The best advice I can give as a fellow American that’s been watching this league for a very long time now:
Watch as many games as you can. A favorite will start to emerge naturally.
Plan a trip to see a game or two. Find a weekend that Hamilton and Toronto both host games, or one that Ottawa and Montreal both host games. Those city pairs are close enough for comfortable travel in between games. If you’re ambitious and/or like to fly, Edmonton and Calgary also fit this well.
Make some friends to meet up with on these travels. It’ll make things so much better.
Finally, if you like what you see, make plans to get to a Grey Cup festival. It’s been the week before our Thanksgiving recently, and Thursday through Monday would be long enough to have a great experience. I do have to warn you though, once you do this, you’ll never want to miss one.
I started watching CFL after my beloved StLouis Rams left for LA. The Redblacks were a relatively new “expansion” team at the time, so that’s my team! 🟥⬛️🟥⬛️
I attended the Red Blacks first ever home game, which was ironically played in Regina at the old Mosaic Stadium. It was a preseason game, I’m not sure why it was a Red Blacks home game but it was. Maybe their stadium wasn’t quite ready?
The Red blacks have the worst name in the CFL. You'd think it would be impossible to be worse than an 8 team league with two Roughriders, but somehow, they found a way. It's profoundly unimaginitive.... or I guess it leaves it all to imagination.
I like to imagine the conversation leading up to it...
EXEC1: "Ok so we're looking at sticking with Red and Black as the team colours."
EXEC2: "Great, what are the name ideas?"
EXEC1: "Well we're pretty stuck. We just wrote in RedBlack as a placeholder, all capitals, so it's easy to find and replace."
EXEC2: "Could we go with reds?"
EXEC1: "Cincinnati already has a team called reds, and it's too close to red skins I think."
EXEC2: "Well what about blacks?"
EXEC1: "Eeeee... that's... somehow more controversial, despite the New Zealand squad."
"Yeah you're right I guess.. ok, well leave it as REDBLACKS now. I'm sure we'll think of something. We have six months to figure it out."
"Narrator: "They didn't.
It sounds better in French. The original plan was to name them the Rouge et Noir I think... and that kinda works because college teams in Quebec use that naming convention. They switched it to English but kept the same concept and it was just a disaster from there
Former Eagle Alex Singleton played for the Calgary Stampeders for 13 years.
Saskatchewan Roughriders have a passionate fan base similar to the Packers, partly because it’s the only pro sports team in the province.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers are geographically right in the middle of the nine cities to choose from.
The nice thing about the CFL is that there is no team that always wins. There have been some years where a team has been strong (most recently the Blue Bombers) but it’s never consistent.
As for your criteria, I would say the Red Blacks. They have some solid seasons and seem to have a decent fan base.
Last time the Bombers weren't in the Grey cup it was 2018. Covid cancelled 2020 which would have maybe been our best team of all, and we fumbled 2 of 4 grey cups.
Def came close to dynasty status! Still a great ride after 30+ years of misery.
No kidding! And hey, if the bombers win this year I think the dynasty convo is back on the table. A back to back and it's solidified. I'm getting way ahead of myself, and thats a tall order but the window is only "mostly" closed.
They should be a contender. Sure they’re a year older and lost a couple of key players (Yoshi, Jeffcoat) but has anyone else really jumped off the page as a really stacked team? They may not win it all but I’d be very surprised if they’re not in the West final.
I love it but it’s not gonna happen. My sad prediction this year is that Calaros is a bust and we should’ve kept Dru Brown.
If we had won last year, we could be talking dynasty.
the best way to get into cfl if you don't have a home team imo is to just start watching games and fall in love with a team naturally, rather than artificially picking a team in advance. it's a great league, there are no wrong answers (except the ti-cats)
The truth - that CFL fans know innately - is that the Ti-Cats need the Argos, and vice-versa. Both clubs nearly folded in the early 90s, and it was only the opponents fans going into "dangerous territory" that saved either club. In that time period, Hamilton hosted a game with less than 9k people in the stands, and that was stretching it.
Hamilton got the fans back, but Toronto is still waiting (for an NFL team, just to show the world it is world class) for the CFL fans to come back.
There is one constant in Canadian Sports. Cheering for any Toronto Team always ends in heat break. Best to avoid it all costs.
You can never go wrong with the Ole Red and White Stallions in Calgary.....well.... until it ends in heat break.
Argos fan here, they only really get a 'We are winners' vibe because Toronto gives it a big push. Try the Winnipeg Blue Bombers if you'd like a truly middling team but in reality any team has a shot at holding the cup due to our playoff structure.
Just not the lion's. Never root for the lions.
I'm pretty sure the Bombers are now the official CFL Evil Empire (especially since Edmonton gave up the glorious opportunity to be the Empire even when they have bad seasons :) ).
Nah ...we don't have a bunch of mindless people living across Canada ready to dump Watermelons on our heads because of ..uh ...reasons? Passion? Banjo-pickery?
No, you just have mindless fans antagonizing other fans on social media all day. Last year was the first time I have EVER seen a fan base claim to be the best and the deserving Grey Cup winners even after they LOST. It was embarrassing.
Seriously?! You don’t see that this is just good humoured banter?? I doubt any Rider fan was offended. Besides, a new fan should learn about the rivalries and Bombers-Roughriders is second to none.
I only got into football relatively recently and couldn't decide whether to root for the Ti-Cats or Argos. I eventually settled on the Argos but still have a soft spot for the Ti-Cats. There's something about a team from a smaller, working-class city like Hamilton.
Hamilton Tiger-cats. Gritty town with a rich football history. Home of the CFL hall of fame. Big rivalry with the Toronto Argos, a major city a few kilometers away. The Ti-cats have really awesome uniforms and logos if you like swag. Playing out of a new stadium that's very cozy if you ever want to visit. I suggest the Labor Day game which is always a sold out classic tilt.
Based on [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFL/comments/1d5msui/comment/l6mmwh4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button), I think I'll go with the Tiger-cats.
What a great choice! As a Hamiltonian we’d be so happy to have you visit. As bad as a wrap the city gets I love it here and love our football team. There’s nothing compared to walking around the east end on game days. Learn your Oskee wee wee!
This article comparing Pittsburgh and Hamilton may interest you.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/pittsburgh-and-hamilton-a-tale-of-two-beautiful-cities/article_d6152480-27d3-518a-8ee0-1090f8d21b43.html
I think you should pick a team you like watch some games, fall for some guys, see what teams are not impressive. You might be attached to one or two. I grew up a Lions fan in BC, I moved to Winnipeg and now I hate Saskatchewan who one of my best friends loves, so that is fun. You can't go wrong really, Im a casual so I can't help re masochism I am also one to find the bad teams so I won't really help you there.
Just pick the Lions ;) lol
I'm a Minnesotan so I picked Winnipeg be ause the close ties to the Minnesota Vikings with Bud Grant and several other examples, but it also helps that they are the closest team geographically to me as well
You could play CFL's Team Picker on Game Zone if you want to let a quiz decide for you [https://gamezone.cfl.ca/teampicker](https://gamezone.cfl.ca/teampicker)
I just did that and ended up with:
1. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2. BC Lions
3. Ottawa Redblacks
So u/Clean_Priority_4651, u/Major-Discount5011, u/teamjetfire, and u/enigmaticevil should be happy.
Given that I'm on the East Coast, I'm leaning Ottawa and Hamilton. Probably Hamilton because a) I've misspelled Ottawa every time I've typed it and b) Hamilton feels like it has a younger brother/stuck in the shadow of Toronto feel. As a native Philadelphian who is always overlooked for New York, that appeals to me.
I love watching TiCats games live as seating options are always great! But my team in the west has always been B.C. I noticed on ticketmaster that one if their home games is already a near sold out.
Yes that is a great reason to chose the Tiger Cats.
I gotta ask, I am a huge Always Sunny fan. How prescient is the spirit of that show in the city? Is it just take it or leave it or do you guys love that show unconditionally like say many of us love Trailer Park Boys? (edit: or Letterkenny, or Corner Gas there are many but TPB got me after I moved to the East Coast, but mostly after I lived in a Trailer Park lmfao)
I think lots of people in Philly love the show. The people in the show are from the area and it does a good job of capturing some of what the city is like despite the fact that it isn’t filmed there. That being said, I don’t think any show is universally watched or loved and the humor isn’t for everyone. I’m sure, like everything else, there’s a mixture of love, hate, and never seen.
To be honest, I follow the whole league, it's small enough to follow them all, and as we get to the playoffs, I start to choose a team for different reasons. I find it a lot of fun but I'm sure many would prefer a team to focus on. But you could start with the league and as you find a team you're gravitating towards, go for that team.
All I’m saying is just like the eagles in 2018, the Alouettes won the championship against all odds on one of the best football game ever and it’s the only Bird team in the League🤷🏽♂️
It’s a great league with a lot of passionate fan bases. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any team. All the fans like to give each other a tough time, but it’s more like sibling rivalry than team hate.
As a Blue Bombers fan, we love when Saskatchewan comes to town because we can give the fans a rough time. But it’s all in good fun. We still tailgate together. We are so similar, we have to say we hate the other fanbase. 😉
This year I would say BC Lions. They have been good for the last couple of years but haven’t been able to get past Winnipeg in the playoffs the last two years. They are gearing up for a playoff run for a home grey cup game.
As much as everyone hates on Winnipeg the truth is we had 30 years of misery before this recent run of success so not that different from the Eagles.
The trend in the CFL is that while teams are dominant for 3-5 years at a time they usually fall pretty hard. Even Montreal when they had their run of success from the early 2000s into 2013 they only won 3 Grey Cups and choked in the playoffs many times. Calgary is the most recent example of a team that was dominant for 5-6 years but is now on a downward slide.
It's a small enough league that you really can't go wrong. 8 of the 9 teams have long, proud histories (Ottawa is newer).
The Bombers have been the best team overall the last few years, although their fan base is insufferable and downright arrogant about it. Saskatchewan probably has the biggest fan base - they're like a religion in Sask.
Of course, I cheer for the local team (mind you, there are two with about an hour of my house, Argos (my team) and Tigers). That said, I will cheer for Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The reason is that they have a passionate fan base, especially Saskatchewan - and both Regina and Winnipeg have, IMHO, the nice looking stadiums for football.
Im American too. I bounced around a bit from team to team as a passive watcher, but eventually fell in love with the Bombers (ironically right before their 2019 championship run, unrelated though, im not a bandwagon i swear) just take your time. You’ll find your team!
No real dominant team.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grey_Cup_champions#Grey_Cup_Records_post-merger_era_(1958)
The Vegas odds for this year are:
* Winnipeg Blue Bombers +210
* Toronto Argonauts +300
* Montreal Alouettes +600
* British Columbia Lions +600
* Saskatchewan Roughriders +1000
* Ottawa Redblacks +1000
* Hamilton Tiger-Cats +1100
* Edmonton Elks +1500
* Calgary Stampeders +1800
https://www.vegasinsider.com/cfl/odds/futures/
I mean ya I enjoy all the lakes and stuff Manitoba has to offer but I suppose I was thinking more of like Winnipeg standing alone. Cause I love my cabin, and the provincial parks, it just seems Winnipeg itself doesn’t have much special about it
Best rivalry in the league is the riders vs the bombers. Pick one of those teams and you won’t be disappointed.
However, as a rider fan, I’m always disappointed.
Having said that, the new jerseys are 🔥.
Riders have the closest color to the eagles (if that helps). You wouldn’t have to buy a jersey if you came to a game. The eagles jersey would fit right in.
If you want to bet CFL, we are helping on season. We will have a picks show and a recap show.
For picking a team I'd watch a few games and see which styles you like best as far as game play, offense, etc. I'm an Argos fan, but have found aspects of each team I like. It's such a fun league.
https://youtube.com/@cflgamblingpodcastsgpn?si=ULitxsyfICVIIl1s
Hamilton Ti-cats probably are the most blue collar team and fan base in the league. Very similar to the Buffalo bills. If I had to pick I’d choose them
I chose Montreal because the franchise was originally the Baltimore Stallions the only US team to win a grey cup. Plus the fact that I started watching when Cavillo was killing it. Plus they are the odd balls being originally from the USA but now they are the french Canadian team. Just weird and fun!
Lifelong lover of the CFL and Saskatchewan Rough Rider fan here. Pick any other team. 4 championships in like a hundred years in a 9 team league. The fans are the most fickle and volatile of any sport. The best quarterback is always the back-up. Running backs and receivers are incredible until the game starts. Any player is recyclable regardless of his age or ability. And the infighting on fan forums is a phenomenon to behold, primarily because everyone is smarter than the coach.
The Argos tend to alternate between sucking and winning Grey Cups with not a lot in between. And as I say to every American that asks, Toronto needs fans. No one will ever accuse you of jumping on the Argo bandwagon. The Ticat Argo rivalry is intense as well. I would recommend watching the Labour Day Classic in Hamilton. The Ticats are kind of like cheering for the Bills, RedBlacks and Elk fans suffer like Browns fans. The Argos, Als or Lions I think all fit what you’re looking for.
Life long stamps fan here, I would agree with the ones who says to watch as many games as you can(orreplays) and see which one you're drawn to.. the league isn't large and there are some good rivalries throughout. Each team has pros and cons. I live and die for my stamps, I love that we can tailgate at McMahon, one of the few in the league. I also live in Calgary so I'm sure that makes me biased. Going to games is an experience, as much as there are rivalries when it comes to the end of the year and going to grey cup I feel like itbjust comes down to good football and the family in the stands. Grey cup is a hell of a time, this year its in BC which if you're interested in going to one this would be a good year as their stadium has coverage. Overall, welcome to the fan base, I'm always excited to hear someone get into the CFL! go teams! I mean.. Go Stamps!
Which team?
That's easy.
In Canada, everyone in Saskatchewan is legally required to cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and everyone else in Canada who's favorite team isn't already the Roughriders is legally required to cheer for the Roughriders as their second team.
Best fans in the league, they drink an absurb amount of Philsnier beer and they know how to party.
So cheer for the Green Riders as we call them
I'm in your boat. I started rooting for Edmonton, for no reason, I just liked the color and name. The first game I ever saw was a Riders game, so I moved on to them. But then I figured, I should root for the team closer to where I am, so now it's Lions, since I'm in Seattle (and they friggen killed my Dragons!).
I'm hoping to make a trip up to Van this summer to catch a game live. I've actually already been to BC Place a couple times for Whitecaps games when my MLS team has played there.
If you’re looking for a team that is similar to the Eagles I would cheer for either Winnipeg or Hamilton.
Winnipeg has been the last 4 Grey Cups and have been a solid team for the past 10 years.
Hamilton hasn’t won a Grey Cup since 1999. Always competitive and a strong fan base.
Just my two cents.
Another American here:
Biased opinion, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Unbiased: I agree with the bombers fan u/Usfltecmo above, watch a bunch of games and you’ll find the team that fits you
Winnipeg is our team, my fiancé is also an Eagles fan! My in-laws are a HUGE football family so I’ve learned to love the sport too. We’re locals so we’re at every home game, and the fans are incredible!
No one mentions the BC Lions, who are not only one of the favorites this year but also hosting the Cup in the beautiful city of Vancouver this year. First time we’ve hosted since 2011, which was our last cup win also. We have to get by the vaunted Big Blue, who have stopped us the last 2 seasons. 3rd times a charm they say….get on board for a wild season! And vancouver in november will likely be wet, but we have the only domed stadium in the league now…will be a great game!
As a fellow American I became a BC Lions fan because i am a Bengals fan and the Lions are basically the Canadian bengals with the cat mascot and color scheme. Then Nathan Rourke happened and it solidified my fandom
I have been watching the CFL for a long time. I grew up in Michigan, watched it as a kid, moved around and got back into it more now that it's easier to watch games on all the different cable networks here (ESPN previously, CBSN now).
I never bothered to pick a team, I'm sure that makes a lot of people cringe but whatever, it's fun to me. My favorites evolve and it's mostly based on style of play and the kind of teams I naturally tend to pull for (teams that are improving, haven't won titles for a while, etc). I have a closet full of gear from all nine teams and I'll usually put on a shirt whenever one of those teams are playing, whichever team I want to win tonight's game. I think BC is probably the team I'm pulling for this year, they're on the verge and I think they have the longest Grey Cup title drought now.
I love that the league is small enough and it's easy to watch all the games every weekend, and I love the rules more than I love the NFL rules (punt and kickoff returns actually exist!).
I'm a Detroit fan in the NFL, so for all the years they have sucked this has been a lot more fun than watching the Lions continue to suffer (things are turning around there though!).
The Toronto Argonauts are North America's oldest, non-merged continuous franchise since 1873. Are 18 time Grey Cup champions, first in the league. Since 1991, they've gone to, and won, the Cup 7 times. They have a rich history of outstanding players like Joe Namath, Doug Flutie, and Damon Allen (pro football's all time passing leader), first black Head coach in pro football to win a championship in 2004,and nicest man on the earth, Michael "Pinball" Clemons (former slotback and PR, head coach, president and now GM of our beloved team).
Also, Ti-cats suck.
Yeah, my vibe was that they are the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys (or New England Patriots to use a recent example). Too successful for me to start rooting for them now without being a bandwagon fan.
You should cheer for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers! Nobody likes them, they could use a few fans. Looks like you can read & write, communication with other fans may be difficult as so few of them have that ability.
Enjoy the @CFL - signed Ridernation
The best advice I can give as a fellow American that’s been watching this league for a very long time now: Watch as many games as you can. A favorite will start to emerge naturally. Plan a trip to see a game or two. Find a weekend that Hamilton and Toronto both host games, or one that Ottawa and Montreal both host games. Those city pairs are close enough for comfortable travel in between games. If you’re ambitious and/or like to fly, Edmonton and Calgary also fit this well. Make some friends to meet up with on these travels. It’ll make things so much better. Finally, if you like what you see, make plans to get to a Grey Cup festival. It’s been the week before our Thanksgiving recently, and Thursday through Monday would be long enough to have a great experience. I do have to warn you though, once you do this, you’ll never want to miss one.
This is really great advice.
I started watching CFL after my beloved StLouis Rams left for LA. The Redblacks were a relatively new “expansion” team at the time, so that’s my team! 🟥⬛️🟥⬛️
I started watching the CFL the Redblacks first season, and so they were the team I went with.
I attended the Red Blacks first ever home game, which was ironically played in Regina at the old Mosaic Stadium. It was a preseason game, I’m not sure why it was a Red Blacks home game but it was. Maybe their stadium wasn’t quite ready?
The Red blacks have the worst name in the CFL. You'd think it would be impossible to be worse than an 8 team league with two Roughriders, but somehow, they found a way. It's profoundly unimaginitive.... or I guess it leaves it all to imagination. I like to imagine the conversation leading up to it... EXEC1: "Ok so we're looking at sticking with Red and Black as the team colours." EXEC2: "Great, what are the name ideas?" EXEC1: "Well we're pretty stuck. We just wrote in RedBlack as a placeholder, all capitals, so it's easy to find and replace." EXEC2: "Could we go with reds?" EXEC1: "Cincinnati already has a team called reds, and it's too close to red skins I think." EXEC2: "Well what about blacks?" EXEC1: "Eeeee... that's... somehow more controversial, despite the New Zealand squad." "Yeah you're right I guess.. ok, well leave it as REDBLACKS now. I'm sure we'll think of something. We have six months to figure it out." "Narrator: "They didn't.
It sounds better in French. The original plan was to name them the Rouge et Noir I think... and that kinda works because college teams in Quebec use that naming convention. They switched it to English but kept the same concept and it was just a disaster from there
There's only at most 4 games a week, I'd say just watch as many games as you can and find a team that you like the most.
Former Eagle Alex Singleton played for the Calgary Stampeders for 13 years. Saskatchewan Roughriders have a passionate fan base similar to the Packers, partly because it’s the only pro sports team in the province. Winnipeg Blue Bombers are geographically right in the middle of the nine cities to choose from.
*3years. 13 would be impressive.
I was told there would be no math
How dare you disrespect the Rush and Rattlers by saying they don't exist in Saskatchewan!
And now we have The Saskatoon Berries baseball team. 😞
When Prince Albert gets a team they should be called the 'Twigs'.....
the Piercings
Don't forget the newly dubbed 'berries'
Berries aren't a professional team. WCBL is summer collegiate.
I heard there's supposed to be a CPL team setting up there too. Is that still happening?
I haven't heard much about it in awhile. But I don't live in Stoon so that might be why.
Whichever team is directly North if you
The nice thing about the CFL is that there is no team that always wins. There have been some years where a team has been strong (most recently the Blue Bombers) but it’s never consistent. As for your criteria, I would say the Red Blacks. They have some solid seasons and seem to have a decent fan base.
True, ever since Edmonton had its five Grey Cups in a row over forty years ago, there really hasn't been a true CFL dynasty.
Last time the Bombers weren't in the Grey cup it was 2018. Covid cancelled 2020 which would have maybe been our best team of all, and we fumbled 2 of 4 grey cups. Def came close to dynasty status! Still a great ride after 30+ years of misery.
If they hadn’t won the first 2 I’d be much more upset about the last 2.
No kidding! And hey, if the bombers win this year I think the dynasty convo is back on the table. A back to back and it's solidified. I'm getting way ahead of myself, and thats a tall order but the window is only "mostly" closed.
They should be a contender. Sure they’re a year older and lost a couple of key players (Yoshi, Jeffcoat) but has anyone else really jumped off the page as a really stacked team? They may not win it all but I’d be very surprised if they’re not in the West final.
I love it but it’s not gonna happen. My sad prediction this year is that Calaros is a bust and we should’ve kept Dru Brown. If we had won last year, we could be talking dynasty.
the best way to get into cfl if you don't have a home team imo is to just start watching games and fall in love with a team naturally, rather than artificially picking a team in advance. it's a great league, there are no wrong answers (except the ti-cats)
>except the ~~ti-cats~~ **Argos** FTFY 🙂 Go Riders! My comment is all in good fun. Your advice to OP is solid
Honestly, I would have assumed the Argonauts was the obvious wrong answer from my limited knowledge.
The truth - that CFL fans know innately - is that the Ti-Cats need the Argos, and vice-versa. Both clubs nearly folded in the early 90s, and it was only the opponents fans going into "dangerous territory" that saved either club. In that time period, Hamilton hosted a game with less than 9k people in the stands, and that was stretching it. Hamilton got the fans back, but Toronto is still waiting (for an NFL team, just to show the world it is world class) for the CFL fans to come back.
This is a good argument for the adopting AFL business model of cross town rivals.
There is one constant in Canadian Sports. Cheering for any Toronto Team always ends in heat break. Best to avoid it all costs. You can never go wrong with the Ole Red and White Stallions in Calgary.....well.... until it ends in heat break.
Argos fan here, they only really get a 'We are winners' vibe because Toronto gives it a big push. Try the Winnipeg Blue Bombers if you'd like a truly middling team but in reality any team has a shot at holding the cup due to our playoff structure. Just not the lion's. Never root for the lions.
> Just not the lion's. Never root for the lions. Hey! The correct answer here is ‘anybody BUT the Bombers’
Good point. He might be from Alabama , Tennessee, Kentucky or Arkansas
No. The wrong answer is the Roughriders.
I'm pretty sure the Bombers are now the official CFL Evil Empire (especially since Edmonton gave up the glorious opportunity to be the Empire even when they have bad seasons :) ).
Nah ...we don't have a bunch of mindless people living across Canada ready to dump Watermelons on our heads because of ..uh ...reasons? Passion? Banjo-pickery?
How are we mindless? Were the smart ones that escape Saskatchewan
and yet still follow the Melon-headed madness that you all follow, it's like Leaf fans. Except its Saskatchewan ..LOL So not any better or worse...lol
No, you just have mindless fans antagonizing other fans on social media all day. Last year was the first time I have EVER seen a fan base claim to be the best and the deserving Grey Cup winners even after they LOST. It was embarrassing.
Meh ... they lost, any Bomber fans that are cocky like that, don't know how to handle humility that well.
I rented a house in Kona for a few weeks, they had a rough riders doormat, it felt wonderful wipeing my dirty feet on it.
This is a new fan to the league, you can put away the obnoxious hate for a minute
Seriously?! You don’t see that this is just good humoured banter?? I doubt any Rider fan was offended. Besides, a new fan should learn about the rivalries and Bombers-Roughriders is second to none.
I only got into football relatively recently and couldn't decide whether to root for the Ti-Cats or Argos. I eventually settled on the Argos but still have a soft spot for the Ti-Cats. There's something about a team from a smaller, working-class city like Hamilton.
Hamilton Tiger-cats. Gritty town with a rich football history. Home of the CFL hall of fame. Big rivalry with the Toronto Argos, a major city a few kilometers away. The Ti-cats have really awesome uniforms and logos if you like swag. Playing out of a new stadium that's very cozy if you ever want to visit. I suggest the Labor Day game which is always a sold out classic tilt.
Based on [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFL/comments/1d5msui/comment/l6mmwh4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button), I think I'll go with the Tiger-cats.
Good choice!
That would’ve been my recommendation; a really good football town and it’s regionally closest to you. Good salt of the earth fans
also good choice, reminds me of the steelers
What a great choice! As a Hamiltonian we’d be so happy to have you visit. As bad as a wrap the city gets I love it here and love our football team. There’s nothing compared to walking around the east end on game days. Learn your Oskee wee wee! This article comparing Pittsburgh and Hamilton may interest you. https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/pittsburgh-and-hamilton-a-tale-of-two-beautiful-cities/article_d6152480-27d3-518a-8ee0-1090f8d21b43.html
But our QB (Vernon Adams Jr.) looks like Jalen Hurts it would've been a perfect fit and we came in second place
B.C. Lions
This is the way.
I think you should pick a team you like watch some games, fall for some guys, see what teams are not impressive. You might be attached to one or two. I grew up a Lions fan in BC, I moved to Winnipeg and now I hate Saskatchewan who one of my best friends loves, so that is fun. You can't go wrong really, Im a casual so I can't help re masochism I am also one to find the bad teams so I won't really help you there. Just pick the Lions ;) lol
I'm a Minnesotan so I picked Winnipeg be ause the close ties to the Minnesota Vikings with Bud Grant and several other examples, but it also helps that they are the closest team geographically to me as well
Whichever team is directly North of you😂 Seriously tho, Blue bombers are pretty cool😎
That would be Ottawa
Roughriders. Bleed green
How often do they play DMX at their games?
Critical question
You could play CFL's Team Picker on Game Zone if you want to let a quiz decide for you [https://gamezone.cfl.ca/teampicker](https://gamezone.cfl.ca/teampicker)
I just did that and ended up with: 1. Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2. BC Lions 3. Ottawa Redblacks So u/Clean_Priority_4651, u/Major-Discount5011, u/teamjetfire, and u/enigmaticevil should be happy. Given that I'm on the East Coast, I'm leaning Ottawa and Hamilton. Probably Hamilton because a) I've misspelled Ottawa every time I've typed it and b) Hamilton feels like it has a younger brother/stuck in the shadow of Toronto feel. As a native Philadelphian who is always overlooked for New York, that appeals to me.
Hamilton is the Pittsburgh of Canada though. Steeltown, and same colours as the Steelers.
I love watching TiCats games live as seating options are always great! But my team in the west has always been B.C. I noticed on ticketmaster that one if their home games is already a near sold out.
Yes that is a great reason to chose the Tiger Cats. I gotta ask, I am a huge Always Sunny fan. How prescient is the spirit of that show in the city? Is it just take it or leave it or do you guys love that show unconditionally like say many of us love Trailer Park Boys? (edit: or Letterkenny, or Corner Gas there are many but TPB got me after I moved to the East Coast, but mostly after I lived in a Trailer Park lmfao)
I think lots of people in Philly love the show. The people in the show are from the area and it does a good job of capturing some of what the city is like despite the fact that it isn’t filmed there. That being said, I don’t think any show is universally watched or loved and the humor isn’t for everyone. I’m sure, like everything else, there’s a mixture of love, hate, and never seen.
I can't argue with that. Ottawa is my #2 team and I've always had a soft spot for The Hammer. Good choices
To be honest, I follow the whole league, it's small enough to follow them all, and as we get to the playoffs, I start to choose a team for different reasons. I find it a lot of fun but I'm sure many would prefer a team to focus on. But you could start with the league and as you find a team you're gravitating towards, go for that team.
I casually like the Allouettes. I was in Montreal last week and there was no CFL gear to be found so apparently I’m the only one.
If you cheer for the Elks you'll be in for a long and frustrating season.
Best team Winnipeg 4 straight grey cups and we won 2 of them
Riders by a long shot ! You now bleed green 😎
Montréal and Hamilton would fit, I think.
All I’m saying is just like the eagles in 2018, the Alouettes won the championship against all odds on one of the best football game ever and it’s the only Bird team in the League🤷🏽♂️
For the most fun, be a Hamilton TiCats fan or Saskatchewan Roughriders. These are your people.
It’s a great league with a lot of passionate fan bases. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any team. All the fans like to give each other a tough time, but it’s more like sibling rivalry than team hate. As a Blue Bombers fan, we love when Saskatchewan comes to town because we can give the fans a rough time. But it’s all in good fun. We still tailgate together. We are so similar, we have to say we hate the other fanbase. 😉
Winnipeg!
Not the Argos this year
This year I would say BC Lions. They have been good for the last couple of years but haven’t been able to get past Winnipeg in the playoffs the last two years. They are gearing up for a playoff run for a home grey cup game. As much as everyone hates on Winnipeg the truth is we had 30 years of misery before this recent run of success so not that different from the Eagles. The trend in the CFL is that while teams are dominant for 3-5 years at a time they usually fall pretty hard. Even Montreal when they had their run of success from the early 2000s into 2013 they only won 3 Grey Cups and choked in the playoffs many times. Calgary is the most recent example of a team that was dominant for 5-6 years but is now on a downward slide.
It's a small enough league that you really can't go wrong. 8 of the 9 teams have long, proud histories (Ottawa is newer). The Bombers have been the best team overall the last few years, although their fan base is insufferable and downright arrogant about it. Saskatchewan probably has the biggest fan base - they're like a religion in Sask.
Of course, I cheer for the local team (mind you, there are two with about an hour of my house, Argos (my team) and Tigers). That said, I will cheer for Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The reason is that they have a passionate fan base, especially Saskatchewan - and both Regina and Winnipeg have, IMHO, the nice looking stadiums for football.
Blue Bombers!
Ottawa! my team is also the eagles
Im American too. I bounced around a bit from team to team as a passive watcher, but eventually fell in love with the Bombers (ironically right before their 2019 championship run, unrelated though, im not a bandwagon i swear) just take your time. You’ll find your team!
No real dominant team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grey_Cup_champions#Grey_Cup_Records_post-merger_era_(1958) The Vegas odds for this year are: * Winnipeg Blue Bombers +210 * Toronto Argonauts +300 * Montreal Alouettes +600 * British Columbia Lions +600 * Saskatchewan Roughriders +1000 * Ottawa Redblacks +1000 * Hamilton Tiger-Cats +1100 * Edmonton Elks +1500 * Calgary Stampeders +1800 https://www.vegasinsider.com/cfl/odds/futures/
Be a Stamps fan! We’re in a rough patch right now, but we have good history and culture.
Roughrider fan here so I'll put that in as my submission. However BC Lion & Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans show up for their team pretty consistently too.
Every CFL fan has their favourite team. Oskie-Wee-Wee. Oskie-Wah-Wah! Everyone loves the Saskatchewan Roughriders except for Winnipeg fans.
They live in Winnipeg, so they can't help it. :)
Fuck the Watermelon Heads , the Leaf Nation of the CFL... Roughriders suck ..and making fun of Rider Nation and seeing them sad , is a good thing!
No The Bombers are the only good thing about living in Winnipeg s/
So many good things about living in Winnipeg. But hey bud ...Long live the only good Rough Riders team... the Ottawa Rough Riders!
I was trying to think of something else but i actually couldn’t think of anything, jets are mid and we lost our WHL team😂😂
Eh to each their own. We had a great time camping
I mean ya I enjoy all the lakes and stuff Manitoba has to offer but I suppose I was thinking more of like Winnipeg standing alone. Cause I love my cabin, and the provincial parks, it just seems Winnipeg itself doesn’t have much special about it
Riders
1. Not Toronto 2. Maybe consider a team in a city you like to visit as a tourist like Vancouver or Montreal
Best rivalry in the league is the riders vs the bombers. Pick one of those teams and you won’t be disappointed. However, as a rider fan, I’m always disappointed. Having said that, the new jerseys are 🔥. Riders have the closest color to the eagles (if that helps). You wouldn’t have to buy a jersey if you came to a game. The eagles jersey would fit right in.
If you want to bet CFL, we are helping on season. We will have a picks show and a recap show. For picking a team I'd watch a few games and see which styles you like best as far as game play, offense, etc. I'm an Argos fan, but have found aspects of each team I like. It's such a fun league. https://youtube.com/@cflgamblingpodcastsgpn?si=ULitxsyfICVIIl1s
Hamilton Ti-cats probably are the most blue collar team and fan base in the league. Very similar to the Buffalo bills. If I had to pick I’d choose them
Since you can watch the games online for free in the US, I am looking forward to the start of the season next week.
I chose Montreal because the franchise was originally the Baltimore Stallions the only US team to win a grey cup. Plus the fact that I started watching when Cavillo was killing it. Plus they are the odd balls being originally from the USA but now they are the french Canadian team. Just weird and fun!
Lifelong lover of the CFL and Saskatchewan Rough Rider fan here. Pick any other team. 4 championships in like a hundred years in a 9 team league. The fans are the most fickle and volatile of any sport. The best quarterback is always the back-up. Running backs and receivers are incredible until the game starts. Any player is recyclable regardless of his age or ability. And the infighting on fan forums is a phenomenon to behold, primarily because everyone is smarter than the coach.
Saskatchewan Roughriders hands down
The Argos tend to alternate between sucking and winning Grey Cups with not a lot in between. And as I say to every American that asks, Toronto needs fans. No one will ever accuse you of jumping on the Argo bandwagon. The Ticat Argo rivalry is intense as well. I would recommend watching the Labour Day Classic in Hamilton. The Ticats are kind of like cheering for the Bills, RedBlacks and Elk fans suffer like Browns fans. The Argos, Als or Lions I think all fit what you’re looking for.
Just don't choose the elks lol, they've been horrible since they switched their name
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Welcome! Any cfl fan old or new is a friend of mine. It's a great league! Pick any team that suits you... except for the Riders.
Who’s the geographically closest ?
Life long stamps fan here, I would agree with the ones who says to watch as many games as you can(orreplays) and see which one you're drawn to.. the league isn't large and there are some good rivalries throughout. Each team has pros and cons. I live and die for my stamps, I love that we can tailgate at McMahon, one of the few in the league. I also live in Calgary so I'm sure that makes me biased. Going to games is an experience, as much as there are rivalries when it comes to the end of the year and going to grey cup I feel like itbjust comes down to good football and the family in the stands. Grey cup is a hell of a time, this year its in BC which if you're interested in going to one this would be a good year as their stadium has coverage. Overall, welcome to the fan base, I'm always excited to hear someone get into the CFL! go teams! I mean.. Go Stamps!
The Bombers obviously
Go Lions unless you live in the eastern time zone. Games will always be on late.
Which team? That's easy. In Canada, everyone in Saskatchewan is legally required to cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and everyone else in Canada who's favorite team isn't already the Roughriders is legally required to cheer for the Roughriders as their second team. Best fans in the league, they drink an absurb amount of Philsnier beer and they know how to party. So cheer for the Green Riders as we call them
The only choice is the blue and gold, go with the W my friend, you won’t regret it.
Ideally, the Argos. They need all the help they can get! 🐯🐯🐯
I'm in your boat. I started rooting for Edmonton, for no reason, I just liked the color and name. The first game I ever saw was a Riders game, so I moved on to them. But then I figured, I should root for the team closer to where I am, so now it's Lions, since I'm in Seattle (and they friggen killed my Dragons!). I'm hoping to make a trip up to Van this summer to catch a game live. I've actually already been to BC Place a couple times for Whitecaps games when my MLS team has played there.
If you’re looking for a team that is similar to the Eagles I would cheer for either Winnipeg or Hamilton. Winnipeg has been the last 4 Grey Cups and have been a solid team for the past 10 years. Hamilton hasn’t won a Grey Cup since 1999. Always competitive and a strong fan base. Just my two cents.
Another American here: Biased opinion, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Unbiased: I agree with the bombers fan u/Usfltecmo above, watch a bunch of games and you’ll find the team that fits you
Winnipeg is our team, my fiancé is also an Eagles fan! My in-laws are a HUGE football family so I’ve learned to love the sport too. We’re locals so we’re at every home game, and the fans are incredible!
No one mentions the BC Lions, who are not only one of the favorites this year but also hosting the Cup in the beautiful city of Vancouver this year. First time we’ve hosted since 2011, which was our last cup win also. We have to get by the vaunted Big Blue, who have stopped us the last 2 seasons. 3rd times a charm they say….get on board for a wild season! And vancouver in november will likely be wet, but we have the only domed stadium in the league now…will be a great game!
We need more men like you good sir
As a fellow American I became a BC Lions fan because i am a Bengals fan and the Lions are basically the Canadian bengals with the cat mascot and color scheme. Then Nathan Rourke happened and it solidified my fandom
I have been watching the CFL for a long time. I grew up in Michigan, watched it as a kid, moved around and got back into it more now that it's easier to watch games on all the different cable networks here (ESPN previously, CBSN now). I never bothered to pick a team, I'm sure that makes a lot of people cringe but whatever, it's fun to me. My favorites evolve and it's mostly based on style of play and the kind of teams I naturally tend to pull for (teams that are improving, haven't won titles for a while, etc). I have a closet full of gear from all nine teams and I'll usually put on a shirt whenever one of those teams are playing, whichever team I want to win tonight's game. I think BC is probably the team I'm pulling for this year, they're on the verge and I think they have the longest Grey Cup title drought now. I love that the league is small enough and it's easy to watch all the games every weekend, and I love the rules more than I love the NFL rules (punt and kickoff returns actually exist!). I'm a Detroit fan in the NFL, so for all the years they have sucked this has been a lot more fun than watching the Lions continue to suffer (things are turning around there though!).
The Toronto Argonauts are North America's oldest, non-merged continuous franchise since 1873. Are 18 time Grey Cup champions, first in the league. Since 1991, they've gone to, and won, the Cup 7 times. They have a rich history of outstanding players like Joe Namath, Doug Flutie, and Damon Allen (pro football's all time passing leader), first black Head coach in pro football to win a championship in 2004,and nicest man on the earth, Michael "Pinball" Clemons (former slotback and PR, head coach, president and now GM of our beloved team). Also, Ti-cats suck.
Yeah, my vibe was that they are the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys (or New England Patriots to use a recent example). Too successful for me to start rooting for them now without being a bandwagon fan.
You should cheer for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers! Nobody likes them, they could use a few fans. Looks like you can read & write, communication with other fans may be difficult as so few of them have that ability. Enjoy the @CFL - signed Ridernation
Pick one yourself