EUGENE MELNYK W/ BOB MCCOWN ON SPORTSNET-NEW GADES OWNER?

Ottawa city council said the same thing about the Rough Riders just before the city lost them. Now they're saying this about the Renegades.

Like I said, if Ottawa ever won the Grey Cup, you know the mayor would be front and centre at the parade, getting into every photo possible with the owner, the coaches, the players, the commish, the Cup, etc.

I remember the mystery that surrounded the purchase of the Ticats a few years ago. That got everyone in the city talking about the team again...just before Bob Young rode in on his metaphorical white horse to save the day. Maybe they're trying to create the same sort of buzz in Ottawa.

Well I don't think any city council or government should really, if they don't want to, own a pro sports team as a community team. They should provide some nice incentives for owners to own a team ie. tax incentives, upgrading a city owned stadium etc. And if they do these types of things, then I see that such a mayor could get a bit of press time. But only if they really do these things. In Hamilton, they should have had a new video board without having to wait for an owner of a team to do this IMO. I think the city council here didn't care about the Cats very much at all, maybe the same situation in Ottawa, I don't know. Which is a shame, these are city owned facilities and they should be made to be attractive for prospective CFL owners.

Yep. But the Ottawa mayor has said there will be NO funds to help the Renegades. That includes tax breaks, interest-free loans, or any special deal on the stadium lease. Various TiCat owners have been provided with all of these in the past. (I think it was under Yachetti that the Ticats were paying $1 a year for Ivor Wynne...and got all the profits from the concessions.)

So it looks like they need a CFL fan in office .... why does everyone seem so keen on refusing the help the CFL?!? The CFL is a Canadian institution, and a strong part of our culture - not to mention the potential it has to become an absolute goldmine.

Maybe the mayor in Ottawa is playing the political game as there are people, influential people probably, who live near the stadium who would like nothing better than for the football team to die as they don't like the crowds that come to the stadium. You know, all of us bad, rowdy football fans that cause riots in the streets and are so loud and all of that. We are evil people CFL fans, very evil. The Gliebites, or is it Glebeites, just don't like us!

:lol: