The Deceptively Fast "Slow White Canadian Receivers"

Author: Joe Pascucci

November 25, 2009

Joe Pascucci's E-Take is sponsored by Biotech Laser, who utilize a low intensity laser that stimulates the natural healing of tissue. www.biotech-laser.com

I’m wondering, how will CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon handle the question of Canadian content in his eight {and hopefully, if Ottawa returns, nine} team league, when he meets with the media on Friday in Calgary to kick off the Grey Cup weekend.

The CFL is heading into an off season of contract negotiations with its players and one of the issues they are looking to accomplish is downsizing the number of Canadian starters to six from its current seven.  There was a time when CFL teams had to start nine – what they call – non imports.

Reason I’m interested in Cohon’s response to the question is look at what the Western Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders have done in 2009 with receivers that include Chris Getzlaff from the Regina Rams, Andy Fantuz of Western Ontario fame and Rob Bagg who went to Queen’s University.  All three caught touchdown passes in the Riders win over the Calgary Stampeders last Sunday.

Getzlaff was acquired from the Tiger Cats in a trade, Fantuz was drafted and Bagg was a free agent signing.  I haven’t even mentioned Jason Clermont who has been playing more of a support role this year with the Riders after being cut loose by the BC Lions.

They have been called by some “slow white Canadian receivers.”  Well after Sunday’s win over the Stamps Fantuz told Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald that he thinks the group is “deceptively fast”.

Instead of lowering Canadian content the CFL should be out there trying to increase the number of starters.  That is what the CFLPA should be trying to do.  Don’t try and hold on to what you have – get back what you’ve lost over the years when it comes to starting Canadians.

Bombers player rep is Doug Brown and he’s under a gag order (as are the rest of the players) from their union to withhold comment on the issue.  Over at Global Sports (my day job) we tried to do a story on this a few weeks but were declined politely by Brown for reasons already stated.

I know that one of the reasons the CFL would like to lower the Canadian quota has to do about – what else – money.  While its not on the scale of the NFL, Canadian starters make a decent buck in the CFL, and since they aren’t as easily replaced as American players, their salaries continue to increase year by year.

I’m not going to point the blame at Mike Kelly and the team and the organization he is trying to currently develop.  He’s only been on the job for a year.  But overall in the time I’ve been covering the Bombers they have done a poor job when it comes to drafting and developing Canadian players.  That wasn’t always the case but in the early 90’s something changed.  First round draft picks were for trade purposes and rarely put to actual use.  In that decade the Bombers only used their first round pick four times and none of the players they chose ended up making much of a contribution.  Since 2000 the Bombers have only kept their first round pick twice and finally in 2008 made a smart choice in offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte who was taken 6th overall.

Mike Kelly has said that of all CFL teams, the Roughriders have the best Canadian content of players, and they can have the Bombers first round pick next year if they so desire.  A swap of first round picks either in 2010 or 11 was part of the Adarius Bowman for Dan Goodspeed deal.  The reason for the choice was that the Eskimos would have received the Bombers first round pick next year had quarterback Stefan LeFors turned out to be the player Kelly believed he would be as a starter.

The Bombers did improve their Canadian player base this season and that was noticeable by their play on special teams.  But other then LaBatte and Doug Brown, do the Bombers have the home grown talent that can make a difference that the Roughriders have in the likes of Fantuz, Getzlaff, Bagg and others.  Right now I’d have to say no they don’t.

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