Kickoff controversy in NFL fails to make waves north of the border
Kickoffs have been called football’s most dangerous play, and in the NFL they generated a heated off-season debate that resulted in changes aimed at making the game safer.
And yet in Canada, they still open every CFL game amid no controversy.
“They’re different games,” said Jeff Reinebold, the B.C. Lions veteran special-teams coach. “The kicking game has been such an integral part of the Canadian game that there’s a tendency to kind of leave it alone because it’s so important while it’s been de-emphasized, frankly, south of the border for many reasons.
“The fact the American field is 15 yards narrrower and 10 yards shorter and the endzones are 10 yards shorter, the kicking game in general is handled and looked at differently in both games.”