Argo Sale

[Mulder]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=442375

[Mulder]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=442375

I love the quote. "While the board couldn't agree on the matter"

Lets see
http://www.mlse.com/inside_mlse/board_of_directors.aspx

5 members on the board.

Larry (rumored to buy), Larry's ally Dale 2 Bell reps and 1 Rogers rep.

Bell already has a steak in CFL & Argos. I wonder which "Board Member" Disagreed with the purchase.

Yup. The Rogers one!

[Will]

I know MLSE isn't the optimal owner for many on here, but if it's gotta be it's gotta be.

[Brian45]

Just this past summer I wrote on this board that MLSE would own this team and they would play at BMO Field within 2 seasons and I was essentially laughed at. Apologies accepted anytime lol. I look forward to having the same seats for TFC and Argos seasons tickets!

[ArgoGabe22]

Just this past summer I wrote on this board that MLSE would own this team and they would play at BMO Field within 2 seasons and I was essentially laughed at. Apologies accepted anytime lol. I look forward to having the same seats for TFC and Argos seasons tickets!

Where? All I remember is you mentioning Lamport but it's all good.

[paulwoods13]

Just this past summer I wrote on this board that MLSE would own this team and they would play at BMO Field within 2 seasons and I was essentially laughed at. Apologies accepted anytime lol. I look forward to having the same seats for TFC and Argos seasons tickets!

Did you write it under a different username? Because you appear to have posted only twice under this name and your other post is about Lamport Stadium:

http://www.argofans.com/showthread.p...1236#post31236

Maybe we should hold off on the apologies?

[Mulder]

Where? All I remember is you mentioning Lamport but it's all good.

Possibility during the 2011 season when we were still FOA.

[ArgoRavi]

I love the quote. "While the board couldn't agree on the matter"

Lets see
http://www.mlse.com/inside_mlse/board_of_directors.aspx

5 members on the board.

Larry (rumored to buy), Larry's ally Dale 2 Bell reps and 1 Rogers rep.

Bell already has a steak in CFL & Argos. I wonder which "Board Member" Disagreed with the purchase.

Yup. The Rogers one!

LOL, that was my conclusion too and an easy one to come to. Wouldn't majority rule though if MLSE does want to proceed with the purchase?

[Mulder]

LOL, that was my conclusion too and an easy one to come to. Wouldn't majority rule though if MLSE does want to proceed with the purchase?

Apparently Bell and Rogers vote as a block.

"There will be an interesting twist in how power is shared on the new board of directors. Bell and Rogers agreed that their four votes on the six-person board will always vote as one, which will prevent any deadlocks"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle4426208/

Which still doesn't mean Bell said no, it means Bell and Rogers couldn't come to a collective yes, so by default it's a no from them.

[paulwoods13]

LOL, that was my conclusion too and an easy one to come to. Wouldn't majority rule though if MLSE does want to proceed with the purchase?

Rogers and Bell each hold 37.5% of MLSE so at least in theory Rogers can be outvoted. However, I don't think the specific voting rules of the partnership have ever been reported publicly. There may be veto rights, etc.

Apparently Bell and Rogers vote as a block.

"There will be an interesting twist in how power is shared on the new board of directors. Bell and Rogers agreed that their four votes on the six-person board will always vote as one, which will prevent any deadlocks"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle4426208/
Which still doesn't mean Bell said no, it means Bell and Rogers couldn't come to a collective yes, so by default it's a no from them.

That's a good find, Mulder. I'd be more inclined to believe the story if it was reported by a business reporter rather than by a hockey reporter, and especially if there was any attribution in the story, but it is interesting for sure.

[Neely2005]

I know MLSE isn't the optimal owner for many on here, but if it's gotta be it's gotta be.

Ugh. MLSE & BMO Field. The worst of everything.

:-(

[Treblecharger1]

What will happen here is "Larry" will purchase the team and then have MLSE manage the franchise on behalf of himself.

[argotom]

The jury is definitely out on this potential move.
My vote is against it and regardless of whether there is/are other suitors.

Ugh. MLSE & BMO Field. The worst of everything.

:-(

Absolutely 100%.

[Shatto]

The agreement of Bell and Rogers to vote as together might come under some strain, now that Rogers has complete ownership of NHL broadcasting. Rogers, the organization that imported the Bills series to Toronto, has no vested interest in Argos/CFL success but Bell, owner of TSN does. Bell/TSN, has a large vested interest in the continued success of the CFL, as the CFL is now their leading sports progamming (TV ratings) It is to Bell's advantage as well as the Argos/CFL's to have MLSE own and operate the Argos. I expect the sale to be completed soon, as it is to everone's advantage (excluding Rogers)

[Invader]

Apparently Bell and Rogers vote as a block.

"There will be an interesting twist in how power is shared on the new board of directors. Bell and Rogers agreed that their four votes on the six-person board will always vote as one, which will prevent any deadlocks"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle4426208/

Which still doesn't mean Bell said no, it means Bell and Rogers couldn't come to a collective yes, so by default it's a no from them.

I guess Rogers and Bell have to agree on the Argos purchase or it doesn't happen. With Tannenbaum as the Argo owner, who knows what would happen? There were rumours in the past that Tannenbaum didn't like the Argos (after they backed out of York stadium) and he was in cahoots with the Senators owner who thought the CFL was a dying league. Having the Argos in his back pocket might sooth the NFL who are so worried a Toronto NFL franchise might hurt the CFL.

More importantly, moving the Argos to BMO will help secure government funding for its expansion.

Since we're speculating, how about Tannenbaum's "go-to golf buddy" Bon Jovi as a prospective Argos owner? Jon said he wants to own a football team and did co-own an AFL team before that league went bankrupt. The Argos would seem like a perfect opportunity? A "turn-key" football team, in continuous operation for 143 years, moving into a newly-renovated BMO stadium with natural grass, with the league just signing a monster TV contract "more than doubling" the revenue...which the CFL commissioner should put the Argos into the black. A perfect match?

The Argos are just sitting there for a savvy operator with connections to "flip the switch" and turn this team into an economic profit centre...with exponential growth in franchise value.

[paulwoods13]

Again, can we all please keep in mind that the story claiming Bell and Rogers would always vote together

(a) was written by a hockey reporter (David Shoalts), not a business reporter,
(b) was written before the Rogers-Bell deal even closed and
(c) was entirely based on sources who are neither named nor given any description that might give the report credence.

It is entirely possible, and perhaps even probable, that whatever agreement Bell and Rogers reached on how they would vote their respective shares has a lot more nuance and detail than "we will always vote the same way."

[Downtownfan]

You know, despite all the "buying the Argos as a chip to get the NFL" talk, I really do think that is pie- in the sky. I think the NFL is playing Toronto (again).

Sure, say old man Wilson passes on in the next three or five years. Anybody in Toronto who wants to buy the Bills (there is NO expansion on the horizon, and Toronto is now Bills territory) would have to: come up with about $1 billion US (with a Canadian dollar dropping; Tannenbaum and/or E. Rogers would have to sell their stakes in MLSE/Rogers) to beat out any other bidder from Buffalo or the US; get past the NFL itself (which has a veto on potential owners); get past Senator Schumer and Governor Cuomo (who wants to run for president in 2016); get past the US TV networks (which make no money off this); pay a $400 million exit fee from a newly renovated RW Stadium; build a stadium (Rogers Centre won't cut it-- Goddell himself said Toronto has "stadium issues"); get past a really pissed off WNY fan base, and then drop a team on Toronto, a city that has shown really no appetite for NFL football when it comes down to it.

This is pretty damn hard to overcome-- but in the meantime, MLSE/Tannenbaum have to be "good owners" to prove to the NFL that they are ready-- the Argos cannot be neglected, as it would defeat the rationale for having the team in the first place. I think we will be fine with MLSE or Tannenbaum, and before you know it, the Argos will be the only other profitable MLSE franchise in the stable.

This is going to happen fairly soon, looks like, and we will finally have stable ownership for a long time. There may be some spin ("we had to buy the Argos," "its how we get an NFL team," "this is charity") but the reality will be that we will be insulated from all kinds of media/CFL haters attacks by being part of MLSE. And we will have a newish stadium. And we will have a new TV deal. Things are looking up.

[ArgoRavi]

You know, despite all the "buying the Argos as a chip to get the NFL" talk, I really do think that is pie- in the sky. I think the NFL is playing Toronto (again).

Sure, say old man Wilson passes on in the next three or five years. Anybody in Toronto who wants to buy the Bills (there is NO expansion on the horizon, and Toronto is now Bills territory) would have to: come up with about $1 billion US (with a Canadian dollar dropping; Tannenbaum and/or E. Rogers would have to sell their stakes in MLSE/Rogers) to beat out any other bidder from Buffalo or the US; get past the NFL itself (which has a veto on potential owners); get past Senator Schumer and Governor Cuomo (who wants to run for president in 2016); get past the US TV networks (which make no money off this); pay a $400 million exit fee from a newly renovated RW Stadium; build a stadium (Rogers Centre won't cut it-- Goddell himself said Toronto has "stadium issues"); get past a really pissed off WNY fan base, and then drop a team on Toronto, a city that has shown really no appetite for NFL football when it comes down to it.

This is pretty damn hard to overcome-- but in the meantime, MLSE/Tannenbaum have to be "good owners" to prove to the NFL that they are ready-- the Argos cannot be neglected, as it would defeat the rationale for having the team in the first place. I think we will be fine with MLSE or Tannenbaum, and before you know it, the Argos will be the only other profitable MLSE franchise in the stable.

This is going to happen fairly soon, looks like, and we will finally have stable ownership for a long time. There may be some spin ("we had to buy the Argos," "its how we get an NFL team," "this is charity") but the reality will be that we will be insulated from all kinds of media/CFL haters attacks by being part of MLSE. And we will have a newish stadium. And we will have a new TV deal. Things are looking up.

Well said! BTW, as I was watching a little of the NHL on NBC this past Sunday, the thought crossed my mind as to how American networks really want nothing to do with Canadian-based pro sports teams. When was the last time that a Canadian-based NHL team appeared on NBC for a normal regular-season game (not an outdoor game)? When was the last time that the Raptors played on ABC? How about the Blue Jays on FOX? There is no way that the U.S. networks want anything to do with an NFL team in Toronto or anywhere else in Canada which is yet another reason why that will not happen.

[mac_davy]

You know, despite all the "buying the Argos as a chip to get the NFL" talk, I really do think that is pie- in the sky. I think the NFL is playing Toronto (again).

Sure, say old man Wilson passes on in the next three or five years. Anybody in Toronto who wants to buy the Bills (there is NO expansion on the horizon, and Toronto is now Bills territory) would have to: come up with about $1 billion US (with a Canadian dollar dropping; Tannenbaum and/or E. Rogers would have to sell their stakes in MLSE/Rogers) to beat out any other bidder from Buffalo or the US; get past the NFL itself (which has a veto on potential owners); get past Senator Schumer and Governor Cuomo (who wants to run for president in 2016); get past the US TV networks (which make no money off this); pay a $400 million exit fee from a newly renovated RW Stadium; build a stadium (Rogers Centre won't cut it-- Goddell himself said Toronto has "stadium issues"); get past a really pissed off WNY fan base, and then drop a team on Toronto, a city that has shown really no appetite for NFL football when it comes down to it.

This is pretty damn hard to overcome-- but in the meantime, MLSE/Tannenbaum have to be "good owners" to prove to the NFL that they are ready-- the Argos cannot be neglected, as it would defeat the rationale for having the team in the first place. I think we will be fine with MLSE or Tannenbaum, and before you know it, the Argos will be the only other profitable MLSE franchise in the stable.

This is going to happen fairly soon, looks like, and we will finally have stable ownership for a long time. There may be some spin ("we had to buy the Argos," "its how we get an NFL team," "this is charity") but the reality will be that we will be insulated from all kinds of media/CFL haters attacks by being part of MLSE. And we will have a newish stadium. And we will have a new TV deal. Things are looking up.

exactly, The stepping stone to an NFL team is purely media speculation ( it become so fashonable in the toronto media to have a hate on for the CFL ), and should the Argos start generating significant revenue and growth, do you think MLSE or Tannenbaum would want to then gamble billions on an NFL team that would most certainly disrupt that. Bottom line is they are buying the argo for the potential profit, grey cups and govenment kick backs to renovate BMO, they know dam well properly marketed in Toronto the Argos are a cheap cash cow ( one grey cup pays for the team and some, this is why the 2012 grey cups revenue was just posted ), all you have to do is convince the toronto population the CFL is cool again, and MLSE has the media influneces to do this. Dont be suprised if the CLF has already made a deal to MSLE for several grey cups over then next two decades. This all good

[ArgoRavi]

Here is Don Landry's take on the potential sale of the Argos: http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl...201641332.html