Timing could not have been better to have a tentative agreement thwarting a possible CFL work stoppage. A late Saturday night agreement before a Monday exhibition game did cut it a bit close.
Presuming the deal will be approved, the goal is to clean up the PR mess created by the uncertainty cloud hanging over the 2014 season.
Watching the CFL on the field, even in the preseason, is a good start.
Having 9 teams requires a bit of fluidity, even in the preseason. So the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play 2 preseason games in less than a week, but have 12 days off before the first game. In fact, the opening night preseason game and opening night game features the same teams in the same location.
The Toronto Argonauts go 10 days in between the first and second preseason game on their schedule. Once again, the Argos will play its home preseason game at Varsity Stadium. If BMO Field had been created to fit the Argos as was originally intended, BMO Field would have been a great spot for the Argos preseason game.
The Ottawa RedBlacks don't have a home stadium ready even for a preseason game, so the team will play a "home" preseason game at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field in Regina. The fact that Ottawa is playing the Roughriders in its first (preseason) game back feels right. Wonder how much red and black we'll see in Regina.
Hamilton does not have its new stadium ready either, but will play its home preseason game at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. This will actually be the first CFL game in Hamilton of any kind since 2012.
Previous coverage:
CFL players deserve more, but CFL can't afford strike
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
TSN has a wider presence in the preseason, presumably a perk with the new TV contract. All but 3 preseason games will be on TSN or TSN2. The June 14 nighttime contests will be a TSN2 doubleheader. The only 3 games that aren't televised are the games at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton, Varsity Stadium in Toronto, and the Edmonton-Saskatchewan contest on June 20 that is playing opposite a TSN doubleheader that night.
U.S. viewers might be able to watch the preseason games on TSN video on demand. ESPN3 might make the games available, though that is highly doubtful. The CFL Web site will have condensed video for games that are televised.
We won't know details of a U.S. TV contract until the last minute, if traditional patterns hold. But a CFL agreement is the first step to getting that TV deal.
2014 CFL preseason schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Game | Time | Location | Canadian TV | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 9 | Toronto @ Winnipeg | 8:30p | Investors Group Field | TSN | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 13 | BC @ Edmonton | 9p | Commonwealth Stadium | TSN | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 14 | Montréal @ Hamilton | 3p | Ron Joyce Stadium | no TV | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 14 | Saskatchewan @ Ottawa | 6p | Mosaic Stadium | TSN2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 14 | Winnipeg @ Calgary | 9p | McMahon Stadium | TSN2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 19 | Hamilton @ Toronto | 7p | Varsity Stadium | no TV | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 20 | Ottawa @ Montréal | 7p | Molson Stadium | TSN | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 20 | Edmonton @ Saskatchewan | 9p | Mosaic Stadium | no TV | |||||||||||||||||||||||
June 20 | Calgary @ BC | 10p | B.C. Place | TSN | |||||||||||||||||||||||
All times Eastern. |
Week 1 Montreal-Calgary game on ESPN2, per website schedule grid.
Posted by: DZ | June 13, 2014 at 03:05 PM
I see the same thing. Not a huge surprise. Troy Smith and Chad Johnson might be enough of an incentive for ESPN2. That will be a good matchup. Nice catch.
Posted by: Chad | June 13, 2014 at 04:01 PM
Other ESPN2 games, per the ESPN app on my son's XBox Live:
7/5 Saskatchewan at Toronto
7/17 Edmonton at Winnipeg
7/24 Calgary at Edmonton
7/31 Winnipeg at Hamilton
Both of today's TSN2 preseason games are also on there. I'm going to try to catch at least a little of the Ottawa game.
Posted by: DZ | June 14, 2014 at 02:38 PM
Clarification: The preseason games are on the app, not ESPN2.
Posted by: DZ | June 14, 2014 at 02:40 PM
Thank goodness for the XBox Live. Appreciate the update. The July 31 game is set for ESPN; the rest for ESPN2. And yes, preseason on ESPN3: Internet not TV for the U.S. audience.
Posted by: Chad | June 14, 2014 at 06:52 PM