Cfl hof owner david braley passes away

[1971GreyCup]

David Naylor reports “ The @CFL’s longest-serving owner, @BCLions David Braley has passed away.

[Argo57]

Sad news, Braley has taken a lot of criticism over the years for his ownership style (much of it deserved) but the fact is he stepped up and saved the Ticats, Argonauts and Lions franchises from certain demise.
As an Argonaut and CFL fan I thank him👍

[paulwoods13]

Sad news, Braley has taken a lot of criticism over the years for his ownership style (much of it deserved) but the fact is he stepped up and saved the Ticats, Argonauts and Lions franchises from certain demise.
As an Argonaut and CFL fan I thank him

I also thank Braley for putting a lot of money into the CFL, and a good case can be made that he kept the Lions and Argonauts going when no one else was willing to do so. Not so sure about his role in "saving" the Ticats, tho. He was desperate to unload the team in 1991 and ended up selling it to an underfunded group that presided over the near-death of the Ticats in 1994. I don't recall hearing that there were no other potential buyers when Braley acquired the team in 1989.

[paulwoods13]

I'm guessing this has the potential to complicate the league's decision-making re 2021. Maybe he did whatever is needed to facilitate a smooth transfer of ownership (whether to his heirs or someone else), but it's at least possible the franchise's fate (and ability to commit to expenditures related to resumption of play) will be up in the air for a while.

[AngeloV]

Count me as one that wished he has sold the Lions a few years ago, but there is no denying he loved the league and did a lot for it. May he rest in peace.

[jerrym]

Count me as one that wished he has sold the Lions a few years ago, but there is no denying he loved the league and did a lot for it. May he rest in peace.

I have mixed feelings about how he operated the Argos, Lions and Tiger Cats during his various ownerships, but there is no doubt he was there to keep a couple of the teams alive when few, and possibly no one else, was. For that I salute him.

[shayman]

Joey Moss passed away yesterday, too. A sad day for the CFL family. https://edmontonsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/jones-edmonton-oilers-dressingroom-icon-joey-moss-dies

[Argo57]

David Bradley’s CFL ownership tenure summed up by Stephen Brunt.
Braley saved and subsequently damaged the franchises he owned.

https://3downnation.com/2020/10/27/stephen-brunt-shares-harsh-realities-of-david-braley-i-will-speak-honestly-of-the-dead/

[AngeloV]

Joey Moss passed away yesterday, too. A sad day for the CFL family. https://edmontonsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/jones-edmonton-oilers-dressingroom-icon-joey-moss-dies

Very sad day. Joey seemed like the happiest person ever.

[bannedforlife]

Maybe he did whatever is needed to facilitate a smooth transfer of ownership (whether to his heirs or someone else), but it's at least possible the franchise's fate (and ability to commit to expenditures related to resumption of play) will be up in the air for a while.David Braley put aside money to allow the Lions to operate for ‘several seasons’ (https://3downnation.com/2020/10/29/david-braley-put-aside-money-to-allow-the-lions-to-operate-for-several-seasons/)
3Down Staff October 29, 2020

B.C. Lions’ owner David Braley focused on his team while he was living and wanted the franchise to be stable after he passed away.

Braley planned out what was going to happen for financially supporting the Lions.

“One of the advantages of the situation was that he didn’t go suddenly. David knew his health was failing and people close to him understood that his time was running out. There was lots of time to discuss how to handle his prized asset the B.C. Lions,” reporter Dave Naylor said on TSN 1040 radio in Vancouver.

“I’m led to believe that there’s a significant amount of money that’s been put aside, the kind of thing that would carry the Lions under normal circumstances through a number of years. Not just the next six to 12 months, but if for whatever reason the sale took a long time, we’d be talking about several seasons.”

The late 79-year-old purchased the financially-strapped Leos prior to the 1997 season. During his induction speech at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012, Braley spoke of how proud he was going from 8,000 fans in the stands at his first game as owner to averaging 35,000 at the highest point of his tenure.

“As much as David Braley cared for them and wanted to ensure the long-term viability of the B.C. Lions during his life, he didn’t want that to end with his passing. The B.C. Lions are not in danger in terms of their existence over the next little while. The organization will be operating,” Naylor said.

“Because of the uncertainty of COVID, teams are burning through money a lot quicker than they would otherwise, so that throws a bit of uncertainty on it, but from my understanding that was very clearly laid out.”

[ArgoRavi]

David Braley was great at saving teams but lousy at growing them. My condolences to his family.

The Lions badly need a breath of fresh air moving forward and I look forward to better days ahead for that franchise.