3DN Article on Low Commissioner Compensation

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Nope, but a dog lover who has a knack for business has a leg up on someone who isn't a dog lover.

You should have both, and a lot of players/coaches/GMs have gone to university for business...  just because you played/coached football does not mean you are a dumb jock.

Adam Bighill, for instance.  Think he's just a football meathead?

He's an investment advisor not a C-Suite CEO. Man, sometimes I wonder.

[blue_gold_84]

Nope, but a dog lover who has a knack for business has a leg up on someone who isn't a dog lover.

You should have both, and a lot of players/coaches/GMs have gone to university for business...  just because you played/coached football does not mean you are a dumb jock.

Adam Bighill, for instance.  Think he's just a football meathead?

What a whacky response. @Sir Blue and Gold made a valid point: the commish doesn't need to be a football guy in order to be successful as commish.

Mark Cohon is a perfect example of that. A football acumen can be a positive attribute but isn't a requirement.

I don't think anyone here would label Bighill as such. Why even pose such an infantile question?

[Waffler]

Just have a former CFL player to handle the football matters such as rules, fines etc. The commissioner is there for league well being and the major qualification should be sports executive experience.

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the commissioners of the NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL all have no experience as pro players.

[TecnoGenius]

Barker, a little too erratic, but might be good.  Argos can't afford to lose Pinball.

What about Buono?  Or Huffnagel finally letting go. 

I can guarantee you the next commish will be Ambrosie-age or younger.  They don't want the face of the league to be an ailing 80 year old, no matter how (still) capable!

The sweet spot is probably 50-69.

[TecnoGenius]

What? The job is first and foremost growing revenue for the league, its teams and owners, and maximizing profits. Football, when you're the commissioner/CEO, is a product. You don't need a football guy.

Hate to tell you guys who are bashing Aards, but Ambrosie was a CFL player (OL OG) for nearly 10 years!!

Sure, the commish doesn't have to be a player, but you can't disqualify a dude for having played!

[TecnoGenius]

Disagree Ambrosie did a poor job, he was the face of the league and performed his duties with enthusiasm and had a real love for the game. Not every initiative was a success but it looks like the CFL increased revenue during his tenure, so bully for him.

Hey, I gave him his due, I didn't just bash him.  My main gripe was the GLOB program.  I acknowledged he did a good job financially.

But many people like to pick on the big cheese.  It's not so much sincere as it is something fun to do.  And Ambrosie definitely doesn't take it personally: see the awesome looks he gives I referenced when he gets booed on the field.  He knows you can't please everyone all the time.

As for not being able to find someone because of teasing?  Ya, again, for $750k I'll stand on the field and take tomatoes to the face every game.  Plus I have some great ideas to improve the product on the field!  Weeeeeee!

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Hate to tell you guys who are bashing Aards, but Ambrosie was a CFL player (OL OG) for nearly 10 years!!

Sure, the commish doesn't have to be a player, but you can't disqualify a dude for having played!

Are you kidding?

Randy Ambroise retired from football in the mid 1990s and spend almost 30 years in business afterwards where he focused on sales and growth and by 2007 was the president of one of Canada's fastest growing independent investment firms at the time - before it was sold for a sizeable sum. He then when to be the CEO of one of Canada's oldest investment companies for about a decade and helped that business get back to being exceptionally profitable. In short, he got the job because of what he did after playing. The fact he was an offensive lineman was fantastic, but the least important part of the resume.

Aardvark's hilarious suggestion was Adam Bighill, who is probably super smart, but has been a full time athlete since he was a kid and a part-time financial advisor for a half dozen years.

Are you done now?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Are you kidding?

Randy Ambroise retired from football in the mid 1990s and spend almost 30 years in business afterwards where he focused on sales and growth and by 2007 was the president of one of Canada's fastest growing independent investment firms at the time - before it was sold for a sizeable sum. He then when to be the CEO of one of Canada's oldest investment companies for about a decade and helped that business get back to being exceptionally profitable. In short, he got the job because of what he did after playing. The fact he was an offensive lineman was fantastic, but the least important part of the resume.

Aardvark's hilarious suggestion was Adam Bighill, who is probably super smart, but has been a full time athlete since he was a kid and a part-time financial advisor for a half dozen years.

Seems more about 3 years, it wasn't until his last contract Bighill took on the side job.

It's urgent to get a commissioner in place soon and take advantage of the recent rise in patriotism, the CFL should get an ad campaign rolling promoting CFL football as a national treasure and they should be advertising during hockey games right through the playoffs. Hopefully they can reverse the trend of half empty stadiums that have been a plague since COVID killed off so many customers.

Borrowed from the other Bomber fan forum. "Make the CFL Great again Hats".

[theaardvark]

I'm sure there are lots of former CFL players that have had 10+ years post career in business. 

Or, hear me out, you have a former player Commish who is a business idiot but personable as all get out, and you have a "VP Business Development" who is a negotiating/business genius to take care of the nuts and bolts.  The Commish could even be a part time job, and the VP a full time job at a higher pay than the commish.


The Commish is just there for ribbon cuttings, Canada Day games, trophy presentations, and discussing football matters. 

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I'm sure there are lots of former CFL players that have had 10+ years post career in business. 

Or, hear me out, you have a former player Commish who is a business idiot but personable as all get out, and you have a "VP Business Development" who is a negotiating/business genius to take care of the nuts and bolts.  The Commish could even be a part time job, and the VP a full time job at a higher pay than the commish.


The Commish is just there for ribbon cuttings, Canada Day games, trophy presentations, and discussing football matters. 

That's where the football background comes in handy, the CFL commissioner has to be able to discuss the game intelligently in public as he's the face of the league and is quite visible compared to most commissioners who hide out in boardrooms.  So having a football background certainly is a bonus, I'd nominate Wade Miller but would hate  for the Bombers to lose him.

[Jesse]

I'm sure there are lots of former CFL players that have had 10+ years post career in business.   

I'm sure there are.

But those were none of the names you suggested.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I'm sure there are lots of former CFL players that have had 10+ years post career in business. 

Or, hear me out, you have a former player Commish who is a business idiot but personable as all get out, and you have a "VP Business Development" who is a negotiating/business genius to take care of the nuts and bolts.  The Commish could even be a part time job, and the VP a full time job at a higher pay than the commish.


The Commish is just there for ribbon cuttings, Canada Day games, trophy presentations, and discussing football matters. 

Why would an organization reduce their highest ranking executive officer to a "ribbon cutter" and then hire someone else as a 'VP' who would actually run the organization? And wouldn't you want your CEO to be known and visible and wouldn't that pedigree help that individual achieve business mandates?

And even if you wanted to split the roles for some legitimate strategic reason (of which you haven't actually articulted) wouldn't it make infinitely more sense to hire a qualified commissioner and then sign up a spokesperson or two to do public facing "ribbon cuttings"?

[theaardvark]

Why would an organization reduce their highest ranking executive officer to a "ribbon cutter" and then hire someone else as a 'VP' who would actually run the organization? And wouldn't you want your CEO to be known and visible and wouldn't that pedigree help that individual achieve business mandates?

And even if you wanted to split the roles for some legitimate strategic reason (of which you haven't actually articulted) wouldn't it make infinitely more sense to hire a qualified commissioner and then sign up a spokesperson or two to do public facing "ribbon cuttings"?

Forcing the hiring decision of a CEO to include the ability to be the face of the organization reduces the hiring pool dramatically.

Having 2 jobs, one that is front of camera, and one that is focused on the negotiation table / running the league, is a logical distribution of responsibilities.

CEO, COO, CFO, Spokesman...  most organizations distribute that power among candidates specifically good at the task.  If you can find one man to wear all the hats, you got real lucky.

If you have a million dollar budget for the Commish, you can hire a a CEO/spokesman to direct things and a CFO/COO to make them happen.  Which one you give the actual title of "Commissioner" is irrelevant.

Now, should you find a Wade Miller out there (no, much as I love the CFL, you can't have Wade), I have no issue giving him extra hats.  But it will be much easier hiring multiple heads to fill the hats than one head that can wear many hats.

[blue_gold_84]

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Hopefully the next commissioner revives "CFL Week", which should be ongoing right now, capped by the CFL Combine this weekend. They dropped the ball after COVID and haven't picked it back up yet, I'd give them a F for effort in creating any buzz heading into the new season.

Last year the Bombers sent Ed Tait and a handful of players (Willie, Neufeld, Demski, Lawler) out as reporters as it was held in Wpg, this year it's in Regina but it's being relegated to a non-event by the lack of media coverage, as far as I can tell no media outlet is covering the Combine in detail.

This is all I can find so far.

https://www.cfl.ca/category/cfl-combine/