REGINA -- CFL players say they were kept in the dark about the league’s direction during the COVID-19 pandemic, but communication has opened again.
The CFL Players’ Association (CFLPA) says its members also didn’t know the league planned to ask the federal government for help.
We didn’t know about those proposals, we didn’t endorse them, they had nothing to do with us, so that was unfortunate,” Riders’ kicker Brett Lauther said.
CFLPA President, Solomon Elimimian says from the players standpoint, “we need the CFL and the CFL needs us.” But more importantly, Elimimian says the players wanted to offer solutions.
“It’s too important to let differences come between us, like I’ve said before, the CFLPA wants to find a way to help,” he said.
Communication between the parties resumed, and Elimimian says he’s spoken with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie twice since the CFL testified before the House of Commons finance committee.
A lot of the league’s ability to help the players depends on receiving the federal financial assistance. In the meantime, the CFLPA has set up some resources on their website, and Elimimian is offering players the same advice he’s practicing.
“I have been looking at my finances, my daily expenditures, how do I curtail spending? Because I do not know if I will receive another cheque from the CFL this year,” he said.
Elimimian said the number one question from players is “How am I going to make it through?”
Annual CFL salaries range from $54,000 to $750,000 per year. Players are paid on a per game basis. If the 2020 CFL season is cancelled, as many are predicting, players abilities to continue training for 2021 could conflict with their need to seek other job opportunities.
“The guys are still going to be expected to be training and getting ready for another season in the next year, I don’t really see how that works out,” said Lauther.
Some critics say the government may decide not to give financial assistance to the CFL because the Canadian Football League is too American. But players from both sides of the border disagree.
“Those Americans, I would say at least 25 per cent live in Canada, all pay taxes, and more importantly they’re part of the fabric of society in Canada,” said Elimimian.
“I think a lot of the things that go unnnoticed are just how much these guys, how much they’re in the communities and what they do on the side,” Lauther said.
Ambrosie mentioned to the House of Commons that the economic spinoff of each CFL season amounts to over a billion dollars.
Cancelling the season would affect more than just the players.
“The people that work at the stadiums, our medical people, the equipment guys, there’s so many more people involved than I think a lot of people that aren’t really in the CFL realm realize,” Lauther said.
There’s also the feeling that if the CFL season is cancelled, the Riders, who finished second overall in the regular season standings the last two years, had a great shot a winning the coveted Grey Cup at home. Lauther knows these opportunities are rare.
“You don’t know what the team’s going to look like if we don’t play this year going forward or when they’ll host a Grey Cup next and some of those things only come around once in a lifetime,” he said.
