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Brandon Bridge could start, but the CFL still discriminates against Canadian QBs

Brandon Bridge could start, but the CFL still discriminates against Canadian QBs

The CFL could see a rare event Friday in the Montreal Alouettes' game against the Calgary Stampeders, as Brandon Bridge looks likely (but isn't confirmed yet) to be Montreal's starting quarterback. That would make him the first Canadian quarterback to start a regular-season CFL game since Giulio Caravatta started for the B.C. Lions on Oct. 27, 1996. Other Canadian quarterbacks have seen brief CFL opportunities since then, including Danny Brannagan, Brad Sinopoli, Marc MuellerKyle Quinlan, Andrew Buckley and Jordan Yantz, but most didn't last long with their teams, and none have had a chance to start in the regular season. Bridge could change that. However, a start for him will only be thanks to unique circumstances, it may not lead to anything in the long term, and it won't address the fundamental issue of the league's discrimination against Canadian quarterbacks.

Discrimination is a strong word, and one not used lightly, but it's apt here. The CFL is a Canadian league, and one designed to give Canadian players a chance to play; that's reflected in the league's import rule, which currently requires teams to dress 21 Canadians and 20 Americans. However, that doesn't count quarterbacks, whose nationalities aren't considered. Let's repeat that; at every other position, being Canadian is an advantage, but not at quarterback. That doesn't mean that Canadians only play in this league because of their nationality, either; elite players like Jon Cornish (who was named the top player in the entire league in 2013) and Andy Fantuz have proven to be some of the best players in the CFL regardless of nationality, but nationality is what helped give them a chance in the first place, and what inspired teams to invest in developing them instead of just taking more instantly-polished Americans. At every other position on the field, teams are rewarded for developing Canadian talent, and the Canadian talent is so good right now that just about every position has a team trying to use Canadians there. That's not the case at quarterback, where the terms of the collective bargaining agreement (it's debatable whether this is from the league or the players' association) mean that American quarterbacks are favoured over all other American players and essentially treated as Canadian. There's no incentive for teams to give Canadians a serious chance, and that's not going to change just because Bridge earns a start.

Bridge may well get a start Thursday, but his case is rather unique. For one thing, he's the rare Canadian quarterback who actually got a look from the NFL (he was invited to the full national combine), and his physical tools are appealing enough for teams to give him more consideration than your average quarterback (who might be just as skilled, and perhaps even more accurate and a better CFL fit, but isn't as immediately impressive). For another thing, he's only getting a serious look right now thanks to the Alouettes losing their #1 and #2 quarterbacks, Jonathan Crompton (for at least six games) and Dan LeFevour (for the season), and he's being placed in a very precarious position; adjusting to the CFL game is tough for everyone, but it's particularly difficult for quarterbacks, who often need several years to really get a handle on changes like the 12-a-side game, the bigger field and the three downs. Having an opportunity to play is great for Bridge, but if he shows the typical struggles of CFL rookies, that may sour the Alouettes on him, and it may cause some to claim "See, we told you Canadian quarterbacks can't play!" It's an unusual situation, and it's far from an ideal one.

Regardless of how Bridge does, it's important for viewers to remember that this situation is the exception rather than the rule. It's not proof that Canadian quarterbacks are treated fairly under the current system; there's ample evidence they're not, at least compared to other Canadian players. Saying "If they're good enough, they'll get a chance," doesn't cut it, either, as teams will often go for what they see as more-polished prospects (who tend to be big-name American quarterbacks) regardless of eventual skill (and it's worth noting that many of those big-name American QBs don't pan out). The CFL doesn't need to do anything revolutionary to change this; they just need to treat quarterback like any other position. The current rules give an unfair advantage to American quarterbacks over any other American player, essentially nullifying their nationality, and thus, they discriminate against Canadian quarterbacks. A slight change to count QB nationality wouldn't force teams to take and develop Canadian QBs; it would merely reward the ones that do, similarly to the ones that develop Canadian RBs, DBs, and LBs. Thanks to a host of unusual circumstances, Bridge may have the chance to show what he can do despite a system that's stacked against him, but that doesn't prove that the system is fair.