How the CFL awards format could be improved (and how it could have looked this year)
The CFL unveiled the winners of its yr-conclusion divisional awards on Wednesday, illustrating still yet again why it’s time to improve the format by which these awards are carried out.
Below the recent format, 4 regional voters from just about every CFL metropolis forged ballots for the community team’s awards along with the club’s head coach. The winners in each respective group turn into eligible for the same awards at the division degree, after which the ultimate two emerge as candidates at the league amount.
The very first stage of voting doesn’t require to change substantially. Crew awards are essential as there are many years of history linked with gamers being identified at the club level. The difficulty is that staff awards preclude numerous players from the very same club from currently being eligible for the 2nd round of voting.
This could be rectified by somewhat tweaking the 1st round of voting. Alternatively of keeping a vote ensuing in just one winner, voters could make a few picks making use of a ranked ballot. The participant who finishes with the strongest tally would get the staff award but the top three vote recipients would each and every be qualified for the 2nd spherical of voting.
This would supply voters in the future round with 27 candidates for every single award (3 for each team) where they would again entire a ranked ballot. The top rated three vote-getters would go on to the closing stage at the league degree, ensuing in a few finalists. This would permit multiple players from the same division (and the identical group) to be up for the ultimate spherical of league awards, introducing to the intrigue on awards night.
The CFL puts a ton of assets into its yearly awards exhibit with this year’s function that includes a general performance from Shaggy. It’s a initially-course function that’s normally allow down by the the vast majority of the winners getting a foregone summary two weeks ahead of the display takes area.
Previous year’s vote margins ended up laughable. Zach Collaros acquired 94 per cent of the vote to acquire Most Remarkable Player around Eugene Lewis, Dalton Schoen gained Most Fantastic Rookie more than Tyson Philpot with a 96 p.c vote share, Mike O’Shea gained Mentor of the 12 months more than Ryan Dinwiddie with an 88 percent vote share, and Nathan Rourke won Most Excellent Canadian about Kurleigh Gittens Jr. with an 82 % vote share.
The only race that was remotely shut was Most Excellent Defensive Player, which noticed Lorenzo Mauldin IV gain above Shawn Lemon by a tally of 32-18. The margin nonetheless wasn’t restricted but at the very least it wasn’t noticeable who was heading to win, compared with so several of the other awards.
If the potential technique outlined earlier mentioned was employed for awards this year, this is how I picture the last slate may have seemed.
Most Remarkable Player
QB Zach Collaros, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
QB Chad Kelly, Toronto Argonauts
RB Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Most Superb Defensive Participant
DL Mathieu Betts, B.C. Lions
LB Wynton McManis, Toronto Argonauts
LB Adarius Pickett, Toronto Argonauts
Most Fantastic Canadian
DL Mathieu Betts, B.C. Lions
REC Nic Demski, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
RB Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Most Exceptional Offensive Lineman
OL Dejon Allen, Toronto Argonauts
OL Jermarcus Hardrick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OL Ryan Hunter, Toronto Argonauts
Most Superb Unique Groups Player
K Boris Bede, Toronto Argonauts
KR Javon Leake, Toronto Argonauts
K Sean Whyte, B.C. Lions
Most Outstanding Rookie
QB Dustin Crum, Ottawa Redblacks
DB Quan’tez Stiggers, Toronto Argonauts
DB Reggie Stubblefield, Montreal Alouettes
Five of the six awards feature many finalists from the exact same staff. Most Remarkable Canadian functions gamers exclusively from the West Division, although Most Remarkable Rookie options players exclusively from the East Division. If the purpose is to assure that the most deserving gamers are identified as finalists, these are the types of slates the league really should be presenting its voters.
The CFL’s awards were initially structured by division simply because voters could not moderately be expected to maintain up with every staff across the region. The format designed perfect sense in the course of an era in which online games were being almost never televised and the net did not exist.
These days, there’s no excuse for voters not to hold up with all 9 groups. Just about every match is on countrywide tv and data and highlights are easily obtainable online. Awards ought to be performed irrespective of staff or division as undertaking so turns what should be an enjoyable, marquee function into a thing that feels antiquated and unexciting.
There was a good deal of discussion pertaining to whether or not Brady Oliveira or Zach Collaros deserved the Blue Bombers’ nomination for Most Superb Participant. In the upcoming, similar debates will hopefully arise on a countrywide degree ahead of the CFL’s glitzy awards display rather than in Winnipeg during a random 7 days of the common year.