When an owner is speaking out on the state of officiating in the Canadian Football League knowing a fine is likely to follow, it’s clearly become an issue.
Tiger-Cats “caretaker” Bob Young replied to a fan on a CFL message board after a questionable offside call went against the Ticats in last Saturday’s 26–24 loss to Toronto. Possibly the most intriguing part of Young’s post: “The debate here is whether the CFL officiating is good enough to ensure that the outcome of the close games is fair. I would argue the CFL officiating is good and getting better, but still not good enough.”
It was a personal but honest and fair assessment from Young. He didn’t single out and point the finger at one referee or crew. Instead Young simply stated the officiating needs to improve—a sentiment shared by many coaches, players, media pundits and fans across the country. Still, for making a public comment, Young was fined $10,000 for “criticizing” CFL officiating.
If the CFL is smart the money collected will be put towards raising the level of officiating. Be it more education for on-field refs or enhancing resources, the men wearing black and white need to fade out of the spotlight. Only then will the focus shift back to the two teams in a given game deciding the outcome.
Pace of play—a staple of the CFL brand of football—has been slowed because of the amount of flags being thrown this season. Penalties are up 21 percent compared to the same time last season and there have been too many head-scratching flags thrown. It needs to be cleaned up for the playoffs so referees don’t end up deciding which team will hoist the Grey Cup.
Moving on to the schedule of games for Week 19 in the CFL. Four West teams have already clinched post-season berths—one will cross over—which leaves two spots for Eastern squads.
Old-fashioned BC discipline
Despite getting a 28–23 win in Week 18 and locking up a playoff spot, Lions head coach Mike Benevides was not happy with the amount of penalties his team took. BC was flagged 22 times for 155 yards.
Benevides told The Province: “We’re going to talk. Each player (who took a penalty) is going to stand up and explain themselves. It will be fully addressed and they won’t like the reviews. We’re going to do gassers. There’ll be a few pails and brown bags out there.”
With two games left on the schedule (starting with a road game in Edmonton on Saturday) and playoff positioning still on the line, Benevides is likely hoping the punishment deters future offenders and that his team cleans up its act.
Als “D” flying high
Montreal’s impressive turnaround should largely be credited to their defence. Since opening the season 1-7 the Alouettes have put together a 7-1 stretch, including riding a current five-game win streak to sit atop the East with two weeks to go.
Middle linebacker Bear Woods has gotten comfortable as a starter and playmaking strong-side backer Chip Cox has continued to produce at a high level. Up front, John Bowman leads the way with 11 sacks. Woods, Cox and Bowman have been the tone setters for an Als defence that has not allowed more than 17 points during the team’s win streak.
It’s simple for Montreal—getting a “W” over Toronto at home this week means they clinch a playoff spot and increase their chances of getting the No. 1 seed in the division. To do so, they’ll need another strong performance from the defence.
The Als held the Argos to 12 points and less than 300 yards of total offence in Week 17, and Ricky Ray managed just 202 yards on 39 attempts and didn’t register a touchdown pass. If the Montreal D can hold him to a similar stat line on Sunday, the Als will be on their way to the post-season.