The release of the CFL is always met with excitement and concern. It was no different on Monday.
Riders kicker Brett Lauther–who is the team’s rep for the Players Association–saw some trouble looming in the slate of games for the 2020 season.
How do you have an 18 game schedule with 3 bye weeks but you play 12 straight games?? #PlayerSafety https://t.co/uNNt2FmIDW pic.twitter.com/GghXx70WcE
— Brett Lauther (@brettlauther) December 16, 2019
The Riders have bye weeks in Weeks 1, 6 and 19. So they will play games in 12 straight weeks.
“Why have the three bye weeks then?” asked Lauther on the Sports Cage. “If you’re playing that many games you could shorten the season and go to one bye week and just make the teams play the 12 in a row.”
Lauther points out the Riders are not alone in facing such a burden. The Redblacks will play in 13 straight weeks in 2020. And the Lions open with games in each of the first 10 weeks before seeing their three byes in a nine-week span.
Just having such long stretches I know what’s going to happen,” says Lauther. “I know we’re going to lose some guys. I know our guys can’t go 12, 13, whatever, weeks in a row without some injuries piling up.”
As the CFLPA rep for the Riders Lauther hears other players concerns, players whose bodies get beat up over the course of 60-70 plays a game. And players who are facing two weeks during that 12 in a row where they will have just four days off between games.
“It’s something I’ll be bringing up in February at the (Players Association) meetings,” says Lauther.
