TSN and SportsCage analyst Glen Suitor shared why he does not want CFL players' salaries made public.
"The problem that I have with it, I've had this for quite some time, is that there are a few reasons, but one is, and most importantly, that perception matters. I have never been in the camp where, as long as people are talking about you positively or negatively, it's a good thing," Suitor said on the SportsCage.
"If people are kicking you, it's not a good thing that they're talking about you."
There was one outcome Suitor wanted to share with regard to why CFL players' salaries should not be made public.
"Here's one other smaller issue I have with it, it's smaller, but it's still important. In the world of perception matters, if an American down in Texas sees a headline about an entry-level CFL salary, he might not go to that workout camp because he says, 'You know what? I can make more money doing other things down here. I'm not going to go and keep this football dream alive,'" Suitor explained.
"We're going to miss out on that player and his skill set because he had the wrong perception of how much is paid in the league. When it's all public and out there, that becomes a problem."
During his state of the league address at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg, CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said he is open to players' salaries being made public. Suitor elaborated on his argument against making CFL players' salaries public and pointed out similarities with recent CFL changes to the rouge.
"For some reason, there are a lot of people in the country who not only don't like Canadian football, but they want to kick it. And for those people, a missed field goal that you win by a single point is ridiculous — it's a joke. Part of the reason for changing that rule was to get rid of that opportunity, that possibility that someone could make it a punchline." Suitor said.
"If we still have entry-level salaries, let's be honest, aren't overly impressive, entry-level stuff… if you're Tyson Philpot, you're feeling pretty good about your pay cheque right now and you can get there, you can get a really nice professional football pay cheque in our league. But there are entry-level numbers that will give the opportunity for some of these people who want to kick the league to go after it."
3DownNation insider Justin Dunk reported Montreal Alouettes' receiver Tyson Philpot signed a contract extension through 2027, which made him the highest-paid Canadian receiver in the CFL.
