Orridge Steps Down as CFL Commissioner

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Blitz
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David wrote:
West Coast Joe wrote:Pinball? As a CFL fan, gotta luv the guy. Commissioner? Not so sure about that.
I hear ya, WCJ. Far from a slam dunk to many, I get it. But I look at it this way. Other leagues have the big, high powered lawyer guy making money for the owners. The CFL is structured differently. It's the all-powerful Board Of Governors and their dueling self-interests. The Commish is mostly a figurehead. I'm not convinced he has much sway in the boardroom or the ability to get 9 owners or team presidents onside for much, if anything.

So as long as we have a puppet running the league, might as well have the most fan-friendly, passionate, high energy, well-liked puppet running things (but I also think he has skills in other areas and could be persuasive too if given the chance). Just my opinion. Others will see it differently of course.

DH :cool:
Its the way I see it too David. Wish we had a Commissioner who had some real power but the Board, run by the Braley types, is not going to let that happen.

"In the case of the CFL you report to 9 different bosses who often are more interested in what's good for their particular franchise than the league as a whole" is a great comment.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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WestCoastJoe
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David wrote:
West Coast Joe wrote:Pinball? As a CFL fan, gotta luv the guy. Commissioner? Not so sure about that.
I hear ya, WCJ. Far from a slam dunk to many, I get it. But I look at it this way. Other leagues have the big, high powered lawyer guy making money for the owners. The CFL is structured differently. It's the all-powerful Board Of Governors and their dueling self-interests. The Commish is mostly a figurehead. I'm not convinced he has much sway in the boardroom or the ability to get 9 owners or team presidents onside for much, if anything.

So as long as we have a puppet running the league, might as well have the most fan-friendly, passionate, high energy, well-liked puppet running things (but I also think he has skills in other areas and could be persuasive too if given the chance). Just my opinion. Others will see it differently of course.


DH :cool:
David, re Pinball ...

I would not mind seeing Pinball as Commissioner. He bleeds CFL colours. Great heart. Great motivator. I never saw him as an Xs and Os coach, but he was effective. There is a place for motivators. And he just could surprise as Commissioner. I would take him over Orridge. As noted, I liked Cohon. I did not mind Wright either, although completely without star power. This fan tends to think the CFL has a great product, and a loyal, but possibly shrinking fan base. Pinball just might be able to spark some interest. He has that kind of power.

We will see. Will we see what David Braley wants? Does he still run this league? He looks very frail. Lots of weight to regain after his illness.
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I wouldn't want to ask pinball to put himself through the aggravation of having to deal with the bog
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Let me toss in my :2cents: worth: While we're considering former CFL players, how about someone who played in over half the 9 CFL cities over 23 seasons and set records everywhere he went - Damon Allen? I know, I know, not a local fan favourite, but he won a Grey Cup for us and still holds several team records. He resides in Canada. He certainly knows the CFL intimately. For years he has been a huge proponent of player development and safety. Brandishing his HOF status, he might be able to stand up to the BOG. And it would be difficult to accuse him of playing favourites when you consider he played in both Eastern and Western Conferences.

And lest you dismiss him as being too old to kindle the interest of a younger crowd, he is 53 while Pinball is 52.

:popcorn: Let the discussion begin! :popcorn:
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Fairly good read from Naylor.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl-s-challenges-exte ... r-1.722992

Dave Naylor
15h ago

CFL's challenges extend well beyond its search for a new commissioner
By Gary Lawless and Dave Naylor

Jeffrey Orridge didn’t come across as someone with a deep love for the three-down game over which he served as commissioner. He wasn’t well steeped in CFL lore. He didn’t know his Mosca from his Cahill. That was true the day he was hired and that was still his image on the day he and the CFL agreed to part ways, less than two years after his arrival.

He wasn’t a good fit, which should have been obvious to anyone who watched his State of the League address prior to the 2015 Grey Cup game, when he showed a poor understanding of even the league's most obvious challenges.

Commissioners in sports are held up as if they have magical powers but the fact is, the list of what they do is pretty simple. They oversee the negotiation of labour deals with their players and broadcast contracts with TV partners. They ensure that teams satisfy operational standards, develop league business partners and they are responsible for the integrity of the game. They must also present a vision to prevent their leagues from being overtaken by other forms of sports and entertainment. That's it, really.

But accomplishing those things is impossible when your owners don't believe in your ability to represent them and their interests. Which is where Orridge found himself with the CFL's board of governors. The scenario is hardly new for the CFL, as anyone knows who has followed the league over the past 30 years.

And that speaks to the difficulty of governing a league where losing three of nine votes puts you in jeopardy of losing your job and where the interests of the various clubs have only so much in common.

Orridge may have been the wrong guy for the job, but that doesn't make his frustrations as he exits any less legitimate than those of any of his predecessors. And moving him out of the commissioner’s office doesn’t cure the CFL of the ailments draining its lifeforce these days. So, as much as the board needs to focus on who is standing at the end of the table, it also needs to look in the mirror.

The good news on that front is the board has lots of new blood and progressive thinkers right now. Jeff Hunt in Ottawa, Wade Miller in Winnipeg, Dale Lastman in Toronto, Scott Mitchell in Hamilton, Wayne Morsky in Saskatchewan, Len Rhodes in Edmonton and Ken King in Calgary make up a strong collection of football and business minds. They’re passionate about the CFL and for the most part this is a group which puts the league ahead of individual club interests. They have varied talents and are focused on building together rather than weakening one another.

They fumbled on Orridge. He was not the right guy. They weren't comfortable with him as the face of the Canadian Football League. But while much of the CFL conversation over the coming months is sure to focus on the search for the next commissioner, it's worth noting that the most serious issues confronting the CFL these days are at the club level. And until there's stability and ultimately growth in sagging markets such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, whoever sits in the chair Orridge is about to vacate won’t be able to lead the CFL in new directions both innovative and profitable.

A commissioner can’t legislate a new stadium in Calgary which is required to move the Stampeders forward in a competitive entertainment marketplace.

He can’t pry the keys away from David Braley in B.C. The Lions need new ideas, new resources and new ownership.

He's not responsible for reconnecting with the Francophone fan base in Montreal that once flocked to games but has now gone stale on the Alouettes.

And no one person in the league office can instantly reverse 30 years of decline in the Toronto Argonauts brand, beyond ensuring the league is in position to capitalize when and if new ownership turns things around at BMO Field.

No league can reach its potential when it's constantly changing leadership, tossing away visions, strategic plans and relationships. That's been the CFL story since Jake Gaudaur retired after 16 years in 1984.

But there’s no magic wand the league office can wave, either. Teams have to run their own business and be responsible for infrastructure and financial viability. Those are the legs of the chair any commissioner must sit on.

The board now needs to find someone else to sit in the chair.

But even if the next commissioner is the right guy, the stability of his chair still rests on the success of the teams represented at his table.
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Of the CFL’s 19 commissioners, only three (Sidney Halter 1958-66, Jake Gaudaur 1968-84 and Mark Cohon 2007-15) served for more than four years. The reputation of the league’s board of governors when it comes to not being so adept at empowering its commissioners won’t help the CFL lure the best-in-class leadership talent that demands nothing less.
Long term strategic planning? If you are a CFL Commisioner, the only planning you do is how to survive in a shark tank and how do you plan your exit, which will be arriving soon, either of your own will or at the wishes of the Board. Orridge lasted 23 months.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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Orridge was the CFL’s ninth full-time commissioner since 1984. The NFL has had an equal number of commissioners in its entire history, dating back to 1920.

Since 1960, only three men have held that position in the NFL — Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell.

Orridge’s replacement will become the CFL’s third commissioner in a decade, and its sixth in 20 years.

How should one feel about anyone being named to the position? Pity!!!!
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
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QB Club 63 wrote:Let me toss in my :2cents: worth: While we're considering former CFL players, how about someone who played in over half the 9 CFL cities over 23 seasons and set records everywhere he went - Damon Allen? I know, I know, not a local fan favourite, but he won a Grey Cup for us and still holds several team records. He resides in Canada. He certainly knows the CFL intimately. For years he has been a huge proponent of player development and safety. Brandishing his HOF status, he might be able to stand up to the BOG. And it would be difficult to accuse him of playing favourites when you consider he played in both Eastern and Western Conferences.

And lest you dismiss him as being too old to kindle the interest of a younger crowd, he is 53 while Pinball is 52.

:popcorn: Let the discussion begin! :popcorn:
No thanks. Allen is too introvert to be the Commissioner. I remember years ago the Lions had a luncheon at the Expo grounds for season ticket holders. There were Lion players such as Mike Trevathan, Matt Clarke, Brad Yamoaka mingling with the fans, signing autographs and having their pictures taken. Damon Allen was sitting at the back of the room with his family. No interaction with the fans who pays his salary.
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The guy that I would like to see take the job is former Bomber DE Doug Brown. He has some media experience from when he wrote a football newspaper column, is well spoken and spoken well of both on and off the field. But he probably isn't interested.

I don't think the NFL would ever have an ex player as commish, but the best commish that the CFL ever had, Jake Gaudaur, played centre for the TiCats in the 1950s.
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In regards to Dave Naylor's article, I found it very intriguing that amongst his list of teams with progressive thinkers on the board, he omitted 2. Unfortunately the Lions are on that lonely list along with Montreal. In fact he couldn't have been more damming of Braley's stewardship.
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DanoT wrote:The guy that I would like to see take the job is former Bomber DE Doug Brown. He has some media experience from when he wrote a football newspaper column, is well spoken and spoken well of both on and off the field. But he probably isn't interested.

I don't think the NFL would ever have an ex player as commish, but the best commish that the CFL ever had, Jake Gaudaur, played centre for the TiCats in the 1950s.

It was a much simpler time when Gaudaur took the job 50 years ago. Only the Argos and Als had a major pro sports team to compete with. The CFLPA was a fledgling organization formed 3 years earlier due to the number of complaints and questions coming into lawyer John Agro's office. The majority ironically came from the Hamilton Ti-Cats of which Gaudaur was the President and GM.
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David
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QB Club 63 wrote:Let me toss in my :2cents: worth: While we're considering former CFL players, how about someone who played in over half the 9 CFL cities over 23 seasons and set records everywhere he went - Damon Allen?
Not absolutely certain about this, but you miiiiight just get a slight objection to this idea from Giulio Caravatta. :rotf:


DH :cool:
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What about a Tom Forzani or a Scott Ackles? I think there are a lot of possibilities for such a position. I would probably comb through the former player ranks and see which of them have established themselves as savvy business types over the years. I suspect you would find a few possibles simply by doing that.
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Sir Purrcival wrote:What about a Tom Forzani or a Scott Ackles? I think there are a lot of possibilities for such a position. I would probably comb through the former player ranks and see which of them have established themselves as savvy business types over the years. I suspect you would find a few possibles simply by doing that.
The problem is a savvy business type might not want the job. :wink:
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Sir Purrcival
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You're probably right about that LOL.

In my mind, the candidate that you are most likely looking for is someone who doesn't need the money. Perhaps a businessman who is about to retire or has recently retired from the active business world. Someone who knows the league and the game, probably an ex player for that. Someone who is familiar with labour laws, contracts, PR, someone who is tough minded but also seen as fair. Someone who can schmooze with the business community and team owners and present a good face for the league. With all those who have passed through the league over the years, someone must be able (and willing) to fill that role.
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