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Posted Feb 15, 2008, 8:17 PM
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working stiff
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Woodlawn Cemetery
Posts: 2,583
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SHOFEAR
Honest question....In the last, say, 25 years, how many of those years did the riders make money...or break even?
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I guess no one from Regina has any answers to the above question.
Here are a few articles describing past finances of the Riders and the CFL as a whole, I apologize for the roughness of my presentation.
Quote:
Riders' deficit $241,000; big dropoff last season in sponsorship and merchandise sales
REGINA -- Fielding a competitive CFL team cost the Saskatchewan Roughriders an extra $750,000 in 2004, which coupled with a post- Grey Cup financial swoon leaves the community-owned franchise with a $241,000deficit after last year's operations.
The numbers are contained in the team's official financial statement, which will be submitted for approval at today's membership meeting by outgoing treasurer Garry Huntington. The most striking number is a 14 per cent increase in the cost of football operations -- up to $6.23 million from $5.48 million in 2003 -- which helped cause the team's first deficit since 2002.
"We were expecting to make $100,000," said Huntington. "But we wanted to make sure things were clear going forward, so there was a raft of expenses, about four or five things, that we wanted to clear up."
In statements already distributed to the team's shareholders, Huntington attributes the increases in football operations to "quarterback (Nealon Greene) being on injury reserve for most of the season, higher CFL Players' Association medical premiums, team travel and training camp costs increasing." On the field the Roughriders advanced to the West Division final for the second straight season, although their record slipped from 11-7 in 2003 to 9-9 in 2004.
"We had our second-best year ever for gate receipts and those are going to go up again this year," Huntington said. "Thanks to our fans and sponsors, our revenues have risen and we have been able to stay competitive.
"We have put a number of things in place to insure we stay at that level. So I'm excited about our team going forward. Thanks to (general manager) Roy Shivers and (head coach assistant GM) Danny Barrett we're going to be competitive this year on the field."
Attendance, concessions, sponsorship and merchandise sales all slipped in 2004, one year removed from Regina playing host to a successful Grey Cup.
The biggest difference was a $1.1 million falloff in sponsorship and merchandise sales. And despite a 15 per cent slippage in attendance, because the Roughriders had bumped up ticket prices they still earned $4.8 million in gate receipts in 2004, which was below only their all-time high of $5.1 million in 2003.
Among the minor expenses the Roughriders disposed of was an additional $90,000 fee for disassembling the temporary bleachers used during the 2003 Grey Cup at Taylor Field, plus $36,000 as part of the CFL repaying a long-term loan from the NFL. Still, the Roughriders received $1.2 million as their share of the CFL's marketing, sponsorship and television revenues.
"That's one of the largest payouts we've ever received from the CFL," said Huntington. "Compare it to last year, when we got $600,000 because of the (league-financed takeovers of franchises in) Hamilton and Toronto. Now we have solid franchises there.
"The situation in Ottawa remains a concern to the league. Although the (Renegades) owners insist they will be there, it's no secret they're looking to restructure their ownership."
The Roughriders had been considered debt-free for the first time since 1985 after reporting a $27,000 profit in 2003. The team was $2.8 million in debt four years ago; the loan had been assumed by the provincial government, which forgave it two months ago as part of the franchise's fund-raising campaign to revitalize Taylor Field.
Huntington became the team's chair last year after Ron Clark stepped away from the position because of squabbles with the provincial government regarding his position as CEO of SaskEnergy. Huntington is resigning to spend more time with his family; vice- chair Graham Barker is expected to replace him.
The meeting starts at 10 a.m. today at the Ramada Hotel.
NOTES: Former Roughriders president Tom Robinson, who had been serving as the team's governor, has been elected as chair of the CFL's board of governors. While serving three years as the Roughriders' president, Robinson was also chair of the league's audit and finance committee. He replaces Paul Robson.
(REGINA LEADER-POST)
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Source - Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Apr 16, 2005. pg. B.3
Quote:
Sask gov't forgives Rider debt; [Final Edition]
Darrell Davis. Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Mar 1, 2005. pg. B.1.Fro
REGINA -- The provincial government is helping the Saskatchewan Roughriders' plans to upgrade Taylor Field by forgiving a $2.8- million loan to the community-owned CFL franchise.
In addition to using the money solely for the estimated $9 million project, the Roughriders have agreed to independently raise another $5 million -- mainly through the continued selling of Rider Shares -- plus reserve one spot on their board of directors for a government representative.
"We realize a part of our economy is tourism and entertainment, and the Riders play a big part in that," Eric Cline, Saskatchewan's minister of industry and resources, said during a media conference Monday inside Taylor Field.
"We have to be prepared to think big sometimes. One of the things that attracted us about this project is wanting Taylor Field to be upgraded to a national, if not a world standard."
The provincial government initially became involved in the Roughriders' finances by guaranteeing a loan the team had obtained from several financial institutions. The government later assumed the loan and last year, although the Roughriders were coming off a second straight money-making campaign, established a payback schedule that included annual interest payments and the complete repayment by 2009.
The City of Regina has already committed $1.65 million in support.
The Roughriders eventually plan to improve the grandstands, player and administrative facilities (which has already begun), upgrade sound and light systems, replace the artificial turf and install a new scoreboard and video-replay board. The replay board is supposed to be erected before the 2005 season.
"With the ongoing work of (head coach Danny Barrett and general manager Roy Shivers) to put a competitive product on the field, we're doing what we can to build a financial foundation so we can be a strong and viable club in the CFL," said Roughriders chair Garry Huntington.
The Roughriders believe improved facilities will make it easier to recruit and retain players, a touchy issue in the week following the loss of quarterback Henry Burris to the privately owned, free- spending Calgary Stampeders.
"Perhaps if they had announced this 10 days ago we could have signed Burris," said David MacLean, provincial director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
According to Huntington, money earmarked for the capital project will not be used for signing players.
"From the beginning the (federation) looked at this loan as a grant and that's what it turned out to be," MacLean said.
Cline defended his government's decision by stating it was involved in similar projects throughout Saskatchewan.
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Source - Darrell Davis. Star Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Mar 1, 2005. pg. B.1.Fro
Quote:
Team starting to win back fans; [Final Edition]
REGINA -- Now that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have stopped losing, there is hope the team's finances will follow suit.
The community-owned franchise began this year $2.469 million in debt after losing $675,000 in 1999. But with marginally bigger crowds coming to Taylor Field -- including the 30,000-plus expected to attend Sunday's annual Labour Day Classic -- the Roughriders are looking at a best-case scenario of breaking even this year.
Halfway through their 2000 home schedule, counting four regular- season games and a pre-season contest, the Roughriders are averaging 22,220 fans.
The Roughriders expect to collect $3.3 million in gate receipts, helped partly by this year's increased cost of $1 per ticket.
The team expects to receive more than $1 million from the CFL for marketing and television rights fees.
Saskatchewan's season-ticket base is 10,000.
"We're not going to change that this year," said Riders president Bob Ellard. "People are still coming out though, buying (10-ticket) voucher packages for this season. Hopefully we can build confidence in our team and help us sell more (season tickets) in the next few years."
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Source - Darrell Davis. Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Sep 2, 2000. pg. B.2
Quote:
Roughriders holding their own on the financial front; [FINAL Edition]
First the bad news. The Saskatchewan Roughriders lost about $285,000 in 1987 and the club's deficit now is more than $1 million. What's the good news? That $285,000 might be the smallest loss in the Canadian Football League this year. As team president Tom Shepherd said this week: "The bad news is, if that's the smallest loss, all the other clubs in the league are facing more difficult situations than we are." The Roughriders lost money despite cutting operating expenses by about $684,000 and increasing net gate receipts by about $1.2 million, primarily because revenue from television and radio broadcast rights was down $970,500 from a year ago. The Roughriders owe the city of Regina about $347,000 in amusement tax and will try to set up a long-term payment plan. To finance the remainder of the deficit, a line of credit has been arranged with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the Royal Bank of Canada and Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS: When Joe Faragalli took over as the Eskimos' head coach after the fifth game, he inherited five assistants. Faragalli will be officially appointed as the Eskimos' head coach but this time he will have the opportunity to select his own assistants. That has created a furore in Edmonton. It's no secret that offensive co-ordinator Steve Goldman and Faragalli have clashed and Goldman is looking for a job. Linebacker coach Mike Roach is also in a precarious position. Offensive line coach Gary Durchik's job appears safe and defensive co-ordinator Don Sutherin should also fine employment under Faragalli.
OFFENSIVE ON DEFENCE: It came as no surprise when the Stampeders fired Dan Daniels as their defensive co-ordinator. Daniels, a finalist for the Ottawa head job last year, almost had a players' revolt on his hands early in the season. The players couldn't undertstand why he was changing the approach to one of the CFL's best defences. The players' also had a great deal of difficulty understanding his new system.
WILL BO BE BACK?: Bo Jackson is going to Kansas City to play this weekend but apparently, he'll have to earn his way back for a return visit next spring. Jackson visits Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders when they play the Kansas City Chiefs. But Kansas City Royals manager John Wathan warns Jackson will have to prove he belongs on the Royals' roster in the spring. "If he doesn't make the club and has to go to Omaha, he might quit," Wathan said. "We have to live with that. That's a possbility, but he has to earn a spot."
Credit: CITIZEN
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Source - Tom Casey. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Dec 12, 1987. pg. E.6
Quote:
THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL Clear-cut problems cloud the future of CFL
00:00 EDT Thursday, July 10, 1986
This time, the doomsday prophets, who have been around almost as long as the CFL, may have a point. It could be a make- or-break year for Canadian professional football.
Only a last-minute season-ticket campaign saved the Calgary Stampeders; the Montreal Alouettes hung in the balance until Charles Bronfman and Imasco Ltd., the team's principal owners, agreed to again finance the club; the Saskatchewan Roughriders, out of the playoffs for the past 10 years, are having trouble selling seats; and the Ottawa Rough Riders, as usual, are not packing them in at Lansdowne Park.
In all, eight of the CFL's nine teams lost money in 1985, as attendance continued a decline that began at the start of the decade.
So what does the future hold for the CFL? The answer depends on who is doing the talking. League commissioner Doug Mitchell and general managers around the CFL are unfailingly optimistic, which is hardly surprising. Others, such as player agents, broadcasters and reporters, aren't so sure the league will survive in its present form.
No one has the answer to the CFL's troubles but most agree on what the biggest problems are.
Number one is the minor-league image the CFL has gained in cities in the Eastern Division. This has come about for several reasons: three teams (the B.C. Lions, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos) have dominated the league recently, which means the old problem of constant roster shuffling is exacerbated as the other teams juggle their personnel to find a winning combination; baseball has stolen too many fans in Toronto and Montreal, the CFL's two biggest markets; the National Hockey League has moved into four Western Division cities, three in the past six years, causing further competition for the sports dollar; and the United States Football League caused a player drain when it was active.
Hanging over all of this is the expiration at the end of this season of Carling O'Keefe's television contract with the league. The three-year deal brought the CFL $33-million, a badly needed influx of cash. If the CFL is unable to negotiate a new deal that's as lucrative, the financial body blow may be enough to finish the league.
On the plus side, Stampeder crowds are up dramatically, as the city rallies around a team that appears to be competitive. The Stamps drew almost 26,000 to an exhibition game and more than 27,000 attended the home opener.
It appears that three of the four Eastern Division teams may be competitive with the West this season. Ottawa has started strongly, as have the Toronto Argonauts. Hamilton, despite its slow start, should be competitive.
There is even reason for optimism in Montreal since Norm Kimball rode in from Edmonton, where he built the five-time champion Eskimos, to buy 10 per cent of the Alouettes and perform a rescue operation.
The league's image problem has lingered for several years and Argo general manager Leo Cahill puts the blame on the deference of Canadians toward things American.
"People here think that the National Football League is the answer and the Canadian Football League is minor-league compared to that, but that's not necessarily so," Cahill said. "They feel that if it's major-league in the United States then it's got to be better than anything they have.
"I don't know whether it's an inferiority complex or what. But the Toronto Blue Jays are here and when the New York Yankees are here there's so much more happening than when the Argonauts play Ottawa or Montreal. Before, there were such great rivalries between these cities."
Baseball can't be fingered as the only villain, though. The CFL has not helped itself in recent years with its revolving rosters and the weakness of the Eastern Division. When players are constantly on the move, the fans perceive the league as second-rate, especially when three teams dominate.
Mitchell has a quick response for those asking about the league's biggest problem.
"Competitive balance," he said. "And that leads to other problems.
"We ended up last year with three very good teams and Hamilton looked like a legitimate contender. When you have three winning teams and six losing teams, you have six teams trying to catch up and you have continual shuffling of personnel to try to catch up. If you had six, seven or more competitive teams, you wouldn't have those problems."
Kimball was known for his set rosters in Edmonton but the Alouettes haven't had that kind of stability this season.
"Why wouldn't you make them (changes) if you're not good enough?" Kimball said in defence of his player moves. "You can't have it both ways.
"If the media will understand, you first have to get to a level of excellence. You have to reach a level you can perform at before you can stabilize. You can't sit there and complain because the team isn't good enough. Then, when the teams change personnel, you say there they go again. The changes will stop here when they (Alouettes) are good enough."
Not all changes are made with improvement in mind, though. Once a player establishes himself as a star, he wants more money. Often, a general manager will economize and cut the player in favor of a younger, cheaper one.
Examples abound of this practice. The Argos have spent two years seeking a replacement for tailback Cedric Minter. They appeared to have one in Lester Brown in 1984, but he was released last year amid suspicions that Argo president Ralph Sazio was trying to save money.
Gil Scott, a Toronto agent who represents many CFL players, has his doubts about the motives behind roster shuffles.
"Different managers have different philosophies," he said. "They wouldn't want you to think they're replacing guys for reasons of salary, but I'm sure that happens in certain cases. Fans get to know players and like them. When you have a different guy every week playing a position it turns people off."
Cahill claims the roster shuffling is insignificant. People want to see a winner.
"I've been in the league 25 years and as long as I've been here there's always been shuffling," he said. "People say there's an identity problem with the Argos; that's why people lose interest.
"But with that '83 (Argo) Grey Cup team, there was very little identity with the team at the time. Nobody knew who Dan Ferrone and those guys were and yet when they won the Grey Cup it didn't keep a quarter of a million people from assembling downtown and cheering and tearing the town apart."
Three years later, many of the players from that Grey Cup team are gone. Also unsaid is the fact that Toronto drew less fans for its winning teams than its losers. From 1976 through 1978, when the Argos never had a winning record, the team averaged just less than 450,000 per season in attendance. In the Grey Cup year of 1983, the Argos drew 407,938. There has been a steady decline since, with 285,140 fans last year, the lowest number since 1967. So far this season, the crowds aren't any better. Only 13,000 turned up for an exhibition game and 24,100 were at the home opener.
A strong team in Toronto is seen as a must if the league is to survive.
"Toronto is the key," Scott said. "It's the hub of the league. It must be strong if the CFL is to carry on."
Steve Mazurak, executive director of the CFL Players Association, sees instability in the coaching ranks as leading to the constant player movement. When he feels the pressure to win immediately, the coach shuffles bodies to produce an instant contender.
"A big problem is the fact they don't sign coaches to long-term contracts," Mazurak said. "If a coach has a good contract, he can work with the younger players and build a team.
"When I hear that a coach like (Ottawa's) Joe Moss has signed a new contract that's just extended one year, what does that do? What you've got then is a panic situation in mid-season where a coach is teetering and he flies in 25 NFL cuts. Then all of a sudden people have to go to the newsstand or pick up a program to find out who's playing for their team."
One problem that appears to have been removed is the threat of the USFL. That league has stopped raiding the CFL for players and seems to be surviving on the hopes of winning its antitrust lawsuit against the NFL.
"From what the teams tell me, it (USFL) is no competition any more for players," Mitchell said. "From where I sit, you don't see anybody leaving for the USFL anymore."
NFL expansion into Toronto and Montreal has been raised as a possible problem for the CFL, but no knowledgable observers consider this a threat. The NFL could be forced to take in several USFL franchises as a result of the lawsuit. Also, there are other American markets without teams that would be considered ahead of Canadian cities. And the present antitrust climate works in the CFL's favor.
"I think I have my hand on the pulse up here better than anyone," Mitchell said, "and I don't see NFL expansion as a threat.
"I think, in view of the antitrust suits they've had in the U.S. and in view of the millions of dollars it's cost them, that they're pretty content to stay at home. I think they perceive us as a pretty good defence in antitrust action. We are competition for them."
The CFL's problems now are all at home. Attendance is even slipping in the once-solid West. Saskatchewan drew only 16,000 for its home opener. Even in Edmonton, where crowds of more than 50,000 jammed Commonwealth Stadium a few years ago, the Eskimo attendance is down. There were about 32,000 on hand for Edmonton's win over B.C. last week, a number that would have been disappointing a few years ago.
Television ratings are also off from the peak years of the late 70s, which bodes ill for the prospects of a new television contract.
In an effort to spur interest in the league, Mitchell has brought in an aggressive three-year marketing plan, introduced overtime, changed a few rules and reorganized the playoff structure.
The results of Mitchell's campaign are not likely to become apparent until next season, but so far this year, fan interest does not appear to be on the upswing.
Mitchell has been given a vote of confidence by the CFL's board of governors. He is in the last year of a three-year contract and has been offered a multi-year deal. Neither party is saying how negotiations are going, but Mitchell has not given the impression he plans to step down.
If his three-year program falls flat, there might be a change in plans.
Tomorrow: A look at the CFL's attempts to boost attendance.
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Source -
DAVID SHOALTS. The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont.: Jul 10, 1986. pg. E.9
Quote:
Football: CFL team has rough ride; [National/Late Edition]
REGINA - The community-owned Saskatchewan Roughriders are on track to lose $700,000 this year. Such a loss would put the CFL franchise $2.5-million in debt, $400,000 past the provincial government's loan guarantee. "Obviously the finances of this club are a concern," treasurer Tom Shepherd said. "It's not an immediate concern, but we certainly don't want to continue this way."
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Source - National Post. Don Mills, Ont.: Aug 19, 1999. pg. B.15
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