{"id":179941,"date":"2025-09-30T11:29:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T11:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/179941\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T11:29:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T11:29:15","slug":"cfl-fans-start-petition-to-delay-rule-changes-call-for-two-week-blackout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/179941\/","title":{"rendered":"CFL fans start petition to delay rule changes, call for two-week blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo courtesy: Alex Lupul\/AlexLupul.com<\/p>\n

A passionate CFL fan has started a petition rallying against the upcoming changes to the Canadian Football League.<\/p>\n

The petition, which can be found here<\/a>, calls for rule changes to be delayed until \u201call relevant parties\u201d are consulted, including owners, season ticket holders, and the Canadian Football League Players\u2019 Association (CFLPA). It was started by Matthew Campbell, who is ironically based in Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of us hold fond memories tied to the Canadian Football League (CFL). Whether it was going to games with family through successive generations, rallying for our city\/province during the playoffs or supporting it through lean times, these moments are priceless and cherished,\u201d the petition reads.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CFL stands as a distinctly Canadian sport, celebrated for its thrilling plays, wide-open fields, and \u2018no lead is safe\u2019 finales. Unlike the NFL, the CFL offers something uniquely ours, and it must be preserved as such.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CFL unveiled a number of upcoming changes to the rules at a press conference on Monday, including a modified rouge and play clock in 2026<\/a>, and a shortened field and repositioned goalposts for 2027<\/a>. The changes were presented by commissioner Stewart Johnston and unanimously approved by the league\u2019s lead governors.<\/p>\n

In an update to the petition on Thursday, Campbell called for CFL fans to protest the upcoming changes by wearing all black to games in Week 17 and 18 or covering the CFL logos on their jerseys and other apparel with tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis display from the fans would send a clear and visible message to the league that it\u2019s time to engage the 13th man across all nine teams, in addition to the CFLPA, all team owners and other stakeholders,\u201d Campbell wrote. \u201cAt the same time, it allows fans to enjoy our beloved game during the already-exciting 2025 season and support the players as they pursue Grey Cup glory into the fall!\u201d<\/p>\n

As of Friday morning, the petition had garnered just over 2,500 signatures with a goal of 33,350, a number chosen to reflect a packed CFL stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CFL is not just a game; it is a cultural institution woven into Canada\u2019s fabric,\u201d reads the petition. \u201cIt is critical that decisions impacting the rules and structure of the game are made with careful consideration, reflecting the voices and interests of those who hold the league dear. By doing so, we can ensure the CFL remains true to its roots, delivering the excitement and passion that fans have come to love over generations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo courtesy: Alex Lupul\/AlexLupul.com A passionate CFL fan has started a petition rallying against the upcoming changes to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-179941","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}