It shouldn't require some bad publicity for the CFL to go all out to support Breast Cancer Awareness
Hopefully by now the Canadian Football League will realize that supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month is something that must be embraced and addressed.
Two CFL players -- Marcus Adams of Saskatchewan and Kevin Huntley of the Toronto Argonauts -- wanted to wear pink on their uniforms this month to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness.
The CFL turned down the players' requests, not because of any indifference to the cause but principally because it wants to maintain uniformity. This applies to all parts of the uniform, not just the jerseys, though the latter can have sponsorship patches, which in itself some people find offensive. For instance, the CFL has done a successful campaign with its retro theme, although the throwback jerseys have patches with sponsorship logos, which clearly wasn't the case way back when.
I'm not one to quibble with sponsorship logos because it's tough enough for the league and the teams to make money, so if they can create revenue streams with patches, so be it. Just as long as it doesn't become the equivalent of professional race car drivers and their uniforms which have become billboards.
If CFL players try to break the rules of uniformity, they can be fined. It has happened in the past, specifically if players are wearing something that is not officially licensed by the CFL, which has an agreement with a sports apparel company.
The CFL does not penalize players wearing pink in practice to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness, but it could do so much more to create positive publicity by allowing it for games.
The National Football League permits players and coaches to wear pink. You cannot buy that kind of goodwill. Whether it's shoes, gloves, hats, the NFL probably has an agreement with a clothing or sports apparel company for production of the items.
The NFL isn't the only league to do this. Some pro and junior hockey teams do it. One junior team paints its ice pink.
For a league that promotes itself as truly Canadian, it must support Breast Cancer Awareness. Though the disease is not restricted to Canadians, many organizations in Canada support it.
Because athletes and organizations are great vehicles to promote key messages and causes, this is something the CFL should work on for the future, perhaps plan something in the off-season and promote it next October.
One player, Toronto Argonauts' offensive lineman Taylor Robertson, took part in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's recent Run for the Cure to honour his late mother, who died of the disease seven years ago. He has partnered with the foundation to launch a campaign called Life on the Line to raise money for breast cancer research and general awareness about the disease.
He is to be commended for doing that. Who knows, it may spur other CFL players to follow him.
But it must begin with leadership from the CFL and this goes right to the top with commissioner Mark Cohon. He has backed many causes since his appointment in 2007 and he must identify this as priority to address in the off-season. It shouldn't take some bad publicity for the CFL to become proactive instead of reactive.
It's simply the right thing to do.
