With the CFL season opening today, Commissioner Larry Smith
recently addressed several issues in his state of the league
speech. According to Smith, stability is the league's "number
one objective" with the league looking to slow down expansion.
Smith: "We'll expand at our own speed. We won't be expanding to
serve other people's needs. Only when (prospective owners) are
ready will we go ahead" (Rick Matsumoto, TORONTO STAR, 6/27). In
this morning's GLOBE & MAIL, Stephen Brunt notes the importance
of the U.S. franchises in the league's future: "If they fly, the
CFL will fly. And if they're Las Vegas-scale disasters ... an
implosion is sure to follow" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/28).
BROADCASTING: The league will have 45 TSN broadcasts with
CBC's 21 scheduled games (starting in September) and 21 more from
ESPN and ESPN2. This year marks the first time in league history
that it is getting so much TV exposure. CFL COO Jeff Giles: "We
consider this very significant." TSN Senior Program Manager Phil
King: "It's a dramatic increase for us, but we know how popular
CFL football is on television and we're simply responding to the
viewers' wishes" (Marty York, Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 6/27).
DOES EXPANSION STILL MEAN MIAMI? An announced crowd of
20,250 for Saturday night's exhibition at the Orange Bowl has
kept Palm Beach businessman Bruce Frey's "dream" of bringing the
CFL to Miami "very much alive." Commissioner Smith: "I'm
pleased with what I've seen." Frey was set to begin selling
season tickets this week for a team that, if awarded, would be
called the Miami Manatees and begin play next summer. Frey said
he would need about 10,000 season tickets to meet CFL
requirements. Former Dolphin President Tim Robbie said he is
considering becoming an investor in the franchise (Barry Jackson,
MIAMI HERALD, 6/25).
NAMELESS IN BALTIMORE: Baltimore CFL owner Jim Speros
announced that he will unveil a new team name at the home opener
July 8. Speros said it will be horse-related. The team was
originally named the CFL Colts, a name disallowed by court order
(Gary Lambrecht, Baltimore SUN, 6/28).
