Wilson vs. J5V
Ivan Sadowski
I am a little confused now about all the furor over the "Our Balls are
Bigger"; there are conflicting reports as to exactly how large the current
Wilson model is compared to the NFL version. Some reports say they are
identical, others say that the CFL ball is a slightly fatter. Anyone know
the facts? The J5V was definately larger.
On this same topic; why did the league switch balls? Did the US
franchises have anything to do with it? The J5V is definately more
difficult to throw accurately (well, at least for me, but I won't be
starting any time soon).
ivan
Robert Vinski
The CFL ball is slightly bigger than the American ball. I do not
have the correct measurements with me.
Before every game the CFL Officials measure each ball and inflate
it to the correct specifications or it is not used.
The J5V ball is a better ball than the Wilson ball. The J5V has
larger pebbles on it and the air bladder will hold air longer.
I hope the CFL will go back to the J5V!
ted 72
Colin McLellan
Robert Vinski wrote:
> The CFL ball is slightly bigger than the American ball. I do not
>
> The J5V ball is a better ball than the Wilson ball. The J5V has
> larger pebbles on it and the air bladder will hold air longer.
>
> I hope the CFL will go back to the J5V!
>
> ted 72
I bought a J5V during the last season it was used and the salesman told me they
had become of poorer and poorer quality over the years. As much as I love the
ball, I think the switch to the Wilson was for the better. My ball doesn't hold
air for two weeks when fully inflated. I've heard that the CFL ball used to be
bigger, but was changed a few years ago to please American QBs.
--
Colin McLellan
Edmonton, AB
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1993
Dave Roddick
In <sadowski-050...@yeast.biochem.ubc.ca>, sado...@unixg.ubc.ca
(Ivan Sadowski) wrote:
: I am a little confused now about all the furor over the "Our Balls are
: Bigger"; there are conflicting reports as to exactly how large the current
: Wilson model is compared to the NFL version. Some reports say they are
: identical, others say that the CFL ball is a slightly fatter. Anyone know
: the facts? The J5V was definately larger.
: On this same topic; why did the league switch balls? Did the US
: franchises have anything to do with it? The J5V is definately more
: difficult to throw accurately (well, at least for me, but I won't be
: starting any time soon).
of the QBs. It was the quality of the ball, and the deal they made with the
CFL, that made Wilson a better choice than Spalding. The Wilson CFL ball is
a little smaller than the J5V but is still a little fatter than the NFL ball.
It was with this fact that Larry Smith discounted the notion that the change
was made to satisfy American teams.
--
Dave Roddick, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
(aa...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca)
Be sure to visit Dave Roddick's "No Place Like Home" Page at:
http://www.freenet.hamilton.on.ca/~aa570/Profile.html
John Sutherland
Colin McLellan (krow...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca) wrote:
: Robert Vinski wrote:
: > The CFL ball is slightly bigger than the American ball. I do not
: > have the correct measurements with me.<small snip>
: >
: > The J5V ball is a better ball than the Wilson ball. The J5V has
: > larger pebbles on it and the air bladder will hold air longer.
: >
: > I hope the CFL will go back to the J5V!
: I bought a J5V during the last season it was used and the salesman told me they
: ball, I think the switch to the Wilson was for the better. My ball doesn't hold
: air for two weeks when fully inflated. I've heard that the CFL ball used to be
: bigger, but was changed a few years ago to please American QBs.
My understanding was that Spalding had gotten tired of producing a
ball which wasn't used anywhere else than Canada, so they just shut down
production of the J5V. Anyone else hear something similar??
Drew
--
=========================================================
+ "Humility is for those who can't carry off +
+ arrogance successfully!" +
+ -Drew Sutherland +
+ <jsut...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca> +
=========================================================
Michael Vantriet
This seems to be a pretty hot topic, but I might have an answer for you.
Larry Smith (if you choose to believe him) actually adressed this issue of
ball size last year in CFL Illustrated Vol.5, No.2, page 35, when BC was in
Calgary. In it he stated "The Wilson footballs meet the same measurement
specificationsas the previously-used Spalding J5V balls and they were designed
specifically for th CFL. Using a smaller "American" Wilson ball was never even
a consideration." There you have it, believe or not.
James A. Nicholson
John Sutherland (jsut...@gpu5.srv.ualberta.ca) writes:
>
> My understanding was that Spalding had gotten tired of producing a
> ball which wasn't used anywhere else than Canada, so they just shut down
> production of the J5V. Anyone else hear something similar??
No ... and I'm not inclined to believe this, given that I've seen J5V
footballs (without the CFL logo) still for sale, and that other levels of
Canadian football still use the J5V, AFAIK. I would be interested to hear
if this is actually the case, though.
Cheers,
Jim
--
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--- y o u l o v e h i m jim.ni...@utoronto.ca ---
Jon LeBlanc
On 8 Jul 1996, John Sutherland wrote:
> My understanding was that Spalding had gotten tired of producing a
> ball which wasn't used anywhere else than Canada, so they just shut down
> production of the J5V. Anyone else hear something similar??
One of the networks once showed a clip on the actual making of a J5V
during a halftime show back in the 80s, and its manufacture was extremely
labour-intensive since the balls were made entirely by hand. Thus, economy
of scale from mass-production was not possible and uniformity of quality
was always a problem. I heard that Spalding thus gave J5V production the
big punt.
As for the size of ball, I have been musing since the 1960s that the NFL
and CFL should swap balls for the following reasons:
The NFL is primarily a running game, thus the presence of a more
rugby-sized ball would create more defensive opportunities and fumbles
(to add *some* excitement to their game). As it is, the little NFL ball
disappears from view when held in a running back's arm/gut.
The CFL is primarily a passing game, so a smaller ball would be a boon to
quarterbacks who have always complained that throwing spirals with the
J5V was almost impossible to do two times in a row.
Jon LeBlanc University of Calgary Alberta, Canada, Earth
jcjl...@acs.ucalgary.ca 51 04'48" North, 114 07'55" West
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~jcjlebla
Michael Skeet
In article <Pine.A32.3.92.960709...@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca>,
Jon LeBlanc <jcjl...@acs.ucalgary.ca> wrote:
>The CFL is primarily a passing game, so a smaller ball would be a boon to
>quarterbacks who have always complained that throwing spirals with the
>J5V was almost impossible to do two times in a row.
Right now, the last thing I want to do is encourage more passing in the CFL.
As it is, the 1000-yard rusher is an endangered species here. I like a good
passing attack as much as the next guy (okay, maybe more than the next guy; I
grew up watching Eagle Day and Pete Liske), but I like running too.
Besides, Sam Etcheverry didn't seem to have too much trouble throwing for over
4700 yards in a 14-game season in 1956.
Michael
Ivan Sadowski
In article <4rumaj$1...@news.inforamp.net>, qu...@inforamp.net (Michael
Skeet) wrote:
I saw the game where Danny Barrett passed for over 600 yards in one game a
few years ago, I think when the J5V was still in use. CFL quarterbacks
have no trouble throwing the ball.
ivan
Michael Skeet
In article <sadowski-110...@yeast.biochem.ubc.ca>,
sado...@unixg.ubc.ca (Ivan Sadowski) wrote:
>I saw the game where Danny Barrett passed for over 600 yards in one game a
>few years ago, I think when the J5V was still in use. CFL quarterbacks
>have no trouble throwing the ball.
Given how pass-happy the CFL has been for the past decade and a half, it's
impressive to note how many of the top passing performances are still held by
golden-age QBs, who threw a ball that was much fatter than it is today. (No
one has even come close to Etcheverry's record of 34 straight games in which
he threw a TD pass.)
Michael
Dave Roddick
In <sadowski-110...@yeast.biochem.ubc.ca>, sado...@unixg.ubc.ca
(Ivan Sadowski) wrote:
: I saw the game where Danny Barrett passed for over 600 yards in one game a
: few years ago, I think when the J5V was still in use. CFL quarterbacks
: have no trouble throwing the ball.
Dunigan, set a CFL record, throwing for 713 yards in one game!