June 6, 2018

No exact science to CFL’s top 50 players

Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca

TORONTO — We’re less than a week away from social media timelines filling up with discussion about the top 50 players in the CFL.

Yes, the sign of a new season arrives Tuesday, when TSN reveals the annual list that never fails to drive debate among the league’s biggest stars and fans from across the continent. But for the wide web of voters who influenced the list, the process of determining the top 50 players in the league has been going on for weeks.

“The biggest challenge is to squeeze 40 players in without feeling like you’ve left important people out,” said CFL.ca’s Chris O’Leary, who’s been voting since 2014.

“There was second-guessing,” added 12-year CFL player-turned-analyst Davis Sanchez. “Just on my own there was second-guessing. Even sharing with other guys that filled theirs out, that would also bring up debate and conversation.”

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Where will Duron Carter rank on the top 50 players list? Tune in on June 12 to find out (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)

While TSN’s list features the top 50, voters are asked to submit a list of 40 current CFL players. For O’Leary, who’s covered the CFL among other major sports with the Toronto Star and the Edmonton Journal, and now contributes regularly with CFL.ca, determining the top 40 players in the Canadian Football League is never an exact science.

“Usually I’ll make a list off the top of my head, then go through stats, rosters and try to consider players that impact the game in ways that aren’t traditionally recorded,” he said. “My list usually gets into the 70s or 80s and I have to start trimming.”

The final list will be revealed live on the annual CFL Top 50 Players special, which airs on June 12 at 8 p.m. ET on TSN.

For players and fans, the CFL Top 50 Players list opens the door to a fun but subjective debate on the league and its wide-ranging talent. Last year Bo Levi Mitchell topped the list after winning his first Most Outstanding Player honour, followed by Mike Reilly No. 2, Adarius Bowman No. 3, Solomon Elimimian No. 4 and Jonathon Jennings No. 5.

Two years ago it was Reilly taking the crowning achievement at No. 1, something many expect him to repeat this year after winning the MOP six months ago in Ottawa.

While the final list takes into account a wide range of viewpoints and opinions, there is never any consensus. The factors that could be involved with the decision-making are never-ending, from ratio implications and position to age and popularity.

“The word ‘top’ is pretty vague when putting together a list like this,” said Sanchez, who co-hosts the league’s official podcast, The Waggle presented by Sport Clips, and also appears regularly as an analyst on TSN. “The toughest thing for me was positional value — how do you qualify what position is worth more when you’re doing top players?

“Another thing, there’s nothing about the ratio in the rules. Yet it’s hard to ignore when you’re doing a top players list. Although I didn’t go by strict ratio rules, I feel like it may have still played a part when you look at top players.”

Seven of the 10 top-five players the last two years have been quarterbacks, including Mike Reilly twice (The Canadian Press)

For O’Leary, the second opinions (and second guessing) continued well after his list was finalized and submitted. Sanchez, meanwhile, took more than a week to see the process through, reaching out to various evaluators — including players — to either confirm his beliefs or open his mind to new ideas.

“Every time I’ve done this list I spend the days after I submit it raking myself over the coals about omissions, or guys that are too high or too low,” said O’Leary. “Most years I’m pretty confident with my top 10 or 15 selections. Then I start to wonder about how everyone else voted, or if I forgot anyone. I’ve texted other voters and asked how their list looks and compared what I’ve seen online to how I voted.”

Both welcome the opportunity to have a say in determining the CFL’s top 50 players, which has become one of the most anticipated honours on the league’s year-round calendar after awards and all-stars.

“It was my first time getting a vote so I feel like I wanted to do it respectfully,” said Sanchez. “At the end of the day the list doesn’t change anybody’s contracts or win you championships, but it is something guys take pride in and if a guy deserves to be on there, we want to get it as right as possible, although it’s never going to be perfect.”

“It’s a lot of fun and work-wise, the timing of the list’s release is perfect,” added O’Leary. “It’s right at the end of camp, when you might be low on story ideas, or tired of writing about weeks of practices and meaningless games. The players all care about the rankings and their reactions, positive or negative, always serve to re-spark the debate that the list initially creates. It’s also the last hurdle you take before the season finally kicks off.”

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