2010 CFL Canadian Entry Draft

[TheGreyCupTDChicken]

I  watched The Canadian Entry Draft LIVE on TSN last week and man is that great television!  No it's not for everyone but I just think it's great to see the leagues televsion personalities discussing the future of the on field talent.  The fact that TSN basically created room on their CFL panel for Duane Forde with the sole purpose of bringing a sorley needed spotlight to the grassroots and development level of the CIS I think adds a very large layer to an already well founded base for which The CFL to live upon in coming years.  To me I think the next move would be to use their brand new TSN2 and get a couple of these CIS games actually on TV to promote this excellent level of football.  I just can't say enough of the partnership between TSN and The CFL.  A televised draft day never would have seen the light of day with CBC as the primary rights holder.  But I'm not trying to slag anyone just really give the proper due to a network that knows how to present sports to todays sports fans.  With that in mind here are some of the things I liked and disliked about draft day 2010.
 
- Toronto got it right Riders not so much.  If you're really going to use the phrase "War Room" then perhaps find a small board room for you all to be in like The Boatmen did.  Not stuff twelve grown men with chairs from four other rooms into the GM's office and call it your draft war room like The Riders did.  I know I know baby steps but c'mon guys.
 
- I liked and disliked the amount of draft day trades.  I thought the ones that had a little thought and creativity to them were great a la Edmonton two for one deal to move into the first round when the didn't have a 1st round selection.  Or even the trade The Riders and The Argos put together for Saskatchewan to select the first overall.  This one helped both teams, The Green Machine got some help in a stud D-lineman and Toronto got an additional pick and there's no doubt that Jim Barker knows the value of Canadian players and has major respect for "the ratio"  But for one team like The Blue Bombers to basically trade all their selections and move down what did you really get there?  This is a team that quite clearly still does not get it.                   (Note to GM's it's been quoted before by smarter guys than me but "You're only as good as worst Canadian")
 
- I LOVED the fact they had two CIS coaches on their panel.  If I remember correctly they did this last year as well and I seem to remember liking it then too.  Having two coaches that have coached with or against some of these kids truly provided the viewer with some insight that the boys on the "big panel" could never presented with any legitimacy.  I really think the next step to growing football in Canada starts with putting more light on our college game.  Sure not many people know much about The CIS right now but if you give the college game say one maybe two weekly spots with a little production value football fans will tune in and you'll start to see dividends when you televize The Vanier Cup.
 
- Speaking of production value I have to say that being the little brother to The NFL is a tough thing to live up to but TSN/CFL got it right here too.  From having a mock draft board to getting the commisioner in studio to announce the picks all the way down to the aforementioned "war rooms" and draftee interviews it was very well put on.  They even had a few of the draft elegible players in studio as well which I appreciated.  It really goes along way for fans to put faces to names.  I think for now they got it right with only televizing the first two rounds since I would say that is where we will most likely see players starting for their teams that drafted them but don't be afraid to stretch it to the third round in coming years.  I heard that viewership double from last year to this and you have to know the more you give fans the more they're going to want.
 
- One last suggestion if you're going to have a mock draft board and you're going to have a few draftees in studio why not get all the players on the list there.  I realize that some of these players are red shirts and that teams might not see their selections serivces for another year or not at all if a player sticks with The NFL team he has a contract with.  But everyone loves a little drama and if you create it people will follow it.  One of the biggest stories at The NFL draft in the last couple of years was how far QB's Aarron Rodgers and Brady Quinn fell.  Did the players take it on the chin sure, did the mock draft talking head guys look foolish yep but check the fallout from those draft drops people are still reffering to those plumets three and four years later.
 
Overall TSN/CFL thank you for presenting the draft live, keep it coming.

[Ravi Ramkissoonsingh]

Back in the mid to late 1980s, TSN did telecast the first round of the CFL draft live and it was done similarly to the NHL draft in that it took place in a public location which fans had access to IIRC.  Also, several of the prospects were there to put on their team jerseys after they were drafted.  TSN did this for two or three years but dropped it for some reason.  Also, TSN used to show the CFL Player Awards live for many years in addition to the CFL Coach of the Year dinner which was hosted by Wes Montgomery.  Unfortunately, they do not show either of those events live today and in the case of the Coach of the Year award, they don't show it at all anymore.

[Hambone]

Back in the mid to late 1980s, TSN did telecast the first round of the CFL draft live and it was done similarly to the NHL draft in that it took place in a public location which fans had access to IIRC.  Also, several of the prospects were there to put on their team jerseys after they were drafted.  TSN did this for two or three years but dropped it for some reason.  Also, TSN used to show the CFL Player Awards live for many years in addition to the CFL Coach of the Year dinner which was hosted by Wes Montgomery.  Unfortunately, they do not show either of those events live today and in the case of the Coach of the Year award, they don't show it at all anymore.

No disrespect but that goes back an era when the CFL's popularity definitely more closely reflected the current situation than the 20 years in between. It also was early in TSN's existence when it wasn't always easy to find enough programming to fit a 24 hour schedule. If CBC and CTV still had a solid grip on the broadcast rights games it may have been the only piece of the CFL action the fledgling network could get at the time.