The gold-wrapped TV deal the Canadian Football League secured last year will make financial life a lot easier for every franchise this season. Mike White Cowboys Jersey . But for a few weeks this spring, it also played a significant role in a labour dispute that could have stopped the season from getting off the ground. TSN/RDS and the CFL signed a new contract last year that runs through 2018, reportedly worth in the neighbourhood of $40 million per season, more than double the previous five-year agreement. That extra cash is great news for money-losing franchises like the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. "We needed a deal that would dramatically change the economics of our league and its teams and thats what this does," league commissioner Mark Cohon said last year when it was announced. "This will allow losing teams to start making money and to make some investments in their future, whether its new stadiums or practice facilities. Its definitely transformative from an economic standpoint." But the flip side of the coin was the serious pre-season friction with the CFL Players Association the lucrative new agreement provoked. Players wanted a bigger slice of the TV pie than the league was offering and in the end settled for a $600,000 bump in the salary cap to $5 million, more than a million short of what they initially sought, although only $200,000 less than their final offer to the league. But labour peace has now been guaranteed for the next five years and TSN president Stewart Johnson wants to look for even more ways to give fans an up-close-and-personal look at the CFL this season as the new deal kicks in. "How do we create better access for a viewers?" he said as the CFL prepares to start the 2014 season with the Toronto Argonauts visiting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday. He said he league has already been very co-operative in allowing the network to put microphones on players, put cameras in locker-rooms for speeches and Grey Cup pre-game and post-game talks and putting cameras in less traditional places on the field. "Look for us to continue to look for new ways to innovate when it comes to that type of thing," he said. This year former Bombers coach Paul LaPolice will move to a full-time member of the "CFL on TSN" panel from the part-time role he occupied last season. Rod Smith will host the show. "He (LaPolice) has shown to be an incredible asset to bring a coachs perspective to our panel as we try to tell those stories," said Johnston. The panel is expected to be live in Ottawa for the expansion Redblacks opener and Hamilton as their new stadium is christened. The 2014 CFL broadcast schedule will expand to 86 games in 2014, with the addition of the Ottawa expansion franchise and the playoff games, including the Grey Cup. "Were thrilled with that expansion to begin with. Having nine more games on the schedule in and of itself is a huge benefit to TSN (and) expanding to another major Canadian market that will generate interest not only in the home team but the league as a whole is a benefit to TSN." The new agreement gives TSN and RDS exclusive media rights to all CFL exhibition, regular-season and playoff games — including the Grey Cup — as well as the leagues annual draft and combine. In addition to broadcast and digital rights, it includes exclusive radio rights to the Grey Cup for TSN and Team radio stations. "The deal is an incredibly important component of TSNs overall programming schedule," said the network president. "It is an exclusive relationship with a top-tier property that delivers incredibly compelling all-Canadian content and culminates in the biggest show on Canadian soil, the Grey Cup." The CFL is a marquee property for TSN, which lost the NHL national rights earlier this year after Rogers paid $5.2-billion for a 12-year deal. Sports increasingly is seen as the premium product for broadcasters in the competitive multi-channel environment. "It has to be consumed live, there are very few folks who want to PVR a sporting event and watch it later," said Johnston. "That translates into an increased value proposition for our advertisers." Jihad Ward Cowboys Jersey . Phoenix originally signed Barbosa to a 10-day contract on Jan. 8 after Eric Bledsoe injured his knee and then signed him to another 10-day deal. Bo Scarbrough Cowboys Jersey . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. http://www.thecowboysfansmall.com/c-101-cowboys-deonte-thompson-jersey.aspx .Hammel pitched inside more and it helped him get into the seventh inning as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Friday night.EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi firmly supports the NHLs indefinite suspension of Slava Voynov, the quiet Russian defenceman arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.Lombardi also believes the NHL must supplement its swift discipline with an improved plan to provide hockey players with better preparation for many aspects of life outside the rink.We need to do a better job, Lombardi said. Thats just the truth. I dont care if its indicting ourselves or not.The defending Stanley Cup champions uniformly backed the NHLs suspension of Voynov when they returned to practice at their training complex Tuesday.Voynov hasnt been charged with a crime since his arrest early Monday morning, but Kings coach Darryl Sutter said the suspension was very appropriate.Were pretty close as a team, Sutter added. Its not just (a) team. Its more of a family thing. We deal with distractions all the time. Weve been able to handle a lot of adversity and pressure for three years now.Voynovs teammates spoke carefully about his absence, uniformly expressing surprise at the circumstances. The Kings still dont know the details of what happened between Voynov and the woman who was treated for injuries in the Torrance hospital where he was arrested.Sutter went to Voynovs house in Redondo Beach after his arrest, but the Kings contact with Voynov has been limited because he turned off his phone.Some of us have reached out to him, but we just hope everything is going to work out for the both of them, centre Jarret Stoll said. Were still a strong group. Were still a hockey team. Were still going to win games. Our goal has never changed. Our attitude in this room has never changed. Its adversity for us, but were going to come through it.The events are a shock for the Kings, who have won two of the last three Stanley Cup titles with an extraordinarily close-knit roster. Nearly every player lives a few miles apart in the South Bay beach cities, and Lombardi has kept the Kings core largely intact for several years.Lombardi assembled his roster with particular attention to team chemistry, but he believes Voynovs arrest should be a call for more player education on domestic violence and other off-ice concerns.Before Voynovs arrest, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed confidence in the leagues education and counselling services already in place. Lombardi said he first thought about doing more for the Kings last year, and he kicks himself for ignoring his instinct.We have a biggger responsibility now, Lombardi said. Jamize Olawale Cowboys Jersey. Just like we expect them to train, and we provide access to training physically, we provide meals so they eat properly, well, you know what? Weve got a responsibility here now to train them in other areas, and I dont just mean having a guy come in and give a speech once a year. This is as much our organizations responsibility as anything. We have an obligation here, too. We have to do a better job in some of these areas.Lombardi supports the NHLs decision to act aggressively before any charges, acknowledging the effect of the NFLs disastrous handling of the Ray Rice case and others.Now you have public awareness that would have never been there, Lombardi said. I come from a lower, blue-collar neighbourhood, a factory town, and weve seen this crap, and its bad, and it happens a lot more often than we want to (acknowledge). But its never going to come to the fore when a rat hits his wife. ... It can become a good thing overall, that now theres awareness. Weve had issues in the past where sports teams swept it under the rug.Lombardi and the Kings say they never had reason to suspect bad behaviour from Voynov, a second-round draft pick in 2008 from Chelyabinsk, a large city in Siberia. Lombardi felt Voynov repeatedly demonstrated strong character and commitment to the club, starting from his U.S. arrival as a teenager.Despite speaking little English, Voynov agreed to play for the Kings AHL affiliate instead of staying in Russias top league, where he would have made more money. He also stuck with the Kings when his father became ill back home, ignoring Russian teams offers to take care of his family if he returned.After cracking the Kings lineup in 2011, Voynov established himself as a top-level defenceman, earning a $25 million contract extension and playing in the Sochi Olympics.Voynov isnt likely to be charged for at least several days, and the Kings have no idea whether he will be suspended for weeks or months. The leagues collective bargaining agreement doesnt spell out specific suspensions for specific charges, Lombardi said.The Kings (4-1-1) have won four straight games heading into their visit from Buffalo on Thursday. Voynovs absence leaves them with just five healthy defencemen, but Jake Muzzin intends to return from injury.We have a group that has been through a lot, Kings captain Dustin Brown said. Maybe not like this, but we need to lean on past experiences and trust each other that we can refocus. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Braves Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Tigers Jerseys Cheap Astros Jerseys Cheap Royals Jerseys Cheap Angels Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys ' ' '