And the new owners are Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern

It is like if Joe Fan had bought the team. Seems to win a very tough room over. That alone is remarkable.

Interesting that with all the speculation that had been coming out, their names were never leaked.

Gary Stern comes across as a sincere, down to earth guy. Not everyone in the media will accept non-Quebec ownership, but that can likely be overcome with a boots on the ground Quebec President.

Also interesting is the fact that besides the President, they are close to naming a GM.

As for the Lapointes, Starkes, Lenkovs, the concern with Ambrosie was that they required investors to fund the team, rather than being able to do it on their own.

Here’s wishing them and us a successful Alouette future!

Stern paraissait bien en raison de son caractère décontracté et sans langue de bois, faisant contraste à Ambrosie comme l’a soulevé Bruno Heppel. Par contre il m’a fait tiquer quand il a dit avoir appris que l’équipe était à vendre lors de la Coupe Grey. C’est le genre de chose que tout fan de la LCF sait.

Son premier teste sera de trouver un président. Il a promis qu’il parlerait fluidement le français (sans nécessairement promettre qu’il serait québécois). Si les bottines suivent les babines, le nouveau président aura une charge de représentation plus importante que ces prédécesseurs. Par la suite, il s’agira de voir s’il a l’argent nécessaire pour financer les structures ainsi que pour nouer des liens avec la communauté d’affaire.

L’unilinguisme anglais viendra nécessairement le hanter (tout comme sa promesse de remporter la Coupe Grey en 2020…ce n’est pas impossible mais bon c’est loin d’être probable), mais s’il choisi bien son président et que celui-ci devient le visage de l’organisation, ça deviendra trivial à condition de remplir les obligations financières.

Oublie pas quands M. Wettenhal a achete l equipe. Il pouva parler francais, mais il a engage M. Smith comme President qui etait capable.

En effet. Larry Smith était une perle rare.

Ce qui est aussi rassurant est que Stern veut avoir un rôle passif. L’ingérence d’Andrew Wetenhall est une cause parmi d’autres du déclin.

True, but they have owned Acier CMC in Longueuil for a long time. The Father in Law has owned the company for 60 years.

Choosing the right President and GM is life and death for their success.

I’m just delighted the team isn’t folding TBH. They seem like a solid ownership duo that understands their own limitations and won’t meddle in the on-field product. PHEW. Now, perhaps, onto a president, a GM, and (just maybe?) a season of non-dysfunction??!

Being genuine and transparent will buy them a lot of good will.

And just when we were starting to get comfortable with David Goldstein as President, they are going to name a new one!

This should be a lesson to everyone here, and it especially was to me, how little the media and those who chose to make negative conjectures here know. Would it hurt some people to look for a positive side instead of posting FUD.

The ease with which this seemed to go forward should be a testament to the cash these guys should have compared to the others, Here I go speculating. :slight_smile:

Oh yeah! Didn’t see this one coming! Just great news! Really happy they found two successful businessmen. Johnny had little faith in the Lenkovs…

Don’t the Lenkovs look silly now, after having gone in the Als locker room and celebrated with the players?! :smiley:

And not sold to the Lenkov brothers. :wink:

He’s a rich sports fan from Ontario, learned the team was for sale a year after it already was even if supposedly a CFL fan, has never been to the stadium before buying the team… in effect what I’ll call a reverse-Lankov :wink:
That’s odd as hell, but how is that different than the rest of this completely bungled process.

Good talker, no BS style… that’s appreciated.
I am and will continue to be sore that Quebec ownership could not be found, but that aside… the President will be key to revamping the whole franchise, plans for financial, marketing/sponsorship, practice facility, etc. to really build a new foundation. GM, while obviously important, is more secondary to me at this point and time.

I just looked at their webpage (Crawford Steel), if it’s made of steel and you can build with it, these guys sell it. Read a message from Stern on the site, he seems as homespun and sincere in the message as he was at the newser, rare indeed.

Let me remind you about the rules

Team Forums Are Safe Havens: The forum areas named for the individual teams in the league are ‘safe havens’ for the fans of that team, and are off-limits for trash-talk from fans of other teams. Take it to the main forum (CFL Talk).

You do not get to come her to decide who is or can be negative. who can say what.

I have already reported your posts…

I suggest you stop your admitted trolling…now

Go to the Als’ facebook page and see Montrealers asking What happened to the Wetenhalls…I not surprised that an out of towner did not know the team was for sale…Fan of the league or not.

AS for never being at the stadium…So what? There are a few stadiums I have never been to…And had I been born rich instead of good looking…I would buy a team even if I had never seen the Stadium

The only part of the interview which was wonky but honest was that he admitted he never has been to Molson Stadium . Which is kinda off putting considering you just bought the franchise and never visited the venue .

When he looked at Randy and said they were getting what 8,000 to a game there is no need for a new stadium .

When we get a full stadium will talk about a new stadium and if it makes business sense .

The interviewee was trying to explain in subtle way it wasn’t the size of the stadium it was the condition of the stadium .

I also thought he knew there has never really been a business case for a CFL stadium anywhere .

Not that I expected him to say anything different but thought okay the French media are kinda pushing the envelope with " you sure you know what your getting into " type questions .

He did well to push back but my read was we have money , were committed but really we bought this kinda quick and were still learning .

Was thinking the same thing .

The venue and what would be needed to improve with money would be a consideration .

Now two thoughts .

One they are loaded and it’s not an issue .

Or

This was a impulse buy .

He didn’t shrink when the press asked him did you see the books they haven’t made money in years .

So hey I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth but I hope they have lot’s of coin to make it work . That is number one .

I think it is both … although “impulse” in the sense that they looked at the opportunity and pounced … they strike me as pure businessmen who love football … build from the ground up and let the professionals run the team … no quick fixes and no expectations of quick profits … ready to invest to build success.