Alright, fine - The Renegades

It should come as no surprise that I am quite glad the CFL has suspended the Renegades, although I would be happier if they were folded altogether. I remember being shocked back in 2002 when the league announced that a franchise would return to Ottawa. Wha? Huh?

The question of why football returned was never answered. There was no outcry from fans in Ottawa for its return (at least that I was aware of). It really didn't make any sense to come back to a city that was at best lukewarm to the idea of professional football. Ottawa suffered throughout the 1990s, and the city and league were humiliated by its one-time owners, the infamous Gliebermans. The father-son tandem were notorious for meddling with the on-field product which lead to the resignations of several assistant coaches, not to mention fan indignation.

Cut to 2004. The Watters family, apparently shocked that they were losing money thanks to fickle Ottawa fans, bailed thus leaving the league to find suitable owners. And who should these new owners be? Why, the Gliebermans, of course. At this point, everyone associated with the sale of the franchise should have been fired. This means the commissioner, the committee set up to sell the team, and all 8 board of governors should have been told to get their coats on, and leave. It was a COMPLETELY moronic move to involve the Gliebermans again. Did they think Ottawa fans forgot what had happened 10 years earlier, or that somehow the Gliebermans could make amends this time? The only possible outcome was the one we currently have - the franchise has been suspended, and I suspect that by next winter, the league will quietly announce the folding of the franchise, and hardly anyone will notice because the team doesn't physically exist anymore, other than a few jerseys and some football equipment.

It was stupid to put football back in Ottawa in 2002. This should only happen when a city craves it, in order to ensure it gets properly supported. A city like Halifax seems to have a strong deisre to have a team. However, I don't see this happening in Ottawa in the next 10 years. The league should instead get involved in communities like Halifax and Quebec City and help them get stadiums built. This is the first step in the expansion of the league. I think Halifax will eventually happen, especially if they are awarded the Commonwealth (?) games, and gets a 30,000 seat stadium that goes along with it.

In any event, the league will continue to be strong. Ratings will stay up. Fewer teams will lose money this year. Ottawa will come back to the league - but only when they decide they want to be part of something they deem to be valuable.