Is it better to have a CFL game tape-delayed than to not have a CFL game at all?
Our Canadian readers with cable that get every single contest (subject to local blackout) live probably laugh at that statement, but with the settlement of the NFL strike, U.S. fans of the CFL have to ask that question.
Over the weekend, we saw the NFL Network wait until the end of the weekend to air the Thursday and Saturday night telecasts. This looks to be a pattern, especially when the NFL preseason and season kicks into gear.
We saw what happened the first time the NFL Network showed a tape-delayed CFL game, and it was not pretty. And we will have another example this weekend when the next tape-delayed broadcast comes the late night of August 5 (early morning of August 6). Since the game is earlier that evening, having a short amount of time to turn the broadcast around decreases the likelihood of monkey business.
This assumes the NFL Network will stick to this schedule. Literally, stay tuned.
Last year, the NFL Network took August off from the CFL to show NFL preseason games, so having games in August is an improvement. The assumption is that after the first weekend of August 2011, tape-delay may be the only way to see the CFL on U.S. television.
Maybe you are one of those "Americans" who watch the game you want on ESPN3.com, not sweating whether the NFL Network will carry your game of choice, live or tape-delayed.
So how do you like to consume the CFL?
a) Watch the games in HD on the NFL Network
b) Watch the games on the computer on ESPN3.com
c) Both
d) Watch the highlights on cfl.ca/video
Let us know in the comments section on whether the NFL Network should handle tape-delayed games or just stick to live action.
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For those who went without football this weekend, you missed the Lingerie Football League (LFL) all-star game Saturday night. The league, tying into its expansion in Canada, held its all-star game at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario — the first LFL game ever in the Great White North.
The Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 24-18 before a sparse crowd at Copps Coliseum. The league has a brand new team in Toronto, the Toronto Triumph that plays at Ricoh Coliseum. The plan is to have 5 other teams along with Toronto to play starting next year.
Copps Coliseum would be small if Hamilton ever got a NHL franchise, so if the crowd was sparse, the attendance couldn't have been good. And I know this because I walked by the arena during my trip to Hamilton last year.
If the only Canadian team is in Toronto, choosing Hamilton was a surprise. And based on the crowd size, Hamilton could have been a better choice if it already had a team. And with 6 teams for next year, Hamilton wouldn't have been a top 6 choice.
The kicker to this story: the LFL has a TV contract with MTV2. And I even get MTV2 in HD, though I didn't tape the game on the HD channel because I didn't know I had it until after the game. The LFL, women in bras and panties playing football, has a better potential TV deal in the United States than the CFL. That is discouraging.
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Better late than never summed up this past weekend's coverage of the CFL. The Lions-Blue Bombers game featured a new announcing team. Hockey fans recognize Gord Miller's voice in the play-by-play chair. Good to hear Gord when the weather is really nice. Miller was teamed up with Matt Dunigan, a former CFL QB who usually works in the studio.
Dunigan gets a little excited in the booth, a trait not found in the reserved nature of the other TSN color commentators. In fact, Dunigan is almost the anti Glen Suitor, TSN #1 color guy.
Though Suitor's professionalism would have come in handy as Dunigan was rooting for a TD on a play. An audible burp was heard and Miller made it too clear that it didn't come from Dunigan. And we're leaving out Dunigan's admission of a fear of sharks (you had to be there).
Seriously, Dunigan had come out recently and admitted that he has suffered personality shifts linked to concussion symptoms. So we appreciate his enthusiasm and forgive most of his transgressions — no rooting in the press box.
The Calgary-Saskatchewan game appeared fuzzy, not quite in HD, early in the broadcast. Not sure if the problem was with TSN or the NFL Network.
We are critical of some of what the NFL Network has done in its coverage, but the channel did show the games without too many distractions. They showed them late, very late, but we didn't know the score. We want to see more cooperation as both the CFL and NFL seasons progress.
e) TSN.ca ?
(I haven't seen a CFL game in a few years, including the Grey Cup championship.) Over the air TV for me.
Posted by: CQ | August 02, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Can Americans get TSN.ca? I confess that I haven't tried. But since I get ESPN3, I hadn't considered other options.
If the Grey Cup isn't on TV, I might look into TSN.ca to see if Americans have that option.
Posted by: Chad | August 03, 2011 at 12:07 AM
We can get tsn.ca! The drawback is the games are on demand, so you have to (at minimum) estimate 3 1/2 hours after the kickoff to assume it ended. Hopefully by then TSN posted the video. The other drawback is if no one is willing to do you the favor of trying to find the game, TSN spoils it by posting the scores on the same page! Here's where to find it: watch.tsn.ca >>> video library >>> cfl games on demand >>> from here you pick a game. They label games by week, and once you pick a game you can select which quarter you would like to see. I always start with the first quarter, and it autoplays throughout the game. I've not had a problem with games being blacked out. I find it works so much better than ESPN3.
Posted by: Tim | August 03, 2011 at 01:35 PM
I will have to try TSN.ca since ESPN3 blows off halftime Grey Cup shows and has stupid promos in-between. Even if I have to sit through Tim Horton's ads, I'd be better off.
Posted by: Chad | August 03, 2011 at 04:23 PM
Interesting. I hadn't thought about the NFL lockout affecting my CFL viewing, but it occurred to me after seeing some highlights on SportsCenter that I hadn't seen any BC Lions games on my cable menu. I'll have to check that out too. I had perviously been able to watch a handful of Lions games on CSN NW or Versus or something, but I've looked into it and I'm not seeing the same thing this season...
Posted by: Jacob | August 06, 2011 at 01:09 AM
I think the NFL Network TV deal overrides the CSN NW deal. Not completely sure, but that is my hunch.
As long as you are living in the U.S., CSN NW is a nice way to go because it also shows a handful of Vancouver Canucks games. And if you live in Seattle, between the CBC telecasts and the CSN NW games, you have a decent amount of Vancouver NHL games.
Posted by: Chad | August 06, 2011 at 05:03 PM