Matthew Cauz
CFL.ca
This is not going to be my most popular article, but here goes.
You can feel that shift coming can’t you? The issue of safety, hits to the head and protecting the stars (and by stars I mean quarterbacks) is about to be raised to a whole other level.
Now, this is not to say that the Canadian Football League hasn’t being doing their best to stay ahead of the issue.
Quite the contrary.
The league has been attacking this issue for years and just recently spearheaded a campaign to send out the latest information on concussions and concussion prevention to over 100,000 children who participate in minor football and to athletes at all levels playing a variety of sports, not necessarily football.
I believe this topic and how it relates to Canadian football will just grow bigger and bigger over the coming years.
The same arguments we have been watching in the NHL about head shots and in the NFL about what can be classified as a fineable hit are about to become a greater part of the CFL.
You knew that these points of discussion would eventually take on a larger role in the media coverage of the league and among the fans that watch this game.
The tipping point for the transformation could not have been more predictable: Buck Pierce suffering a helmet to helmet hit in the city of Toronto.
Let’s start with the geography, the evil kingdom known as Toronto.
Any child will tell you that Ottawa is the capital of Canada but it would be childish to deny that Toronto is the most influential city in this country. If it happens here it is going to be bigger news.
Fair or unfair that’s just the way it is. It’s no different than in the United States where New York or Los Angeles dominates the news over other worthy cities like Dallas or Minnesota – in the end population rules.
If Moose Jaw suddenly jumps to a population of six million and becomes the financial capital of Canada you better believe we’re going to hear a lot more about the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Let’s move on to the player, Buck Pierce.
I am not one of those conspiracy theorists who believes the league was going out of their way to protect Pierce after the abuse he took from Calgary a week earlier.
The league has been consistent on its stance on late hits and has communicated to all teams about what is and what is not appropriate on-field conduct, in regards to hitting the quarterback.
However, let me say, that I would have no problem if the league did in fact have a special clandestine committee that met earlier this week in some secret ‘Dr. Strangelove’ style bunker, with Tom Higgins playing the role of George C. Scott, commanding the officials to give special protection to Pierce.
You see, I don’t believe that you should treat everyone the same in sports.
We don’t do it in our everyday lives so why should things be any different on the football field? Be honest do you treat your boss the same way you treat some stranger on the street?
Of course you don’t.
Now, of course I’m not advocating that you go out in the world and be disrespectful or rude to someone you don’t know. Every person deserves to be treated with a respectable level of dignity, compassion and politeness. However, we all go that extra mile for certain people, don’t we?
The idea that everyone needs to be treated the same is a fairy tale.
Professional sports are all about the stars, and in football quarterbacks are king.
This especially applies in our brand of football where teams sling the ball around at a far higher rate than anywhere else on this continent.
The game is at its best when there are a high number of pivots performing at an all-star level.
That’s why the casual fan was bummed out that Andy Fantuz and Rob Bagg were gone; it meant that Darian Durant’s play would suffer, it meant that watching a Roughriders game would not be as entertaining as it was during previous seasons.
So for the good of the game, quarterbacks need to be protected, especially ones like Pierce.
Remember, back in 2008, as a member of the B.C. Lions, Pierce was putting up crazy numbers. During one three-game stretch against Montreal, Hamilton and Saskatchewan he threw for 1,107 yards and five touchdowns.
That is the kind of potential and ability that he possess. The league is better off with him healthy and continuously posting video game numbers.
So if that means the league tips the scales in favour of the quarterback even more than they already do, well I’m fine with that.
I know defensive players and old school fans are not going to be in favour of that sentiment, and will bemoan about the “good old days” when you “could hit someone.”
Well, those days are done.
They have been replaced by year-round training and exercise programs that leads to faster and stronger linebackers which, in turn, results in longer IR lists and back-up quarterbacks short-hopping passes.
No offence to you, Alex Brink, but as a football fan I would much rather see Pierce and his receivers move up and down the field against the Toronto defence, rather than see you possibly struggle.
And that’s coming from an admitted Argo fan!
Finally, let’s move to the hit itself. Let’s be fair, the Ejiro Kuale hit was late and helmets did collide. That, for me, is enough to get a guy kicked out of a game.
I’m not really interested in the idea of “intent” or the fact that maybe Glen Johnson shouldn’t have uttered that now taboo term. In the end Johnson and the officiating crew made the right call, end of story there.
With the issues of crime and punishment now on the forefront the question is what does the league do going forward?
This is not a new issue for the CFL but it is an ever-evolving one. We are all dealing with the fine line between what is a good clean hard hit and what is a dirty one.
We have already seen fines for illegal hits to players like Kitwana Jones and Craig Butler and I believe we are going to see Higgins and co. go even further.
I suspect they will start investigating some of the other borderline hits from this season and quite possibly serve up several other fines.
Beyond a wide receiver stretching out for a tombstone pass there is no player more vulnerable to the blindside hit quite like a quarterback.
For that reason they need to be protected, maybe even more so than they already are.
Does this sound like favouritism? Yes, of course it sounds like it, because it is it. I’m just looking at the big picture of what moves the dial for a pass-first league. The quarterback is our league’s most valuable asset and needs to be treated as such.
I am not pushing forward an agenda that would eliminate hard hits or the physicality that makes football such a thrill. I love watching a defence manhandle the opposing team, and many of the league’s most fascinating players come from that side of the ball.
My favourite player right now is Bo Smith, Willie Pile is one of the best guests I have on my radio show, I wish that Juwan Simpson was healthy and next to Fred Stamps, Odell Willis may be the best player in the league.
However the game itself is far more violent than it was even ten years ago and we, as sports fans need to be prepared to change with the times as well.
