Spinning off the NFL-USFL thread, how plausible is a merger of the NFL and CFL? I know they play a slightly modified version of the game in Canada but the rules could be reconciled without much difficulty. At times I wonder how this hasn't been seriously considered, given the NFL's massive revenue base and domestic (and of late, international) appeal.
PC/WI: NFL-CFL Merger
- Thread starter APreston
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The only time where it just might be a possibility would be in the 1950's. After the AAFC merger and before the AFL was founded and before television had really taken effect. At that time the NFL and CFL were actually on a similar level. If there had been real interest in expanding the NFL northward this would have been the time to do it.
The problem was that if the NFL wanted to expand there were a lot more lucrative markets in the US; Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Houston etc. Realistically I don't ever see how it could have worked.
The problem was that if the NFL wanted to expand there were a lot more lucrative markets in the US; Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Houston etc. Realistically I don't ever see how it could have worked.
The CFL has a much smaller revenue base and less domestic and international appeal. The NFL and the CFL can't just merge.
What might be interesting is some kind of arrangement where the CFL champion gets to play in a 'play-in' game for the NFL playoffs, something like that.
Big problem is incompatible rules. I doubt the NFL would want to adopt some of the CFL's oddness (12 a side and the single point, among others) and I doubt that the CFL would want to lose it's traditions.
1948, right after the Stampeders finish their perfect season, they orchestrate their own CFL-NFL Championship, the Stamps win the game and as a result the NFL and CFL play a series of these championships before merging in the mid 50's. I have a whole bunch of the seasons written up if any of you would like to see it.
Calgary had the best team in CFL history (at that time), but they could not have beaten the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns, but could have given the NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles a decent game.
Yes, that. The differences between US and Canadian football are not just cosmetic. In addition to the differences mentioned, there is that little fact that Canadian football is played on a substantially larger field. You can't just expect a CFL team to come to the US and suddently adopt US rules.
Further, in response to one poster's comment about a "play-in" opportunity for the CFL champ to enter the NFL playoffs, why should a Canadian team even want to consider it if they had to play by US rules? Also, why do people automatically presume that, if the CFL and NFL "merged" they would have to adopt US rules? Here's an odd-ball idea, have CFL-NFL games use a home-rule system. When in Canada, use Canadian rules, when in the US use American rules. Believe or not, Americans are smart enough to learn two sets of football rules. After all most CFL players played US collegiate rules before joining the CFL.
The main reason is that the NFL is by far the big dog in the relationship.
Under my play-in idea, a fair result would be, like you say, home team, home rules, but with the CFL team being presumptively the visitor until they beat a team that would have been the home team in the next round of the play-offs. Which would result in the CFL team rarely, if ever, playing at home.
NFL is the big dog and CFL knows it and would have nothing to gain by joining the NFL. The only arrangement that would make any sense really, is to have the CFL and NFL champs play what amounted to be a simple "bragging-rights" game - something like the old College All Star game where the NFL champ played an all-star team of college players (I think this lasted into the 1970s - and it wasn't that odd for the all-stars to win). I would call this the North American cup and have it alternate between a Canadian and US site each year (with home team choosing rules).