Published Aug 16, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n When he was a Super Bowl-winning tight end with the Seattle Seahawks, Luke Willson never shied away from taking a big hit.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n As a prominent football analyst getting better with each set of downs, it seems, the Canadian isn\u2019t shy about the cheap shots coming his way for his work on TSN\u2019s CFL coverage.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Even when they come with ridiculous consequences from those attempting to silence him.<\/p>\n In fact, Willson is going on the offensive for those pushing back at his criticisms of the CFL, the type of commentary never before heard so pointedly and vocally on the network.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that the board of governors have rats within (the CFL), both on air and behind the scenes,\u201d Willson said in a post on X on Saturday that quickly sizzled on the social media site among the league\u2019s observers. \u201cThey want me gone. I am like a roach. Tough to kill.\u201d<\/p>\n While Willson didn\u2019t elaborate on those who would like to see him muted, the pushback has been strong, even if much of it is from league apologists.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And then, within hours on Saturday, it became real.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for what appeared to be the enemy within to emerge, as by mid-Saturday afternoon Willson\u2019s post from X had been removed. The popular broadcaster posted a gif of a person getting his wrist slapped with a caption \u201coops.\u201d In a reply to that post, Willson acknowledged that he had been asked to delete his criticisms.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all just silliness, really, and if, in fact, TSN made Willson remove his opinion, it\u2019s a terrible (if unsurprising) bit of censorship of a dude who has brought considerable attention \u2014 good and bad \u2014 to both the CFL and his network\u2019s coverage this season. And depending on how it all went down, it showed how deeply TSN and the CFL are in bed together.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The fact is that the LaSalle, Ont. native has been a fresh voice on the CFL shows, building on the terrific insight he brings to TSN\u2019s NFL coverage. The criticism has been predictable in that many of Willson\u2019s more vocal opposition centres on a belief that he has an NFL bias.<\/p>\n Of course, those accusations just make Willson laugh. As they should as well to anyone who has listened to his full body of work on CFL coverage this season.<\/p>\n What initially prompted Willson\u2019s latest social media tirade was news on Friday that both the Toronto Argos will be playing a significant portion of their \u201chome\u201d schedule on the road in 2026 to make room for the World Cup that will see games played at BMO Field.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MLSE stuff with the schedule yesterday really put things into perspective for me,\u201d Willson wrote. \u201cThat bothers me to no end. Why would you not play the games in Ontario? (I would vote London.) Instead, it\u2019s screw the fans, screw the brand, make the quick buck, let\u2019s go to Regina, Winnipeg and your arch-rivals stadium.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cAs I reflected on that, I need to realize that the CFL doesn\u2019t give one single damn about growing the game. It\u2019s evident in almost everything they do.\u201d<\/p>\n Willson echoed those comments in a Friday appearance on TSN Radio\u2019s Overdrive program.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder no circumstance am I surprised the World Cup is bumping anything,\u201d Willson said. \u201cThere are so many options that would be really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Given the long and cozy rights partnership that the CFL has had with TSN, it\u2019s not a stretch to call Willson\u2019s comments explosive. And not that he\u2019s worried. Quite the opposite, in fact.<\/p>\n In the past, Willson has been critical of some of the play in the league and attendance issues, particularly in Toronto and Edmonton. In his now deleted Saturday post, Willson inferred that fans in those cities are starting to get fed up.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cYou now have a league that has minimal time in the facilities, a coaches salary cap, and extreme cheap labour,\u201d Willson wrote on the now-removed post. \u201cIt\u2019s the front office\u2019s dream. When they can achieve this, they don\u2019t really need in-person fans. They just need the TV deal.<\/p>\n \u201cMany markets are starting to realize this, Edmonton, Toronto, I\u2019ve been told Calgary as well (haven\u2019t been there.) The people are simply done supporting such grotesque behaviour towards them.\u201d<\/p>\n How this plays out will be fascinating given the abhorrence of rights-holders to have their personalities speak out about the property in such an unvarnished way.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsFootballCFL Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox Sign Up Published Aug…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-74778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74778","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=74778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"luke](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2224276019-e1755372412843.jpg\")
TSN’s CFL analyst Luke Willson on the sidelines before a game between the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Hamilton Stadium on June 27, 2025 in Hamilton. Photo by John E. Sokolowski \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.3.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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