Thursday Morning Sentimonies: Playoffs?!?

What a week to take a couple days off!

I had planned to give an overview of the Riders’ draft picks but that will have to wait until Monday because Stewart Johnston (a guy who somehow is making people walk back their hatred of Randy Ambrosie) came out with another bombshell to rock the CFL world. 

First let me explain something that I think is super important to understanding Stewart Johnston and what he is doing. There is another commissioner I know who is universally reviled by fans… Gary Bettman. You know who loves Gary Bettman? The NHL Owners. Why? Because he makes them crazy amounts of money. No one at the NHL gives two craps about whether the Commissioner is liked as long as he makes money. 

Enter Stewart Johnston. As CFL Commissioner he exists to do what the owners tell him. And I can assure you that that owners have not told him to work on being viewed as a likeable guy. The owners have told him “make us more money”. 

That is the entire context of the playoff format change… $$$$$. More playoff games means more ticket sales and most importantly more games to market to broadcasters and advertisers. It’s the same reason the NFL expanded their playoff format. Playoff games make money and more games equals more money. No matter what anyone says, this and this alone is the reason for the change. 

Now do I personally like it? 

Like most people I don’t love that all but one team makes the playoffs. It cheapens the regular season and will mean that a 5-13 team can make the playoffs despite sucking for the entire regular season and still have a shot at a championship. If you miss the playoff now the head coach of that team should need to parade through the streets while people yell “Shame” like on Game of Thrones.

 

I don’t mind the page playoff system (non-curling fans will need to Ask Jeeves, anyone under the age of 30 will first need to google Ask Jeeves, maybe try Alta Vista). I like the reseeding to ensure the top seeds always play the lowest seeds. The advantage to finishing 1^st is greatly reduced (2^nd is almost as good) but the risk of a top team being one and done is removed so that part is ok.

So while I am generally a traditionalist and would have been fine with the old system I am open to given this a try. But as I mentioned in the opening the only measure of success for this will be $$. If it makes the league more then Stewart Johnston will gladly let you call him all the bad names in the book as he lights cigars with $100 bills. Whether Johnston will be right in the end I do not know. But I do know doing nothing different will make the League $0 so the owners are more than will to risk it.