In today's Citizen August 11, the Palmer bid which is made up of a US group have stated that they will get the rights to the Rough Rider logo from Horn Chen. I think there will be a battle to see who gets the franchise.
I like the idea of Jeff Hunt fronting the Golden Gate group. I think the Golden Gate group has more of a sound financial backing and will be in for the long run. Will the US group want to take a couple of years of losses?
Yes the D'angelo group does have local connections, many in the Ottawa area drink his beer.
Today, the Citizen, Sun and Globe all had stories --- first real contribution from Globe in a while on the issue. Naylor suggests that there is even a fourth group.
Personally, I don't think they shoukld return to Rough Riders even tho I appreciate the tradition and history. Ottawa fans argue for that name, for Rough Riders and some for yet a new name.
All have advantages and disadvantages -- degrees depending on who you ask.
Renegades all the way. Go with the newer name. Rough Riders are of the past. Renegades are the future of football in Ottawa. You must admit, it'll be confusing have 2 freakin rough rider teams.
Well, acc to Citizen today, none of three groups want to retain "Renegades." Some talk of fan poll, but unless it's completely new name, it looks like "Rough Riders" or some version of Riders.
A fan poll s/b one part of the process not the be-all and end-all..
Those things can be easily tilted to one answer/decision over another.
There were lots of questions when Ottawa team was reborn in 2001. First poll asked whether it s/b Rough Riders or a new name.
I think it was barely over 50% for RRs.
But Watters group didn't see that as convincing enough.
So they put out second poll with eight (I think) choices listed. By then, IIRC, word got out that Renegades was preferred choice of owners. Of the choices, there were a couple of decent ones, but most were ones you know didn't have a chance of winning. By default, and with RRs not an option, it made it easier for "Renegades" to win.
Bottom line tho is the new owners polled, surveyed, focus grouped themselves to death, they could still go with whatever name they wanted. Or, despite all their efforts to find a consensus for a name, the "wishes" opf the fans and others in city could be all over the spectrum.
I would think if Hunt’s group has the “bread” they will be the favourites. He’s a known name in Ottawa in a good way. Then hire a good proven football GM and turn him loose to build a team.
Eric Tillman seems to be the odds on favourite, but I’d rather see him as a Personnel Director.
Others: Don Rambo a former CFL coach and Per. Dir. and currently a NFL scout living in Ottawa.
Bob O’Billovich former Rough Rider and Grey Cup winner with the Argos, seems to be a good judge of talent.
Current CFL GM’s B.C.'s Wally Buono and Montreal’s Jim Popp would be unavailable IMO. The rest: Saskatchewan - Roy Shivers, Winnipeg - Brendan Taman, Calgary - Tom Higgins (good football man), Edmonton - Paul Jones (good recruiter), Hamilton - Rob Katz and Toronto’s - Adam Rita (lots of experience)are just not suited for the Ottawa job of an expansion team IMO.
So hopefully the right choice is made.
I would hope which ever group gets the team they insist on a fair expansion draft before they sign on the dotted line.
I think Popp w/b better choice than Tillman. Look at what he has done from 1994-present.
He has continually brought in top players for Als and that is proven by fact that they boast best regular-season record in CFL for last decade.
He's about same age as Tillman, has as many good contacts, does his job with relatively little fanfare.
He's only 2 hrs away and having been with Als so long, he might welcome a new challenge.
IMO, too many people are assuming that Tillman is the best candidate or that he will get the job. He's never made it a secret about how he was shafted when Gades brought in the bean counter and Kershaw and ultimately lost the power struggle.
That by virtue of itself does not make him "entitled" to the job.
If not Popp, then how about his ass't, Marcel Desjardins? He must have learned a few thibngs from Popp, he's bilingual and was previously employed in League's HO.
Wally is mulling over how long he wants to continue esp given his recent heart surgery. Besides, he's had chances to coach both Argos and Als since mid-90s and turned them down. I think he likes it out East.
Rita was here before under Firestone. I think he's more than happy in TO.