Last week I wrote an article criticizing the Canadian Football League (CFL) for signing NFL players who've been suspended for violating the NFL's drug policy.
I also criticized the league for allowing the Rouge (When a field goal is missed and the ball can't be returned out of the endzone, the kicking team is awarded a single point).
I think I was a little too critical by calling the CFL "Bush League".
For the most part, the CFL provides great excitement from its talented players.
I remember having season tickets to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
I really miss those days, when I was yelling, screaming and cheering for my beloved team in blue and gold.
I remember the days of Joe Poplawski, Trevor Kennard, Joe Cameron, Willard Reeves, Chris Walby, James West, Michael Grey and others.
These guys were great athletes and the fans loved them.
This past week, I've been having debates with a friend of mine who was offended that I called the CFL "bush league".
Like me, this friend now lives in the United States but unlike me, he has remained a CFL fan.
These debates allowed me to revisit my youth and my love for the CFL.
It has allowed me to be true to my past and embrace all the things that were good.
The CFL is definitely one of those good things.
The CFL is a great game and I want to mention the things I love about this league.
1) The best thing about the CFL are the fans that brave sub zero temperatures (10 to 15 below Celsius) in late November to cheer on their teams during the playoffs and Grey Cup (The championship game).
The CFL only has two domed stadiums:The Skydome in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver.
So weather really does have an effect on the fan.
CFL fans are some of the most dedicated and loyal fans.
I remember braving those temperatures to cheer my Bombers in the Western division playoffs against the dreaded BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos.
The Bombers are now in the Eastern Division.
I remember one time the Bombers actually beat the Lions in the playoffs and the scorekeeper typed "BC Sucks" on the scoreboard.
What a memory.
The poor guy was fired after the game but remained a hero to the fans of Winnipeg.
2) The size of the field provides tremendous excitement.
The CFL Field is 110 yards from endzone to endzone.
The Field is 65 yards wide.
This allows for a lot of action.
There's a lot of exciting plays because of the size of the field.
The endzone is 20 yards deep, so the excitement continues even after a team has driven the ball past the 20 yard line.
This makes the game truly exciting.
In the NFL many teams are prevented from scoring as they approach the endzone.
Teams don't have enough room to move the ball into the endzone.
In the CFL, there's tons of room for an offensive player to make a play and score a touchdown.
3) 3 downs and out.
Yes my friends, the CFL only has 3 downs.
This means that the CFL is a passing league.
Go figure, a football league with excitement.
If you're like me and love a passing game, the CFL is it.
I was a Marino and Elway fan because they played on teams that focused on the passing game.
This type of quarterback is a dime a dozen in the CFL.
You can't survive in the CFL if you can't pass the ball.
Three down football is exciting and takes remarkable skill,A quarterback has to move 110 yards down field with only 3 downs per series.
WOW!What action.
The 3 downs coupled with the #4 below puts the fan on the edge of their seat from the opening whistle to the last second of the game.
4) The 25 second game clock.
The only way to waste time in the CFL is to drive the ball.
You must continue with an offensive drive to keep the clock running.
The play clock and 3 downs doesn't allow you to take a knee with under 2 minutes to play, like in the NFL.
The last two minutes of a CFL game can provide multiple scores.
It's exciting football for an entire 60 minutes.
These are the things that made me a CFL fan in my youth.
While I still love the NFL, maybe it's time to go back to my roots and watch some Canadian Ball.