The Hamilton Spectator

Duane Forde for commission­er?

- DAN RALPH

TORONTO — Duane Forde is interested in the Canadian Football League commission­er’s job.

The veteran TSN football commentato­r said during a conference call that he’d be open to discussing the position after the CFL draft Sunday. Last month, commission­er Jeffrey Orridge announced that he and the league had agreed to part ways effective June 30.

Orridge, the former executive director of CBC Sports, became the CFL’s 13th commission­er in March 2015. Shortly after the announceme­nt, Forde’s name was mentioned as a potential successor.

“To be honest it’s something I would be interested in,” Forde said during the CFL draft conference call. “I’m not going to spend much time on this call certainly talking about it.

“But maybe once we survive draft week that, yeah, it’s something that I would be interested in discussing.”

Orridge succeeded Mark Cohon, who’d served eight years as commission­er. When he took the job, Orridge became the first black commission­er of a significan­t North American profession­al sports league.

In February, the former USA Basketball and Right to Play executive received the African Canadian Achievemen­t Award of Excellence for his accomplish­ments.

Forde, 47, has been with TSN since 2008, often serving as a commentato­r on football broadcasts with play-by-play announcer Rod Black. Forde is also a highly regarded Canadian college draft expert and since ’10 has run a national combine.

In ’12, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers courted Forde about becoming their assistant general manager. The job went to Kyle Walters, who’s now the CFL club’s full-time GM.

Forde was a fullback in the CFL for 12 seasons, playing for the Calgary Stampeders (199192, ’96-2000), Bombers (’93), Toronto Argonauts (’94-95), and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2001-02). He appeared in five Grey Cup games, winning twice with the Stamps (1992, ’98).

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