The new turf can’t come quick enough for the Calgary Stampeders.
That should address at least one concern stemming from the Canadian Football League Players’ Association’s grading of CFL teams unveiled Tuesday.
The 2024 CFLPA report card, the product of survey results from 495 players across the league, certainly casts the Stampeders in a negative light in pretty much every aspect, from training camp to family treatment to management and administration.
Ouch.
“The report card presents valuable insights, provided by players, about their respective clubs to not only assist one another in making informed free-agency decisions but also to contribute to raising standards for conditions across the league,” said the CFLPA.
Here are the CFLPA’s full grades for the Stampeders:
• Football operations (C-)
• Management and administration (D+)
• Training and medical staff (C+)
• Equipment (C+)
• Family treatment (D+)
• Nutrition and diet (D-)
• Team travel (C)
• Training camp (C+)
The Stamps refused comment on those report card results.
But team president Jay McNeil did emphasize the need for improvement across the entire Stampeders operation during his state-of-the-union address at season’s end.
“We’re going to evaluate every aspect of our business,” McNeil said. “Change is coming, and it takes time, and it’s a process.
“Like any good business, we are going to evaluate all aspects of it. And it does take time, and we aren’t going to make any knee-jerk reactions. It’s a process, and we’re going to continue that process.”
That process includes the already underway resurfacing of the McMahon Stadium turf, long considered an injury hazard for players given the field’s age and inflexibility.
New FieldTurf was installed last month and is expected to be better for player durability moving forward.
The old surface was certainly a concern for the Stamps, as reflected in comments in the report card by anonymous Stampeders:
• “The field in Calgary has led to many major and minor injuries.”
• “We need a new field and need meals. We also need help with transportation to and from the facility for guys that are from the U.S. and don’t have cars out here in Canada.”
• “Most players have to get a gym membership to get a real workout during the season.”
• “Improvement needed on food offered during season, strength and conditioning, meetings early morning after travelling very late for away games, the quality of the gym …”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders received the top grades in the CFLPA’s first-ever team report cards.
The Roughriders received two ‘A’ and five ‘B’ grades in the eight categories provided in the union’s 58-question survey, which was distributed to members in October.
The Riders received an ‘A’ for both football operations and management and ‘B’ grades in all but diet and nutrition, which was graded as ‘D-plus’.
Only two failing grades were given, both to the Edmonton Elks. They earned an ‘F’ in nutrition and diet, as well as for training camp.
Only the Elks and BC Lions graded below the Stamps, when averaging out the entire report card.
The survey consisted of multiple choice, rating, and open-ended questions in each category. Scores were averaged with grades incorporating various aspects of workplace conditions, including the quality of team facilities and services offered.
The Ottawa Redblacks also earned two ‘A’ grades (football operations, equipment). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (equipment), the Toronto Argonauts (training and medical staff) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (equipment) were the only other franchises to garner ‘A’ designations.
The CFLPA collaborated with Dr. Desmond McEwen, an assistant professor in sport psychology at the University of British Columbia.
“The CFLPA report card initiative is about empowering our players and elevating the standards across the league,” added CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian, a former league all-star. “By sharing their honest feedback, the players are driving positive change and fostering a better environment for everyone involved in Canadian football.”
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