Commissioner Ambrosie touts CFL growth
Commissioner kicks off 10-city Town Hall tour of league’s markets
It’s all relative, of course. With six of nine Canadian Football League franchises relatively healthy, commissioner Randy Ambrosie can argue, as he did on Thursday, things are generally prosperous.
But the league’s commissioner admitted more can be done, especially since the three weak sisters are in the nation’s biggest markets — Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
“I think we have a healthy league but, boy, can we do better,” said Ambrosie, who was in Montreal to kick off his 10-city Town Hall tour of the league’s markets — even Halifax, yet to be awarded a franchise, is being included — this month.
“It’s a battle of semantics,” added Ambrosie, named the CFL’s 14th commissioner last July. “However we might define the nine teams, I’m not sure that’s important today. What’s important is that I’m doing everything I can to be a good partner and the league office supports their efforts. We’re all in this together. We all need each other to be successful for the CFL to advance.”
The Als have failed to make the playoffs the last three seasons and have seen their average attendance decline each of those years. Montreal averaged 21,430 spectators in 2015; 20,377 in ’16 and suffered another dip last season, to 19,522, when the team lost 15 of 18 games, including 11 consecutive defeats to end the season.
The B.C. Lions, who also failed to make the playoffs, averaged 19,858, while Toronto, which believed its attendance woes would end with a shift to BMO field, attracted only 13,913 during the regular season — but 24,929 to the East Division final. The Argonauts subsequently upset Calgary in the Grey Cup.
Ambrosie’s day began with a brainstorming session that was attended by Als president Patrick Boivin and his senior management team. Ambrosie, who was accompanied by some of the league’s senior executives, is determined to find ways to spur an attendance increase at Molson Stadium while enhancing the game experience.
“I think about the Als a lot,” Ambrosie admitted. “I’m going to do everything we can to lean in and help them.”
While there’s no denying the passion owner Robert Wetenhall has had for the Als since he took control in 1997, Ambrosie remains convinced Wetenhall’s son, Andrew, who’s assuming more of a daily, hands-on role and control as his father ages, remains equally as committed.
“Andrew Wetenhall is a smart and astute business guy. He doesn’t want this downward trend to continue much longer. He knows we have to improve this,” Ambrosie admitted. “He’s doing what owners need to do when they hit those rough patches. I know he’s committed to getting this team back on its feet.
“Teams go through great highs and, from time to time, great lows. We have to work hard to help them get back to where they want to be and where the fans want them to be.”
And that’s why Ambrosie has decided to hit the road, engaging fans in a town hall setting, knowing how imperative it is — especially in the CFL, which always has been gatedriven — to get their input while providing them the opportunity to voice their concerns.
“I don’t know a successful business that doesn’t pay attention to its fans and customers,” said Ambrosie, who entertained about 100 season-ticket holders Thursday evening for two hours at the McCord Museum.
IMPROVING OFFICIATING
Some of topics over the opening 60 minutes ranged from the possibility of the league moving its schedule ahead by three weeks, what days of the week games should be played and the bane of the league’s existence — officiating. Ambrosie said the league is working hard this winter to improve the level of officiating. Of course, those words have been uttered by every commissioner who preceded him.
“If there’s a criticism about officiating, we have to listen to it. That will help drive us to a better conclusion,” he said. “Officiating ’s important. Making sure that’s as strong as it can be.”
Ambrosie said he likes the idea of coach’s challenges remaining at one, making the value of each more paramount. It also improves the pace of the game, long a criticism of CFL fans. But a majority of the Alouettes fans in attendance said they would welcome the idea of a second challenge should the first one be successful.
Advancing the regular-season by three weeks would obviously lead to the potential of better weather conditions for playoff games and the Grey Cup. Last November’s game in Ottawa was played throughout a steady snowfall and the heavily favoured Stampeders lost 27-24. Remove the elements and the better team, arguably, will win most days.
“Fans today have different views. The way they’re consuming our product is changing,” Ambrosie said. “The fans want the games decided by the players, not the weather.”
While fans in Montreal have said they prefer Friday night home games in the summer, television ratings are highest on Thursday, Ambrosie said. Every CFL team will have at least one Thursday night game next season, but five of the Als’ nine home games are on Friday.
Ambrosie will present his 2018 business plan to the league’s board of governors at the end of February and remains ebullient team presidents, for the first time in recent memory, are in unanimous support.
His mandate remains simple. “Create a revenue growth plan for the future,” he said. “Intensify our efforts to drive the growth of our game. Make sure we have a really strong business model.”