90rts and Clubs

Third time’s the charm for CFL in Ottawa

By JARED Hippe

THE CHARLATAN (CARLETON University)

OTTAWA (CUP) -- The Canadian Football League is on its
way back to Ottawa for the third time, based on one condition
— they have somewhere to play. -

CFE commissioner Mark Cohon was in the Nation’s capital
March 25 to announce an expansion franchise being condi-
tionally granted to a local ownership group headed by Ottawa
67s owner Jeff Hunt.

“We were very deliberate choosing who we dealt with,” said
Cohon.

“We wanted the right local ownership group. Here we have
community leaders, sports leaders and business leaders.”

The CFL wanted the right people this time around because
former Ottawa Renegades owner, Bernie Glieberman, had
twice run CFL franchises into bankruptcy.

Cohon found a crop of business elites and people with ex-
perience running various sports organizations.

Along with Hunt, the group includes William Shenkman,
chair of Shenkman group of companies, Roger Greenberg,
chair and chief executive of The Minto Group, and John
Ruddy, president of Trinity Development Group.

But before a team can begin play, a viable facility must be
available.

Right now Frank Clair Stadium’s south stands at Lansdowne
Park are inaccessible after being condemned as unsafe by

architects in September 2007.

They’re scheduled to be torn down this summer.

“The stadium is the only condition and that is why we’re
calling this a conditional franchise,” Cohon said.

“We have to make sure there is an adequate stadium and
facility for them to play in. We hope this announcement will
bring a renaissance to Frank Clair Stadium.”

The group will now have to work with City of Ottawa,

owners of Lansdowne Park and Frank Clair Stadium, to come:

up with a plan to renovate or rebuild a football facility.

“This is a sports crazy city,” said Ottawa mayor Larry
O’Brien. “An addition of a CFL franchise makes a lot of sense
tight now. We can now add a stadium to the equation of what
to do [with 40 acres of Lansdowne Park]. We need a first-class
sports facility.” .

The: city is-going to open a design competition for Lans-
downe Park soon.

All the parties involved in bring football back to the nation’s
capital stressed how their fond memories of the CFL and the
former Ottawa Rough Riders franchise propelled them into
this new venture, '

“T was a season ticket holder in the ‘80s,” said Hunt. “I’m
a football fan. I’m one of you and I’m going to run the team
that way.”

Ruddy, who’s been involved with football all his life, includ- ,

ing five years as a member of the Carleton University Ravens
now extinct football team, said it’s vital for the team to be

competitive right away.

“IT know fans won’t tolerate another expansion team...We
want to provide fans and the city with a viable product from
the get-go.” : :

Cohon reiterated those words, stressing that it is important
for the rest of the league that the new team be a competitive
one from the beginning.

The ownership group will pay the CFL a $7 million expan-
sion fee and if a stadium deal is reached soon, the team could
begin play as early as the 2010 season.

“2010 is ideal,” said Cohon. “It would be great for the fans.
But that means the discussions have to start today, tomor-
Tow.”

The move will help the CFL, which has been dealing with
questions about the Buffalo Bills of the National Football
League playing a game in Toronto.

Ottawa was home to the Rough Riders between 1876-1996
and the Renegades from 2002-05, before ownership issues
caused both the franchises to fold.

In the 1980s, the Rough Riders began to rack up deficits
which led to the demise of the franchise in 1996 — this, after
over 100 years of tradition.

The attempt to relaunch on Ottawa team in 2002 went awry
and the club began to rack up deficits once again.

But it is safe to say this ownership group has significantly
more capital than the franchises previous owners.

Andrew Bailey with members of the Wolfpack after he won a sword at their movie night. The win came after seeing Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail.

Pworo TAKEN BY HAAKON SULLIVAN