The city of Toronto, Canada sits at an interesting point in its sports history. The city seems to be transferring its support from its traditional sports hero's to another franchise. That is not to say any teams support is waning, rather simply the dominant team of the city is rising. #WeTheNorth has taken over the city of Toronto, dwarfing the support that even the city's beloved Toronto Maple Leafs have enjoyed. The Blue Jays have not made the playoffs since '93, Toronto FC remains as a smaller (though fanatically) supported team, and the Argonauts sit as Rob Ford's favourite team, though not supported by many. It is the Raptors that have risen to prominence and now command the hearts of the city.
There are many reasons for the recent rise of the Raptors, not the least of which is the accessibility of the game of basketball. Hockey is an expensive sport, practiced primarily in the northern hemisphere, and though still revered in Canada it does not have the same reach. Basketball features a global reach, with strongholds in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. Combine the fact that basketball is a global game with the growing cultural mosaic that is Toronto and it becomes abundantly clear that it is one of the major reasons why the Raptors enjoy the fan support they do, despite the highest playoff ticket prices in the entire league.
The Raptors have a fan reach beyond Toronto that no other sports team enjoys in the city. The Raptors truly are Canada's team, with fan support stretching from east to west. There are to many hockey teams in Canada for the Leafs to be considered a national team, and the Blue Jays find some of their support compromised by people in British Columbia who are more invested in the success of the closer and more local Seattle Mariners. The Raptors share no competitors for Canada's hearts when it comes to basketball, the elimination of the Seattle SuperSonic's ensuring the west now supports as well. The Raptors play a global game, and are unchallenged on the national level, making them the kings of Canadian fan support. It should also be noticed that the prevalence of Canadian players throughout the NBA is impressive, as both of the previous two years number one draft picks have been Canadians, further spiking Canada's interest in the sport of basketball. Drake's influence on Canada's interest in basketball cannot be underrated either.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the Raptors claiming the hearts of the city though, is that the team has became successful. Toronto is dying for a winning sports franchise. Each team's fan support is keen to rally around any inkling of success. When the Blue Jays strung together twelve straight wins Toronto went crazy, as the Maple Leafs began to climb out of a 3-0 hole against the Boston Bruins the city had to shut down streets due to fans partying, this is a city crying out for wins and perhaps there is no team in a better position than the Toronto Raptors.
The Eastern conference is weak, with only Cleveland and Chicago standing out as the two front runners of the east. Toronto is once again primed to make a push to be third place in the conference, putting it in excellent playoff position. Toronto returns with a near identical team in a league where the importance of continuity cannot be undervalued. A potential all-star back court in Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan, key big men in Jonas Valanciunas, Patrick Patterson, and Amir Johnson, and a outstanding bench, this is a team that is primed for success. This success is why the city rallies around the Raptors with such passion. They have the chance to be the great team that this city has longed for. The Leafs haven't won since '67, the Jay have been out of the playoffs since '93, and TFC is still a growing franchise. It is the Raptors who have reached their prime. The fanatical support for the team during last years playoffs made national news in the United States. People have taken notice of the Raptors Once the forgotten franchise of Toronto, now the crown jewel of the city.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
A CFL team CAN compete with the NFL
As an avid fan of the Canadian Football League, I am constantly bombarded by comments declaring the CFL to be a cheap bastardisation of the glorious game of football practiced in the United States. What inevitably follows is a discussion of how successful a CFL team would be competing against an NFL team. I'm here today to make the argument that a CFL could compete...under the right circumstances. My obvious love for all things Canadian aside, (except Celine Dion...just not a fan) it is entirely plausible that a mediocre NFL team could be bested in a game of Canadian football by the greatest team in all of sports, the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
The obvious differences between the two leagues comes in the form of its rules. The CFL plays with 3 downs, a longer and wider field, more players, and a slightly different scoring system. I can tell you right now that if the game were played under the rules of the National Football League that a CFL team would suffer a similar fate to the 2008 Detroit Lions (read: winless) BUT under CFL rules, I would contend that the CFL teams would be competitive...and dare I say it, victorious.
The major difference comes in the skills required to be successful under CFL rules. The large field and reliance on passing offence changes the game completely, particularly when it comes to defensive players. Players in key positions are required to be more mobile and athletic, with the ability to cover a larger amount of the field. This is particularly true of the linebacker and linemen positions. The NFL features men who resemble the shape of mountains attacking each other in close quarter trenches, it is an awesome sight to watch, but their skills would not transfer over to CFL rules. Both key positions defensively require players to have greater foot speed, as well as the ability to cover the larger field completely. CFL defenders tend to be more athletic, not necessarily as big, but far more mobile and explosive, and also with better catching ability. In the NFL, a wide reciever matching up against a linebacker is typically considered a mismatch, in the CFL it is considered a typical defensive play.
While much is made of the NFL's titanic athletes, it is easy to see why those same titans would be gassed physically following a CFL game. Rosters are far smaller in the CFL, which means the players are required to do multiple things at multiple positions, playing for longer at high speeds than NFL players could manage. The shortened amount of time set between plays also contributes to the elevated stamina level in the CFL. Canadian football is not a game for the faint of heart, and those who can't keep up will quickly be left behind. Smaller rosters also means that the CFL athletes typically bring a slightly larger range of skills, given that they cannot expect to specialize in one particular position. The changes in skills and athletics needed is what gives Canadian teams a chance under CFL rules.
On offense the run driven offenses of many NFL teams would also lead to a hard adjustment. Its not coincidence that the all time professional football leader in passing yards comes from the CFL (Anthony Calvillo - Montreal Alouettes). The average NFL running back gains about 4.4 yards per carry, a very effective number under a four down system, unfortunately though not not enough to gain a first down under Canadian rules. Also the fact that a typical CFL offense runs out of a shotgun formation would contribute to a even smaller amount of rushing yards per carry as running backs would start even farther back from the line of scrimmage. The CFL is a shootout, a high octane passing game, and while there are some NFL teams who have the proper passing setup to dominate in the CFL as well, the majority of NFL teams would have difficulty adjusting to the different offensive setup without much prep time.
Its clear that the NFL has a higher skill level, and is definitely full of teams that would dominate a CFL team at any given time. CFL teams feature mostly unwanted athletes that American football had no interest in drafting. When playing in a four down system, the technical aspects of the game become amplified. Coaching is far more in depth, players are more set in their skills, and therefore it can largely be considered the better league. I'll go on record saying a CFL team would be crushed by an NFL team under NFL rules. Put my Hamilton Tiger Cats up against the New England Patriots in Foxsborough, Massachusetts and smart money is to bet on Patriots to dominate, but play that same game in Canada, and I might be inclined to at least believe that the Ti-Cats could pull off the unthinkable. And what good is a sports fan without belief in the impossible. Oske Wee Wee, Oske Wa Wa, Holy Macana, Tigers Eat 'Em Raw.
The obvious differences between the two leagues comes in the form of its rules. The CFL plays with 3 downs, a longer and wider field, more players, and a slightly different scoring system. I can tell you right now that if the game were played under the rules of the National Football League that a CFL team would suffer a similar fate to the 2008 Detroit Lions (read: winless) BUT under CFL rules, I would contend that the CFL teams would be competitive...and dare I say it, victorious.
The major difference comes in the skills required to be successful under CFL rules. The large field and reliance on passing offence changes the game completely, particularly when it comes to defensive players. Players in key positions are required to be more mobile and athletic, with the ability to cover a larger amount of the field. This is particularly true of the linebacker and linemen positions. The NFL features men who resemble the shape of mountains attacking each other in close quarter trenches, it is an awesome sight to watch, but their skills would not transfer over to CFL rules. Both key positions defensively require players to have greater foot speed, as well as the ability to cover the larger field completely. CFL defenders tend to be more athletic, not necessarily as big, but far more mobile and explosive, and also with better catching ability. In the NFL, a wide reciever matching up against a linebacker is typically considered a mismatch, in the CFL it is considered a typical defensive play.
While much is made of the NFL's titanic athletes, it is easy to see why those same titans would be gassed physically following a CFL game. Rosters are far smaller in the CFL, which means the players are required to do multiple things at multiple positions, playing for longer at high speeds than NFL players could manage. The shortened amount of time set between plays also contributes to the elevated stamina level in the CFL. Canadian football is not a game for the faint of heart, and those who can't keep up will quickly be left behind. Smaller rosters also means that the CFL athletes typically bring a slightly larger range of skills, given that they cannot expect to specialize in one particular position. The changes in skills and athletics needed is what gives Canadian teams a chance under CFL rules.
On offense the run driven offenses of many NFL teams would also lead to a hard adjustment. Its not coincidence that the all time professional football leader in passing yards comes from the CFL (Anthony Calvillo - Montreal Alouettes). The average NFL running back gains about 4.4 yards per carry, a very effective number under a four down system, unfortunately though not not enough to gain a first down under Canadian rules. Also the fact that a typical CFL offense runs out of a shotgun formation would contribute to a even smaller amount of rushing yards per carry as running backs would start even farther back from the line of scrimmage. The CFL is a shootout, a high octane passing game, and while there are some NFL teams who have the proper passing setup to dominate in the CFL as well, the majority of NFL teams would have difficulty adjusting to the different offensive setup without much prep time.
Its clear that the NFL has a higher skill level, and is definitely full of teams that would dominate a CFL team at any given time. CFL teams feature mostly unwanted athletes that American football had no interest in drafting. When playing in a four down system, the technical aspects of the game become amplified. Coaching is far more in depth, players are more set in their skills, and therefore it can largely be considered the better league. I'll go on record saying a CFL team would be crushed by an NFL team under NFL rules. Put my Hamilton Tiger Cats up against the New England Patriots in Foxsborough, Massachusetts and smart money is to bet on Patriots to dominate, but play that same game in Canada, and I might be inclined to at least believe that the Ti-Cats could pull off the unthinkable. And what good is a sports fan without belief in the impossible. Oske Wee Wee, Oske Wa Wa, Holy Macana, Tigers Eat 'Em Raw.
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