Gades FIRE coaching staff/ new owner found??

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The Canadian Football League has at least one group showing strong interest in rescuing the beleaguered Ottawa Renegades and operating the team for the 2006 season.

Sources say league officials have met with representatives of a group that has business interests in the Ottawa area and wants a chance to turn around the four-year-old franchise.

Given the late date, the group is expected to make a decision by this weekend after it's had time to investigate the club's financial state and get a handle on potential losses.

By some estimates, those losses could be in the range of $5-million to $7-million, given the club's small season-ticket base, lack of infrastructure and general skepticism in the Ottawa marketplace at this late date.

The Renegades officially went on the block a week ago after the league turned down an offer from majority owner Bernie Glieberman to partially fund the team through the coming season.

Sources say that while the league did not wish to underwrite Glieberman's losses in 2006, it might be willing to do so if it believes it has the long-term solution to Ottawa's ownership woes.

A sale must be completed by the second week of April or it's expected the league will fold the team, revert to an eight-team schedule and hold a dispersal draft.

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Canadian Football League officials will arrive at the Ottawa Renegades' offices today, seeking first-hand indications that the club is ready to kick off in 2006.

League officials are expected to complete a thorough inventory of the team's video and football equipment, but the timing of the visit is intriguing and suggests that progress has been made in selling the troubled club. Since last week, the league has been shopping the Renegades to prospective buyers, knowing that a transaction would have to be closed quickly or the team wouldn't play football this season.

It is believed that head coach John Jenkins and his staff were told this weekend that they would not be coaching this season. It is unclear whether that means a would-be owner wants them removed or if it is because the team won't play in 2006.

"It is part of doing our homework," league spokeswoman Alexis Redmond said yesterday. "The commissioner has mentioned that there are parties we are talking to, and we certainly want to have accurate information."

Although the CFL owns the Renegades' trademarks, the equipment belongs to team owners Bernie Glieberman and Bill Smith, and there would be little reason for the league to familiarize itself with the number of helmets and VCRs unless someone was asking for that information or unless the league wanted to disseminate that information.

The deadline for a decision about the Renegades is April 4, but there is some flexibility in either direction. If significant progress is made with a prospective purchaser, the deadline could be extended. If no serious discussions are held by the end of this week, a decision to suspend the team's 2006 operations could come sooner.

Several sources have confirmed there is interest in the Renegades.

The league's biggest worry is that none of the nibbles will turn into bites quickly enough. Unless there's a sale in the next two weeks, the CFL would suspend Ottawa's operations, proceed with an eight-team schedule, and attempt to revive the Renegades under new ownership in 2007.

The league sought permission to check the inventory with former Renegades president Lonie Glieberman and club consultant Phil Kershaw.

"All we can gather is, if they are talking to potential buyers, they want to make sure all the equipment is there," Glieberman said.

If, for example, the Renegades had 65 helmets and needed 75 for training camp, scheduled to start in May, that is a matter that would not be viewed as an impediment to kicking off. If no buyer was on the horizon, it wouldn't much matter how many helmets were available until 2007.

However, if a potential buyer and the league are getting down to details, lawyers would want an exact number of helmets, not an estimate.

Whomever the league is talking to about the Renegades, it is not Florida businessman Glenn Straub, who denied interest in an interview yesterday.

The owner of the Miami Arena and the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club has had discussions with Bernie Glieberman about a partnership, but it is believed Straub is only interested if he could relocate the team to Windsor-Detroit.

"My dad would not move the team," Lonie Glieberman said. "I know we are from Detroit, but I'll tell you my dad and I are not complicit in efforts to move the team, regardless what it looks like."

The league would not answer yesterday when asked if keeping the team in Ottawa was a prerequisite for a would-be buyer, but Straub effectively eliminated himself.

Meanwhile, Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young yesterday clarified a remark he made to a newspaper last week, saying he was not interested in the Renegades.

Last week, Young told the Hamilton Spectator he would not eliminate any potential solution for the Renegades, even when he was asked about his own interest.

"To be very clear, I did not say I am interested," Young said.

Redmond said the CFL's constitution did not contain anything prohibiting one individual from owning more than one team. In most leagues, bylaws prohibit that because it is viewed as a potential conflict of interest.

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RENEGADES coach John Jenkins and his coaching staff have been blitzed.

Sources told the Sun last night that Jenkins and his staff have been told to pack their belongings and vacate the team's football building at Frank Clair Stadium.

In effect, Jenkins has been fired without coaching a game. And he has been told that he will not coach the Renegades under any of the possible scenarios. They are:

  • A suspension of operations for the 2006 season while a new owner is found.

  • A league takeover where the franchise remains operating with the financial aid of the eight other teams.

  • A new owner is found who will keep the team in Ottawa and somehow manage to get it operational and on the field.

A source said, "It's D-Day."

Jenkins, hired just days after the end of the 2005 CFL regular season, learned of his fate during last weekend's evaluation camp in Toronto for the Canadian draft.

He attended with VP of football operations and GM Forrest Gregg, and assistant coaches Steve Kasor, Darryl Edralin and Richard Wade.

Several other Renegades coaches, including defensive co-ordinator Rod Rust, have had their travel arrangements from the U.S. to Ottawa cancelled. Jenkins was in Toronto last night and could not be reached for comment. It's believed the league will begin takeover operations as early as today.

A team of auditors will enter the Renegades offices, with the permission of outgoing majority owner Bernie Glieberman. One week ago, league commissioner Tom Wright announced that Glieberman and minority owner Bill Smith had agreed to sell the Renegades.

"It's looking like it's imploding right now," said a source. "The league called up Bernie and they wanted to come in. Pretty soon, the place is going to be locked down and owned by the league."

With CFL training camps set to begin in less than two months and no coaching staff in place, only a miracle could get the Renegades on the field for the upcoming season.

In perhaps his final, unofficial act as coach, Jenkins will participate in a "town hall" meeting during tonight's A-Channel newscast.

The firing of the coaching staff makes no sense to me other than to limit financial losses and mothball the franchise for a year. Regardless, this looks bad for both the team and the league.

Man... the Renegades' situation is by far the most creative and interesting soap opera these days...

I never though John Jenkins could be the man, but being fired without even coaching one game seems a bit too much, doesn't it?

I don't know what's up. I honestly can't say I had a lot of confidence in Jenkins though. Regardless, if the Gades play this year, I expect they will be a mess on the field.

hmmmmmm, this sounds like good news to me folks.....something is in the works and it starts by cleaning house........you know what they say.....a new broom sweeps clean........and this looks like a complete purging of the Glieberman travelling side show..........me thinks this is being done asap so that the newer owner can still put the pieces in place for 2006.......

I'm thinking the same Pigs.

Well... This is a pretty good indication to me that the season is done for the Renegades.

It doesnt make any sense that, they could find a new owner, and hire a new coaching staff and be properly organized for the upcoming season ... nevermind pay the outrageous contracts, pick up a free agent or two, deal with a massive debt, and try and create a season ticket base in a month. IN OTTAWA ... never.

StatiK76
GO BOMBERS!!!

Why are they doing this so quick then Statik if it is game over for the Gades this season? No need to hurry everything up then and get this owner in place tomorrow then or the league if no new owner at this time.

ahhhhhh statik......your such a kill joy.........

The inventory seems to indicate that a new owner has been found and they're just getting all the Ts crossed and Is dotted...

...the firing of the coaches seems to indicate that there will be no football in Ottawa this year.

I don't know; this could still go either way.

a matter of politeness?

How would you like to be hired in another city - move - start prepping for the season .. the team gets yanked for the season .. and no one tells you for a month?

They owe them at least that much ... either way - the entire way this has been handled from day one is a complete joke ... I hope both the CFL and Ottawa pay dearly for their repeated mistakes. Unfortunately, the CFL paying dearly will no doubt include my Bombers having to foot the bill for the retards in Ottawa and the CFL office.

i'm tired of this whole situation. If they do have a new owner ... Mark my words - we'll be doing this again in a couple of seasons. what a joke.

StatiK76
GO BOMBERS!!!

...I agree with Statik....I don't see a new owner for the gades THIS season....and the inventory check...looks like they are getting one ready for a potential owner down the road...Who could bring in a new coaching staff at this point ...it dosen't sound feasible...The team has to be given enough time to get its affairs in order....not a rush ...rush attempt to patch things up for this year...The fans will never buy it...If there was low attendance last year to the Rens. games...I don't see how you could sell this' patch-work ' job to the paying fans the gades have left.. and increase attendance.....but stranger things have happenend in the CFL....but being a bit of a realist...I think its time to re-write the schedule... :!:

I wont speculate on who the new buyer(s) may be or if it is the league...........but one just has to look to the comments of several of the private owners in the league to realize they all believe that if done right the CFL will succeed in Ottawa.........statik makes a compelling arguement for why it wont but if we had said that in Toronto, Hamiltom, BC, Calgary we might as well have folded the league back then........the CFL is quite the boys club and if the power brokers of the league want to try to save football in Ottawa then you can bet your butt they will.......is it right or wrong, only time will tell........

Believing it can succeed in Ottawa, and believing it can be done this year, are two different things.

The difference between the Ottawa situation and the situations in Toronto, Hamilton, B.C. and Calgary is that in those cities the new owners had an entire off-season to make changes, market the team, sell tickets, etc.; Ottawa's new owners would have a few weeks.

I wonder is Jenkins can sue for wrongful dismissal.... :shock: after all, he never lost a game!

Although it may look promising for a new owner, the firing of the coaching staff regardless of what you think of them especially the HC, tells me there will be no football this year.
Of course, unless they already have some ducks on the pond and our GM in waiting Eric Tillman has a staff all picked out even at this late time????

I doubt there's anything in his contract that says he can't lose his job unless he loses a certain number of games.

This isn't the first time a coach has been fired before coaching a game. Remember John Huard?

IF in fact they are going to play football in Ottawa this year, you would have to think that the league saw this coming months ago…around the time Smith pulled the plug perhaps…maybe Wright was already putting a contingency plan together back then for this very situation and had people at the ready, interim GM - Coach in the form of Tillman…or maybe I just give Wright too much credit…maybe I should take off my rose coloured glasses this time Dave…