CFL preview

For those in the U.S. who can get CFL games on cable and to those U.S. viewers who get the CBC, I thought I would give you a peek into the 2006 CFL season.

We are back to 8 teams. The Ottawa Renegades were disbanded for ongoing financial issues. So Winnipeg moves back to the East Division with Hamilton, Montreal, and Toronto. The West Division will be B.C., Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatchewan. The CFL had hoped to improve on Ottawa's situation and add a 10th team, perhaps in Halifax or Quebec City. Those plans are on hold.

The CFL has struggled in the past with expansion and franchise stability, so taking it slow is not a bad thing. Right now, neither Halifax or Quebec City has a stadium large enough, ideally somewhere around 25,000-30,000.

Sometimes, the CFL gets a "NFL celebrity" in its midst. This year, it's Ricky Williams, the suspended Miami running back. Normally, a CFL team would sign a player and hold an option. However, this deal is structured so that Williams plays only this year. The CFL teams, when the draft is held, pick players they may never see (such as Williams).

So the lucky team is the Toronto Argonauts, but most non-Toronto fans might not think the Argos need another potent offensive weapon. The Argos will pay him $240,000 (Canadian), down from the $585,000 (U.S.) he made last season in Miami. Williams was suspended by the NFL following a fourth breach of the league's substance abuse policy.

Onterrio Smith, another suspended NFL running back, will not be suiting up for Winnipeg. Smith got cut in preseason.

Edmonton is the defending Grey Cup champion. Montreal is the defending East Division winner. B.C. and Calgary will likely contend from the West and Toronto from the East.

One last note: Reginald Bibby, a professor of sociology at the University of Lethbridge, conducted a recent survey (completed in November 2005) that showed interest in professional football was up among Canadians at 24 percent, an increase of 4 percent over the past 5 years. In fact, 19 percent of Canadians said they follow the CFL, compared to 13 percent for the NFL. That is a significant upturn since the NFL has been quite popular in Canada. So hopefully, the CFL can take advantage of this trend.