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The National Football League is constantly under attack from all corners over its officiating, the blown calls and the sheer number of flags flying.

Yet, like a giant armadillo, the world’s most muscular sports organization is virtually bulletproof when it comes to TV numbers and fan attendance.

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Not so the Canadian Football League.

The perception that shoddy officiating is dragging the league down was addressed by CFL senior vice-president Glen Johnson, B.C. Lions president and CEO Dennis Skulsky and Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono at a Vancouver media breakfast Wednesday. It was partly a seminar on new rules and technology being introduced to speed up the game and make it safer.

It was also part lecture — a pointed reminder to CFL media that they should play a more positive role in the game they cover.

“It would be awesome if we read: ‘The officiating was really good today,’ ” Johnson said. “As opposed to, ‘All you want to do is focus on something controversial.’ Watch a few NFL games. When there’s a really bad call, they point to it for a second, and then move on to tell the story of the game. They give more positive comments to the officiating than our (CFL) broadcasts. I believe we are better than people think we are. I’d put our guys up against anybody for what they do.”