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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watcgl!sahayman
From: sahayman@watcgl.UUCP (Steve Hayman)
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: USFL + CFL = North American Football League
Message-ID: <2251@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 02:35:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: watcgl.2251
Posted: Fri Jul 26 02:35:58 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Jul-85 03:15:31 EDT
Reply-To: sahayman@watcgl.UUCP (Steve Hayman)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 61
Summary: 


I remember something coming up back when the USFL first got going - there
were proposals that they merge with the Canadian Football League.  At the
time this was thought a silly idea since open-air Canadian stadiums are
not the best places to be playing football in March.

But now that the USFL is going to a fall schedule - why not a merger?
For those of you unfamiliar with the CFL, it consists of 9 teams
(Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan (Regina),
Edmonton, Calgary and British Columbia (Vancouver)) that play in big stadiums
with better crowds than the USFL draws.  The CFL season starts in
July and finishes with the Grey Cup in November.  Sort of a summer-fall
schedule.

Obvious problems include the differences in rules (the Canadian field
is larger, 3 downs etc etc) but, hey, if the USFL wants to distinguish
itself from the NFL it ought to adopt the CFL rules which are generally
acknowledged to result in a more exciting game.

The other BIG problem is that the CFL is a Canadian institution, not
to be tampered with lightly.  (Notwithstanding the great number of
American players in the league.  But then there aren't any decent
American players in the NHL :-) 

In 1974, when John Bassett (now of the T.B.Bandits) tried to bring a World
Football League team to Toronto, the government threatened legislation
to prevent this and so the Toronto Northmen became the Memphis
Southmen.  This is really a big stumbling block.  Any combined league
would have to be perceived as preserving the "Canadian" identity of the
CFL.

Said identity is somewhat of a joke - CFL teams are permitted a
certain number of 'imports' and 'non-imports' - not "Canadians",
'non-imports'.  Plus there are rules which make it difficult
for a native Canadian quarterback to win a position on the team
(apart from converting to a punter or something).

One solution might be for the CFL champion to play the USFL champion
in a sort of Super Duperbowl; both leagues could function independently
during the regular season.  Or maybe you wouldn't have full interlocking
play - play teams in your own country more often than the foreign teams.

This is just a thought.  The CFL is going to survive whether or not the
USFL lives or dies.  Plus I'm confident that CFL teams are of at least
equal calibre with most USFL teams.  Plus CFL teams have 'tradition'
and 'stability', two things that the USFL league lacks.

Well, net.sport.football, what do you think?  Would the North American
Football League work? Canadians - what could we do to keep the CFL
at least somewhat 'Canadian'?  Americans (particularly in USFL cities) - 
would you go to see (say) the Oakland Invaders vs the Toronto Argonauts?
(Note: The best team in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays, are the worst
draw on the road.)

Food for thought.
Go Concordes!   (the only CFL team with a former U. of Waterloo Warrior...)


Steve Hayman
U. of Waterloo
watmath!watcgl!sahayman