COVID-19 spear pierces Hamilton teams
Tiger-Cats, Forge, Honey Badgers at the mercy of pandemic, and public support
Hamilton is at the epicentre of the newest explosion of applicants for federal financial help related to the pandemic: Canada’s three biggest fully domestic professional sports leagues.
Earlier this week, the Canadian Football League sought assistance of an immediate $30 million, plus up to another $120 million if its entire season is scrubbed. On Wednesday, the Canadian Premier League asked Ottawa for $15 million and the Canadian Elite Basketball League applied for $5 million.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a key CFL franchise, and a league trendsetter in new entertainment directions, soccer’s CPL originated with Bob Young and Scott Mitchell, owner and CEO respectively, of the Ticats and Forge FC. The CEBL, home to the Hamilton Honey Badgers is essentially from this city, through CEO Mike Morreale and executive VP John Lashway.
There are deeply complex differences among the three leagues, not the least of which is that two of them are heading into only their second season and the other has, if you do the math one way, 111 years of cultural and competitive history. The summer basketball season is also about half the length of the other two.
Another difference is how the framework of the financial “asks” has been structured and presented.
The CEBL confirmed Thursday it seeks only a repayable loan, while the CPL said in its first comments this week that all options are on the table, which implies the possible inclusion of a loan — repayable, but deferred — the same idea CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie clarified Wednesday morning through The Spectator.
“It’s a straight-up loan,” Morreale, the former Ticats and current team radio broadcaster confirmed to The Spectator, noting the bridge money would help the CEBL through, if the 2020 season must be cancelled. “We don’t expect anything else other than a favourable term.”
The seven-team league postponed its scheduled May 7 start and Morreale said it had applied for other federal relief programs, but for a variety of reasons “didn’t meet the threshold requirements.”
CPL commissioner David Clanachan who, like Ambrosie, lives in Burlington, said Wednesday his league seeks short-term financing. Like the football and basketball leagues and most live-entertainment ventures, the CPL has no income because pandemic uncertainty has killed ticket and sponsorship sales.
“No fans, no revenue, no business,” Clanachan said late Wednesday. “No business, no jobs.”
The league has 400 full-time staff through its eight franchises and head office and 1,600 others who work part-time seasonally.
About half of those full-time staff are players, the vast majority of them Canadians.
Players, who were in training camp when the season’s April start was postponed, will have 25 per cent of their salaries deferred and other league staff are taking wage reductions.
While there is some staffing crosspollination between the Tiger-Cats and Forge FC, the soccer team has its own full-time staff of 40 people, including players, with another 380 hired for game days.
Outside of players, the Ticats have about 100 full-time staff and employ hundreds more on game days. Their growing entertainment branch, which facilitates concerts, touring pro lacrosse, and national rugby events, also result in hundreds of single-event jobs.
The combined Ticats and Forge FC leases for Tim Hortons Field send more than $2 million in annual stadium rent to the city.
Clanachan said the CPL seeks bridge financing but the long-term commitment will ensure league survival.
It is a requirement — which the CPL satisfies — that Canada has its own premier league in order to share hosting of the 2026 men’s World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico.