Orridge, Cohon, John Tory, Tom Wright - none of them knew football or the Canadian game. They were all CEO type people, Orridge negotiated the Olympic rights for the CBC and with FIFA for the World Cup. Cohon was an NBA executive and head of international development.
Bettman is head of the NHL he didn't know anything about hockey but he got them a huge TV contract. He probably saved every struggling team in the NHL.
The last time we had an ex CFL player as the commish we gained the Las Vegas Posse, the Barracudas and lost the Ottawa Roughriders.
The new commish will be someone that CFL fans have never heard of. They will possibly come from the NBA or MLB and they may not be Canadian.
There is a reason for it. Reason is; it has worked before.
The CFL's longest tenured and glory years Commish was Jake Gaudaur, who won two Grey Cups as a player and played for the Argos, Als and Ticats.
Larry Smith and Bill Baker were also former CFL Players.
Larry Smith is a Lawyer and Senator. Doug Mitchell is Lawyer. John Tory is a Lawyer and a Mayor. Orridge is a Lawyer from Harvard.
So yes, Law is a benefit that has aided many, many executives, including in the CFL.
Pinball Clemons has been a Grey Cup winning Player & Coach, he has been in the Front Office as a VP and President and has sat on the board as a Governor
He's in the HOF, had his number retired and is one of the most popular players to ever play in the CFL. He is one of the best and most sought after motivational speakers there is and the press absolutely falls all over him. The Conservatives have been begging for Pinner to run for years now. There's a chance he'll be a future Senator.
I think the question would be better stated as "what HASN'T Pinball accomplished that he ever set his mind too?"
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