3DownNation’s top 10 stories of 2024
2024 was a loaded year of CFL news, filled with fascinating storylines and unprecedented developments.
The Toronto Argonauts endured an off-season fraught with sexual harassment allegations against their star quarterback, only to go and win the Grey Cup with a backup at the helm. The B.C. Lions operated without respect to the salary cap and sparked a quarterback controversy that caused a coaching change. The Edmonton Elks embraced private ownership, a future Hall of Fame pass rusher was slapped with the league’s first gambling suspension, and commissioner Randy Ambrosie announced he was stepping down.
3DownNation covered all that and more, leading to our annual list of the top 10 stories of the year. Our loyal readers let us know with their clicks and comments what topics they truly care about and, like always, this year’s list was pretty eclectic.
As we wait for the ball to drop at midnight tonight, let’s take a look back at the year that was through our most popular articles.
10. Bombers’ RB Brady Oliveira turned down $770,000 and $550,000 financial packages to stay in Winnipeg by Justin Dunk
Fans love discovering the juicy financial details of CFL free agency, especially when players turn down more money to stay with their favourite team. Brady Oliveira did just that when he tested the open market last off-season, turning down massive offers from both the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and B.C. Lions to run it back with the Blue Bombers. 3DownNation‘s exclusive reporting laid out exactly what each team offered and who else kicked the tires.
The hometown discount got off to a rocky start as Oliveira was banged up in training camp and vocal about being underutilized to begin the season. All worked out in the end though, as the Winnipeg native went on to become the fourth Canadian player to ever win Most Outstanding Player.
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9. ‘My family wasn’t being put first’: Darian Durant says conversation with unnamed coach led him to renege on Blue Bombers by Justin Dunk
After several years in the shadows, Darian Durant stepped back into the CFL spotlight in 2024 by becoming a regular contributor to 620 CKRM radio in Regina. Among the first things that the legendary Roughriders quarterback did was shine new light on his controversial decision to retire after signing with Winnipeg in 2018.
Durant alleged that he backed out of his deal after a phone conversation with an unnamed Bombers’ assistant, who implied spending time with his newborn child wasn’t that important. ‘Doubles’ felt differently and opted to hang up the cleats to spend time with family, taking his $70,000 signing bonus with him.
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8. ‘It’s not the NFL, I’m sorry’: Boomer Esiason name-calls, doubles down on CFL disrespect by John Hodge
We did not have former NFL MVP publicly calling John Hodge a “snowflake” on the top-rated sports talk radio show in New York City on our 2024 Bingo card, but it happened anyway.
After Chris Streveler brought his talents back to Winnipeg after an extended NFL adventure, 3Down‘s Bombers columnist took the opportunity to ask his opinion about an infamous play-by-play call Boomer Esiason made on an interception of his back in 2021. The resulting column made its way back to the broadcaster live on the radio, where he doubled down on insulting the CFL and the writer himself. Hodge’s response topped our charts for months but, much like Esiason, faded from relevance once there were better alternatives.
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7. CFL fines four kickers for blowing whistle on microchipped footballs, including Bombers’ Sergio Castillo by John Hodge
The CFL season started off with a spicy feud featuring the unlikeliest of heroes: kickers. After missing a pair of field goals in a Week 2 loss to Montreal, Winnipeg’s Sergio Castillo delivered an impassioned rant criticizing the decision to place microchips in the footballs. Several other specialists rallied to his defence, complaining that the league hadn’t listened to their concerns about accuracy and that the new tech resulted in bruised feet.
The CFL reacted swiftly by making microchipped footballs optional in the kicking game for the remainder of the season but didn’t let the dissenting kickers off the hook, slapping each with a $250 fine. Unfortunately for them, the punishment always gets more attention than the crime and the simple fine announcement became one of our most read articles due to fan outrage. After leaving the door open for the return of the technology next year, the league office would be wise to leave this particular concept in the past.
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6. Elks’ QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson receives third fine for ‘bringing the league into disrepute’ after CFL officiating criticism by J.C. Abbott
After a one-year hiatus in the USFL, McLeod Bethel-Thompson returned to the CFL in 2024 and never really stopped talking from the moment he walked into Commonwealth Stadium. The quirky journeyman first took aim at league leadership when Edmonton had a short week in Week 4, then doubled down in Week 7 by blaming the schedule-makers for injuries suffered in a home-and-home with Ottawa.
Both of those rants received fines but McBeth’s best monologue came when the Elks were eliminated from the playoff in Week 18. The 36-year-old blasted the officials for using replay review to overturn a critical Javon Leake catch at the goal line, demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of the CFL’s replay review rules in the process. Fine number three was soon mailed out by Ambrosie, this time using the much sterner language of “bringing the league into disrepute.”
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5. ‘I stand by what I said’: B.C. Lions’ QB Nathan Rourke doesn’t regret Chad Kelly harassment comments despite loss to Argos by J.C. Abbott
The sexual harassment allegations against reigning M.O.P Chad Kelly, his subsequent suspension, and controversial return to play dominated the CFL discourse this year. While seven of those stories were among our top 20 of the year, including outcry from female CFL and team employees, only one made the top 10 thanks to a crossover with another of the league’s most famous figures.
While he was still under contract in the NFL, Nathan Rourke became one of the first prominent voices to speak out about the league’s slow handling of the investigation into Kelly. Once he returned to B.C., the Canadian QB found himself on a collision course with the Argos’ pivot post-suspension and elected to wear a shirt supporting the Lions’ anti-violence against women program ahead of the matchup. That may have motivated Kelly and his Toronto teammates in a 33-17 beatdown of B.C., but Rourke stood by his principles and doubled down on his criticism despite getting benched at halftime in the loss.
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4. Amidst Grey Cup celebration, Argos’ Ka’Deem Carey identifies Dave Dickenson as reason for Stampeders’ demise by Justin Dunk
There is nothing quite like an upset victory in a championship game to get an athlete’s blood hot and loosen his lips. For running back Ka’Deem Carey, the elation of winning the 111th Grey Cup gave him the confidence to call out his former head coach with the Calgary Stampeders, Dave Dickenson, for driving that franchise into the CFL basement.
Along with giving up on Carey, Dickenson’s roster decisions provided the Argos with a fifth of their roster. While Carey fired the first salvo, he was far from the last to take a shot at Calgary as they finished in the bottom three of the CFLPA’s inaugural report card. The team’s head coach and general manager still managed to maintain his job despite finishing outside the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, jettisoning a couple of highly respected coaches to stay afloat.
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3. Canadian Nathan Rourke blows up CFL QB market with B.C. Lions contract following NFL stint by Justin Dunk
Nathan Rourke’s rollercoaster NFL saga left many of our readers exhausted but he remains the number one traffic generator in the CFL, making two appearances on this list for the second year in a row. After the Victoria, B.C. native stunned many analysts by returning to the B.C. Lions mid-season, Justin Dunk reported all the details on the contract that will make him the highest-paid player in the league by far for the next two seasons.
Unfortunately, the Lions did not see an immediate return on their investment as Rourke struggled to re-adjust to the Canadian game. The team’s locker room dynamics also suffered once Vernon Adams Jr. was healthy and Rourke was eventually replaced entering the playoffs. VA couldn’t save the sinking ship and was traded to Calgary early in the offseason, while the Lions brought in a new head coach to try to get their homegrown superstar back on track.
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2. CFL reviewing credential policy after ‘inexcusable’ incident at Ottawa Redblacks game by J.C. Abbott
There ain’t no rest for the wicked — or John Hodge. What was supposed to be a quiet mid-season vacation with a fun TD Place excursion ended up turning into one of the wildest games of the year, yanking our Winnipeg reporter out of his respite to get the first-hand details of a physical altercation on the sideline between Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce and an unidentified interloper at the end of the game. The CFL officially weighed in the following day, revealing that the individual had been authorized to be at field level but interacted with the Redblacks’ bench in an “inappropriate and inexcusable manner.”
Much remains unknown regarding the incident but it was far from the only crazy occurrence that night. A controversial command centre ruling resulted in a 22-22 tie after the Saskatchewan Roughriders had seemingly won the game in double overtime, fueling debate over the use of replay review in the CFL and forcing the league to refocus its policy after public outcry.
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1. Two-time Grey Cup winner Maven Maurer embracing life as first openly transgender former pro football player by J.C. Abbott
Let’s be honest, our job writing about football is quite literally fun and games most of the time but occasionally, we get to do something that actually matters. 3DownNation was privileged to be the first to tell the story of former fullback Maven Maurer, who officially acknowledged her status as the first openly transgender former player in the history of pro football — NFL or CFL.
The former Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian raised her voice to provide education to fans and inspiration to other athletes who may be struggling with their identity, receiving an outpouring of support from across the country. Several other major media outlets soon picked up the story but the original article continues to garner attention, becoming one of the most read in the history of the website.
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