New CFL boss says he’s all ears
Ambrosie plans to kick off his reign as commissioner by doing a lot of listening
Randy Ambrosie, the CFL’s new commissioner, has been on the job for almost 48 hours, but there’s still a problem in Toronto, a new CBA to be negotiated, and a lingering stadium issue in Calgary.
He’s asked if he’s going to need another day to fix all that.
“I’ve got a six-point plan I’ve worked out overnight,” Ambrosie said the after Alouettes-Lions game on Thursday night. “But it’s a secret six-point plan.” Not bad, rook. Let’s see if you still have a sense of humour a year from now.
Ambrosie, the 54-year-old former player who the league plucked from the business world, is the latest soul to confront the Rubik’s Cube that is the CFL. But, unlike some of his predecessors, he ticks all the proverbial boxes for a league that faces daunting challenges, even as it boasts significant strengths.
As a former player, he understands the culture of the league. As a former CEO, he speaks the language of the boardroom. In these early days, he also presents as an enthusiastic fan of the game and its players, and, after the Jeffrey Orridge miscalculation, the league could use a champion.
Ambrosie, in short, passes the eye test. But it’s his work in the league’s problem areas that will determine the success of his administration. By now, those challenges are a matter of public record — Toronto, player relations and safety, dwindling attendance in other markets. And for all that, the biggest concern is: how do you make a younger generation care about the CFL again? How do you bring them back and invest in the league the way their parents did?
Ambrose, to his credit, doesn’t have a magic bullet. But he does promise to watch and listen before he starts making decisions. And that, at least, is a start.
“Listening is the formula,” he said. “Applying that listening in a thoughtful, constructive way is my philosophy. That’s what I shared with the board.
“I’m not going to have a plan on Day 8. When you ask me about my plan, I’m going to say ‘I’m still listening.’ I’m not going to tell you what my plan is until I’ve listened enough to say ‘I think I’ve got it now.’ I’m looking forward to that process.”
Sounds great. But how did you bring the fans back to Toronto, where a meagre gathering of 11,219 took in the Argos-Lions tilt a week ago? How do you bring them back to Montreal, where 18,278 watched the Lions and Als on Thursday night? What about Vancouver, which has been facing steadily declining attendance for six years?
That’s going to take a lot of listening.