Third Down Gamble

2024 CFL Pre-season is underway and TSN and CFL+ are ways to watch pre-season games. New rules in the CFL for 2024 are out. Special Guest Jeff Krever (Senior Director, CFL Player and Game Statistics) joins to discuss what's new for 2024, the work over the winter with Genius Sports to build more functionality into stats reporting, and new online contests from the CFL (recorded May 17 and May 22, 20...

CFL Training Camps are underway. Suspended players Chad Kelly and Shawn Lemon both seen at training camp.  Safety: Guardian Caps, mouth guards, GPS, are part of safety initiatives by the CFL.  Some players carry injuries into camp, Winniepg has Adam Bighill placed on the six-game list.  Special Guest Mark Stephen (770 CHQR, @markonfootball) talks about his career as the voice of the Calgary Stampe...

Toronto Argonauts' quarterback Chad Kelly is suspended by the CFL. Who will lead the Argonauts at quarterback to start 2024?  Special guest Luc Mullinder (Saskatchewan Roughriders CKRM radio colour commentator (Harvard Media)) joins to talk about Milt Stegall at Winnipeg Rookie Camp, Nathan Rourke and his chances of being back in the CFL, Corey Mace taking over as Head Coach in Saskatchewan, and s...

The CFL Draft marks the beginning of the 2024 season.  Three teams go over the CFL's Salary Expenditure Cap in 2023.  Shawn Lemon is indefinitely suspended by the Alouettes and CFL (recorded May 1, 2024).

Hall of Fame receiver Darren Flutie discusses the BC Lions and his decision to sign with Edmonton, his relationship with quarterback Danny McManus, joining with McManus and Head Coach Ron lancaster to sign with Hamilton in 1998, the 1998 and 1999 Grey Cups, then ending his playing career in Steeltown, joining the CFL on CBC, and his life after football (part two of two) (recorded March 15, 2024)....

Hall of Fame receiver Darren Flutie discusses his life before coming to play football at Boston College, his years in the NFL, his arrival in BC to play for the Lions, and the 1994 playoffs and Grey Cup versus Baltimore (part one of two) (recorded May 15, 2024). (game audio recordings courtesy CFL on CBC)

Special Guest Upton Bell (former New England Patriots General Manager -NFL, former Charlotte Hornets Owner -WFL) discusses the hurdles the fledgling National Football League overcame to become a massive success, the problems the upstart World Football League eventually did not overcome to survive, and much more (recorded March 12, 2024).

Touchdown Pacific sells out in minutes.  Edmonton Elks have plenty of ownership suitors.  Ottawa RedBlacks celebrate 10 years, Edmonton Elks 75 years in the CFL.  Kickoffs are under fire, what will the NFL and CFL do about this part of the game?  Hip-drop tackles, expanded booth reviews, it's the off-season and rule-tweaking abounds (recorded April 2, 2024).

Special Guest Reid Johnson (The Markcast) joins to dicuss the new United Football League starting play on March 30, 2024, the UFL's origins through the merger agreement, its rules, and its future (recorded March 18, 2024).

Mark Speck (writer and historian) discusses the wild 1974 World Football League playoffs, the innvoations the league brought (Action Point), and those who started in the WFL and made a career elsewhere in part two; recorded February 29, 2029.

Writer and historian Mark Speck provides insight into the World Football League, from its origins, to its owners, its bid to bring in Joe Namath, the attempt to play in Canada, and much more in part one; recorded February 29, 2024.

News comes out of Toronto.  As well, the NFL toys with a longer schedule, more kickoff returns, and eliminating chain measurements.  Andrew Hoskins (Turf District Podcast) discusses a very public bid, led by former CFL player Garrick Jones, petitioning fans to support their plan to purchase the Elks (recorded March 6, 2024).

Jamie Reidel (producer of CFL on TSN) decribes his journey to this position, the collaborative effort that goes into the show with the CFL on TSN Panel with host Kate Beirness, the creativity that goes into developing new CFL programming, coverage of the Grey Cup, and much more (recorded February 21, 2024).

Derek Taylor (play-by-play voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on 680 CJOB) joins the show to provide his excellent, well-researched, insight into 2024 CFL free agency.  Some surprises, wins, and losses as teams vied for the talent on the market (recorded February 20, 2024).

Two CFL and Blue Bombers' legends... Ken Ploen and Gerry James pass away.  CFL 2024 Free Agency leaves as many questions as it does answers.  Tim White reamins a free agent, where will he land? (recorded February 14, 2024)

CFL Discussion Window Week is in full force; surprises abound with player movement and those sticking with their old team.  Players still available: Mathieu Betts, Jake Dolegala, Kadeem Carey, Shawn Oakman, Larry Dean, Tunde Adeleke, and many more (recorded February 7, 2024).

Special Guest Ken Crippen, founder Football Learning Academy, (football-learning-academy.com), and host of The Official Football Learning Podcast provides historical insight into the beginnings of the National Football League and the rival All-America Football Conference, explains why many resources are difficult to find and where to find those that still exist, how players, coaches and journalist...

Special Guest Andrew Hoskins (The Turf District Podcast) returns to discuss Winnipeg's Brady Oliviera and Dru Brown free agency options, the signing of the law firm (McLeod Bethel-Thompson) in Edmonton and where does that leave Tre Ford(?), the big trade with Toronto, the mood in Edmonton, and more (recorded January 16, 2024).

Possible rule changes may include fewer kickoffs.  Second Down: Edmonton signs the law firm.  Where do all the free agent quarterbacks go? Where does Brady Oliveira land?  Third Down: Jordan Younger is the new DC in Winnipeg, Dominique Rhymes is released by BC (recorded January 18, 2024).

Special Guest Jeff Krever (Senior Director - CFL Player and Game Data) talks about the work-in-progress that was the launch/change to the GenuisSports' "LiveStats" software in 2023, how the system improved, the outlook for what that software will provide going forward, the huge effort of game-day statisticians (recorded December 29, 2023).

Special Guest Sean Campbell (TSN690 and play-by-play voice of the Montreal Alouettes) relates his story of how he joined TSN radio, getting the job to call the Alouettes, the 2023 Alouettes' season from start to finish, the Grey Cup victory, his thoughts on the stellar Montreal defence, and shares insight on 2024 for the team (recorded December 14, 2023).

Derek Taylor (voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bomber on 680 CJOB) joins to discuss the Blue Bombers' season, their loss in the 2023 Grey Cup game and how close the game was.  Derek discusses the team as it heads into off-season, possible Free Agency, Roughriders' hiring of Corey Mace, as well as Buck Pierce's, Zach Colloras' and Dru Brown's futures (recorded December 5, 2023).

Our annual Christmas podcast with special guest Steve Daniel (CFL Senior Director, Football and Team Analytics).  Steve discusses the 2023 season, including the transition to GeniusSports' statistical-programming architecture, why the Alouettes were full marks for their Grey Cup win, how statistics and analytics inform CFL teams ( including coaches and coordinators), and how each result can inform...

Quarterbacking in Hamilton and Ottawa, who will emerge as the starter in 2024?  Already Coaches/Coordinators state they like what they saw in Taylor Powell and Dustin Crum.  Second Down: does the Vanier Cup need to join the Grey Cup in the same city on the same weekend?  Logistics aside, is it a good idea?  Third Down: can the Blue Bombers stay intact, will BC keep the core together, what moves do...

Roughriders' new Head Coach Corey Mace brings enthusiasm. Hamilton shuffles their management, then hire a new Head Coach. Ottawa hires a former Hamilton offensive coordinator. Second Down: USFL and XFL merge, now what?  Third Down: CFL Eastern Conference free agency, plenty of quality players are on expiriing contracts (recorded December 6, 2023).