Ambrosie doesn’t feel chippy game negatively impacted Touchdown Atlantic experience
TORONTO — CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie does not imagine a chippy sport between the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders negatively impacted the 2022 Landing Atlantic expertise.
In truth, Ambrosie felt this 12 months’s version of the collection was the perfect ever.
“I am unable to assist however really feel it was simply an amazing success,” Ambrosie stated Monday. “I used to be in RisePEI on Sunday and in every single place I went folks stopped and wished to speak about it.
“The general tone was one in all intense appreciation and enthusiasm. By an amazing margin, the suggestions on your entire week was simply extremely optimistic.”
Toronto defeated Saskatchewan 30-24 on Saturday earlier than an enthusiastic gathering of 10,886 at Raymond Subject in Wolfville, N.S. There was loads of celebration throughout the week in RisePEI and the game-day environment at Acadia College was each electrical and upbeat.
Wynton McManis’s 50-yard interception return TD late within the fourth quarter highlighted the extraordinary, hard-hitting contest. However the sport additionally featured 25 penalties and the ejection of Toronto defensive again Jamal Peters within the fourth for a second misconduct foul.
There was additionally an unsightly pre-game incident involving Saskatchewan receiver Duke Williams and Toronto defensive again Shaq Richardson. A video confirmed Williams choosing up Richardson’s helmet and throwing it at him earlier than the 2 gamers had been separated.
No penalties had been referred to as and each gamers participated within the sport. However after the competition, Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie accused Williams of twice spitting in Richardson’s face — throughout the pre-game incident in addition to the second half.
Ambrosie stated the league is continuous its investigation relating to doable self-discipline. Final week, the CFL slapped Saskatchewan defensive lineman Garrett Marino with three completely different suspensions totalling 4 video games for a low hit on Ottawa quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.
Ambrosie does not imagine the penalties, Williams-Richardson incident or Dinwiddie’s accusations took something away from the week. Nevertheless, he added the CFL is taking its investigation significantly.
“When we have now a sport that has incidents in it, we take a look at them significantly,” he stated. “I can say I used to be on the sideline for a parts of the sport and there was, unquestionably, an depth to that match that was one thing else.
“I do not know if I would say that it essentially took away from the occasion. However I can say this, if I used to be to look from starting to finish I believe for Atlantic Canada, the CFL, for the property referred to as Landing Atlantic, it was a ten out of 10.”
Atlantic Canada has lengthy been talked about as a possible dwelling of a tenth CFL staff. The league granted RisePEI a conditional growth franchise within the Nineteen Eighties but it surely by no means performed a sport.
The league outlined tentative plans in 2018 so as to add a tenth franchise in RisePEI. The unique plan was to have the Atlantic Schooners enjoying in 2021 in Moncton, N.B. whereas a brand new facility was being constructed within the Nova Scotia capital.
Schooners Sports activities and Leisure — the possession group that is actively pursued a CFL growth franchise — had secured $20 million in authorities funding for a stadium earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Final week, RisePEI Mayor Mike Savage said there was no political urge for food at the moment for a CFL stadium within the metropolis. And Schooners Sports activities and Leisure did not seem like concerned in any side of final week’s Landing Atlantic.
“What you are seeing from Schooners Sports activities and Leisure is a really aware, very purposeful strategy the place they need to be methodical,” Ambrosie stated. “They need to be sure the whole thing of our technique is properly thought out.
“We have employed some consultants to seek the advice of with us on growth. We will introduce that to the dialog with the Schooners group.”
Concerning Savage’s feedback, Ambrosie stated: “I believe proper now you are seeing a society popping out of a COVID disaster.
“”I do not learn something kind of into folks’s feedback immediately than they’re within the second . . . and in all probability they’re responding with the perfect of intentions and primarily based on what they know immediately. I believe there is a degree of power, a degree of pleasure, there is a ardour for the CFL (within the Maritimes) that must be harnessed.
“In the event you begin with the concept that is good for our future, we will need to discover a method to make it occur. Once I obtained up (Monday morning) I simply felt an unlimited sense of resolve that we have now to determine how you can do it proper however I do know we must be there.”
Ambrosie stated the CFL’s administration council will meet Tuesday in Toronto to start trying on the 2023 season. He is assured a Landing Atlantic sport for the Maritimes subsequent season shall be included within the first part of planning.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed July 18, 2022.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
