The #CFL has released a statement on the Elks-Argonauts game on Thursday:https://t.co/A2261sL7aJ
— CFL (@CFL) August 23, 2021
The CFL is truly eastbound this week with the furthest west game being in Winnipeg.
The Elks were scheduled to travel to BMO Field to play the Argonauts on Thursday Night Football. The Elks had as many as 12 positive COVID-19 tests.
Friday night has an all-east matchup of the Tiger-Cats in the home opener in La Belle Province. U.S. viewers can find that game on ESPNews.
The lone Saturday contest is the Ottawa home opener, welcoming the BC Lions. This marks the return of Rick Campbell back to Ottawa, being the first coach in RedBlacks history and winning a Grey Cup in 2016.
Calgary will be in Winnipeg for a rare Sunday night game. ESPN2 will have the TSN simulcast.
The Roughriders get to relax in the late August sun.
ESPN2
Sunday
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 7p
ESPNews
Friday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7:30p
TSN
Thursday
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7:30p
Saturday
BC @ Ottawa, 7p
Sunday
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 7p
Bye week: Saskatchewan
The CFL will try to reschedule the Edmonton-Toronto game. If the game is rescheduled before the next CFL update, we will include that here.
You can tell in some of the message boards that some people aren't reading the whole of the CFL COVID-19 policy. The league will try and reschedule games. A situation with the NFL Pittsburgh team last fall shows a league can be patient with rescheduling.
Edmonton ranks in the 7 position in being vaccinated in the 9-team league.
You could find an odd situation where Toronto could get a forfeit win and yet not get paid for the game. Edmonton would be in danger of losing AND not getting paid if there is a forfeit. If Toronto is not at the level, they would win a game but not get paid. Presumably, the team could make up for lost time and be fully vaccinated before a decision is reached.
There is also a question about whether charter flights — how CFL personnel get to other cities — will be subject to new rules prohibiting unvaccinated people from traveling by airplane. An East Division divisional battle would be easier to travel by bus with shorter distances.
We are starting to see new requirements for the CFL and NHL for everyone in the stadium to either provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to get inside the stadium. Edmonton and Saskatchewan are the only CFL teams without a vaccination proof plan. That may change soon.
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The theme for last week's games was the team that wasn't expected to do well did quite well.
Edmonton was 0-2 going into Vancouver and won. Calgary was 0-2 and won at home against the Alouettes. Toronto was the underdog at home to Winnipeg and came away with a win.
Vernon Adams Jr. went into Calgary with a 3-0 record against the Stampeders. The Alouettes were going up against American quarterback Jake Maier instead of Canadian Michael O'Connor or regular starter Bo Levi Mitchell. Yet Calgary won its first game of the season.
Jimmy Camacho was perfect as the new BC Lions kicker. The Lions lost its home opener to Edmonton as both Alberta teams finally got into the win column.
Nick Arbuckle looked comfortable in his first start in the double blue at BMO Field. Zach Collaros, who started his CFL career in Toronto, never looked comfortable.
Even though Ottawa came into the game in Regina with a 1-0 record, the favoured Saskatchewan Roughriders won another home game.
Saskatchewan is the only undefeated CFL team at 3-0. Hamilton is the only winless team at 0-2.
Dane Evans will start for the winless Tiger-Cats as Jeremiah Masoli is nursing an injury.
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You have to wait until tomorrow but single-game betting will be a reality in Canada starting Friday. Previously, Canadians could bet on multiple games but not on a single game (legally).
This stems from Bill C-218 that was passed and reached royal assent this summer.
We have seen a lot more gambling information in the CFL on TSN telecasts this season. Old-timers might scoff, noting that CBS had Jimmy the Greek on NFL Today talking about odds. The NFL on NBC responded eventually with its own expert, Pete Axthelm. The gambling setup is more complex these days.
Your humble narrator is nervous about this rising talk of gambling. There was talk that single game betting would be a needed financial boon for the CFL. Not clear how that works specifically. Maybe someone can explain how that helps out the league.
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The CFL expanded beyond the Prairies into areas of Canada with attendance limits. The BC Lions could only seat 12,500 and they hit that limit. The Toronto Blue Jays could have as many as 15,000, except that the Ontario limits factored in everyone in the stadium, not just fans.
The Toronto Argonauts, on a warm day, drew 9,866. We know the issues the Argos have had on attendance. Just seems like after being without the sport in 2020, fans would jump at the chance to catch a game. The Canadian National Exhibition, normally around this time of the year, offered Argos fans a treat since an Argos ticket would get them into the CNE for free. Of course, there is no CNE in 2021.
Until that 15,000 Ontario threshold changes, those apply to the Ottawa RedBlacks (Saturday) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Labour Day).
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Glen Suitor has called 8 of the first 12 games this season compared to 4 for Duane Forde. That dynamic should shift with more games to come in the east. Matt Dunigan is still in the United States.
Dustin Nielson and Suitor got a chance to talk with Amar Doman, the new BC Lions owner, during the game in Vancouver Thursday. Doman got the sense that work needs to be done on getting more fans out to the games, especially from the South Asian community.
Rod Smith and Suitor were in Calgary on Friday and Regina on Saturday. Nielson and Forde were in Toronto on Saturday.
Matt Dunigan wasn't on the panel on Thursday. That is usually a signal that he would call a game but that did not happen this time.
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