It’s been a day of confusion on the would be franchise front in the National capital today, early reports this morning had the third of the once three bidders for a CFL franchise in Ottawa calling it quits. Apparently, the American investors were scared off by the asking price by the league for the right to set up shop in Ottawa.
But by mid-day those early reports were being dismissed as premature, with the front man for the American investors Bill Palmer claiming his group was still in the game and nothing really had changed all that much from recent developments.
A scenario which in short means that not much has really happened at all. The CFL of course is presently without a leader, the reign of Tom Wright having come to an end with the Grey Cup game and the league is apparently not in any great hurry to replace him. The expansion committee is said to still be intact and considering the application, though their work so far seems to have only resulted in chasing one candidate away and having another back off due to health concerns.
In the process they seemed to miss the opportunity to tie their league with one of Ottawa’s most knowledgeable sports owners Jeff Hunt, who is owner of the Ottawa 67’s junior hockey club and was the local face on a Toronto groups bid for the team, a group that only a few months ago were considered the shoo in favourites to claim the franchise and return the CFL to glory in Ottawa-Gatineau.
Less than a month after the Grey Cup, the league has gone from the euphoria of a city hopeful to be allowed back into the fraternity and one apparently in great demand, to one now stepping gingerly around the landmines hoping not to blow anything up. No doubt the league governors are hopeful that it’s still only a matter of time, until they can announce that they have secured a deal to return the game to what was once a steadfast home.
The CFL never really seemed to understand the Ottawa market, from the Horn Chen era, through the Gliebermen days and on to the most recent distressing end, ownership never seemed to understand the market they were entering into. To make it work, the CFL needs to make sure they get it right, finding a way to make sure that Hunt is involved in any new attempt to bring football back is imperative.
Fumbling the ball would be a rather discouraging turn of events, so whoever is guiding the ship while they look for a new captain needs to find a way to keep the Ottawa option alive. For the league to increase it’s value and ensure growth, returning to Ottawa is a major step not to be missed, so far they seem to be stumbling around the opportunity, it would be a shame if they let the chance to return slip through their fingers.
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