It’s my Parting Shot to thank Stewart Johnston for making today’s commentary easy to come up with…..

The new C-F-L Commissioner ended up dominating the sports headlines in Canada – and the narrative on coffee row, if there is still such a thing?, and on social media!

As you might expect, the reaction is mixed. Hardcore, long-time C-F-L fans are incensed, younger people are in favour for the five seconds that their attention span allows before they go “meh,” and the anti-C-F-L because the N-F-L is where it’s at because the C-F-L is inferior crowd is crowing, but still are anti-C-F-L and won’t give it a chance!

There are a few of those types that I work with at the Saskatoon Media Group. That’s their prerogative, but I took exception to one who said the C-F-L needs to go to four downs because the three down game is just run, pass, kick – run, pass, kick. Of course, that person hasn’t watched a C-F-L game in several years so, in my humble opinion, his opinion means zero!

As a senior citizen and someone who has attended C-F-L games since the late 60s, I’m not upset with the apparent Americanization of the three-down game. To me, three downs is a “sacred cow” and cannot be changed. Nor can 12 men on the field and the waggle and the one yard neutral zone at the snap of the ball and the five-yard allowance for a returner to field a punt.

I’m quite alright with the benches being on opposite sides of the field – heck, hockey should take a lesson and go back to the old days when benches were on opposite sides of the ice and home-ice advantage was having the penalty box next to the home bench! Like it is in Brandon and Swift Current in the W-H-L! I’m alright with the end zones being shortened from 20 yards to 15 and I’m okay with the goal posts being moved to the end of the end zone, although I will miss seeing long field goal attempts not being potentially returned for touchdowns! The alterations to the awarding of the single point, eliminating it from missed field goals and punts going through the end zone or out of bounds in the end zone is more than good to me!

The one rule change I don’t like is shortening the field from 110 yards to 100…too much of an Americanization because it’s too close to the other “sacred cows” I feel – most notably four downs! I hope sanity prevails before 2027, but once the animals are let out of the barn, it’s hard to herd them back in!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!