Davis: Good for Luke Willson, the hottest name in the CFL

Calgary Herald

a day ago

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With no obvious column ideas and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on a bye week, it's probably long past the perfect time to write about the hottest topic in the CFL:
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Luke Willson.
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Until now I strategically avoided discussions about Willson for two reasons — I thought the obsession with Willson, a TSN commentator and former NFL player, would pass; plus I didn't want to be called a 'numpty.'
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That's what Willson calls people who disagree with him on social media, particularly when he's talking about ways to improve the CFL. And he has lots of suggestions.
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Weeks have passed since Willson initially upset CFL followers by describing a Toronto Argonauts/Roughriders game as 'hot garbage,' yet fans and media are still talking about his posts. His opinions range anywhere from calling Hamilton fans the league's worst to justifiably belittling the horrific, never-ending construction in downtown Regina.
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I wrote a much more vicious column about the inconvenience and incompetency surrounding Regina's road construction, which has closed TWO major east-west streets for TWO BLEEPING YEARS and killed businesses along Dewdney and 11th Avenue.
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My bosses didn't get a disparaging letter from the mayor, who reportedly sent a critical note to TSN, and Regina's city manager wasn't fired until after Willson's video went viral. I'm obviously jealous because I don't have 150,000 social media followers laughing at Regina's embarrassing downtown.
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I'm actually impressed. For a guy who never played a down in the CFL, Willson certainly has caused an uproar. Good for him. He's entitled to his opinions and he's definitely not cowered by the critics.
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For the record, I've never spoken to Willson. I didn't want to interview him before writing this column because he might change my mind on these observations.
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He has a good grasp on what's happening. His motives seem purely intended to help the CFL. And he coaches a minor football team in Ontario. I cheered for the guy when he played pro football, a long-haired, hard-working Canadian tight end who won a Super Bowl in 2014 with the Seattle Seahawks. And I enjoy his NFL breakdowns with SportsCentre host Jay Onrait.