Ambrosie: The Right Choice

[argolio]

Another thread ruined.

[jerrym]

Ambrosie is looking at using the command centre to review head-to-head hits following Jackson Jeffcoat's hit on Brandon Bridge that caused him to leave the Rider-Bomber playoff game with a concussion, which was missed by officials, something I suggested in the game post when it happened. Once again Ambrosie showed his willingness to act quickly saying he would like to see it happen for this weekend's playoff games. He has already discussed the issue with team presidents, but cannot make the change unilaterally. If he cannot get it done for this season, he would like to look at it again in the off-season.

http://3downnation.com/2018/11/12/co...es-bridge-hit/

[jerrym]

CFL fans and Brandon Bridge himself is calling for the league to use the command centre to review head hits.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4661736/s...cfl-head-hits/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...tter-1.4901826

[jerrym]

Ambrosie has shown once again that he is excellent at public relations in building on the Be More than a Bystander campaign against violence against women started five years ago by the BC Lions because Wally Buono had seen his mother beaten up by a man when he was a child.

“We know that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians report that they know a woman who has experienced sexual or physical violence,” he said, as the CFL’s commitment to ending violence welcomed some new partners, part of a growing focus on raising awareness and calling out disrespect and violence when it’s seen. As individuals and as organizations,” Ambrosie said, “we all have the ability to be leaders on this issue and put a stop to violence against women.”
The league is a part of a new campaign that includes Ending Violence Association Canada (EVA CAN), Status of Women Canada (SWC) and the United Steelworkers (USW). ...

At Sunday’s 106th Grey Cup presented by Shaw, the messages of being more than a bystander, speaking up and calling out sexual and domestic violence will be prominently featured with an in-stadium video, LED signage on the field and a broad social media campaign. The core of the message: We all have a role to play in ending gender-based violence.
“This campaign builds on the gender-based violence prevention work many of the (CFL’s) teams have been doing: teaching youth and adults alike how they can speak up and ‘be more than bystanders’,” said Tracy Porteous, a leading activist and the Co-Chair of the Ending Violence Association of Canada. Porteous also worked closely with the CFL three years ago in the drafting of its own violence against women policy. “I want to commend the CFL, both for this campaign and the ground-breaking national violence against women prevention and response policy they launched in 2015,” she said. “We work with the league office and CFL clubs to train all players, coaches and staff to respond proactively to any allegation of gender-based violence and, when necessary, we help CFL clubs assess those who may have a past history involving allegations of gender-based violence.” ...

“The CFL remains committed to ending violence and to calling out disrespect and violence where we see it,” Ambrosie added. “As individuals and as organizations, we all have the ability to be leaders on this issue and put a stop to violence against women.”

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/11/23/oleary...iolence-women/

[jerrym]

Ambrosie discusses his new plan for the CFL below in a long article that includes his vision for the league, the Mexican and six European leagues situation, collective bargaining with the CFLPA, attendance problems, the possible Halifax expansion, the possibility of adding another official, and the competition from the new American leagues.

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/footb...s-for-meetings

[jerrym]

Following the Mexican league draft, Ambrosie announced he is planning to visit with the six European leagues in February.

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been vocal through this past week, starting at the team president and GM meetings in Mont Tremblant, about his goal to continue to grow partnerships like the one the CFL has established with the LFA. He’s targeting leagues in Europe next and told the Canadian Press on Sunday that in the coming weeks he’d meet with the leaders of the German football federation.

“We’re planning to visit with the football federations from France, Austria, and the four Nordic football federations in early February with the same concept,” Ambrosie told the CP. “What I keep talking with them about is that I’d love a chance to show their best players an opportunity to come to our great league and to give the Canadians a chance to see the best athletes from around the world that play football and I’m passionate about giving Canadian kids the chance to continue playing the game they love.”

https://www.cfl.ca/2019/01/14/oleary...t-lfa-combine/

[shayman]

These Mexican and European expeditions are fun. In the unlikely event they turn up someone who winds up making a roster, it'll be a great story, and even the stories of players invited to training camp will get people talking. The comparison to Yao Ming that we've heard is a bit much, but anything that gets people talking about the CFL in January ought to be a good thing.

[ArgoRavi]

These Mexican and European expeditions are fun. In the unlikely event they turn up someone who winds up making a roster, it'll be a great story, and even the stories of players invited to training camp will get people talking. The comparison to Yao Ming that we've heard is a bit much, but anything that gets people talking about the CFL in January ought to be a good thing.

And the CFL has very much been in the news this month too because of the Mexican venture.

[jerrym]

Ambrosie has become the firefighter of the CFL while also setting a few fires himself in terms of his international proposals. I like what he has done but I sometimes wonder if the salesman the attention-to-detail follow through to get all these tasks done well with so many balls in the air (please try to avoid criticizing my mixed metaphors).

Ambrosie is not just racing around trying to put the fires out, he’s also running around creating new flames to fan. While the collective bargaining with the CFLPA is underway, Ambrosie has been flying abroad with his CFL 2.0 project, trying to reel in a 10th franchise in Atlantic Canada, put out the fires in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver and inspire interest, particularly in younger fans, while facing the start-up of two competing start-up pro leagues in the U.S.

For most of its history, the CFL has been a league that almost totally disappears from the public eye in the off-season. But Ambrosie, a former Edmonton Eskimos Grey Cup champion, has worked hard to keep the league on the sports pages between the Grey Cup game and opening day. He’s become his own off-season event and he loves the challenge of taking on all comers.

“Part of the reality of the CBA was that the players needed time to get prepared for their negotiations and we wanted them to take that time. As a result the start of the negotiations this week have been productive. The first two days for both parties were everything you could hope them to be — positive and professional,” he said. ...

“I think we’ve spent decades in this league focused on the ‘Check Engine’ lights. If all of you drive home tonight and stare at the ‘Check Engine’ light, chances are you’re going to crash. We have to look out the windshield and on to the horizon. And, yes, the ‘Check Engine’ light will come on from time to time. And we’ll fix it and get back on our path. I do think we have to learn to deal with the moment and the challenges we have but really it’s about deciding where we want to be when we’re all grown up and leading our league to our future. ...

We’re the second biggest of 40 leagues in the world. That better than being the smallest of two,” he said.The latest fire to breakout has been word that Montreal owner Bob Wetenhall wants out as Alouettes owner. “We have been working and talking with the Wetenhall family all winter and it is absolutely clear they want to return that franchise to where it has been. They have been to eight Grey Cups and won three during Bob’s tenure. Our conversations have all been focused on getting Montreal back that everyone wants it to be.” ...

He says he encouraged what he’s seen behind the scenes with the steps being taken to help build a foundation to cure Toronto’s empty seat problems and suggests the B.C. Lions appear to have gone a long way with curing their own attendance problem by signing Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly in free agency. “The news of Mike Reilly being there has been met with tremendous enthusiasm. It just so happens that David Braley lives on my street and David was on his way home on free agent day and was grinning from ear to ear,” he said of the Lions owner. David was so excited and proud of Rick LeLacheur and his team had done in getting Mike there,” he said of the former Eskimos CEO.

Ambrosie will go from here to the Maritimes to announce plans for the regular season game there this year and deal further with expansion plans for a 10th CFL team.
When I suggested people have been getting the idea that the project has cooled, he said it’s the stage the project has reached.
“We’re just into the part that’s not particularly glamourous. Those three gentlemen trying to bring the CFL to Halifax have not lost any of their energy toward this project.”

https://edmontonsun.com/sports/footb...t-fires-in-cfl