Gaudaur was indeed the league's most successful commissioner. That was in an era when CFL teams' revenues and expenses were comparable to NFL teams', there were only three Cdn NHL teams, no basketball team, and baseball at first didn't exist in Canada and then was in start-up mode. It's just not a comparable situation IMO.

How successful were the tenures of Mitchell, Baker, Smith and Tory?

Mitchell: Montreal folded, the rich TV deal Gaudaur negotiated disappeared, CTV left, Calgary came close to folding, Sask had to run telethns.

Baker: Several teams were on life support during his tenure.

Smith: See Baker, plus U.S. expansion (which arguably kept the league alive but was far from a roaring success).

Tory: Had to go begging to NFL for cash to keep the league afloat; had to give away 4,000 tickets to Grey Cup in Hamilton.

Not sure I'd argue any of those guys as evidence of how important being a lawyer is. And then of course there's Orridge.