Nicholson Resigns, Rudge named CEO

[ArgoGabe22]

I bet he's a nice guy and all but he clearly wasn't a football guy. I wish him all the best and I think the Argos are heading in the right direction. I personally thought he deserved to get fired but whatever I'm happy.



http://argonauts.ca/article/argos-leadership-change

[bluto]

he (Nicholson) was responsive to me with my concerns over the gameday experience and the rough time that Rogers Centre staff were giving his guests on a shockingly frequent basis. he is also a gentleman and i thank him for his service and wish him well.

with his experience on the Canadian Olympic Comittee and as well as his time as Pres. at Quebecor, to say nothing of his current file that he's in charge of (the 100th Grey Cup this year), Rudge is obviously a heavyweight. hard to complain when our owner can tap talent like that.

[argonaut11xx]

YAWN....

can we have some REAL Argonews....

[Skinny G]

I think this is good news for Argo fans. Though I think Nicholson is a nice and good guy, I think a guy like Rudge is what we need right now. Watching him talk with the TSN panel during some interviews during the Grey Cup, he seems to have some good passion and a great background in Canadian sport - with the Own the Podium initiative. One thing I thought was quite smart, especially in Toronto is the fact that they are combining the Grey Cup parade with the Santa Claus parade here. I think that's great, because the Santa Claus parade already has TV rights, so they can piggy back on those and save money. Also, you're promoting your product to families and trying to get new people out. Trying to get a younger generation to bring their kids to the game and stuff. He mentioned other things like events at Dundas Square, etc. But I think he can definitely bring a push for the Argos here.

This is great news to hear for the Argo organization and fans to have a guy like him leading the way... lets hope he can do some big things... maybe get a push for a stadium :)

[1argoholic]

I think this is good to get fresh ideas going forward.

[Area 51]

At least we know who made this decision - - Brayley wanted to Rudge in as CFL commissioner and now he finally has him in as President. Interesting shift in power dynamics at the top.

[argotom]

I heard him on McCown this afternoon.
Always optomistic, one of the many things he is hoping for is the team getting in the black by 2014.

[jerrym]

Nicholson seemed OK on the business side of the game but Rudge seems like an improvement. He has a good track record, plans to make the team more explosive and intends to make his presence felt through media exposure, something Nicholson was not good at.

[1argoholic]

Rudge is a very charismatic guy when you seem him on interviews.

[ArgoRavi]

I heard him on McCown this afternoon.
Always optomistic, one of the many things he is hoping for is the team getting in the black by 2014.

Here is the interview on the FAN 590: http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content=20120130_174931_6200

A number of interesting points were touched upon. I get the sense from Rudge that he will be persistent in rebuilding this franchise and it is persistence that has been missing over the last three decades IMO. We have had owners and presidents who have had short-term success and then the team has one bad season and suddenly these people throw their hands up in the air (e.g. McNall, Gretzky, Cynamon and Sokolowski). That has to stop. You have to keep at it year in and year out and not give up when things don't go your way.

[Invader]

I was always a bit suspicious about Nicholson, who was in charge of the Bills in Toronto series the first year (he did such a fantastic job there). The way the Argos franchise has been sleepwalking over past couple years, I wondered if he was he still on the Rogers payroll?

[argonaut11xx]

If Rudge is going to follow through on his bravado...then thats a bonus....

The Argo's could, and should be the #2 team in Toronto....behind the Leafs...(realistically the Leafs will always be #1 in Toronto)

The "BLOW" Jays...nobody cares about except the anti-CFL Rogers group....

The Raptors are a bunch of thugs, and nobody but a bunch of punks care about them.....

The Rock are cool..but will never be more than the 4th or fifth team in Toronto...

The stupid Toronto Soccer Club, has a core of drunken fans, but soccer is so boring it will never grow beyond the pub crowd....

SO...why not go for #2...Rudge sounds like he is in it for the long haul...it would be GREAT to see the Argo's be front page news again...

[T-Bone]

If Rudge is going to follow through on his bravado...then thats a bonus....

The Argo's could, and should be the #2 team in Toronto....behind the Leafs...(realistically the Leafs will always be #1 in Toronto)

The "BLOW" Jays...nobody cares about except the anti-CFL Rogers group....

The Raptors are a bunch of thugs, and nobody but a bunch of punks care about them.....

The Rock are cool..but will never be more than the 4th or fifth team in Toronto...

The stupid Toronto Soccer Club, has a core of drunken fans, but soccer is so boring it will never grow beyond the pub crowd....

SO...why not go for #2...Rudge sounds like he is in it for the long haul...it would be GREAT to see the Argo's be front page news again...I'm having trouble following your logic. If these other Toronto teams have such weak and insignificant fan bases as you claim then shouldn't the Argos already be the "#2" team in this city? Instead of making pointless hateful statements perhaps making suggestions on how to get the Argos to the "#2" spot would be more logical.

[Will]

If Rudge is going to follow through on his bravado...then thats a bonus....

The Argo's could, and should be the #2 team in Toronto....behind the Leafs...(realistically the Leafs will always be #1 in Toronto)

The "BLOW" Jays...nobody cares about except the anti-CFL Rogers group....

The Raptors are a bunch of thugs, and nobody but a bunch of punks care about them.....

The Rock are cool..but will never be more than the 4th or fifth team in Toronto...

The stupid Toronto Soccer Club, has a core of drunken fans, but soccer is so boring it will never grow beyond the pub crowd....

SO...why not go for #2...Rudge sounds like he is in it for the long haul...it would be GREAT to see the Argo's be front page news again...

You still never answered the question of how you're going to get the Argos back up in the ranks of Toronto sports fans. Hoping the other sports teams fold or move isn't going to cut it.

[bluto]

Rudge's comments about how Nicholson did well to stanch the financial bleeding of the club was nice to hear. As supporters (and we are among that core of hardcores that Rudge mentions) we never get a "state of the franchise" address to know these things. i would definitely consider changing this if i were Mr. Rudge. i've not yet met the man, but my chats with past club execs have been informative (for me and i daresay them as well) and as a fan they helped keep me feeling engaged in the plight of the Argos.

His goal of having us in the black by 2014 is laudable... but i doubt i'm the only person here who find it difficult to believe. i hate it when i agree with McCown, but when he said how he has been asked time and again by fans, media, team and league officials what would he do to fix the Argonaut franchise and restore it to it's greatness of the not too distant past, he literally has to raise a white flag. i know exactly what he means. i consider myself an intelligent, creative (and handsome... but that has nothing to do with my point) man, but i literally look at all aspects of this franchise's challenges and would have no idea how to fix them. Some problems are so big and complex that they can literally paralyze you when you start to analyze them (aka: paralysis by analysis)... for me, this has always been one of those.

We are the team's best, most loyal and informed supporters... i just feel like we haven't been tapped properly and deployed against the issues facing our club.

Some time when i have more time to noodle over this, i think i'll start a thread or blog on here about this...

Good luck Chairman Rudge. You have my support.

[bluto]

You still never answered the question of how you're going to get the Argos back up in the ranks of Toronto sports fans. Hoping the other sports teams fold or move isn't going to cut it.

and it sorta misses the point, imo.

We are the Toronto Argonaut Football Club. Been around since 1873. Won more Grey Cups than anybody. We don't concern ourselves with other franchises positions in some imaginary pecking order.

[argotom]

During the same interview I heard on McCown, it was interesting how the current plan is 3 years in duration and for the team to get into the black by 2014.
Here is the kicker that I picked up on, then when Mr. Braley decides to sell it is hoped the team will be well positioned and financially attractive for the conglomerate Bell-Rogers-MLSE to buy?

[ArgoRavi]

During the same interview I heard on McCown, it was interesting how the current plan is 3 years in duration and for the team to get into the black by 2014.
Here is the kicker that I picked up on, then when Mr. Braley decides to sell it is hoped the team will be well positioned and financially attractive for the conglomerate Bell-Rogers-MLSE to buy?

That is what it sounded like to me.

[argofandave]

I remember when David Braley bought the Argos, he said that he was 69 years old and didn't want to own either the Argos or BC Lions by the time he was 75.

[AngeloV]

Here is the kicker that I picked up on, then when Mr. Braley decides to sell it is hoped the team will be well positioned and financially attractive for the conglomerate Bell-Rogers-MLSE to buy?

If it means saving the Argos and having bigger crowds by forcing Leafs ST holders to buy tickets, I can live with it. I'm at the point now where I just want the Argos and CFL to be strong, by any means necessary.

[argotom]

If it means saving the Argos and having bigger crowds by forcing Leafs ST holders to buy tickets, I can live with it. I'm at the point now where I just want the Argos and CFL to be strong, by any means necessary.

I am not sure how I feel about this possibility.
If it means financial and long term stability,whats the alternative?

[AngeloV]

I am not sure how I feel about this possibility.
If it means financial and long term stability,whats the alternative?

There might not be any. There aren't too many David Braley's out there.

[argolio]

There might not be any. There aren't too many David Braley's out there.To MLSE, or not to MLSE? That is one big question!

Hopefully the Argos can stay independent, but you're right -- there might not be a choice.

[bluto]

the Senator is obviously doing the Lord's work by steering our ship and absorbing the loses for a few seasons. i'm glad he got to host and win a GC last season and obviously would love it if the same happened for him this season :D that's the sort of karmic payback that the man deserves, imo.

clearly as a business owner and as a 70 year old man, he has to concern himself with his family's future and for him that would include having exit strategies for all of his business ventures before he is too old to run them, wants to settle down, or (heaven forbid) he shuffles off his mortal coil.

MLSE is the obvious group... and if the Argos can show value to them, then our club will have a new stable owner and have paid back the man (and his family) who got us through a tough time.

[R.J]

I for one am very happy and excited by this move. Nicholson is a classy guy and no doubt a solid businessman, but the Argos needed a Keith Pelley type of character to right the ship. I believe rudge when he states that Nicholson fixed the business operations from what he took over for, as C+S did many good things, but I always felt they had way too much of a hands on approach and aside from hiring Pelley did not run the team well or make solid decisions. Rudge is great with the media, sells ideas and puts them into motion (Own the Podium was his idea and that worked out quite well, actually the whole 2010 Olympics worked out well). Rud'ge also has solid business contacts not only Nationwide but globally, also the fact that he has these "meetings" with Beeston and the Execs at MLSE, could also benefit the Argos in the long term. As for Rudge thinking that MLSe might want to buy the Argos if they become profitable, I don't see that happening, but it is in the realm of possiblities. With Beeston bringing up going with a grass field and having a Baseball specific facility, I would think it won't happen anytime soon (next 2-3 years doubtful) but I have read articles that Rogers is looking for a large scale renovation with the Skydome, and that is not for an NFL team. I think the NFL dream is being pushed aside for now. Let's be honest though the Argos only have 2 options BMO and the Dome, unless the Olympics are coming in a new stadium is more wishful thinking than an NFL team. Have to wonder though if MLSe did eventually take over the Argos, would a move to BMO be more realistic ? I'm sure MLSE could get some government money if they state that they need it to make BMO CFL ready and expand it, but it could benefit the city more...... as the Argos would pay more rent/generate more revenue for the city, plus if would allow MLSE the chance to make BMO ready/large enough for a Winter Classic and potential growing fanbase for TFC.