Darrell Davis: It’s time to talk, CFL

OK, Randy Ambrosie, c’mon home. There’s important work to be done in the CFL office.

It’s time to start negotiating with the CFL Players’ Association. The collective bargaining agreement ends in May and the league’s commissioner needs to be involved in negotiations. The CFLPA wants more protection for its players, physically and financially, and the strength of its argument means there might be a work stoppage this year.

Ambrosie has been hopscotching around the world, making deals with football associations in Mexico, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. It’s not a bad idea, actually, this CFL 2.0. It provides Canadian players more opportunities to further their careers, at various levels of excellence; players from around the world might ultimately appear in the CFL. There are rules to establish but there’s little risk involved, unless it harms the upcoming negotiations.

The players’ association has asked the league to start negotiating in early March. Usually those talks don’t get serious until the final few weeks. Perhaps the CFLPA was feeling forgotten.