending broken right leg.

    Defensive end Tom Schnitzler, who played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and is an alumnus of the 22-time CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops, was selected in the eighth round and 72^nd overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Schnitzler, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, is an accomplished long snapper too.

Mattland Riley (#55) has enjoyed being part of the Huskies O-line.

    The University of Regina Rams had two players picked in the CFL Draft.

    Offensive lineman Theren Churchill, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 280 pounds, went in the first round and ninth overall to the Toronto Argonauts.

    Offensive lineman Andrew Becker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds, was selected in the sixth round and 49^th overall.

    The British Columbia Lions traded up to get the first overall selection from the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL Draft. In a trade that was announced at the draft, the Lions sent the third and 12^th overall selections to the Stampeders for the first overall pick and 15^th overall selection.

    With the first overall pick, the Lions selected linebacker Jordan Williams, who stands 6-feet and weighs 230 pounds, from the East Carolina University Pirates football team in the NCAA Division I ranks.

CFL seeks financial aid from federal government, other notes

Will the COVID-19 pandemic crush the CFL?

    On Tuesday evening, The Canadian Press broke a story the CFL was looking to the Canadian federal government for financial assistance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    After The Canadian Press broke that story, it blew up on all of Canada’s mainstream media outlets. It was even covered by FOX News in the United States.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact COVID-19 has had on league business. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.

    The CFL isn’t the only sports organization looking for financial assistance from a government in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, the British Columbia Hockey League, which is a junior A circuit, asked the provincial government in B.C. for financial aid.

    On Tuesday, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, which is a junior B circuit that has 19 out of its 20 located in B.C., said in a release it will be seeking financial assistance from both the B.C. provincial government and the Canadian federal government.

Will fun times like this return to Mosaic Stadium in Regina?

    On Wednesday, it came out the Canadian Premier League, which is an eight-team professional soccer league, is asking the Canadian federal government for $15-million in financial aid.

    Also on Wednesday on the profession basketball front, Devin Heroux of CBC Sports reported the Canadian Elite Basketball League is looking for a $5-million loan from the Government of Canada to help with finances.

    I have no problem with the CFL going after financial assistance from the Government of Canada. I believe the CFL is a Canadian institution that needs to be preserved.

    I could see the CFL folding if it doesn’t have a season in 2020 and doesn’t receive financial assistance.

    Actually, I do not have a problem with any sports league, sports entity or non-sports business seeking out financial assistance from the Canadian federal government of any of Canada’s provincial governments.

    In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, all these governments have ordered shutdowns and prevented all of these entities from doing business. The ability of any of these outlets to bring in revenue has been extremely hampered due to no fault of their own.
    It is highly unlikely any of these sports leagues, sports entities or businesses would be asking for aid if a pandemic didn’t happen. 

Will Canadians like Evan Johnson (#64) be able to show off their skill.

    If the pandemic didn’t happen, all of these entities would go on with business as usual and be healthy.

    They weren’t mismanaged, and they didn’t ask to be forced to shut down by governments.

    If you shut down the entire whole non-essential work sector in society, there will be massive consequences, and these financial aid requests are part of the consequences.

    On Wednesday, Global News national telecast said Statistics Canada had complied data with the cooperation of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the numbers aren’t good.

    In that story, Statistics Canada said 53 per cent businesses surveyed reported revenue decreases of 20 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three month of last year.

    Statistic Canada said one-third of businesses surveyed reported revenues dropped by 40 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three months of last year.

    Out of the businesses surveyed, 41 per cent of businesses have been forced to lay off some employees. In the accommodation and food services sector, 24 per cent of those businesses surveyed said they have laid off all of their workers.

Will Zack Evans, right, be able to keep playing in his home city?

    I suspect if you take out what happened in January and February out of that Global News report the gloom of those numbers would be worse.

    I have no problems with sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses asking for financial assistance from governments in these COVID-19 times. I also realize that there is only so much money to go around.

    Unless the governments of Canada elects to throw open the economy for business as usual, it is hard to optimistic about what could happen to these sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses on the business front.

    One thing is for certain, I can’t see life in Canada returning to what it was on March 10 of this year before all the shutdowns happened until after a lengthy stretch of time passes.

• On Wednesday, Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press wrote a story that quoted a trio of people involved with the now defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League being upset about men’s professional sports leagues asking for financial assistance. The CWHL folded on May 1, 2019 due to financial difficulties. The article quoted others who worried this will widen the gender gap in sports. Spencer’s piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup hockey tournament, which is an under-18 national team best versus best event, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup was set for Aug. 3 to 8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
• On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede summer festival scheduled for July 22 to 25 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, the Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riding event slated for June 12 to 13 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, it was announced the Saskatchewan Summer Games set to run July 26 to Aug. 1 in Lloydminster have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now slated to be held in Lloydminster July 18 to 24 2021.
• On Monday, the Saskatoon Blades signed offensive defenceman Tanner Molendyk to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Blades selected the McBride, B.C., product in the first round and fifth overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Wednesday, the Prince Albert Raiders signed defensive defenceman Terrell Goldsmith to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Raiders selected the Fort St. James, B.C., product in the first round and 15^th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Thursday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team announced that 21-year-old forward and Saskatoon product Dawson Holt has committed to the team. Holt played for four and a bit seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2014 to 2019. Last season, he started the campaign in the WHL with the Regina Pats before joining Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in the junior A ranks.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.