Best owner we ever had… :thup:
Interesting stuff.
In the early 1970s, Ballard made an application for a second Canadian Football League team to be based in Toronto, to play at Varsity Stadium, but the proposal never went anywhere. In 1974, when his former partner John Bassett put the Toronto Argonauts up for sale, Ballard offered to buy the team for $3 million, but his offer was rejected. Shortly after, Ballard tried to buy the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from owner Michael DeGroote, but that offer was also rejected. Three money-losing seasons later, in January 1978, DeGroote contacted Ballard and sold him the club for $1.3 million. Federal Labour Minister John Munro—from Hamilton—led an unsuccessful campaign against the deal. Later that year, Ballard helped block Bassett's attempt to repurchase the Argos.Under Ballard’s ownership, the Tiger-Cats made it to the Grey Cup championship game in 1980, 1984, and 1985, and won the Cup in their fourth attempt in 1986. As owner of the Tiger Cats, Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year. In 1986, Ballard publicly called the Tiger Cats a bunch of overpaid losers.[21] After the Tiger Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts in the 1986 Eastern Final, Ballard said “You guys may still be overpaid, but after today, no one can call you losers.? A few days later, the Tiger Cats won the 1986 Grey Cup by beating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15 and Ballard said it was worth every penny.
Ballard sold the team after the 1988 season. During his tenure, he repeatedly threatened to move the franchise to Toronto (45 miles east). He had lost an estimated $20 million over 11 seasons with the Tiger-Cats.[22]
Surprised no one has mentioned the Ballard Cup. Its a trophy that goes to the winner of the season series between the Ticats and Argos.
In 1974, when his former partner John Bassett put the Toronto Argonauts up for sale, Ballard offered to buy the team for $3 million, but his offer was rejected.3 million dollars in 1974 was a tremendous amount of money at that time, and tallies to approx $14,700,000 with current inflation.
Needless to say, but Bassett made a serious error in judgement. :o