Nathan Rourke and Stewart Johnston appear to have different interpretations of how their conversation about the Canadian Football League’s rule changes went.
The superstar Canadian quarterback and CFL commissioner spoke on Tuesday night after Rourke positioned himself as the most vocal opponent to Johnston’s attempt to modernize the three-down league. However, Rourke still does not seem to be satisfied with his employer’s receptiveness to criticism.
“I wouldn’t say ‘happy’ is the right word,” the Oakville, Ont. native told the Vancouver media when asked for his assessment of the call. “It’s out of my control. I’m hoping that eventually they’ll listen to somebody. Hopefully, there’s enough people out there who watch the game and love the CFL that are able to speak up and make their voice heard.”
Johnston took a different tack in describing the conversation during an interview with Winnipeg Sports Talk, stressing Rourke’s importance to the league and emphasizing their mutual respect.
“It was important for me to see if we could connect, and we have. We have had a very lengthy conversation together,” the commissioner acknowledged. “I’m not going to talk about what was said; however, I’ll say it was absolutely filled with respect from both sides. I think in any situation like that, it’s really good to have a face-to-face conversation.”
The CFL unveiled several major structural rule changes to take place over the next two seasons at a press conference on Monday, marking the most radical attempt to update the league’s traditional presentation in decades. Most notably, the announcement set the stage for the field to shrink from 110 yards to 100 beginning in 2027, with the goal posts moving from the goal line to the back of a now 15-yard end zone.
While several prominent quarterbacks have spoken in favour of the changes and Johnston claims the response from players has been mostly positive, Rourke was a notable exception. He called the moves “garbage” and decried the league’s failure to consult with players and coaches in advance. The 27-year-old also accused CFL brass of attempting to make the game more like the NFL, sacrificing uniquely Canadian traditions in the process.
In so doing, the B.C. Lions’ franchise pivot became the mouthpiece for CFL traditionalists fearful of the trajectory these decisions might set the league on. According to the QB, that was very much by design.
“I feel like I have a responsibility as a Canadian quarterback, as a Canadian, and as someone who loves the game and has a unique perspective. I’m at a position in my career where I feel that I can speak out and not fear for my job, and I know that there’s some people that are worried about that,” Rourke said. “Maybe I’m a little too naive, too. Maybe some people have been around a little bit longer, and they know how things work, but that’s part of the reason I said that. Maybe I can try to do something, but we’ll see.”
Johnston didn’t exactly quell fans’ concerns about what dramatic changes could happen in the future at his press conference, but he has since amended his messaging. Contrary to Rourke’s belief, he insists these amendments are not the first steps — or initial shove — onto a slippery slope.
“If I could sum up those that are concerned, at least the communication to me, the interpretation I have is it’s a lot of concern about what might be next, and maybe even were the intentions exactly how I laid them out for these changes. If I could take a moment to reassure you and your audience, there was no nefarious Americanization intention with these rules,” he stressed. “Going forward, we are committed to the game that we’ve got. I’ve got no percentage of my thought process, or anyone at the league office’s thought process, on other rule changes. We’ve got lots of work we want to do on the overall business and marketing of our game, but that’s it.”
Johnston has continued to sing Rourke’s praises throughout their recent back-and-forth. Though it remains to be seen whether the league will levy a fine for the comments, he does not appear to begrudge the marquee passer for making his feelings known in a passionate way — even if they could have been communicated in a gentler and more productive manner.
“Everyone can absorb and digest and react to news like this in their own way. I don’t judge him for having his opinion and his reaction,” he said. “I certainly didn’t appreciate some of the comments about me and my love for football, because I’ll put my love for football up against anybody’s. I’ve been a passionate fan of the sport of football my entire life, but having said that, I respect what he has to say.”
For his part, Rourke appears unbothered by how Johnston or anyone in his camp may have felt about his comments. When asked what he thought about the overall response, the former Most Outstanding Canadian was blunt.
“For those people who matter to me and their opinions matter, it’s been really positive,” he said.
Rourke acknowledged that everyone involved in the CFL, including him and Johnston, wants to make the product better. Their disagreement is only regarding the methodology behind how to do that and whether dramatic changes to the structure of the game are needed.
“I think we have a lot of disagreements about how this league should be run and what the problem with this league is, I think it’s plenty exciting, I think it’s really fun. I think being able to experience the other type of football, American football, coming back to the CFL to me I feel like I have a perspective that I’m able to judge what the excitement is and I want to stick up for the Canadians and Canadian fans and people who love the CFL, Americans who love the CFL because it’s different,” Rourke told TSN.
“I think there’s a lot of wrong with the with the American game and I think we do a lot of things right. It’s tough to know that not everyone agrees with that, but there’s not much that I can do to change it and that nine people are willing to make changes without considering anybody other than themselves.”
That philosophical debate, and its two figureheads, has dominated this week, but Rourke doesn’t feel it has been a distraction for his team ahead of their clash with the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. In fact, he believes the looming changes have added some extra motivation to enjoy every last rouge, goalpost rub, and trip across the 55-yard line.
“I think our mentality this week has been we’re going to enjoy the game — this game — while we have it.”
J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league's Global initiative.
