CFL unveils new logo, slogan: 'What we're made of'
"The time has come to update and transform how we present ourselves,"he said, making his first state-of-the-league address during Grey Cup week in Winnipeg on Friday.
Orridge said the new look and slogan "What we're made of"takes advantage of momentum in the league with new stars and a handful of new stadiums.
Despite sellouts in some cities, attendance across the leaguehas been flat in the past several years and television ratings have fallen 15 per cent, said Orridge, who assumed his duties as commissioner last April.
It is hoped the transformation of the CFL brand will inject new buzz, attract new fans and propel things forward, he said, also reiterating the announcement in September that theleague has a new apparel partner in Adidas.
That will bring new gear to stores and fans and "elevate our brand," Orridge said.
"Our great fans will be the first to tell you: we need more fans. And in particular, we need to attract the next generation of fans, so this league is strong for years to come."
There is a strong foundation in the leagueandsometimes the wind is at the CFL's back, but sometimes it faces headwinds that shake things up, he said.
"Transitionsand transformation are not always smooth, but a bit of turbulence is something you go through at times of gaining altitude," Orridge said.
The new brand campaign is a sign ofoptimismabout the future, he said, adding the CFLis alsolaunching new websites and mobile apps, for the league and individual teams,to connect with fans.
"And there will be more to come. Much more to come," Orridge said.
Quarterback injuries
Orridge also promised to addressthe high number ofquarterback injuries this year,
"Ibelieve the most significant challenge facing our product [in 2015] was injuries to quarterbacks," he said.
Seven of the league's nine teams lost their starting QBs at some point in the season, with a fewlosingboth their top two quarterbacks for significant periods of time. Due to the injuries, aCFL record was set with 28 different starting QBs suiting up this year.
"Injuries are a part of any sport, but clearly this is an extreme case," said Orridge. "The truth is, this affected teams' ability to perform at their best and so it did affect our product.
"Maybe there are some underlying issues and we're going to examine that. While we have done much to protect QBs, [perhaps] there's even more that we can do.We owe it to our fans and our product to sit down in the off-season to take a careful look at this."
Drug testing
Facing anumber of questions from reportersabout why the CFL still has no drug policy, Orridgesaid it has beenmore complicated than heinitiallythought, involving theplayersassociation andcollective bargaining.
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The CFL's proposed policy has been criticized for being too lenient,failing to suspend players who test positive while competing in other leagues.
"I was on the job less than a week when I was informed that the current lab we hadwould no longer be testing for us unless we made changes. Since that time I've been espousing change and positive change for player health and safety," Orridge said.
"At the present time Ican't disclose particulars becausewe're still in discussion with the playersassociation. It's part of the collective bargaining agreement, so we have todo it in partnership with them, and we want to make sure we do it right."
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