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    Randy Ambrosie Named CFL Commissioner

    Former Alouette and Edmonton Eskimos player. Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor. President of AGF Funds. President of 3MAC Advisors. Apparently, runner up to Jeffrey Orridge a couple of years ago.

    IMG_0782.jpg

    Randy Ambrosie on the left. We snapped this picture at the Toronto Grey Cup at a CFLAA event honouring "Pinball" Clemons.
    Last edited by 1971GreyCup; 06-28-2017 at 09:17 PM.

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    Seems a solid well rounded choice, former player with proven business background.
    Hope he does well!!

    http://www.tsn.ca/report-ambrosie-to...ioner-1.791833
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    Fits everyone's criteria. CEO and former player.

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    I've known Randy for 10 years. Born in Winnipeg which helps get 5 votes.

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    Strong business background. CEO type they were looking for.

    Former player so if familiar with the league and Canadian too.

    Seems like a good fit now let's hope the board lets him do his job.

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    Ambrosie played for the Argos in 1987 and 1988 as well.
    Chad Kelly + Dan Adeboboye + David Ungerer + Damonte Coxie + DaVaris Daniels + Dejon Brissett = Unstoppable Force

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mightygoose View Post
    Strong business background. CEO type they were looking for.

    Former player so if familiar with the league and Canadian too.

    Seems like a good fit now let's hope the board lets him do his job.
    Full disclosure before I comment on Randy. I still feel "Pinball" was the best candidate.

    It seems the CFL wanted to hire Randy Ambrosie from Day 1 and designed the "specification" to achieve that result. The key was CEO-type, who loves football. They believe that their mistake was taking a risk and hiring Jeffrey Orridge. They went through a long process to correct their mistake. I had a long chat with Jim Lawson about this. Jim was very frank about the process.

    There is much to like about Randy. CFL Alumni. Former secretary to the CFLPA. During his time with the CFLPA they fought the reduction in the import ratio and lost. Randy is from Winnipeg and is the first commissioner in a while from the West. That's a big deal in Canada.

    He is a straight shooter and a smart guy. Very articulate. I would say he is very politically astute and may work well with a disfunctional board, given that he survived as President of AGF Funds working for the Goldring Family for 5 year. AGF Funds is a CFL sponsor.

    CEO type, yes. Effective CEO, I can't say. When he was named president of AGF Funds, the firm had a market value of $2 billion. When he left, it's market value was $400 million (That's like taking the CFL from 9 teams to 3 over five years). It could have been entirely the fault of the Goldring family meddling, but that doesn't bode well for the CFL.

    Accretive 360 Inc. was a short lived consulting company that he tried to setup to market to advisors. Didn't stick.

    He joined as President 3MAC in 2012. It was the oldest financial services firm in Canada when he joined. It doesn't exist today. Not his fault. I am pretty sure he was hired to sell the firm, so you might count this tenure a success.

    I just raise these points to point out that the new CEO type hardly has a growth record in business.

    The CFL's decision was one to avoid risk and the CFL Board of Governors certainly did that. I am pretty sure the league didn't intentionally hire someone to downsize the league, nor put it up for sale. But that's who they just hired. I really hope I'm wrong on this one.

    Hopefully, new blood in the league will eventually overcome the outgoing dinosaurs that are bound and determined to keep this league a small business. Reminds me of the old adage "How do you get a small business in Canada? Buy a big one and watch!"

    I'll refrain from commenting on this selection and let Randy have his shot. Hopefully, the CFL will become progressive enough to specify a CFL Commissioner to take the league to the level.
    Last edited by 1971GreyCup; 06-29-2017 at 08:31 AM.

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    Pinball would have been ruled out immediately, his resume wouldn't have met the criteria.
    The CFL all along was looking for a CEO type person to run the business side of things.
    The new Commish has all the qualifications of a succesful CEO and businessman, plus he has the added advantage of the CFL connection.


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    Your right. The specification may have been written to hire Randy. It not the first time that's happened. It's their league and they got they're guy. I hope he works out better than the previous picks.

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    I"m glad to see Ambrosie has strong connections to the Canadian game, unlike Orridge, as well as extensive business experience.

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    Do any CFL fans even know Randy Ambrosie will be CFL Commissioner? Outside the league, a non event? Like the Grey Cup in Trafalger Square today. Not really moving the league forward.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 1971GreyCup View Post
    Like the Grey Cup in Trafalger Square today. Not really moving the league forward.
    I was skeptical at first but based on images and videos, London seems to be having a blast with many expats there.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ArgoGabe22 View Post
    I was skeptical at first but based on images and videos, London seems to be having a blast with many expats there.
    The objective of this exercise is? Expand overseas? Raise awareness of CFL expats? Behind every action must be an business objective.

    By the way, Prime Minister Trudeau at Canada150, just mentioned the expat. party in Trafalger Square at the Maple Leaf Pub. Great opportunity to mention the Grey Cup. Nope. His speech rolled right into hockey and how important it is to Canada. Nice CFL PR photos of Henry Burris playing hockey. Nobody got a CFL ball for a photo op.

    The PM snubbed Alberta, too.
    Last edited by 1971GreyCup; 07-01-2017 at 01:08 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 1971GreyCup View Post
    Do any CFL fans even know Randy Ambrosie will be CFL Commissioner? Outside the league, a non event? Like the Grey Cup in Trafalger Square today. Not really moving the league forward.
    There hasn't even been a news conference to officially introduce Ambrosie, so it might be a bit early to declare fans oblivious. That said, there are discussion threads about this on cfl.ca as well as riderfans so I think it's safe to say a lot of CFL fans do know he is the next commish.
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    CFL has a press conference booked for tomorrow.

    The article refers to the main order of business for the new commissioner, addressing the attendance problem in Toronto. I hardly see that as an issue where the CFL office can move the needle.

    https://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...ticle35547915/

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    Haven't seen/heard the full presser, but from what I've heard so far: I like what I'm hearing.
    How'd he lose out to Orridge the first time ?

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    At minimum he is a much more polished public speaker than Orridge ever was, and especially at the beginning. How he performs as commissioner has to do with a lot of stuff other than how he conducts himself at a newser, but so far so good.
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    He has already broken new ground. Is he the first commissioner of any professional sport to hold his first press conference without a tie? Wasn't he heralded as a CEO type?

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    A lot of CEOs don't wear ties these days.
    Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History (https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/pro...of-the-rocket/)

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    Quote Originally Posted by paulwoods13 View Post
    A lot of CEOs don't wear ties these days.
    Certainly the 1st CEO type commissioner to lose the tie.

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