You're comparing apples to apples with your analogy. IIRC The MLS and the Premier Leagues are the same game played on the same size fields with the same rules and the same types of players, the only difference being that the MLS players aren't up to the skill level of the Premier league in most cases.
Our game is totally different:
Field Size;
Team Size;
Ball Size(ours is bigger);
Number of Downs;
Scrimmage;
Fair Catches and punt returns;
The motion rule;
Time rules;
Kicker advancing the ball rule;
and I could go on and on and on but I think you get the idea.
Our game is totally different from the NFL version, despite the fact that they both are called Football and both played by men in pads. Our game takes a completely different set of skills for a player to be successful.
Just because the NFL hype machine says they're the greatest game certainly doesn't make it a reality and if you don't believe me go ask people like Fred Belitnikoff, Marc Gastineau, Vince Feragamo, Andre Rison, Ricky Williams and yes even the Rock who were gonna come up here and tear it up yet ended up being dismal failures because our game isn't suited to their skill sets.
But on the other hand there have been a ton of CFL players who have gone onto stellar NFL careers, Warren Moon, Joe Kapp, Jeff Garcia, John Chick just to name a few.
So now maybe you can see why we get pissed when people call our League second rate and a minor league. A second rate minor league is NFL Europe or the Arena League, not the CFL.
Our league is no better or no worse than the NFL it's just
different.
CKA Uber 
Exactly - I'd rep if I could!
I have time and thought I'd check that myth out. 
