Medicine Hat’s McGough, Crawford disappointed with lost CFL season

“I never thought there would be no season,” said Hamilton Tiger-Cats long snapper Aaron Crawford. “There were a couple guys that were messaging me early on that I was like, ‘There isn’t going to be no season, it’s been around forever and they will figure out something to come to an agreement.’ So, it’s a little bit disappointing.”

Crawford has spent the last seven seasons in Tiger-Cats black and gold and is among hundreds of players now wondering what’s next.

Count Crawford’s former teammate and fellow Medicine Hat product Connor McGough in that group, who was less surprised to see the CFL put a stop to the season before it even began.

“I kind of thought that might be the direction we’re going,” said McGough. “But, to hear it is always a shock still. At the end of the day you can’t control that, you can only control what you can control.”

McGough was set to enter his first season back in his home province of Alberta, joining the Calgary Stampeders organization earlier this year.

That dream of joining the Stampeders on the field at McMahon Stadium will have to wait a bit longer though thanks to the move by the league which became a necessity in recent days.

Back in April amid the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFL and commissioner Randy Ambrosie made a trip to Ottawa to ask the government for a $150 million investment to keep the 2020 season alive.

During that meeting however, it became apparent that the league did not present a business plan nor have approval from the CFL Players Association.

“The CFL obviously didn’t put their best foot forward with a united front,” said Crawford. “It’s disappointing that the government wasn’t able to find a way to help the league out given how much the league does in its communities.”

That $150 million amount eventually shrunk to a request for a $30 million loan from the federal government, however that request was officially denied over the weekend.

It was a decision from the feds that McGough said was frustrating to hear adding that the CFL is a Canadian institution.

“I hope people get upset over this a little bit and voice their concerns about how we view sports in Canada,” he said.

Frustration from the players isn’t just lying with the federal government however, as many have been unimpressed with the way that the league has handled the now-cancelled season.

Players from multiple teams came out in recent weeks alleging a lack of communication from the league office with its players on whether or not a season would be possible.

“Without the leadership it’s tough to have trust in the people who you’re supposed to look up to for leadership and trust,” said McGough. “So, just that lack of communication I think really shows some true colours of what goes on in the organization.”

Winnipeg was chosen as a hub city to play a condensed season in, one similar in nature to the set up that the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association are currently using before Monday’s announcement.

Both local players are weighing their options when it comes to the next 12 months, with McGough electing to continue his studies at the University of Calgary and Crawford focusing on family time at his home in Hamilton.

Crawford and McGough have admitted that it’s possible they might lose a step over the next year with no games on the horizon, but the pair say they are committed to remaining professional football players north of the border.

“I love the team, I love the game,” said Crawford. “If someone is able to unseat me, I’ll walk away with no regrets. But, I’m not going to walk away any other way. So, they got their work cut out for them and I plan to make it as hard as possible.”

There are many uncertainties still left hanging with Monday’s announcement such as the future of the CFL’s 10^th franchise in Atlantic Canada and if any franchises will be in danger of ceasing operations with a cancelled season.

As for the future of the league itself however, McGough is staying optimistic that he will be able to return to the CFL gridiron in one form or another.

“I don’t believe it’s going to fold or anything,” said McGough. “It’s just too important to the Canadian culture, it’s a staple sport that you don’t see played anywhere else but in Canada with the Canadian rules. I know it’s going to be around, how big of a hit it’s going to take is unknown. I do have faith that the government will come in some fashion to help ensure that we play in 2021.”

This will be the first year the Grey Cup has not been awarded since 1919.

by Scott Roblin

Medicine Hat’s McGough, Crawford disappointed with lost CFL season

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