3DN Article on Low Commissioner Compensation

[theaardvark]

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/

Maybe a few teams should use some of the nonSMS marketing dollars they have to spend by sending one guy that came through the combines to cover it.

Bombers should send Tait and Clercius or Wallace in any event, and if other teams join in, great.

You'd think that in SSK, they'd be all about Combines...

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Maybe a few teams should use some of the nonSMS marketing dollars they have to spend by sending one guy that came through the combines to cover it.

Bombers should send Tait and Clercius or Wallace in any event, and if other teams join in, great.

You'd think that in SSK, they'd be all about Combines...

Sad, can't find any mention of the CFL Combine on Riderfans, maybe the public hasn't been invited to attend.

[TecnoGenius]

Are you kidding?

Randy Ambroise retired from football in the mid 1990s
...

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?

A bit rude... All I was doing was pointing out how former players can make good commishes.  It's you guys that said NO PLAYER CAN BE COMMISH, THAT'S DUMB.

I said nothing about Biggie, that was Aards.  And Aards may be right, maybe Biggie will be a great commish... in another 15 years.

The "players can't be commish" people spoke in absolutes, and were patently wrong as I just proved.

If you want to argue about timespans and experience and intervals, sure fine, I 100% agree and never said otherwise.

[TecnoGenius]

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

I make no statement on the merits of anti-USA sentiment, but I 100% agree it is a "thing" and (like every other company out there) we should be playing it up!

Rowdy announcer voice: "Hey, you still watching NFL?  You're a USA lover! Come and watch real football that is 10X better with way longer fields, way wider fields, more players, and a game for real men because we only let you have 3 chances to get 1st down, not lame-o 4.  And no wussy American fair catch!  Our returners get their butt whooped every single return!  So get your butt out to a real CFL game, THE GAME FOR CANADIANS!" 

However, we also need to make sure we don't have anti-USA sentiment or booing at our games.  2/3 of the starting roster is American, after all.  Keep that hockey disrespect out of our game.

[TecnoGenius]

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.

Keep in mind the commish authorizes studies and makes final decisions on big 100% football/CFL-specific things like changing to 4 downs!  I 100% want someone who spent years playing for or managing a CFL team to be the one deciding things of that magnitude.

Imagine some pencil-pushing investment CEO guy who has no idea what the CFL is comes in and makes that change that forever ruins our league?  Ya, no thanks.

[theaardvark]

And again, having a guy with a solid CFL career (even like Wade, whowas no star, but "Rudy'd his way to the Blue Bombers HOF) who also has some business knowledge can be very effective if he has the right staff. 

Another name, Jon Cornish.  Named one of the youngest in North America when named chancellor at U of C...

There are plenty of ex-players that can be Commish with a good staff.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

And again, having a guy with a solid CFL career (even like Wade, whowas no star, but "Rudy'd his way to the Blue Bombers HOF) who also has some business knowledge can be very effective if he has the right staff. 

Another name, Jon Cornish.  Named one of the youngest in North America when named chancellor at U of C...

There are plenty of ex-players that can be Commish with a good staff.

As it's a position that pays $1 million per year, I'm sure well qualified candidates will pursue it without our help, including former players that have gone onto successful business careers. 99.99% of people never have a shot at getting a job with that level of remuneration, so it's a bit crazy to think the pay is inadequate.

[theaardvark]

As it's a position that pays $1 million per year, I'm sure well qualified candidates will pursuit it without our help, including former players that have gone onto successful business careers. 99.99% of people never have a shot at getting a job with that level of remuneration, so it's a bit crazy to think the pay is inadequate.

The whole point of the article is that it does NOT pay $1mil, only $750K.

Yeah, for us, the difference between $750k and $1mil is not worth mentioning, but at that level of hire, the article is suggesting $750k ain't enuf.  That we *need* to get over $1mil to land a quality candidate.

[TBURGESS]

The whole point of the article is that it does NOT pay $1mil, only $750K.

Yeah, for us, the difference between $750k and $1mil is not worth mentioning, but at that level of hire, the article is suggesting $750k ain't enuf.  That we *need* to get over $1mil to land a quality candidate.

Outgoing commissioner Randy Ambrosie earned around $750,000 annually, with bonuses giving him the chance to boost his compensation to approximately $1 million, per sources.

[TecnoGenius]

The whole point of the article is that it does NOT pay $1mil, only $750K.

Then make it like every CEO position out there: give him a base pay and then add on a generous bonus that is based on league revenue growth and butts-in-seats growth.  Win-win for everyone.

From what TB says, it's already a bit like that.  I would make it even more generous if it's directly tied to $$ because if commish can grow the league +$10M more then an extra 500k into commish pocket is self-funding.

[Waffler]

Then make it like every CEO position out there: give him a base pay and then add on a generous bonus that is based on league revenue growth and butts-in-seats growth.  Win-win for everyone.

Personally I don't like huge bonuses for CEOs. It is just motivation to for them to make a bonus this year for themself at any cost.  Like a Taman Grey Cup, long term health of the organization becomes secondary. 

[blue_or_die]

I make no statement on the merits of anti-USA sentiment, but I 100% agree it is a "thing" and (like every other company out there) we should be playing it up!

Rowdy announcer voice: "Hey, you still watching NFL?  You're a USA lover! Come and watch real football that is 10X better with way longer fields, way wider fields, more players, and a game for real men because we only let you have 3 chances to get 1st down, not lame-o 4.  And no wussy American fair catch!  Our returners get their butt whooped every single return!  So get your butt out to a real CFL game, THE GAME FOR CANADIANS!" 

However, we also need to make sure we don't have anti-USA sentiment or booing at our games.  2/3 of the starting roster is American, after all.  Keep that hockey disrespect out of our game.

TLB said "patriotism", not "anti-US sentiment".

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I make no statement on the merits of anti-USA sentiment, but I 100% agree it is a "thing" and (like every other company out there) we should be playing it up!

Rowdy announcer voice: "Hey, you still watching NFL?  You're a USA lover! Come and watch real football that is 10X better with way longer fields, way wider fields, more players, and a game for real men because we only let you have 3 chances to get 1st down, not lame-o 4.  And no wussy American fair catch!  Our returners get their butt whooped every single return!  So get your butt out to a real CFL game, THE GAME FOR CANADIANS!" 

However, we also need to make sure we don't have anti-USA sentiment or booing at our games.  2/3 of the starting roster is American, after all.  Keep that hockey disrespect out of our game.

A super simple idea that wouldn't cost much is mounting and flying the largest Canadian flag available on top of the football stadium in each city, 4x the size of the large flags SuperStore used to fly. It wouldn't require an ad campaign or any explanation and it would create a visible/visual connection.

[theaardvark]

A super simple idea that wouldn't cost much is mounting and flying the largest Canadian flag available on top of the football stadium in each city, 4x the size of the large flags SuperStore used to fly. It wouldn't require an ad campaign or any explanation and it would create a visible/visual connection.

Wouldn't it be better to put back to back Canadian Flags on every field outside the hashmarks between the 50 and 55?  4 flags on each field in an area that does not exist south of the border.

Maybe in the back corners of the endzones as well... 10 yards high...