Gades outta time*

[url=http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Football/2006/04/07/1523938-sun.html]http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Footbal ... 8-sun.html[/url]

Time is running out on the Renegades, but all hope isn't lost.

It's believed the CFL is speaking with another group that could buy the club and save professional football in Ottawa.

But with a deadline of next week to make a decision on whether the team will operate in 2006, the league will work through the days ahead, including the weekend, to try to get something done. If there is no progress in the talks, the team's future in Ottawa will be in doubt.

The other league teams want to soon know if the schedule will be altered and include only eight franchises, or if the league wants to keep the schedule intact and have the Renegades play home games on the road in 2006.

MOVE TO QUEBEC CITY

Christina and Richard Saint Marche of Calgary have gone public with their plan to buy the Renegades and move the team to Quebec City for 2007.

Meanwhile, the Sun has learned that Florida land developer Glenn Straub talked about buying the Renegades and moving the team to Detroit.

A source said Straub's plan was to buy Tiger Stadium and have the Renegades play there this season before moving into a new stadium across the river in Windsor for the 2007 campaign. That plan never made its way to the league level.

Ottawa football fans can be relieved that the league -- at this point -- isn't considering any offers that don't involve keeping the team in this city.

The most serious talks broke down earlier this week when Toronto-based Golden Gate Capital withdrew its interest.

if an owner can not be found, then i like the idea of the league proping up the gades for the year and having all the gades home games played on the road, as to minimilize the leagues losses...thus buying them a whole season to look for owners...and maybe even selling to that couple that wants to move the team to QC for the '07 season.

Why do I get the feeling that the league really wants to get the team to suceed in Ottawa, but is confronted with all these potentsal onwers that say "I want to move the team to..."? I think the only group that whated to keep the team in Ottawa were the TO and other ontario based groups, who likly pulled out cuz the league wanted them to play out the 2006 season, when they wanted to start freah and new in 2007. Should have whet with that deal I say.

and I really feel sorry for fans in Ottawa now, if I were then, I want the team to suspend and stay in Ottawa than go trapasing the country ad getting beat, then having a 45% chance of remaning in Ottawa in 2007.

here is hoping for the best and the team staying in Ottawa.

If there is an owner like the Marche’s willing to keep the franchise going this year, and play the games on the road, maybe that would be the last resort. Some of the dates might be difficult to arrange in the Rogers Center because of the Blue Jays…they generally have Thursdays free.A move to Quebec in 2007 would then keep the nine franchises alive for expansion.
Maybe in a couple of years the City of Ottawa will get their heads out of the sand and give a new owner a better deal to allow a new franchise to give it another go…but it will take somebody with commitment and marketing skills to overcome the bad taste in the fans mouth…if I was living in Ottawa I would be looking this fall to vote for someone with a vision to improve the situation at Frank Clair.

As much as I want Ottawa to suceed, part of me really wants the CFL to pull the plug on the team there just to tell the mayor and city council "we don't need you, we are willing to look bad to a lot of people in this country because of you and how you don't want football there, not willing to work with quality, classy owners."

I'm starting to think I might respect Tom Wright more if he does pull the plug on them, like I say, the plug of the people running the FCS show.

Maybe DG can find the electronic article from the Province newspaper.

Kent Gilcrest wrote that it was basically all over. The 8 teams would have their rosters expanded to "handle " the dispersal draft. Then in 2007 if Ottawa Comes back or a new team IN QC or Halifax comes in, the roster would be reduced back down to normal, and the new team would have players to pick.

Yesterday there was a poll in Qc city, and 54% were against the idea of having a pro football team in town. I said it before, will say it again. Quebec is a city with old peoples, and for the old peoples. Our mayor is a stuborn old lady(to be polite), she's against pro sport for sure. She'll never give a chance to a pro franchise. She's more worried about peoples who breacks their hip on walkway than making the place interesting for younger people. If she has to close sports facilities for her budget, she will.

So as a CFL fan, who want a franchise here to be successfull, forget Qc for the few years to come. If by luck a franchise come here, we'll be(me & my wife) the first to have season ticket. But i dont see that happen.

Well, look on the bright side, 46% wouldn't mind a CFL team.
And a lot of it depends on how they phrased the question. And maybe the numbers would change if the people who voted agains't knew that the stadium wasn't in their back yard. I don't take much stock in these types of polls. But again, another Ottawa type mayor, well, what can you do, I guess they make a good pair.

how does a dispersal draft work?

Teams take turns picking the players. Usually reverse order Last Place picks first First place picks last.

just curious, but if they expand rosters, then who will be paying these salaries. Adding more players just adds more xpenses to the teams, so essentially all the other teams will be footing some of the bill anyway. While I like the potential of having a few more better players, I wouldn’t mind a few bums lose their jobs completely (ahem Nealon ahem)

i agree...it wouldnt make financial sense for the other 8 teams to take on a whole bunch of gades players saleries aswell as thier own players.

just let the gades play thier home games on the road while lookin for a new owner for '07.

Don't forget with eight teams the league dispersal money will be greater since it is not going to nine.
I would agree to increase roster to let's say 50 playing players, so in another words the current 45 goes up with an increase in 3 Canadians and 2 imports.
Still, this is hard pill to swallow.
My CFL includes the Gades.

First off, its a sad day for the the Renegades and the CFL. Nobody (it seems) wants to buy the Renegades and keep them in Ottawa. This sucks(my opinion). The 2006 season will have to be modified drastically... Even if those Alberta buyers bought the team, they want to move them to Québec city. Its impossible to move the team and have them play ready in 2006 in Québec city). So, they would buy the team, have them play in Ottawa in 2006, with the great marketing campaign "come see them now, cause next year, they're gone...). They will lose so many more millions... Its unbelievable... What happens it the team simply folds? We have 5 teams out west, 3 in the east. It looks like the Bombers are coming back to the East division. Mark my words...

Blame your city council!

[quote="redwhite2005"][quote="Indydan"]First off, its a sad day for the the Renegades and the CFL. Nobody (it seems) wants to buy the Renegades and keep them in Ottawa. This sucks(my opinion). The 2006 season will have to be modified drastically... Even if those Alberta buyers bought the team, they want to move them to Québec city. Its impossible to move the team and have them play ready in 2006 in Québec city). So, they would buy the team, have them play in Ottawa in 2006, with the great marketing campaign "come see them now, cause next year, theyBlame my city council? I am from Montréal... What's your point? Its Ottawa that should be blamed. They will lose a CFL team for the second time...

First off I thought you were an Ottawa fan therefore you would blame the city council of Ottawa so really what is your point you did not make sense what so ever. The problem is no one wants to buy this team and lose 6 million dollars. Until the City does something with the agreement the Gades will not play in Ottawa.

theyBlame my city council? I am from Montréal… This does not make since who is blaming anyone from Montreal you got a guilt complex!

While I respect the popular suggestion to allow the Renegades to play the entire 06 season on the road - I think its a bad idea.

This is a team that stands to lose 6 million dollars this season; and that is a projected number WITH a home team income. Playing on the road is far more expensive, and does not bring in cash... I'd dare say - the team would lose even more money - further discouraging a potential owner.

? is this accurate ?

PULL THE PLUG!!!!

StatiK76
GO BOMBERS!!!

The figures of the lost money takes in consideration the ridiculous rent charged by the city of Ottawa, and a fairly low attendance. On the road, more revenue would come from bigger crowds, more concession revenues (which, in Ottawa, go mostly to the city’s coffers), parking revenues (which, again, in Ottawa go to the city). Teams other than Ottawa would save on travel, which in turn would get transfered to Ottawa travelling, so that’s a draw in the worse case scenario. Plus by having 9 teams, the TV deal is supposedly higher than it would be with 8 teams. Same thing with the sponsorship deals.

So all in all, it’s not as bad as you seem to think. In fact, it’s much better.

If the schedule remains the same, but Ottawa plays all their games on the road, then Hamilton will get two extra home games (they were scheduled to play in Ottawa twice.)

So, as a season ticket holder, are they going to give me tickets to those games? Am I going to be expected to pay more for my tickets because of that? Or will all tickets to those games just go on sale on an individual basis, maybe with season ticket holders getting first dibs?

Who does that money go to, the Ticats or the Renegades? What about the concession money? Will the Renegades (or the CFL) have to make special rental agreements with the owners of the other 8 stadiums?

And if I choose not to buy tickets to those games, will that affect Hamilton's average attendance, or Ottawa's?

There are a lot of questions that would need to be answered before such an arrangement can be worked out.

Like I mentioned before.
You would have to pay, with the money going to Ottawa or they might as well play in an empty stadium in Ottawa