"In the Hunt for a GM"

Mr. Hunt said he’s looking for a proven talent spotter.

What ? Are you saying Tom Clements is not qualified to spot talent ? He has been extremely successful as a QB coach with Green Bay with Brett Favre, Etc.. Has won Super Bowls and Grey Cups. Obee ? What can I say more, he's qualified and had a long career with the Rough Riders and has always been successful as a coach and GM and can instil some of the traditions the Rough Riders had. Do you argue just for the sake of arguing ?

I don’t think that broadcasting ONE game - BC and Edmonton, - in two weeks is really a National audience. No CFL games were broadcast on the NBC sports net last weekend, and the only one coming up this weekend is the 10PM game in Vancouver. The prime time football games on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and evening now are the NCAA games.

Your making an assumption. Never said anything about Tom Clements. But according to your own comments Clements is a coach not a GM. Obilovich LOL ! He’s 72 years old. He won’t even make the list.

If you re-read my comment, I’m not saying they should hire Clements for GM, I said to hire him for head coach, although he would probably be a pretty good GM too AND he has a good eye for talent. I guess you must have something against older people. Just because he’s 72 doesn’t mean he can’t be effective and he can’t put in place the proper pieces for a scuccesful organization. So who do you consider being a good GM, Einstein ?

Another assumption ! If he’s 72 or 73 now, that means he will be at least 75 years old by the time the team lines up for the first time, there is no way any business would sign off on a 75 year old building the nuts and bolts of their operation. Not to mention that the man hasn’t been able to field a winning team in five years spending Boby Young’s money. Hunt is looking for an individual who can manage the football operations for a long time who has demonstrated the ability to scout talent preferably with “some” CFL experience. Those are his words…

How will you select the right GM?

“Somebody said to me, ‘Well it’s going to be a gut feel.’ Bull. It’s not going to be a gut feel. I’m going to be able to prove it mathematically that this guy knows what he’s doing: That he wins, he’s had success in the league, and has a proven track record. So it won’t be about gut feel.?

You start with the attributes and the first has to be an eye for talent. It sounds simple but it’s not that simple. I’ve said all along I want to hire the Brian Kilrea of football. Killer had weaknesses as an administator but you can’t teach an eye for talent. Everybody can ID the top guys. It’s finding the others who can make a difference.?
The Old Boy’s Network of hiring and re-hiring is not going to do. “We can’t dismiss any candidates,? said Hunt. “But the less gut feel I have about the guy the better. “His record should speak for itself.?

Hunt and other members of the OSEG are not new to running a sports franchise and have had a lot of time to think about who and what type of people they want in charge of the Football portion of the OSEG. The first thing that Hunt has said is that he will hire a GM who he and the OSEF will entrust to put together a proper coaching staff. The speculation will be over soon now that the stadium is a go and they will be part of the 2013 draft and begin play in 2014.

I don't know if this is common knowledge, by the way, but I read last night that the GM is expected to be named by the end of January.

That would seem to be a reasonable timetable as the draft will be coming in the spring and they will need to begin to putting import players on their negotiation list for the 2014 season. The off season workouts for CFL teams are in february I believe so they will need to be bringing in such players at that time before the 2014 season to get a look at them.

Makes sense for two reasons:
1-Hunt said they wanted their guy to have a year to work before the team hits the field
2-Hunt said early after the season is when most candidates are available.

You are absolutely correct. there will be a combo of available GMs that are caught between jobs along with well seasoned proteges looking to make their mark after years of training under the top GMs in the CFL. Money will talk and it may be possible to lure a current succesful GM to Ottawa looking for a new challenge with his protege ready to step up and take his place with the vacant spot. The one thing about having Jeff Hunt as head of football operations as the CEO for the CFL franchise of for the OSEG is that he hase proved to be successful in turning the 67s into one of the most successful Junior Hockey franchises on the ice and in the stands and all this with an NHL team in the City of Ottawa. Having a football guy like Ruddy with him makes for a perfect duo.
While on the often forgotten but much important pro soccer franchise as part of the OSEG ventures and tenants of the new stadium they have included the minor league Ottawa Fury Owner John Pugh with strong ties to Ottawa and soccer in Ottawa as CEO for the soccer franchise which should quickly make the step from the NASL to the Tier 1 NASL. The major obstacle from gaining a franchise the first time round was that there was no current facilty ready but after 2014 that has changed. The NASL will then be able to set its sites on the Hamilton franchise in its new facility with the hopes that they also one day move to the tier1 MLS like the Montreal Impact have. Both stadiums have been built to the exact type of specifications that the MLS are looking for when looking at teams that apply for expansion to the MLS.
Oh I forgot the 67s are going strong and Ruddy has strong tighs to the Old Crows which will be the corporate sponsor for the Carleton Ravens football giving the Ottawa CFL franchise a new refurbished facility to keep the CFL franchise in the city for training camp, something that the previous failed Renagades did not as they had moved TC out of the Ottawa area. Where that may be a good strategy for the BC Lions and Montreal Alouettes who have established their presence in the city in which they play and are able to move a few hours away to help promote the team to other areas of their Region. Ottawa fans will want their team right here in Ottawa for TC for the fans and Media coverage.

So will it be Jim Barker or Eric Tillman?

Something is going on it does appear as though one of them will be Ottawa’s GM from the latest happenings and rumors.

I can't see ET going back to Ottawa.
With a new team and a fresh new start.

I agree Tillman has become a distraction as a GM. The GM should not be the top story for a pro football team and that is what he had become in Edmonton.
The scenario may be working out that Barker will be going to Ottawa and Tillman to Toronto. Aside from Taman in Saskatchewan Barker and the Argos did the next best job in bringing in new imports that have been successful and made a positive impact. Especially on defense Watkins, Horne, and even amaad Carrol have made a huge impact to the d backfield. rookies Ball and Armstead also very talented. Armstead will most likely be off to the NFL if he continues to play that great.
Tony Washington was another great signing. Although he did spend time in Calgary last season they passed on him this year. He had some legal problems as a teen so most big schools and the nFL passed on him but he used the Arena league to his advantage and has been great at LT. Ray began to play better shortly after they inserted Washington at LT.
Thats what the new expansion team in Ottawa will need. The CFL has set it up to give them a base of players that will make them competative but Barker basically turned a last place team into a contender with bringing in new import talent either from the NFL free agent pool, NCAA rookies, and the Arena league. If he can bring that kind of talent in the Ottawa franchise could become not just competative but make them contenders very quickly.

Ottawa is talking to Marcel Desjardins

[url=http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/04/ottawa-cfl-team-talks-to-montreal-alouettes-assistant-gm-marcel-desjardins]http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/04/ot ... desjardins[/url]

I like the fact that this top CFL news comes from the Toronto Star.

Reading the Morris article from his interview with Jim Hunt, Marcel Desjardins seemed to fit the bill in what the Ottawa’s (Redeaux)? are looking for. CFL experience, bilingual and knows Ottawa.
I would love to see Wally Buono take up the torch, but he may not want the stress and long hours required to get a new franchise on the rails. Wally is a great talent evaluator, which is crucial for picking players to staff the new team. Would he take the job if Hunt gave him a good assistant, like Desjardins, to do a lot of leg work to start and then take over as GM in a couple of years. That would be my choice and Jeff would probably need Dave Braley to buy into that scenario, but it would be the best for Ottawa and the League IMO.
The first order of business, after hiring a GM, will be picking 4 underclassmen in the 2013 CFL draft. I know of 7 players in Div I and there will be a few in Div II and III. But it will the first round pick Ottawa has that will be big for them down the road. Top rated DE Bo Lokombo of Oregon will be long gone by the ninth pick, but Ottawa should get a crack at one of OT Nolan McMillan (Iowa), DT Brent Urban (Virginia), DE Hosam Shahin (Rice), WR Stephan Alli (Florida), DE Kalonji Kashama (Eastern Michigan) with their ninth overall pick. Whoever they take (maybe McMillan) the rest will probably be snapped up by other teams in the second round.
Then with their 18th overall pick they will have to decide on maybe DE Conner Williams (Utah State) or OC Henry Lorenzen (Purdue). Or if they are lucky one of the previous mentioned players might still be available but not likely. If there are still some Juniors left over for the 27th and 36th picks they will be flyers with a hope and a prayer they may actually make the team down the road.
So IMO a lot of scouting will be needed to project who is the best athlete of these guys as well as their availability for 2014. They need that pick to be a starter going forward as they won’t get any first round talent in the expansion draft.
I hope Jeff Hunt can pull it off and Ottawa can compete right off the bat in 2014.

Marcel Desjardins is a great candidate. Brock Sunderland currently with the Jets is someone I think they plan on speaking with and with their GM fired and their season over if they talk this would be the window. I would think they will make an announcement by the end of Feb end of March at the latest, they will want a GM to look over the prospect list for the upcoming CFL Draft.

Jeff Hunt asked to speak with Wally Buono ! He was turned down. Its interesting because part of the deal is that Ottawa is not supposed to go after other teams top people. Wally is a top choice but its interesting that Jeff Hunt would not know enough to know Wally is going to end his working days in BC. I doubt there is a team that would let Ottawa talk to their GM.