EX-EXECS OK WITH SPENDING
Former Riders bosses weigh in
The Saskatchewan Roughriders weren’t always in a position to flex their financial muscle when it comes to attracting the CFL’s top talent.
There were years when the Riders were challenged to keep the franchise from heading into bankruptcy. The team conducted telethons in 1987 and again in 1997 in what were successful bids to keep the franchise afloat.
Those days are a distant memory with the Riders tapping into their financial resources lately to persuade head coach Chris Jones to leave the Edmonton Eskimos eight days after beating the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2015 Grey Cup game.
Jones was handed control of the Riders’ football operations on Dec. 7, when he was named general manager, vice-president of football operations, head coach and defensive co-ordinator.
Jones appears to have had the financial freedom to reportedly add John Murphy as the Riders’ vicepresident of player of personnel. There are even reports that most of Edmonton’s coaching staff will follow Jones to Regina, which is another indication of the Riders’ financial might.
Alan Ford, Fred Wagman and Tom Shepherd all served the Riders in different capacities during the team’s financially challenging times. They remember conducting the telethons to boost ticket sales and ultimately the franchise’s bottom line.
None of the aforementioned trio have any issues with how the franchise is operating now.
“They have money to spend and they can be selective,’’ said Wagman, who was the Riders’ president in 1996 and 1997. “They stay within the salary cap and they aren’t blowing things out the window.
“They are working within the spectrum of what the league functions on and everyone is doing that. You go over (the salary cap) and you will pay the penalty. It’s a pretty solid structure now.’’
Ford played with the Riders from 1965 through 1976 as defensive back, receiver and punter. He also served as the team’s general manager from 1989 through 1999, sharing in the 1989 Grey Cup victory. He’ s not worried about the current edition of the Riders having to conduct telethons anytime soon to remain solvent.
“They want to be competitive and they want to win,’’ Ford said. “If they have the wherewithal to do that, hats off to them. There comes a time in the history of clubs where you need some kind of a wake-up call for the organization. Hats off to (president and CEO Craig Reynolds) because how many people gave him a chance?’’
The Riders’ wake-up call came in the form of the team’s 3-15 record during the 2015 season. The Riders, who are to move into Mosaic Stadium 2.0 in 2017, needed to do something different in 2016.
Reynolds did that by adding Jones, who was among the league’s most successful coaches and co-ordinators before joining the Eskimos after the 2013 season.
“It’s hard to complain with what they have done,’’ said Shepherd, who was the Riders’ president in 1987 and 1989 and spent many years as the team’s treasurer. “This $40 million they have come up with for moving into the stadium is a big thing.’’
Shepherd has operated the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery since 1986. He has noticed a change in focus as the Riders have become more financially secure.
“Way back when, I used to say ,‘ We have to sell tickets for Al Ford to get enough money to sign these players,’ ” Shepherd said. “Now I say, ‘We need this money to help them pay off their $40 million.’ Still, everything they do is first class.’’