2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT, Live on TSN, May 2

[Blue Fan]

2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT, Live on TSN, May 2
- CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon announces first- and second-round picks in TSN Studios -

Toronto, ON (April 23, 2009) - TSN showcases the next wave of young Canadian football stars with live coverage of the first two rounds of the 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. ET, exclusively on TSN in High Definition.  The two-hour TSN original production features CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon in the CFL ON TSN studio to announce each selection during the first and second rounds of the draft.  The 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT will also be available on-demand at TSN.ca, and fans can follow the final four rounds of the DRAFT through real-time updates on CFL.ca.

"For the second year in a row, TSN is proud to shine a spotlight on some of the most impressive, young football players in Canada, as they follow their dreams of making it in the CFL.  The talent that is showcased during the CFL Canadian Draft is a testament to grassroots football programs across the country, and the coaches and communities that support the goals of these athletes," said Phil King, President, TSN. 

"The CFL Canadian Draft is a tremendously exciting day for our league and our fans, an opportunity for us to feature superb, young talent, and a sure sign that a new season is just around the corner," said Canadian Football League Commissioner Mark Cohon.
 
"Now, there is yet another reason for our fans to celebrate: our partners at TSN are broadcasting the first two rounds of the draft, which speaks to Canadians' interest in our game, and TSN's commitment to it.  It has been gratifying to see how quickly our draft has grown into a full-fledged national telecast, and I know our fans can't wait to see how their favourite teams fare on Draft Day."   

Host Rod Black is joined in studio by CFL analysts Chris Schultz, Matt Dunigan and Glen Suitor, as they analyze the eight teams' needs and provide opinions on each pick.  CFL ON TSN game analyst Duane Forde, who has covered the DRAFT on four previous occasions, is part of an additional panel of experts including Saint Mary's Huskies head coach Steve Sumarah and McMaster Marauders head coach Stefan Ptaszek, and TSN's Farhan Lalji, who in more than 20 years of coaching football at various youth levels has seen more than 40 of his players go on to play at the collegiate level.  The panel will assess each draft pick's strengths and weaknesses and analyze how they fit in with their new team.  TSN's coverage of the 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT also includes reaction from CFL general managers and interviews with newly-drafted players.

In addition to offering fans coverage of the 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT on demand, TSN.ca features results from this year's CFL evaluation camp and player analysis from Duane Forde.  Fans can also keep track of the teams' picks from all six rounds of the DRAFT on TSN.ca.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the first overall pick in the 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT.  The six-round draft features eligible Canadian players from the CIS and NCAA, with a total of 48 players chosen.  Top prospects include: University of Alberta offensive linesman Simeon Rottier of Westlock, AB; University of Windsor offensive linesman Matt Morencie of Windsor, ON; Laval University defensive linesman Étienne Légaré of Saint-Raymond, QC; Acadia University slotback Matt Carter of Kelowna, B.C.; and Bishop's University running back Jamall Lee of Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Due to various trades, the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders currently have eight picks each in this year's DRAFT.  Hamilton, Toronto and B.C. each have seven picks, while Edmonton has five selections, Winnipeg has four and Saskatchewan has two.  In the first round, the Lions have three consecutive picks (4th, 5th and 6th overall) and the Tiger-Cats have two (1st and 3rd overall), while the Roughriders and Eskimos are shut out until the second round, where they pick 9th and 11th overall, respectively.  The Eskimos also have the 12th pick overall in the second round.  Having traded their first and second round picks, the Blue Bombers first pick in the 2009 CFL CANADIAN DRAFT occurs in the third round (19th pick overall).

Once again, TSN is the ultimate destination for all things Canadian football, as the network will televise every single CFL game - including the playoffs and the Grey Cup - in High Definition.  New to the CFL ON TSN broadcast team this year is former Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Milt Stegall, who joins the crew in studio as a guest analyst.  Back for another season is the award-winning team of play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert and game analyst Glen Suitor, along with play-by-play announcer Rod Black and game analyst Duane Forde.  Reporter Sara Orlesky works the sidelines during Wendy's FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.  Brian Williams returns as on-site host, while Dave Randorf hosts the TSN Studio show alongside analysts Chris Schultz, Hall-of-Famer Matt Dunigan and Jock Climie.  The CFL ON TSN season kicks off on Canada Day (July 1) with an opening night doubleheader featuring Toronto @ Hamilton at 7 p.m. ET, immediately followed by Montreal @ Calgary at 10 p.m. ET in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup final.

Official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad, TSN, a division of CTVglobemedia, is Canada's Sports Leader.  Setting the Canadian sports broadcasting standard, TSN was voted the No. 1 source for sports coverage and news by sports fans across the country.*  TSN's comprehensive broadcast schedule features SportsCentre, the NHL and first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; International Hockey including the IIHF World Junior Championship; the Olympic Games through 2012; all CFL games including the Grey Cup; NFL including Sunday and Monday Night Football; PGA TOUR and all four golf Majors; Blue Jays baseball; Raptors basketball and the NBA Finals; Season of Champions Curling; Auto Racing including NASCAR, Formula One and IRL; Tennis and all four Grand Slam events; UEFA Champions League Soccer; and HBO World Championship boxing.  TSN HD offers more sports coverage, more hours and more events in High Definition than any other network in Canada.  TSN is available in 9 million households.  TSN's programming and news content is also available online at TSN.ca and on TSN MOBILE - the portable version of TSN's industry-leading sports website.
*2007/2008 Roper Reports Canada

 
 
 

[Colin Unger]

Not sure if this is good or bad for the CFL's image.

Not sure if giving NFL fans in Canada something to compare directly to the NFL draft is really going to do the image of the CFL any favors.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

I think it's a huge positive but that it's much more geared toward the CFL fan than anything involving the NFL.  For those that choose to compare elements of the league, they're likely never going to be shown enough to convince them if the product on the field and the games aren't enough.

I thought that TSN did a great job with the draft last year (but I think it was only online) and I like that they're increasing the coverage and reach this year.

[Hambone]

An all around good thing not only for the CFL and its fans but also for grassroots football. It should do wonders for raising the level of awareness towards CIS ball in particular by placing a higher profile on the players coming out. Certainly I'd be the first to admit I know very little about any players being draft eligible and even less about the programs they come from. For years I've enjoyed watching the NFL and NHL Drafts. I've found it fascinating watching NFL teams attempting to fill their immediate needs while trying to move up and down the board as each pick changes the dynamics of the remaining pool of players. Having said that my fascination is more with the teams and how they navigate the draft waters than it is with the players themselves.

There is no doubt that the CFL Draft production won't remotely approach the level of its NFL draft peer but still should provide a nice look in to the prospects and CFL teams' draft approach that has been previously unavailable. I can foresee a bit of a snowball effect with this first kick at the can. There's no reason to think TSN won't put together a highly polished production. While folks at times grumble about TSN having full control of CFL coverage the simple fact is they've done an outstanding job of promoting the sport over the years with a high quality television product. If they carry that over into their draft coverage it should serve to stimulate the appetite for next year's event.

The NFL Draft tends to drag out through the 1st round as teams have 15 minutes per pick. While that might seem like overkill there is a lot that goes on from pick to pick with huge money at stake. Usually there are several trades that happen through the course of the 1st round of the NFL draft as teams try to jockey for the best position to maximize the value of their slots. On the other hand the CFL Draft could make for a much nicer made-for-TV event as it should for the most part be over by the time that 2 hour TV time slot comes to a conclusion. Calgary and Edmonton had that draft day trade last year but such deals are definitely a rarity. So the draft should move quite smoothly and quickly.