Eskimos turn a healthy profit in 2015

[hugoagogo]

Interesting that Jones brings up Katz asking about owning the team. I've read elsewhere that Katz has inquired before, but that was quite some time ago now. Even though I'm not a Katz Group fan at all; IMO an NHL team owning a CFL would be a huge help - the synergies, cross promotion and added potential corporate support would be huge.

Point taken on the opportunity for marketing initiatives. I think most Eskimo fans are quite happy with the community ownership. Katz already has too much of a monopoly on the entertainment dollar in Edmonton - don't want to give him a larger piece of the pie. Things between the Oilers and Eskimos have gotten better since Bob Nicholson became CEO of the Oilers group. Prior to that the Oilers used to purposely hold press conferences and events on the same day as Eskimo scheduled events just to throw a wrench in the works. Nicholson has embraced the idea of sports entities working together in the marketplace.

[R.J]

Point taken on the opportunity for marketing initiatives. I think most Eskimo fans are quite happy with the community ownership. Katz already has too much of a monopoly on the entertainment dollar in Edmonton - don't want to give him a larger piece of the pie. Things between the Oilers and Eskimos have gotten better since Bob Nicholson became CEO of the Oilers group. Prior to that the Oilers used to purposely hold press conferences and events on the same day as Eskimo scheduled events just to throw a wrench in the works. Nicholson has embraced the idea of sports entities working together in the marketplace.

Good to hear. Community ownership does work and I think there's a different sense of pride with a Community owned team, but you have to have the right people up top - IMO Edmonton and Saskatchewan do - the Bombers not so much (Bomber fans want True North to take over). I'm also an advocate of NLL teams being owned by NHL teams - the NLL has already taken a tour of Rogers Place and their could be an Edmonton expansion franchise as early as next season; going by some of the reports I've read.

The CFL needs a bit of a boost or injection currently and as of pointed out the synergies and marketing opportunities would help....... not to mention the money saved by having multiple teams running within one organization. The Aqullini's (Canucks owners) were previously reported to have interest in the Lions, the Flames own the Stamps, and 2/3's of MLSE own the Argonauts (from what I've read the door has left open for Rogers to one day become involved and have MLSE to run the whole thing). Jeff Hunt pointed out that by OSEG owning the 67's, Fury and Redblacks - they save around 800,000 annually on operations.