From Justin Dunk: CFL staff, players losing trust in Randy Ambrosie

CFL Talk
1

A sampling of the reactions by those affected:

“How will this solve the league’s problems when they have failed to generate increased revenue?”

“It shows how the commissioner cannot do his job, so what he does is cut to save his ass.”

“Do you really see this season happening given how the league is going about their plan?”

“Is the CFL really losing $10 to $20 million per season? How do we know if the books aren’t made public?”

“A 20 percent cut to football operations, all staff will be getting salary cut by that amount. This comes from Ambrosie who can’t even present a plan to the government.”

“Why isn’t there a cap on salaries for team presidents?”

“Coaches need a union, we get it worst than the players.”

“Ambrosie sounds like a used car salesman, we can’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth.”

“We have contract law in this country, which apparently doesn’t apply.”

“I’m losing faith in the integrity of the CFL leadership.”

One source described how the CFL operates: “Ambrosie, Scott Mitchell and Wade Miller run the league. Presidents in the CFL are not accountable. Where are they in all this? How come their salaries are not disclosed?”

“Someone needs to do some serious investigating on the leagues finances,” one source said.

“I am taking more than a $50,000 pay cut, but Ambrosie still has us on schedule for his COVID Global draft. Which after flying in, feeding, housing and quarantining players, that cost will be at least $400,000,” one source said.

“So 50 Globals flown in at the last minute and put up in a hotel for two weeks of quarantine and then a three-day combine, fly them to a CFL city, only to be cut 10 days later at a time when the rest of us are taking pay cuts? It’s poor leadership and a general lack of understanding of the message it sends to the people asked to do the work.”

“I know that a lot of players aren’t happy with the options we are being given and the league is going to try and put us in a tough spot instead of actually helping us,” one source said.

“They haven’t even picked up the phone to the players. At every turn Ambrosie lies and makes things worse than they have to be.”

2 Likes
2

CFL football is in decline. Salaries have to come down. The players certainly won't want it to come out of their end.

I don't know what else to say. One positive: we should see more Canadian coaches, scouts, etc as a result of this.

1 Like
3

Replace CFL with MLB and Ambrosie with Manfred and you pretty much got the same article.

If they want the league executives to say they've reduced their salaries by 1.00 like most CEOs do during hard times if it makes them feel better.

I know things are not very good right now but at the end of the day if the owners....who are losing allot more $$ than what the staff and players are.... have their trust in him, that's all that matters. He's there to take bullets on their behalf.

Bettman wasn't very popular during the 3 work stoppages under his watch either.

1 Like
4

That is a positive, more Canadians. I also agree with the comments about the Global players, it costs the teams and CFL additional money they don’t need to spend. Give Canadian players a chance to play Canadian football.

1 Like
5

Ambrosie arrived as commissioner like Napoleon arrived as first consul. Now mostly everyone lost faith on him. Do the older posters remember if a previous commisionner had a worst relation with the players than Ambrosie's?

6

It is more than a little worrisome how he came out and said he was in constant communication with the PA and yet they respond with a statement saying the exact opposite. Looks bad for all concerned

1 Like
7

1 Like
8

FFS this is an unprecedented situation. What people seem to be calling for is a soothsayer with a crystal ball. I’ve yet to see a single suggestion that will actually help put football on the field this year.

9

This is very concerning to me, far to much silence on multiple fronts, I hope Randy can pull a rabbit out of his butt… I think there is an awful lot of damage being done. just my take,

1 Like
10

Every side should be looking for solutions.
I have never been a big fan of Ambrosie, but I am not a fan of the CFLPA running to the media with all their complaints with no real ideas.

If the players want to play, lets hear hit. What do they need to be comfortable to play. Ideas!
If the league to run for 2020, needs to cut all costs, lets hear it. Coaches, players and executives. If they are only playing half a season, everyone should take a 50% pay cut. Playoffs should be treated as they normally would.

I like that 3DownNation writes all these CFL articles, but they do like to dig up every one that is disgruntled.

1 Like
11

Id give the PA a few options. Take a pay cut or play on 4 days rest so the league can have a 16 game season.

Not the league's fault they are being limited by governments who choose to march with a few thousand people while disallowing sporting events.

12

Outdoor sports are back on in Saskatchewan. Will be interested to see what that means for the CFL

13

The players risk their health playing this game (never mind the risk of getting covid). It’s probably not worth it to them to take a 50 percent pay cut.

14

There is a collective agreement in place. The league can't unilaterally impose a pay cut without the PA grieving it, and the PA would be almost guaranteed to win a grievance over such a blatant violation of the agreement. Like it or not, the parties are going to have to enter into a negotiation for these issues to be resolved. Could be a very difficult and fractious negotiation, and the continuing existence of the league may be at stake.

1 Like
15

I agree with what you say, BUT, how else are they supposed to make money.
At the moment there aren’t a ton of paying jobs available.
Players are paid by the game and a minimum game cheque is $3600/game
playoffs pay more

16

And BOOM!!!
CFLPA files a grievance.

17

From Farhan Lalji:

To follow up the cflpa memo, the cfl is not paying the bonuses that were due to players on June 1st. The league has also submitted a letter to the federal government for the players to be able to receive the CEWS benefits.

2 Likes
18

“After the CFL chose to not allow players to self terminate their contracts if they elected, the league has now opted to not honour payments owed, outside of base salaries, as per these contracts.”

Then they’re free agents then.

I don’t think professional athletes should receive CEWS benefits. They may not make as much money as other athletes, but they still make a fair amount. A CFL player could easily hit pay dirt in the NFL for a season or two.

1 Like
19

I'm getting at the point that all sports should cancel their seasons for this year.

The CFL having their number 1 revenue stream stripped from them are clearly having a hard time coming to an arrangement that is viable, never mind working out the diner details with the PA.

Baseball is in a constant pissing match with it's PA and talks have broken down. Manfred changes his opinion every week if he thinks there will be a season.

The NBA's plan is not sure thing as players are unsure if it's right to start playing again in light of what's happening in the US and to an extent accross the world. Never mind cases are spiking again in Central Florida.

MLS had to stick a gun to the players just to have a gimmick tournament.

The NHL announces plans with so many hurdles to clear that they may end of jeoprodizing next season's start date.

The NFL is the only one that will run since they make so much of TV and have the weakest union to work with.

I need to start following wrestling again

20

The league could offer players a standard, clear-wide contract, like what the AAF had.

Every player would only make say 70k Canadian. Bo Levi Mitchell and that guy the Lions signed wouldn’t make the bucks they signed for with their contracts, but I guess that would make them free agents then.