The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for a minimum of nine games for violating the league's gender-based violence policy.
According to the CFL's official release, Kelly will also be required to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert.
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie issued a statement about Kelly's suspension included in the release:
"Players are the ambassadors of our great game. They are expected to be leaders in the locker room and role models in the community. It was important that we performed our due diligence to properly review this matter from all points of view. That in-depth investigation found that Mr. Kelly unequivocally violated the CFL's Gender-based Violence Policy.
"Mr. Kelly's suspension is the direct result of his behaviour. The addition of mandatory counselling focuses on his need for self-reflection and understanding of his actions. He must take full advantage of this opportunity for personal betterment in order to return to the CFL."
Kelly's suspension stems from an investigation after a former Argonauts strength and conditioning coach filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the team and quarterback.
Per TSN's Rick Westhead, the lawsuit, filed on Feb. 21 in Ontario Superior Court, alleged Kelly harassed the former coach and the Argonauts fired her after she rejected his advances.
"[The plaintiff] reported the harassment she was experiencing from Chad to her superiors," the lawsuit states. "[The] Argonauts failed to address [her] legitimate concerns and then terminated her employment."
The coach worked for the Argonauts from 2018 until January 2024.
Per the CFL's official policy, any sanctions involving suspensions and loss of income "will only be an option if or when allegations are substantiated and the safety of a victim and/or community members has been compromised."
Kelly is entering his third season with Toronto. He began his college career at Clemson in 2012 before being dismissed in April 2014 for conduct detrimental to the team.
After spending one season at East Mississippi Community College, Kelly transferred to Mississippi in 2015. He played two years with the Rebels before being a seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.
Kelly spent time with the Broncos and Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Argonauts in February 2022. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player last year.
Toronto will play its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes on May 25. It opens the regular season on June 9 against the BC Lions.
A minimum nine-game suspension means the earliest Kelly would be eligible to play is in Week 12 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 22.
The former strength and conditioning coach who is suing both the Toronto Argonauts and former team quarterback Chad Kelly filed an amended statement of claim on April 2, arguing Kelly is "liable for sexual harassment in the workplace contrary to section 7 of the Ontario Human Rights Code," per Justin Dunk of 3 Down Nation.
Per the filing, the woman has accused Kelly of a "campaign of harassment" in addition to continually trying to date her despite her expressed disinterest.
The woman first sued Kelly and the Argonauts in February, saying Kelly's advances went from unwanted romantic advances to threatening language. She said when she told the team of the behavior no action was taken and assistant general manager John Murphy told her she "opened a can of worms that didn't need to be opened."
She then said she was told on Jan. 29 her contract wouldn't be renewed. She is suing the team for wrongful dismissal.
The lawsuit has argued that Kelly's significant profile as the Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 CFL season—he also had a successful college career with Ole Miss and appeared in one NFL game with the Denver Broncos—is more reason his "conduct deserves special reprimand from the court to send out a message that women must be treated with respect and Canadian courts will not tolerate behavior similar to Chad's."
Kelly's agent, Chris Lambiris, responded that the amendment was "merely a procedural matter" and that they were "[looking] forward to our statement of defense speaking for itself."
Kelly said in late February that he denied the allegations and was "shocked" by them, adding that he intended to "vigorously defend myself and will be seeking the dismissal of the action."
The CFL released a statement saying it was investigating the matter "in accordance with the league's gender-based violence policy" and took the allegations "very seriously."
"The Toronto Argonauts share the CFL's commitment to providing healthy and positive work environments," the team added in a statement at the time. "The organization will reserve any further comment until the conclusion of the league's investigation."
Christian Saulsberry, a player for the Edmonton Elks, has died at the age of 25 as the result of a shooting in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Elks issued a statement about Saulsberry's death:
"Early Saturday morning, the Edmonton Elks were devastated to learn of the death of running back Christian Saulsberry after he was shot in Memphis Tennessee. First and foremost, our hearts go out to his family during this incredibly difficult time. Our condolences are also extended to his friends, including the many teammates and coaches both here in Edmonton and elsewhere, that he impacted throughout his football career.
"Christian's contributions to our football team both on the field and in our locker room were significant during his one season with the Green and Gold. "His positivity and energy for life will be dearly missed."
Saulsberry appeared in eight games for the Elks during the 2022 season. He was primarily a return man on special teams.
In addition to his brief tenure in the CFL, Saulsberry played Fan Controlled Football as a member of the Beasts team.
Before his professional career began, Saulsberry was a standout college player at West Alabama. He transferred to the school in 2019 after spending two years at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi.
During his two seasons with the Tigers, Saulsberry finished with 1,224 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 23 games. He was named to the All-Gulf South Conference in 2018 and 2019.
Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Brendan Langley will not face charges after a May altercation with an airport employee.
TMZ Sports reported authorities dropped simple assault charges stemming from a fight at Newark Liberty International Airport.
"We are grateful for the court's decision which puts an end to this ordeal that began nearly two months ago when Mr. Langley was assaulted then wrongfully arrested and charged for exercising his rights under the law," attorney Halim Dhanidina said.
Video of Langley repeatedly punching a United employee went public in May, and the 27-year-old was arrested and charged with simple assault. Langley's attorneys said the employee was verbally abusive and assaulted Langley first.
The unnamed employee was fired as a result of his involvement, but the criminal charges filed against Langley were not settled for nearly two months.
The CFL initially suspended Langley indefinitely after the altercation was made public. It's unclear if the league plans to rescind that suspension.
Langley signed with the Stampeders in February after sitting out the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He previously played for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, initially playing cornerback before moving to wideout.
The Canadian Football League announced that it has suspended Toronto Argonauts Vice President of Player Personnel John Murphy following a physical and verbal altercation with fans following the team's 27-19 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Final on Sunday.
The league also stated that its investigation into player altercations with fans is still ongoing.
A fan video captured an altercation that appeared to show Murphy jawing and pushing with numerous Tiger-Cats supporters:
Per TMZ Sports, a couple of Argonauts players jumped a railing and engaged in a physical altercation with fans after someone allegedly spit beer in a player's face.
TMZ Sports also noted that Murphy appears to use a gay slur toward someone in addition to making contact with a fan who gave him the middle finger.
There is also video of fans getting into altercations with players:
Toronto police are investigating, per Sportsnet.
3DownNation provided more context:
According to 6ix Buzz TV, the incident was precipitated by a Ticats fan spitting beer in the face of an Argonauts player as they were leaving the field after their 27-19 loss. The fans were also apparently waving flags close to players heads and directing verbal insults their way.
The video allegedly shows strong-side linebacker Chris Edwards in the stands with teammates climbing up to join him. Canadian receiver Dejon Brissett appears to speak to Edwards in an attempt to calm him before a fan, wearing a Ticats flag as a cape, appears to shove him.
Punches appear to been exchanged as Edwards retreats, before Brissett appears to pin the fan to the wall as security arrives.
3DownNation further reported that offensive linemen Dejon Allen and Shane Richards were also allegedly in the video, along with former NFL pass-rushers Shane Ray and Kony Ealy.
The Argonauts hosted the Tiger-Cats at BMO Field with a spot in the Grey Cup on the line. A crowd of 21,492 saw Hamilton overcome a 12-0 halftime deficit to beat the East Division regular-season champions.
Hamilton will now host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.
Canadian Football League legend and professional wrestler Angelo Mosca Sr. died Saturday at the age of 84.
Mosca's wife, Helen, announced his death in a Facebook post, per the Associated Press.
"It is with great sadness that the family of Angelo Mosca announce his passing … after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. Angelo was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather as well as friend to so many."
The CFL, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and WWE released statements following Mosca's death.
"Savvy, smart and ahead of his time, he built his bad guy personae into a personal brand that was bigger than life," the CFL's statement read in part.
"Unloved in some markets, where he was the villain, his stature was unmatched in Hamilton, where he was a hero, and when he traded his shoulder pads for wrestling tights, he enthralled Mosca fans in countries near and far."
The Tiger-Cats added:
Angelo Mosca was a legend. He was one of the most legendary players in CFL history and certainly the most legendary to ever wear a Tiger-Cat uniform. His contributions to the game of Canadian football, to our organization, and to the Hamilton community will never be forgotten. We send our sincere condolences to Angelo's entire family.
The former Notre Dame star played offensive and defensive tackle, winning one Grey Cup with the Ottawa Rough Riders and four more with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played in the CFL from 1958 to 1972 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
After his football career ended, Mosca moved on to professional wrestling. Known as Angelo "King Kong" Mosca, he competed in the AWA and Stampede Wrestling before moving to WWE. He had rivalries with WWE Hall of Famers and legends Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson.
Mosca worked as a color commentator and promoter after his active wrestling days, per WWE's statement.
Condolences poured in for Mosca after the news was revealed, including one from The Iron Sheik:
In his later years, Mosca wrote an autobiography (Tell Me To My Face) that was published in 2011. He also became just the second Tiger-Cat in franchise history to have his number retired, when Hamilton decided to do so in 2015.
A potential partnership between the CFL and the XFL appears to be dead, at least for the moment.
"Our talks with the XFL, exploring the potential for collaboration and innovation, have been positive and constructive," the CFL announced in a statement Wednesday. "While we remain open to finding new ways to work together in the future, we and our XFL counterparts have jointly decided to not pursue any formal arrangements at this time."
The two leagues released a joint statement in March announcing they had "agreed to work together to identify opportunities for the leagues to collaborate, innovate, and grow the game of football."
And Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported in April that the CFL and XFL were exploring the possibility of interleague games, an interleague championship and a shared All-Star Game, with a future merger the "long-term objective."
The leagues would play their own schedule, with the possibility of interspersing some interleague games throughout their respective seasons before the two champions of each league would meet for an interleague championship game.
But those ambitions appear to now be on the backburner.
The XFL's future is now in question. The league has folded twice, first in 2001 after just one season and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, just five games into its reprisal.
"It's done," a prominent XFL staffer told ESPN's Kevin Seifert and Field Yates at the time. "It's not coming back."
But an investment group headlined by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson agreed to buy the league in August, setting up yet another potential revival.
The CFL also canceled its 2020 season amid the pandemic, though it is set to return on Aug. 5.
As for the XFL's future, it released a statement on Wednesday: "While our discussions with the CFL did not ultimately lead to a collaboration, the effort reinforced our belief and commitment to developing the XFL for international spring football. We look forward to seeing everyone for kickoff in spring of 2023."
Edmonton's CFL franchise announced Tuesday its new nickname will be the Elks.
The team had previously been recognized as the Edmonton Eskimos before dropping the moniker last July in favor of the Edmonton Football Team. The move followed a similar change by the NFL's Washington Football Team, which had utilized a racist slur for Native Americans in its branding.
"We look forward to the season that is coming at us and for that, we need a name," team president Chris Presson said Tuesday. "With your input, much debate and deliberation, we came to the name that we are proud to present today."
As was the case with the Washington Football Team, Edmonton faced heightened scrutiny over its original nickname after signaling it wouldn't be making a change.
By July, the team acknowledged that "a lot has occurred" since it previously looked into the future of the nickname and that it would be "accelerating our ongoing process of review." One of the developments was a major sponsor, Belairdirect, calling into question its partnership with the organization.
The Guardian's Dave Caldwell explained how the word "Eskimo" is considered a pejorative by those within the Inuit community.
Norma Dunning, an Inuit writer and scholar, was critical of Edmonton's continued usage of the name while making what she thought to be token gestures.
"I believe this is their understanding of compromise and a show of interest in the people whose name that they continue to use is slanderous, outdated and unnecessary," Dunning said to Caldwell. "On the one hand they are saying, ‘Yep, we’re gonna keep using Eskimos, but hey, look over here, we’ll bring some Inuit kids to the south for a game!'"
Jennifer Adese, an associate professor at University of Toronto Mississauga, also explained to Caldwell that the word "Eskimo" had likely been generalized so much as to disconnect it from its reference to the Inuit community.
There was a lot of love for the punters early in the 2021 CFL Global Draft.
The BC Lions made Australia's Jake Ford the first pick of the event:
Ford was one of four punters selected in the nine-team first round. It helps that the Canadian Football League has rules that allow punters to contribute on the scoreboard. A rouge gives teams a single point when the ball is kicked into the end zone.
The Lions' director of global scouting Geroy Simon specifically noted the special teams talent available in this draft, per J.J. Adams of The Province:
"You look at the punters and kickers, these guys, a lot of these guys are from Australia, they play Aussie rules football. Some of the kids from Mexico, where they played soccer all their life, so they’re used to kicking the ball. They have those skills and they have the power. When the ball comes out the foot it really explodes."
Ford, 28, played Aussie rules football until coming to the United States, eventually spending time at the University of Oregon and Division II Ouachita Baptist University. He led the nation in net punting in 2018.
Though it's not a strategy we are likely to see in the NFL, CFL teams are clearly ready to build around their punter.
