Lions ownership discussion thread (Topics merged into here)

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CardiacKid
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When Wally took to social media to call for a sale ASAP, I got a sense of renewed hope that Braley would finally do as promised all those years ago.

Still won’t hold my breathe....that would be just silly.
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Hambone
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I certainly hope if the Lions do sell to local ownership that history doesn't repeat itself. The Lions have had lousy luck when it comes to local owners since they ceased being community owned,

When it comes to private ownership it's easy to slot Braley (Hamilton) at the top. Next best was Bill Comrie (Edmonton). I would cede Pezim next and a very distant 3rd behind Comrie. He just edges out Skalbania who was the bigger disaster of BC's only two tastes of private local ownership.

The one thing that should see the Lions avoid the possibility of falling into the Pezim/Skalbania trap is the fact Braley is doing the selling. He will try his best to ensure the team lands in the hands of someone with the same passion for the CFL as opposed to the first carpetbagger willing to give him the best price to have a toy to play with.
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DanoT
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I always give Pezim a bit of a mulligan as he is the guy who convinced Flutie to sign with the Lions, to the benefit of all of the CFL.

The story I heard is that Pezim wined and dined Flutie and Pezim's hobby was gourmet cooking. And as a stock promoter, Pezim knew how to sell.
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Sir Purrcival
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I don't really care who buys the Lions so long as he is an avid CFL fan. Local ownership is nice but frankly, stability and cash flow are what makes a team tick, not home address. I wonder how deep the pockets have to be to own a franchise anyway. I'm not sure who is around that is flush enough. Maybe the Lulu Lemon Guy. Maybe the Lions will end up wearing stretchy pants with leg warmers. Shudder.
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B.C.FAN
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Sir Purrcival wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 4:19 pm
I don't really care who buys the Lions so long as he is an avid CFL fan. Local ownership is nice but frankly, stability and cash flow are what makes a team tick, not home address. I wonder how deep the pockets have to be to own a franchise anyway. I'm not sure who is around that is flush enough. Maybe the Lulu Lemon Guy. Maybe the Lions will end up wearing stretchy pants with leg warmers. Shudder.
I was just thinking of Lululemon founder Chip Wilson today as a local person with deep pockets but I don’t know if he has any interest in football. I don’t recall hearing of many successful local busines people who are big fans of the Lions other than some of the car dealers in the Waterboys group.
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CardiacKid
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Sir Purrcival wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 4:19 pm
I don't really care who buys the Lions so long as he is an avid CFL fan. Local ownership is nice but frankly, stability and cash flow are what makes a team tick, not home address. I wonder how deep the pockets have to be to own a franchise anyway. I'm not sure who is around that is flush enough. Maybe the Lulu Lemon Guy. Maybe the Lions will end up wearing stretchy pants with leg warmers. Shudder.
At least it will make their butts will look good.
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David
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I'll believe it when I see it. Braley has been coy for the past 5 years now, always teasing with "looking to sell," "have interested local parties" etc., but never does. Personally, I think he loves owning a CFL team as it gives him a seat at the Board of Governors table.

Was shocked to see Wally go on record that it is time to sell the team to local ownership (per Ed Willes). Maybe Mr. Braley will get the hint. :good:

If the team does get sold, I sure hope Dave Sidhoo is an interested party. I have met him before. Great guy, local, former Lion, has resurrected the UBC football program, deep pockets. I can't think of any negatives. Put Marco Iannuzzi in charge of Business Ops.


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TheLionKing
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It would be nice if it was announced that the club has been sold to the Waterboys at the upcoming Wally Buono farewell luncheon
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B.C.FAN
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Listening to the weekly radio show on TSN 1040, one name that was highly touted as a prospective owner was Mark Woodall, Langley-based insurance manager who is apparently a big Lions fan who has been trying for years to buy the team and has been vetted by the league several times dating back to the term of Mark Cohon as commissioner.

Bio here:
https://srim.ca/mark-woodall
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B.C.FAN
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Ed Willes has more details of the potential sale of the Lions to Mark Woodall and Moray Keith.
Woodall and Keith made Braley a formal offer last year in the $14-million range that was rejected. That offer is now off the table, largely because the two businessmen believe the Lions are a diminishing asset. Average attendance was actually up marginally this year over last from 19,858 per game in 2017 to 19,975 in 2018. That ended a run of seven consecutive seasons in which attendance fell.

To put things in perspective, that trend started after the 2011 season, when the Lions averaged 36,510 fans per game in the newly renovated B.C. Place Stadium. That now seems like so long ago.

“We’re back at 2002 or 2003 with where the organization sits,” Woodall said.

Lions president Rick LeLacheur was in Toronto attending the league’s board of governors meeting on Wednesday and couldn’t be reached for comment.

There are other factors to consider. The Ottawa Redblacks, for example, paid a franchise fee of a reported $7 million when they came into the league for the 2014 season. The number for the proposed team in the Maritimes hasn’t been made public but it’s thought to be in that range.

The Woodall-Keith group is also aware it will have to invest upfront money in the Lions. Braley has always paid the bills on time and he’s provided an immeasurable level of stability over the years. But neither has he invested heavily in promoting or marketing the club.

“It needs an overhaul,” Woodall said of the Lions’ operation.

Woodall and Keith might be the only players in the game at this point and they’ve been at it a while. The two Vancouver businessmen were first vetted by former CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, who stepped down after the 2014 season. They’ve also had conversations with current commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
If there’s a deal to be made, the partners would like to close before Christmas. That would give them a runway to launch a season-ticket drive and whatever marketing initiatives they have in mind. That would give them time to re-energize the Lions’ fan base. That would give them time to do a lot of things.
Ed Willes: Quick sale will help restore Lions' roar, but this tale has old teeth
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DanoT
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Braley erred in not selling for $14M a year ago. He doesn't need the money but these high powered business people are all about "winning the deal" and money is how they keep track of who wins.

As a big, long time supporter of the CFL I hope that Braley decides that he does not need to win the deal and just sells the team and moves on.
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Hambone
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:56 pm
Ed Willes has more details of the potential sale of the Lions to Mark Woodall and Moray Keith.
Woodall and Keith made Braley a formal offer last year in the $14-million range that was rejected. That offer is now off the table, largely because the two businessmen believe the Lions are a diminishing asset. Average attendance was actually up marginally this year over last from 19,858 per game in 2017 to 19,975 in 2018. That ended a run of seven consecutive seasons in which attendance fell..
If there’s a deal to be made, the partners would like to close before Christmas. That would give them a runway to launch a season-ticket drive and whatever marketing initiatives they have in mind. That would give them time to re-energize the Lions’ fan base. That would give them time to do a lot of things.
Ed Willes: Quick sale will help restore Lions' roar, but this tale has old teeth

Guess we can blame Wally for getting into the black for attendance vs last year. :wink: It bumps BC up to join the Argos as the only 2 teams to show an increase in attendance this year.

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JohnnyMusso
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If David Braley really cares about the Lions he needs to let go of them and sell before it is too late and but that I mean the end of the Lions. The Lions are in danger of one day folding if David does not sell. He puts little money into marketing the team and attendance and interest in the team is almost at the level where it was when he hired Bob Ackles. If David Braley does not sell this offseason, they may be no one interested one day in the Lions. He may not even know how bad it is because he never comes here anymore and only sees them play once a year in person in Hamilton.

I would take whatever Moray offers him and not sell to the Canucks owner, who is too impatient, ruthless and too hands on for my liking.

I sure hope by Christmas the team is sold to these 2 guys who clearly are willing to do what it takes to turn the team around and know what is going on for they live here.
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WestCoastJoe
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theprovince.com/sports/football/cfl/bc-lions/ed-willes-quick-sale-will-help-restore-lions-roar-but-this-tale-has-old-teeth
Woodall and Keith made Braley a formal offer last year in the $14-million range that was rejected. That offer is now off the table, largely because the two businessmen believe the Lions are a diminishing asset. Average attendance was actually up marginally this year over last from 19,858 per game in 2017 to 19,975 in 2018. That ended a run of seven consecutive seasons in which attendance fell.
There are other factors to consider. The Ottawa Redblacks, for example, paid a franchise fee of a reported $7 million when they came into the league for the 2014 season. The number for the proposed team in the Maritimes hasn’t been made public but it’s thought to be in that range.
It is not all that hopeful re the ownership. But the bigger problem was the need for coaching change.
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cromartie
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CardiacKid wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:27 pm


At least it will make their butts will look good.
Clearly you need to road trip down here to the American midwest sometime. That fabric doesn't work the miracles you think it does.
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