February 2025 - Page 2 of 3 - Adamsonmedia.com

The CFL’s freaky February

If social media had been around on this day 30 years ago, Canadian Football League accounts would’ve been blowing up.

I mean, as far as CFL news days go, February 16, 1995, was epic.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Bluesky @scottadamson1960.bsky.social**

For openers, San Antonio’s arrival as a CFL city was made official when that town’s city council approved an agreement to move the Sacramento Gold Miners to South Texas.

Elsewhere, the sale of the Ottawa Rough Riders remained in limbo, and matters became more complicated when head coach and director of football operations Adam Rita bolted for Memphis to become that expansion franchise’s offensive coordinator.

And the Las Vegas Posse, whose inaugural season was a disaster both on the field (5-13 record) and at the box office (8,953 was the average per game attendance), was pondering a move to either Los Angeles or Jackson, Mississippi.

Yet while all that made for hot conversation topics in the land of rouges and 20-yard deep end zones, it paled in comparison to rumors that the CFL was going to fold within six weeks and rebrand under a new name.

The Toronto Globe and Mail, citing confidential sources, reported that, “ … Owners and lawyers have been secretly examining the idea of folding the league and then reopening a few days later under a new name, in time for the 1995 season.”

Now, if you’re not a CFL fan (and really, you should be because it’s fantastic) you might have either forgotten or didn’t know that the circuit was in the midst of experimenting with U.S.-based franchises.

The Sacramento Gold Miners joined in 1993, and in 1994 the Baltimore CFL Colts (later renamed the Stallions because the NFL has a lot of lawyers), Las Vegas Posse and Shreveport Pirates were added.

In 1995 the league had 13 teams, including five in the United States (the Stallions, Birmingham Barracudas, Memphis Mad Dogs, San Antonio Texans and Pirates).

The CFL’s “ratio rule” stipulated that at least 20 players on a team’s 37-player active roster had to be Canadian. However, labor laws in the United States prohibited such restrictions, so American teams could load up on U.S.-born talent.

Thinking that would tip the power balance heavily in favor of teams south of the Canadian border, a “new” league would end the ratio rule and, thus, level the playing field.

“Yes, it looks like it could be coming to this – the end of the CFL,” a management source told the paper. “It’s unfortunate, but it may be the only way we can get rid of the Canadian quota.”

So, while legacy clubs such as the British Columbia Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Rough Riders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers would still be around, they’d be in the North American Football League or Can-Am Football League, and be able to fill out their rosters with no restrictions.

Canadian rules (three downs to make a first down, 12-players per side, longer and wider field, etc.) would remain in effect, though.

“If the CFL folds up and then becomes another U.S. Football

League or World Football League, it would do irreparable damage to its reputation,” CFL Players Association rep Dan Ferrone told the Globe and Mail. “It would be taking a major step backwards, in my opinion.”

As you can imagine, reaction to the bombshell was swift, with CFL commissioner Larry Smith calling it “totally preposterous.”

“The author and the source of this story have a vivid imagination and are obviously attempting to undermine our negotiations with the Players Association,” Smith said in a statement. “The league and the Players Association have agreed to negotiate in good faith between the parties and not in the press.”

Well, six weeks passed and by April, the CFL was still the CFL. And when the season started later in the summer, the ratio rule was in place for the Canadian teams and the American sides got to ignore it.

The end result was the Stallions winning the league title with an 18-3 record and establishing themselves as one of the great Canadian Football League teams in history.

But leading up to the 1996 campaign, the only folding being discussed involved sides that called the United States home.

With the NFL returning to Baltimore, the Stallions exited Maryland and morphed into the rebooted Montreal Alouettes. The other American teams simply went out of business. Thus, there was no longer a need to change the CFL’s name because it was – once again – truly the Canadian Football League.

And 30 years later, I’m grateful that it still has its identity, still has the ratio rule, and still proudly reps its nation. It might not employee the world’s best tackle football players, but it might just have the world’s best style of tackle football.

At least I think so.

Morning walk

It was always eerily quiet during the 4 a.m. walk around the strip mall. Captain Cluck’s Chicken Shed was empty, with red chairs turned upside down and placed atop the small white tables – a yellow mop bucket always pushed against the wall after being abandoned by the after-hours cleaning crew.

The red, white and blue rotating barber pole at Village Styles was dark and motionless, and bone white blinds concealed the two chairs inside it.

A nail salon, a Chinese takeout joint, a dollar store, an athletic shoe outlet … all hours away from opening, all illuminated only by the lights in the vacant parking lot.

Usually, Magnus Compton had the route to himself, walking along the sidewalk from one end to the other, arcing around the parking lot, and then starting again. One loop was good for 678 steps, and Magnus liked to complete at least 20 circuits before starting his two-mile trip back home.

Now and again, he’d encounter an early-rising jogger, who’d usually speed up and pass him without acknowledging his presence. He could understand why … a guy wearing a black jacket, black jeans, black T-shirt and black Chuck Taylors probably did appear out of place, especially at such an ungodly hour.

A true rarity, though, was a vehicle pulling up into the parking lot and stopping. However, on this particular Wednesday morning, that’s exactly what happened.

A satin rose gold TechBromobile glided into the handicap space in front of the Captain Cluck’s Chicken Shed, with the driver repeatedly pressing the horn (which sounded like a mechanical goose).

Magnus figured the “warning” was intended for him, but chose to ignore it. He would just continue his walk – there were seven circuits remaining in his routine – and hope the person would go away.

After a series of honks went unheeded, however, the doors of the vehicle opened and five thirtysomethings exited.

“Hey, Grandpa Goth,” one of them yelled. “Kinda early for a funeral, isn’t it?”

Magnus wanted no trouble, but upon closer inspection there was nothing but trouble standing next to the dumpster on wheels. They reeked of alcohol, and four of them appeared to be henchmen to the main loudmouth, a short, sandy-haired character with full, pink cheeks and a red tee-shirt that was two sizes too small.

“Grandpa Goth,” he shouted. “I’m talking to you. It’s not polite to ignore me. In fact, it’s pretty damn insulting.”

Magnus had made an effort to steer clear of a confrontation, but that effort had failed. He walked toward them hoping in vain he could defuse the situation.

“Guys, I’m just an old guy out for a walk before I go to bed, OK?” he said. “I’m not bothering anyone. Please just get back in your car and drive away … there’s no reason for anyone to get hurt.”

The group laughed.

“There’s always a reason to hurt somebody, freak,” snorted the loudmouth. “And we don’t like your looks.”

The five young men began slowly walking toward Magnus before suddenly growing wide-eyed and disoriented. Magnus made a twisting gesture with his right hand and the group began fighting among themselves, swinging wildly and viciously at one another. The brawl lasted roughly a minute – although it surely must’ve seemed longer to the combatants – before Magnus lowered his hand and, thus, ended the fight.

All five were battered and bloody. The loudmouth was missing a couple of front teeth and had a broken left arm, while all of them were much worse for wear.

Magnus eyed the blood on the pavement, kneeled down and stared at the men.

“You know, guys, being a vampire has its challenges. Sure, we have superhuman strength, the power of telekinesis and hypnosis, and can even shapeshift … I personally prefer morphing into a possum instead of a bat, but that’s neither here nor there. Still, we have to stay out of the sun and get really nervous any time we go near a lumber yard – or see somebody flashing a silver dollar. It can be difficult being who we are.

“Thing is, though, we’re just trying to live our lives – or I guess live our deaths is more accurate. Most of us are peaceful, we get our blood through proper, legal, non-violent channels, and just try to co-exist. But then entitled assholes like you come along and decide you need to start shit because … well, because you’re entitled assholes. So, I hypnotized you and made you fight each other because if you’d have had to fight me, well, you’d be dead right now. And trust me – it would’ve been a gruesome death. But I’m not gonna drain your blood because I’m not hungry and you’re all too gross. So, what you need to do now – if one of you is well enough to drive – is get back in that tin can and leave. Not only that, don’t come anywhere near this strip mall again. Consider this your first and last warning.”

The five struggled to get to their feet, with two of them helping the loudmouth crawl into the backseat.

Magnus stood – arm’s folded – in front of Captain Cluck’s Chicken Shed as the men hastily backed out of the parking space and drove toward the highway.

As he prepared to resume his walk in an effort to reach his step goal before daybreak, Magnus watched the TechBromobile lose power and burst into flames – likely due to a faulty battery.

The vampire smiled.

Remembering the Playoff Bowl

How fun would it have been if – last weekend – the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders had squared off in the NFL’s third place game?

For the players and coaches, I doubt it would’ve been fun at all.

The teams would be just a week removed from their gut-wrenching conference championship game losses, and forced to serve as a warm-up act for the Super Bowl. Moreover, they’d be reminded they fell short of their ultimate goal.

I’m not sure even fans would have much of an appetite for a “bronze medal” game these days.

However, for 10 consecutive years the NFL did, in fact, host such a game. Known as the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl (and unofficially as the Runner-Up Bowl and, more popularly, the Playoff Bowl), it was contested at the Orange Bowl in Miami each year following the 1960-1969 seasons. Named after the league’s late commissioner, the matchup raised money for the players’ pension fund.

In 1960, the NFL consisted of six teams in the Eastern Conference and seven teams in the Western Conference. The division winners (10-2 Philadelphia in the East and 8-4 Green Bay in the West) earned spots in the NFL Championship Game, but league officials decided another game – played two weeks after the title tilt – would be a good showcase for pro football’s senior circuit.

So, it was decided that the competing teams would be the runners-up from each conference. In 1960, that meant the Cleveland Browns from the East and Detroit Lions repping the West.

Players on the winning teams would pocket $600 while those on the losing side got $400 each.

As a fundraiser for player pensions, the game served a noble purpose. The question, though, was how much incentive players would have to go full throttle in what was basically a glorified exhibition game.

Detroit coach George Wilson thought it was insulting to suggest his guys would give anything short of maximum effort.

“What a foolish approach to such an interview,” Wilson told The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, for a January 5, 1960, story. “Sure, my guys will be putting all out as will the Browns. No, there isn’t much money involved for the players. However, remember every one of them is striving for better contracts next year.

“Other sports writers have asked me such questions. I’m getting tired of hearing such talk.”

Cleveland coach Paul Brown was all- business, even putting his team through full-pads scrimmages to prepare.

“We’re here to get ready for a ballgame,” Brown said.

The game was quite competitive, with Detroit winning, 17-16, in front of 34,891 fans.

Detroit was back in the Playoff Bowl the next season, defeating Philadelphia, 38-10, a week after Green Bay’s 37-0 rout of the New York Giants in the NFL Championship. This time only 25,621 patrons showed up for the third-place game.

Detroit earned the Playoff Bowl “threepeat” to close out the 1962 campaign, edging the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-10, seven days after the Packers defended their crown with a 16-7 victory over the Giants.

Before the third-place game NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle said a crowd of 35,000 was necessary to keep the game in Miami, and 36,284 paid the price of admission to seal the deal.

At some point, however, a coach or player was bound to deviate from the party line when it came to the battle of also-rans, and that coach was none other than Vince Lombardi.

His Packers played in the consolation game at the close of the 1963 and 1964 seasons.

As you can imagine, the legend-in-the-making who had led his club to two consecutive NFL crowns wasn’t a fan.

Green Bay beat Cleveland 40-23 in the fourth Playoff Bowl, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 24-17, in the fifth installment.

Following Lombardi’s death in 1970, it was revealed what he really thought about the game.

“There is no room for second place here,” he said. “There’s only one place here and that’s first place. I’ve finished second twice in my time here and I don’t ever want to finish second again.

“There’s a second-place bowl game and it’s a hinky-dink football game, held in a hinky-dink town, played by hinky-dink football players. That’s all second place is – hinky dink.”

Cowboys coach Tim Landry – after his team earned a spot opposite Green Bay in the 1967 championship game – allegedly said to a friend, “Lord, I don’t know what makes me happier, playing Green Bay for the championship or not having to go to Miami for the Playoff Bowl.”

The “hinky-dink” game last 10 consecutive years, often with impressive attendance. Four of the five games had crowds in excess of 50,000, with the largest coming in the January 9, 1966, contest when the Baltimore Colts dismantled the Dallas Cowboys, 35-3. There were 65,569 in the stands that day.

And TV ratings were always excellent. Super Bowl III and the 1969 Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl were the only games to draw more TV viewers than that season’s Playoff Bowl (Dallas beat Minnesota, 17-13).

Still, the third-place game had outlived its usefulness.

“It was sort of a fluff game,” Cleveland quarterback Frank Ryan told the New York Times in 2011. “That ridiculous game shows how ridiculous the league was in those days.”

Once the NFL went to four divisions of four teams each in 1967, an extra round of playoffs was added. More importantly, a year earlier the NFL announced a merger with the American Football League that would go into effect in 1970.

That would create a 26-team league with eight of them making the playoffs.

With so many meaningful postseason games, it was time to do away with the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl.

The final clash saw the Los Angeles Rams blank the Cowboys, 31-0, and this is how Associated Press led its game story:

“Pro football’s most famous stepchild is dead. Roman Gabriel gave the 10-year-old NFL Playoff Bowl a four-bomb salute and the Cowboys stood around as pallbearers.

“If there was any reason for the National Football League’s backdoor classic it was the $1.25 million funneled into the players’ pension fund during the 1960s. But, after a decade as a haven for championship playoff losers, the misnamed event is no more.”

PLAYOFF BOWL RESULTS

Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 16 (1-7-61)
Detroit Lions 38, Philadelphia 10 (1-6-62)
Detroit Lions 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 10 (1-6-63)
Green Bay Packers 40, Cleveland Browns 23 (1-5-64)
St. Louis Cardinals 24, Green Bay Packers 17 (1-3-65)
Baltimore Colts 35, Dallas Cowboys 3 (1-9-66)
Baltimore Colts 20, Philadelphia Eagles 14 (1-8-67)
Los Angeles Rams 30, Cleveland Browns 6 (1-7-68)
Dallas Cowboys 17, Minnesota Vikings 13 (1-5-69)
Los Angeles Rams 31, Dallas Cowboys 0 (1-3-70)