10 Weekend Things

Truth & Rumours …

1 – FAREWELL RANDY: Saturday was an explosive day in the Canadian Football League. Amid two critical games which decided first-place in the West Division (Winnipeg clinched it, winning 28-27 at Montreal which rendered Saskatchewan’s 27-12 home loss to Calgary meaningless), we learned that the 2024 Grey Cup will be Randy Ambrosie’s last as Commissioner. Before we delve into every angle of this bombshell, I’d like to take a minute to thank Randy for always being the utmost professional in dealings with me since he began the job in 2017. I’ve had plenty of football figures try to sway me against Ambrosie, but I’ve had absolutely zero reason not to support him. We’ve had plenty of one-on-one personal chats over the years and anytime I’ve asked for an interview, he’s obliged. Maybe people have a reason not to like Randy Ambrosie. I do not.

2 – JUMP OR GET PUSHED?: Of course fans and media are chasing their tails wondering whether this was Ambrosie’s decision or not. The League is saying Ambrosie is retiring while Sportsnet’s Arash Madani and 3DownNation are reporting the Board of Governors elected not to renew his contract. Does it really matter?! We all say we stepped down. In the end, who cares? It’s over. Here’s what you really need to know: my inside sources say the vote among the CFL Board of Governors was 5-4 against retaining Ambrosie and leading the ouster was Toronto Argonauts/MLSE chairman Larry Tannenbaum (the most powerful man in Canadian sports). I’m told Tannenbaum wasn’t satisfied with the direction of the CFL under Ambrosie ($$$$$$$$$$$) and wanted change. There’s more …

3 – EXPANSION: This is where it gets reallllll juicy. Whether it’s true or not, the story I’ve been told in the past 24 hours is that there’s a split amongst the CFL Board of Governors over expansion. Some want to expand, others do not, and Ambrosie was caught in the middle. Which side eventually won? That’s not immediately clear but if it’s the pro-expansion group, then we may soon hear of a team in Quebec City, plus at least one other. (*Windsor has entered the chat*). Oil & Gas magnate Brett Wilson, I’m told, would like a CFL expansion team in Saskatoon but the Roughriders will have none of that. This expansion political football is far from the biggest reason why the CFL’s looking for a new Commissioner, but it’s not a small issue either.

4 – LEGACY: It’s likely too soon to fully grasp the legacy Randy Ambrosie leaves behind, but it’s still worth examining now. Is the CFL in good shape currently? That depends who you talk to. But Ambrosie oversaw stable ownership transfers in BC, Montreal and Edmonton and that’s probably what he’d plant his flag on. However there was no expansion during his tenure (like there was under Mark Cohon in 2014 in Ottawa) and the Global idea and Genius Sports were flops. Hey, at least he had the balls to try something new! That’s not all on Ambrosie either, however he’s taking the bullet. Is the league making money? That also depends who you talk to, and believe, but anybody can see the stadiums aren’t bulging like they were in the 2000s and this is a gate-driven league. So in summary, Ambrosie’s legacy is murky.

5 – NEXT!: Does the CFL need to look far for its next Commissioner? Canadian Elite Basketball League Commissioner Mike Morreale has been a close friend of mine for a very long time and he’s the one pundits were suggesting as a replacement as soon as Saturday’s news broke. The 53-year old from Hamilton is CFL Alum (1995-2006) but has twice been turned down for the CFL Commissioner’s job and don’t think that doesn’t stick in his craw. Morreale’s overseen steady growth since the CEBL’s inception in 2019 and isn’t jumping at Ambrosie’s job. “I haven’t been approached about that,” Morreale said via text message on Sunday morning. “And my focus is on continuing to build the CEBL long into the future.” In short, if the CFL wants Mike Morreale – and they should – they’re going to need to call him.

6 – ON ROUGHRIDERS: A lot of Rider fans and Sask media pundits felt the events of Saturday (on the field) were a gut punch to the Green & White. How do you figure? Sure the Riders lost a shot at clinching first when Winnipeg won at Montreal in a miracle ending but that was out of their control. This is a Rider team which turned around a seven game winless skid into hosting a playoff game! That’s miraculous, really, in itself. If I were them, I’d be thinking, “Oh well, the road just got a little longer.” I can see this Rider team being in the Grey Cup and will be rooting for it to happen. In past weeks I’ve compared this season to the Riders’ 1997 campaign but last weekend at the fundraising event in Wolseley, SK, Rider great Bob Poley preferred to compare this year to their Grey Cup title season in 1989. Hey, why the hell not? But the toughest games start now.

7 – ROAD TO THE GREY CUP: Correct me if I’m wrong, but Rider GM Jeremy O’Day saved his team’s season by signing Ottawa reject Ryquelle Armstead prior to their 37-29 win at Calgary in Week 16. He rushed for 207 yards that night – a CFL record – and they effectively clinched a playoff berth right there, and finished the Stamps. … So now it’s Ottawa at Toronto in the Eastern Semi Final next Saturday followed by BC at Saskatchewan in the Western Semi Final. Montreal and Winnipeg have byes and will host the Division Finals the following weekend. THIS IS AWESOME!

8 – TAKE FLIGHT: Gotta be honest – I’m dying to talk about the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. They beat the Flames in Calgary 5-3 on Hockey Night In Canada to improve to 8-0. It ties their longest franchise win streak ever, coach Scott Arniel has become the first coach in NHL history to start a season with a new team at 8-0, and they’re two wins away from tying the NHL record for a season-opening win streak (1993 Maple Leafs, 2006 Buffalo Sabres). They also have the NHL’s #1 powerplay at 43.5. None of this surprises us! Everybody knew the Jets were going to be good this year but if it doesn’t translate into success next spring, they can take these records and toss ’em in the trash. But for now, it’s fun to follow.

9 – OTHER NHL NOTES: It’s fun being an NHL columnist! A dream come true actually. Thank you South Florida Tribune. Catch our Thursday night “Fire Up Florida” podcast with host Scott Morganroth live at 7:30 pm ET on YouTube. … Buffalo’s Tage Thompson recorded the NHL’s hardest-ever slapshot at 104.69 mph on Saturday (NHL Edge began tracking this in 2021). … The Florida Panthers fell down 3-0 at the Islanders on Saturday, then scored six unanswered goals to win 6-3. They’ll visit Buffalo on Monday before heading to Finland for a pair against Dallas Nov. 1 & 2 in the latest NHL Global Series games. Check out this week’s Cats N Bolts Podcast where my co-host Sarina Taylor rips the NHL for in-season Global games, and also Tuesday’s Frozen Frenzy. … While guesting on the Florida Panthers Den Podcast on Saturday, host Bill said, “You and Sarina have, hands-down, the best hockey podcast going.” Thank you Bill, we’re very proud of it!

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: I’ve reached “I’m Not Telling Anyone Who I’m Voting For” years old. … The L.A. Dodgers are up 2-0 in the World Series heading to the Bronx. You’ve gotta love the fact MLB continues to play on back-to-back nights unlike the NHL and NBA which spread the series across days, and days! It’s ridiculous how they do that. … I’ve had to tap out on college football till bowl season. It’s too intense, too immense, and I’ve only got so much room in my cranium. Good grief you’d think there’s nothing else going on in the U.S. South! … It still beats election garble however, and Fake News. … Sharks keep moving or else they sink. … You get what you pay for. … Better safe than sorry. … Beggars can’t be choosers. … Nobody cares that you’re taking a Twitter break. Just take it; no need to announce it. … Walking Bets with Taylor Mathis. Oh my! Glad we had her on the RP Show before this week’s implosion. … German police have busted a pizzeria in the western city of Düsseldorf that also delivered a side order of cocaine when customers asked for item number 40 on the menu. Police said it was one of the best-selling pizzas. The restaurant manager was arrested but upon release he began selling the pizza with cocaine again and this time police uncovered an entire drug ring in western Germany. Three suspects were arrested including the 22-year-old head of the operation. The pizzeria manager remains in custody after he tried to flee abroad. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen