George White, a linebacker with the Calgary Stampeders, walked into an Italian restaurant with his wife and infant child yesterday, ate his meal in total anonymity and not once was recognized or approached by the noon-hour lunch crowd.
For all they knew, White was just another well-built, athletic-looking individual who might have played football or some other sport at one stage in his life.
Now you understand the challenge facing Ron Rooke in his new role as vice-president of marketing and business development of Pro Players, the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the Canadian Football League's players' association. Rooke, an experienced sports marketer, never wants this scene repeated under his watch.
"There's a lot of opportunities," said Rooke, who started his new job two months ago. "The players need to be and will be better marketed. It's a huge challenge for me. But we have a great commodity in the CFL and 400-odd players who are great ambassadors for their cities, communities and the country."
In Montreal, Alouettes' quarterback Anthony Calvillo likely would be mobbed walking down the street or venturing into a restaurant. A handful of other established veterans, along with head coach Don Matthews, might be recognized as well. But the majority would blend into any crowd at the corner of Peel and Ste. Catherine.
In the CFL, head coaches Wally Buono and Mike Clemons have their own commercials, shown during game telecasts, as does legendary Toronto quarterback Damon Allen. But most others are unknown, leading Winnipeg slotback Milt Stegall recently to criticize the lack of exposure he and others derive.
"Corporate Canada needs to step up," Rooke said. "The players are so giving. The corporations need to step up and partner up with these elite athletes. A player of Milt Stegall's status should decide which sponsorship deals to turn down."
Rooke, well known in Calgary and throughout the CFL, can be persuasive. He has the ability and contacts to open doors, teaming with corporate partners and licensees to create innovative promotions that will market the players in regional and national campaigns.
Rooke spent six seasons with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons baseball team, handling various marketing and sales positions before eventually being named the team's assistant general manager. He joined the Stampeders in 1991 as vice-president of marketing and sales. He added communications responsibilities four years later and, in November 1993, was named the team's president. He was fired in January 2005, after two new ownership groups assumed control of the club, but remains a Stampeders season-ticket holder.
Rooke's imagination is limitless. He wants to saturate the market with collector cards, cups, posters and television shows. He believes the CFL should hold an annual all-star game complete with a skills competition, suggesting players should go on caravans during the winter, promoting the league.
"There's a recognition factor involved," he explained. "We have to market the players' images and faces. I want to get their faces and images on everything from chocolate bars to cereal boxes. Throw something against the wall and hope it sticks. Let's be creative and try every angle in the marketing world.
"But it takes time to build relationships in the corporate world."
The problem Rooke undoubtedly will experience is the fact Canada remains a hockey-driven country. Although NHL players wear helmets, their faces can be seen. Football players are more unknown, given their protective gear, especially offensive-linemen, who block, or defensive players, whose names might be called once or twice in a game. Why, Rooke wondered, does Wayne Gretzky remain the spokesperson for an automobile company, years after his retirement as a player? And why has no CFL player since Toronto's Rocket Ishmail, who represented a soft-drink company more than a decade ago, had a major sponsorship deal?
"We need to secure major corporate sponsors and team them with established stars," Rooke said. "There's a great opportunity for growth in this job. It's challenging, but there's nobody better qualified. I know I can make it work."
