Courtesy Edmonton Journal:

“In the past,” Edmonton Eskimos director of football operations Danny Maciocia opined, “the (Canadian Football League salary) cap was like a Stop sign in Montreal.

“If you chose to stop, fine. If not, that was fine, too.”

Last season, Year 1 of the enforced cap, the Eskimos managed to squeeze under the $4.05 million ceiling by about $24,000.

But two CFL teams — Saskatchewan and, perhaps by force of habit, Montreal — couldn’t put the brakes on their player payroll in 2007 and both have paid a price for it. Which is a CFL first, and a victory for commissioner Mark Cohon, who knows sound fiscal management is essential in the CFL.

The Roughriders overspent the $4.05- million limit by $76,552 and have been fined that amount, according to the dollar-for-dollar rule for overspending by $100,000 or less.

The Alouettes rolled past the line by $108,285, for a fine of $116,570 (dollar-for-dollar for the first $100,000 and double for the $8,285) and the loss of their first-round draft pick in this week’s Canadian college draft.

The fine isn’t likely to hurt the moneybags Alouettes much, especially considering Montreal will play host to the 2008 Grey Cup, the CFL’s annual fall cash cow.

But the loss of a first-round pick (Montreal has the seventh pick from a previous deal with Saskatchewan) will hurt, given the importance of Canadian talent in the CFL.

So, Montreal sought a ruling, arguing they overspent owing to a hefty salary paid to veteran defensive lineman Steve Charbonneau, who missed the entire year with a gastro-intestinal virus that has effectively ended his career.

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