3 Downs: How conversations are progressing between CFL, players - TSN | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Sports

3 Downs: How conversations are progressing between CFL, players – TSN

Published

 on


TSN Football Insiders Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor discuss the latest with the CFL’s current economic situation amid COVID-19, what the dialogue is like between the league and the players as well as what the CFL could look like beyond this season, if there even is one.

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie sent a letter to fans and players outlining the current situation around the CFL’s attempted return to play. He continues to meet with various levels of federal and provincial governments. What’s the latest on the players and the league as far as conversations?

Naylor: Well the league’s player relations committee has reached out to the Players’ Association to invite them to begin formal bargaining about the 2020 and 2021 CFL seasons. Now, in terms of 2020, this is going to involve, we expect, some harsh realities. Things like prorated salaries. Like the fact that players may have to enter a bubble in a hub for most or perhaps even all of the season. So, these are issues that are going to come up in the short term. In the longer term, I think they’re going to talk about things to try and stabilize and make sure that this league is economically viable beyond this season as it continues with the conditions of COVID-19.

Lalji: I think the players are already upset entering these negotiations. They had a survey that was sent out by the PA to all of its members. And there was some major pushback on areas such as prorated salaries and shorter work weeks. Coupled with the fact that they’ve already got a grievance in place because the league has withheld its June 1 roster bonuses and when they found out this morning that government discussions were happening without them they said wait a minute, the last time this happened, it was clear they were given assurances by the league that this wouldn’t happen again without player involvement. It’s happened. They’re not happy about it.

Naylor: Well, in terms of where this is going on the possibility of playing, we’ve talked, Farhan, for weeks now about various models the league has studied. It seems like they are closing in on finalizing a picture to go with one or two hub cities. And these would be hub cities that teams and players would have to enter and be in perhaps for the entire course of the season. Certainly for the start of a season. And that’s going to mean tough things for the players to accept and I think there are also some teams in the league that are not necessarily convinced that this is viable. So, the first thing the league is going to have to do is get consensus around the table with its own teams and then try to follow that up by presenting this vision to the players.

Lalji: As far as the players are concerned, I can tell you right now that there are some high-profile players in the league that have already made the decision to move on and pursue other opportunities. At least for this season. Just so much uncertainty about what lies ahead. They’ve got to provide for their families and when you look at the possibility of leaving those families for three months entering into a hub for a fraction of their existing salaries, there are some that are going to say thanks, but no thanks.

Naylor: Some more tough news in the CFL this week. The football operations cap, which is everything from general managers and scouts right down to coaches, will be down by 20 per cent in 2021. And this is, I think, part of an overall belt tightening we’re going to see across the CFL. I mean, the commissioner has taken a cut, we know that there is going to be a 20 per cent reduction in business operations for teams and for team presidents up to 30 per cent. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out this is eventually going to land on the players as well. I would expect that for 2021, I’d be stunned if they aren’t facing something like a 20 per cent pay cut as well in terms what of the salary cap will be for next season.

Lalji: But it won’t be that simple because unlike the coaches, there’s a player union. They’ve got the opportunity to collectively bargain this even though the dynamics around that will be a little bit different. But I can say this, I don’t think at any point during this pandemic has it ever been this dire about playing in 2020.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

David Lipsky shoots 65 to take 1st-round lead at Silverado in FedEx Cup Fall opener

Published

 on

 

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.

Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.

After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.

“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”

Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.

“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”

Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.

Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.

Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.

Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.

Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.

Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.

Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.

Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.

Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.

That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.

“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”

Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.

Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.

___

AP golf:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Canada’s Marina Stakusic advances to quarterfinals at Guadalajara Open

Published

 on

 

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.

The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.

Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.

The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.

Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.

However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

France investigating disappearances of 2 Congolese Paralympic athletes

Published

 on

 

PARIS (AP) — French judicial authorities are investigating the disappearance of two Paralympic athletes from Congo who recently competed in the Paris Games, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Bobigny confirmed on Thursday.

Prosecutors opened the investigation on Sept. 7, after members of the athletes’ delegation warned authorities of their disappearance two days before.

Le Parisien newspaper reported that shot putter Mireille Nganga and Emmanuel Grace Mouambako, a visually impaired sprinter who was accompanied by a guide, went missing on Sept. 5, along with a third person.

The athletes’ suitcases were also gone but their passports remained with the Congolese delegation, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the case.

The Paralympic Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not respond to requests for information from The Associated Press.

Nganga — who recorded no mark in the seated javelin and shot put competitions — and Mouambako were Congo’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, organizers said.

___

AP Paralympics:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version