This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Senator David Braley, owner of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, announced today that Argonauts President and CEO Bob Nicholson has resigned to pursue other opportunities.
“Bob was one of the first people I turned to when I bought the Argonauts franchise. His experience and leadership have contributed significantly to building a foundation from which the franchise can continue to move forward. I would like to thank him for all of his efforts on behalf of the Club,” said Braley.
Effective immediately, Chris Rudge, Chairman, Toronto Argonauts, and Chair and CEO of the 100th Grey Cup Festival, will assume the position of Executive Chairman and CEO of the Argonauts. Chris Rudge joined the organization in June 2010 from his previous post as CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Own The Podium program, which he held through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games that saw Canada win 14 Gold medals, the most ever for any country in an Olympic Winter Games. As a member of the office of the CEO and President of Canadian and International Operations for Quebecor World Inc., Chris led over fifty companies with sales in excess of 3 billion dollars.
Braley continued, “Chris has an exceptional record of leadership in the corporate world and the sports community. I know he will continue to focus on the rebuilding of the Argos business and I look forward to the franchise returning to its rightful position as a leader within the range of sports and entertainment options available in Southern Ontario.”
Commented Rudge, “I am excited to continue to build the Argonauts brand, and cementing its place in the hearts and minds of Torontonians. We have already made great strides forward this off-season with our product on the field and look forward to growing attendance and continuing our already strong community efforts. The great response to the 100th Grey Cup demonstrates that the fanbase is here; we need to continue to find ways to reconnect it to the Double Blue. I am looking forward to this challenge.”
With finances so tight in the CFL the Minimum salary is only $42,000. This is not enough for anyone to live on. I know that the Boosters help out the better known players with commercial and appearance at their business for extra pay but the younger talent making only the Minimum has to take a full time off season job, making them a part time football player. Many times these players leave football for better jobs before their careers can fully develop. Boosters do not necessarily have to pay these players but could help with such things as housing and transportation to help compensate them. Say a booster owns a chain of hotels players can be given a room in the hotel at least for the season, that may be worth 7,000 that they would not have to spend. a Booster of a car dealership could provcomment_IDe the players with a car and insurance worth another that would be worth another 3 to 4 thousand. we are talking about rookies and younger players. Currently many players out of college choose to sign with NFL teams practice squads for a season paying them $96,000. Many young rookie imports would jump at the chance to play in the CFL if the compensation were somewhere that of a NFL practice squad salary. NFL PS players do not get any of the benefits of roster players. They do not even get to go to home games unless they buy a ticket and they certainly do not get a chance to travel with the team.
If a player shows promise they may even be invited by the boosters to stay in the city for the off season to work out. Add that 14,000 for a room and 6,000 for a car and insurance it would be the equivalent of making 62,000.
Boosters could provcomment_IDe these players with meal vouchers to resturants they may own or 50 dollar a week gas cards.
With pay and other compensation comparable to the pay of an NFL practice squad player CFL teams could compete for these players with the NFL practice squad. Many coaches will tell you the last 15 players cut are as good as the last 15 players kept on the roster. NFL PS players also do not have any security as teams change pS players on a weekly basis to fit their current needs. That would mean that the CFL could compete for over 300 young players with talent and potential with the NFL.
It would also be a tremendous boost to the Young Canadian players who often are the recipient of these 42,000 dollar contracts. Many young canadian players leave the CFL after only a couple of seasons, as they find better paying jobs, before they get a chance to reach their potential
Unlike college football boosters compensating players is legal as they are pro players now. As long as it is not pacomment_ID for by the franchise itself it will not count towards the salary cap.
Maybe this already happens, I don’t know? But if were much more organized and offered to more players the level of play and the number of canadian players would be higher.
Large hotels and hotel chains along with large dealerships always have alot of extra rooms in the hotels and a lot of cars sitting on lots that go unused.
The UFL in its short existence pays for players housing at least while they are with the team and their salary 40,000 dollars but with the free housing for these players many of them chose to go to the UFL to get playing time and the season was shorter. with the UFL being around 5 teams that was another 200 or so players that the CFL could have competed for.
With upcoming expansion and the national coverage in canada in french and english and the US If the level of play increased and there were more notable known players on CFL rosters this could cause a positive domino affect as ther would be more fans at the game but more importantly more watching on TV generating more revenue for the franchises and better play for its players and more players to play the league would be able to expand even more.
JUST STARTS WITH A LITTLE COMPENSATION AND THE RESULTS COULD BE OVERWHELMING FOR THE CFL.