The Markcast®

We’re talking new USFL TV deals, Grey Cup fallout, the CFL 2022 schedule and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ celebration on this week’s episode of The Markcast. Tom Mayenknecht of The Sport Market (@TheSportMarket), Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Tim Baines of the Ottawa Sun all make return appearances!

The 2022 CFL schedule is here! We break down the latest with CFL Hall of Fame reporter Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. We also get Ed’s thoughts on the Grey Cup championship game, the Blue Bombers celebration party and what the team needs to do to “three-peat” in 2023.

Tim Baines of the Ottawa Sun stops by to share his thoughts on the Grey Cup 2021 festival, thoughts on the “State of the CFL” and the latest on Trevor Harris and Vernon Adams Jr. Tim talks about the future of the CFL, potential rule changes and what needs to be done (or definitely not done) in attempts to grow the CFL game in the off-season.

Tom Mayenknecht of The Sport Market (@TheSportMarket) then makes a return appearance to give his thoughts on Randy Ambrosie’s recent “State of the CFL” address and newly announced deal with Genius Sports. What’s the CFL’s game plan moving forward and is it enough to offset the recent below expected ratings for the 2021 Grey Cup game.

The USFL is also in the news with the “official” announcement of the FOX and NBC TV deals to carry the 2021 USFL games on FOX, NBC, USA Network and Peacock. Is there enough time to build anticipation for the 2021 USFL kickoff in April? Why would FOX want to give NBC content for their network? We answer these questions and more.

We’re launching another giveaway as we enter the CFL off-season and presumed USFL pre-season, so people subscribe to help up grow our channel! Plus we catch up on Taylor Heinicke and PJ Walker, run down the latest CFL news entering the first week of the off-season and more.

We're going LIVE from The George Hamilton Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Hamilton in preparation of the 2021 108th Grey Cup game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Ticats.

On Saturday December 11th from 3pm - 4:30pm EST (12pm - 1:30p PST), we will be hosting our live CFL podcast previewing big match up and breaking down the game with some of your favorite past CFL media personalities who've appeared on our show in the past!

We'll also break down CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie's "State of the League" address, get throughts from our lineup about the CFL's future, planned revenue sharing and the league's recently announced partnership with Genius Sports.

Line up of guests:

2:20 Show Intro, Live from Hamilton for the 108th Grey Cup!
8:20 - Matt Baker - Manager of Communcations and Content, BC Lions
29:10 - Dan Ralph - Canadian Press Reporter, CFL HoF Reporter
42:30 - Darrin Bauming, Nik Kowalski - Bonfire Sports
50:00 - Dave Naylor/Farhan Lalji - CFL on TSN
1:18:30 - Darrell Davis - CFL HoF Reporter

We'll be taking questions live from those watching online and in person to those in attendance. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the distinct honour of playing in the Grey Cup at home, what kind of advantage will they have, if any, against the juggernaut that is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Watch us online or come and visit us in person at The George Hamilton Restaurant and Brewery - 152 King St W, Hamilton, ON L8P 1A6, Canada to get your CFL Grey Cup fix before the big game!

It’s a BONUS episode of The Markcast!

We have USFL chatter, a The Spring League lawsuit update and a CFL Grey Cup 108 preview as we head north to Hamilton to cover the Grey Cup.

How will the NEW USFL make money playing all their season 1 games in Birmingham? That’s the question on our (as well as everyone else’s) mind and we’re brining on Jeff Edelstein of US Bets and Sports Handle to talk about it. Is sports betting the solution to the USFL’s potential financial woes? We break it down and prognosticate how daily fantasy could be a key to the USFL relaunch’s success.

We then bring on Mickey Shuey of IBJ News to get an update on the legal situation involving a lawsuit against The Spring League courtesy of B&D Associates, the ownership group for the Crowne Plaza Union Station, and the Capital Improvement Board of Marion County. What response does Brian Woods have and does this do anything to shake the public confidence in the USFL (Brian Woods has involvement in the new upstart league) moving forward? We talk to Mickey Shuey and get all the answers.

Then we talk to Greg Dunnett, Director of the Grey Cup Festival about what to expect for this year’s festivities. How did they have to pivot due to reduced crowds and what sorts of new ideas are they bringing to the table when Hamilton hosts the Grey Cup again in 2023? Plus how can the CFL use the Grey Cup and its festival to help grow tine Canadian game both within the Canadian borders and outside of them?

Don’t forget, we are going LIVE ahead of the 108th Grey Cup this coming Saturday from the George Hamilton Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Hamilton. Watch us online or come and visit us in person at The George Hamilton Restaurant and Brewery - 152 King St W, Hamilton, ON L8P 1A6, Canada.

The XFL has leaked their kickoff date, The Spring League (and current USFL management) is being sued and we are previewing the CFL East and West Division Finals on this loaded episode of The Markcast.

Dany Garcia via Instagram has again leaked juicy details about the XFL’s 2023 return to the field. This time we have a proposed kickoff date, and dates for player combines (in June) as well as training camps in January of 2023. We break down the XFL 2023 timeline and talk potential conflicts with a hypothetical season 2 of the USFL.

Legendary Winnipeg Blue Bomber announcer Bob Irving then joins the show to chat about his retirement, the 2021 CFL season, the West Finals and more. Bob has been the voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 47 years and his retirement will leave a vacuum in the CFL media landscape.

Andy Bouyoukos, tv director at CFL on TSN joins the show to preview both the West Final (which he will be directing) as well as the Grey Cup in Hamilton. Andy has direct 11 of the past 12 Grey Cups as well as numerous other high-profile CFL live events and has tons of stories and insights to share from his time behind the scenes.

We then have a special roundtable featuring the crew from the Krown Gridiron Nation show on TSN with Jim Mullin, Gord Randall and Mike Hogan breaking down both the East Final (featuring the Toronto Argonauts hosting the Hamilton Ticats) and the West Final (with the Saskatchewan Roughriders traveling to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers). Lots of laughs, insights and CFL analysis to be had from this mega-roundtable!

If that wasn’t enough, we talk about the current lawsuit facing The Spring League and CEO Brian Woods from B&D Associates out of Indianapolis for unpaid bills from the 2021 May Spring League season. What does that mean for the 2022 relaunch of the USFL? We have the latest info coming out from reporters on the ground there.

Final topics include Taylor Heinicke’s big win over Russell Wilson, Cam Newton getting benched for PJ Walker, a slew of new USFL trademarks, Bob Stoops’ new job, the drama involving articles about the Toronto Argos moving to the XFL, Grey Cup activities and more!

The USFL unveiled their team names/team logos and announced their 2022 USFL “host cities” this week and we are breaking down, ranking and analyzing all details. PLUS we are previewing CFL week 17 preview and talking all about the impending semi-finals featuring the Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton facing the Ticats and the Calgary Stampeders traveling to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The USFL 2022 team logos are here and we have all the latest details from USFL Executive Vice President Daryl Johnson. What’s the plan moving forward, what new cities should we expect in 2023 and beyond, we have all the info. We also break down the placement of the “host cities”, do they make sense for a 2022 USFL and can they co-exist when the XFL returns in 2023. What are the chances of a USFL-XFL merger? We tackle that LOADED question and more USFL news.

Davis Sanchez of CFL on TSN and TSN Edge joins us to preview the 2021 CFL semi-finals and to give his insights into the 2021 CFL season thus far. He responds to Caretake Bob Young’s comments about the excitement of the 2021 CFL and more.

Morley Scott of 630 CHED stops by to break down all the latest drama coming out from the Edmonton Elks including the firing of CEO Chris Presson, General Manager Brock Sunderland and head coach Jamie Elizondo. Can Edmonton rebound in 2022 and what steps will be necessary to get them on the right track?

Luc Mullinder, former Saskatchewan Roughrider and 620 CKRM analyst shares his thoughts on the Riders push to the 2021 Grey Cup, what he thinks their chances are against Calgary in the semi-finals and who he sees winning it all (potentially against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers) at the 2021 CFL Grey Cup. 

We discuss Taylor Heinicke’s big win against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, the lack of respect PJ Walker is getting, the release of Chris Streveler from the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys release Canadian kicker Lirim Hajrullahu, the CFL East and West Division all-stars, CFL tv ratings, and the NFL potentially moving to St. Louis and what that means for the Battlehawks.

It’s a loaded (American) Thanksgiving episode, we hope you enjoy!

FOX Sports has officially announced the 2022 USFL launch and we have all the latest details including USFL league ownership, management and more. Prolific USFL author Jeff Pearlman joins us to break down the announcement and to give his thoughts and expertise as someone who documented the original USFL through his book - “Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL”. We break down the FOX Sports USFL press release and go through the latest additional rumors and questions involving the USFL and when we might have those answers.

We then preview/break down week 16 of the CFL season with Dave Dawson of Sports Spectrum and Aaron Korolnek of TSN Edge and TSN 1050 Toronto. How will the Toronto Argonauts fare heading into the East Division Finals? What more can be done by the BC Lions to get some growth out of this season? Are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers truly unstoppable? we tackle all of these questions and more in regards to the 2021 CFL season.

Aaron Korolnek also shares some insights into sports betting, CFL fantasy football and how the CFL league offices need to harness those new ways of thinking to help propel the CFL into growth in a new generation of fans.

The XFL is in the news as well, with both Taylor Heinicke and PJ Walker seeing starts for the Washington Football Team and the Carolina Panthers. We discuss the XFL’s plan to be “different” in 2023 compared to 2020 and whether or not an eventual partnership with the NFL makes sense. Fenway Sports Management is also back in the news with the rumored acquisition of the Pittsburg Penguins and we chat a little Fan Controlled Football thin-skinnedness.

The XFL officially hires their league president and executive staff, plus we are previewing week 15 of the CFL with Dan Ralph, Chris Edwards and Adam Gosse.

USFL news will most likely be coming NEXT week as we breakdown the latest XFL hires from Russ Brandon, to Janet Dutch, Jay Rothman, Doug Whaley and more. What will the former president of the Buffalo Bills or a former executive producer of Monday Night Football mean to the 2023 re-launch of the XFL? We break down all of the hires, fill you in on their extensive backgrounds and more. Plus XFL.com is updated and more career news and jobs info should be upcoming soon.

Canadian Hall of Fame Reporter Dan Ralph returns to the show to breakdown all of the matchups headed into CFL week 15. Who’s winning the battle of the east when the Hamilton Ticats travels to Toronto to face the Argonauts. We discuss McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the Argonauts fanbase and MLSE’s ownership of the team moving forward. Are the CFL games entertaining this year? Dan Ralph has been covering the CFL for 30 years and shares his feelings on the matter as well as whether or not rule changes and other alterations could or should be made to the CFL moving on from the 2021 season.

Chris Edwards, TSN Senior Live Event Producer stops by to share his thoughts on the CFL 2021 season thus far. Chris shares fun memories and personal highlights from producing CFL games of the past and gives some insights about the league that he’s gained from his decades-long involvement with the sport. Chris also gives his predictions to Hamilton/Toronto and Winnipeg/Montreal heading into the 2021 Grey Cup finale at Tim Horton’s in Hamilton.

Adam Gosse, PA Announcer for the Toronto Argonauts also stops by to share his thoughts and excitement heading into Toronto’s big game this weekend. We talk about the electricity of the Toronto Argonauts fanbase, especially with an expected capacity-filled BMO field, as well as thoughts on coach Ryan Dinwiddie and crew leading the Argonauts on the field.

It SHOULD be another fun show NEXT week as well with the (presumed) USFL launch announcement from FOX Sports, hopefully more XFL tidbits/hires and more! Make sure you’re subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform so you can stay up to date on all of the latest XFL, CFL and USFL news!

The USFL moves to make their official announcement about a 2022 season and we’re previewing week 14 of the CFL season with Sean Bowen, Simon Tsalikis and Ethan Ready.

Sean Bowen, Toronto Argonauts digital/in stadium host joins us to run down the teams moves heading into the East finals. The Toronto Argonauts are leading the East under the helm of McLeod Bethel Thompson and Sean Bowen talks about the excitement in the GTA surrounding the Argonauts as they look to play for the 2021 Grey Cup in their rival the Hamilton Ticats home field.

Simon Tsalikis of TSN690 joins us to give overall thoughts on the quality of play in the 2022 CFL season, what we can expect from newly acquired Montreal Alouettes quarterback Trevor Harris and how far we can expect to see the Khari Joins led Alouettes headed into the 2021 CFL postseason.

Ethan Ready, a former Ticats writer and CFL freelancer with CKPG News stops by to chat about America’s CFL team the BC Lions and their horrendous overtime loss to the Toronto Argonauts last week in OT. We preview the rest of the 2021 CFL season for the BC Lions and cover the latest kicker dilemmas facing the team.

If reports are to be believed, the USFL in Birmingham is a lock to move forward with a Spring 2022 kickoff, with an official announcement coming next week via FOX Sports. Paul and Reid cover the identity crisis facing the NEW USFL and wonder if people really know the sort of Spring football league they should expect. Is the NEW USFL heading to disaster before it even kicks off? Only time will tell with this “re-imagining” of the USFL.

Lots of other alternative football tidbits including an MLFB update, Fan Controlled Football’s rumored Spring kickoff crowding the alt-football landscape, Nate Holley’s signing in Toronto, Nick Arbuckle’s contract extension, Kyran Moore’s injury status, CFL future free agents, CFL TV ratings, Edmonton Elks issues, Ottawa REDBLACKS woes and more!

CFL, USFL and XFL updates this week on your (hopefully) favorite weekly alt-football show!

The USFL 2.0 Spring 2022 kickoff in Birmingham is a GO, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale address the XFL’s future timeline and we preview CFL week 13 with Natey Adjei, Rob Vanstone and Paul McCallum.

CFL Toronto Argonauts colour commentator Natey Adjei joins us to preview CFL week 13 with a BC Lions vs. Toronto Argonauts preview. We also discuss Nick Arbuckle’s trade to the Edmonton Elks and more. Rob Vanstone, friend of the show returns to discuss whether or not the CFL has an entertainment problem. Are the CFL games exciting enough and should more be expected and we quickly approach the 2022 Grey Cup in Hamilton. Former BC Lions (and XFL Las Vegas Outlaws) kicker Paul McCallum gives his thoughts on the 2022 CFL season, who he sees competing in the East Final and more.

Sportico hosted a “live” Invest in Sports livestream, which featured XFL owners Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale. The two dropped some juicy tidbits about future timelines, their plans for a “global” vision and when we should be expecting news.

Finally, it appears all signs point to GO for the USFL 2.0 and a smooth path forward with local Birmingham city officials for an April 2022 kickoff with “efforts now shift to finalizing agreements”. We also have a USFL hat unboxing courtesy of the new USFL merchandise shop and a special, one-of-a-kind Book Cameo surprise for Paul and our listeners!

The USFL 2022 kickoff date? Potential TV partners to air 2022 USFL games and a CFL week 12 preview with Pat Steinberg, Bob McGregor and Josh Burton, this episode truly has it all!

Pat Steinberg of CFL.ca joins us to give his thoughts on the 2021 CFL season so far and to preview this weekend’s match-ups with the Toronto Argonauts traveling to Montreal to face the Alouettes, the Ottawa REDBLACKS going up against the Hamilton Ticats, America’s CFL team the BC Lions squaring off against a white-hot Winnipeg Blue Bomber team and the Roughriders of Saskatchewan repeating their rivalry with the Calgary Stampeders.

Bob McGregor, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers stadium announcer shares his thoughts on Winnipeg’s crazy 2021 run thus far and shares some stories about working the fervent Blue Bomber home crowd. Josh Burton, AD of Video Ops for the Toronto Argonauts also stops by before hitting the road to Montreal and talks up with will most likely be the team to beat in the East as we head to a Hamilton-hosted Grey Cup in December.

We then have some BIG USFL news courtesy of AL.com’s Roy S. Johnson who gives some spicy details on the USFL’s Birmingham, Alabama bubble season, a potential kickoff date, TV networks slated to air the games and more. Is FOX devoting enough money over the next 3 years to get this USFL re-launch off the ground? Only time will tell.

Finally, what is an “IRL NFT”? Fan Controlled Football seems to think it’s worth selling and we get to the bottom of that along with your other XFL and alternative football related news.