Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Would someone please think of the children

The three-downers in Toronto, all 12 of us, are not happy. Canada's biggest high school football championship series goes this week in the Rogers Centre (considering the news, I'll call it by its name today). The future of our game, the only game that we can still call our own--in total. So, it only makes sense that we should play these games on...

An American field
.

(sigh)

Money talks and the NFL is footing a lot of the bill for this so what can you do? Except to lament the fact that we let stuff like this happen all the time. And, when you complain the non-three-downers tend to look at you like you are their developmentally challenged little brother that mom and dad forced them to hang out with. They tolerate you, sort of, but there is always a hint of condescension and resentment hanging in the air.

Which is how a high school championship game ends up getting played on a field that isn't regulation size for the sport that they are playing. And, that's a shame. Eh.

NOTE: The Fan590 will be airing an interview on this subject later this morning.
Type rest of the post here

1 comment:

Mike Radoslav said...

Back in high school in Hamilton we used to play 4 downs during the regular season then had to adjust to 3 downs during playoffs and into the Metro Bowl, but playing at the Metro Bowl we still used a Canadian field.

All the rules were always Canadian saves the downs, but after playing both styles it was obvious the Canadian style was more enjoyable and the better option.

It does seem like us three-downers are almost fighting a losing battle at times...unlike BC though (and I believe the Niagara region too) hopefully we don't completely convert over to the American rules. While still a prospective university student I read a sign in a residence on a trip to WLU that said, "European Football is better than American Football, but Canadian Football is the best of all!" (no idea why that would have been a good recruiting tool but hey, caught my attention!)