After being in the role for well over a year, I thought it was time I reached out to the fans with my own personal blog. Like my video blog, which I started about four weeks ago, this will be very informal. I plan to share my thoughts on a regular basis, ranging from my travels to interesting meetings to generally how the league is doing.

So let’s begin.

For the first four weeks of the season I was on the road visiting every stadium to help our teams kick off their home games. Some personal highlights for me:

• Hamilton: catching up with the Box J boys in Hamilton at the season opener. I had a quick visit at their tailgate party. They offered me a beer to help kick off the season – much appreciated guys as it was a hot night!
• Winnipeg: conducting my press conference with the roof of the stadium leaking into buckets right next to where I was speaking. I hope David Asper can pull off the stadium project. It will be great for Winnipeg and great for our league. It is needed.
• Saskatchewan: being at the season opener in Regina. It was a sea of green. I had a chance to speak to all of the fans during the pre-game celebrations. Thanks for the warm reception
• Toronto: great to see 31,000 fans at the game – just shy of a sell-out in the newly configured Rogers Centre. I still like to call it SkyDome. It was a big night with Hamilton pulling off the upset.
• Montreal: it was a beautiful night at the season opener. It is amazing sitting in the stands on the mountain side and looking back over the city. What a spot! Bob Wetenhall, the team owner told me his friend, Don King, the boxing promoter was coming up for an Als game a few weeks later. Our TSN guys put him in the booth during the game. Don was awesome and very funny on TV!
• Edmonton: as I was coming off the field after doing a half-time interview with TSN about Bobby Ackles (I will talk more about Bobby later on) a fan yelled to me to come sit with him. Everyone in the section laughed at the invitation, thinking there is no way the Commissioner is going to sit there. Well I took him up on the offer (that surprised everyone) and sat through much of the third quarter. It was a lot of fun – more fun than sitting up in a box!! Thanks for the invite.
• Calgary: was there for the game between Calgary and Hamilton. Luckily the stadium just missed a huge lightning storm that was brewing in the distance. The fans in Calgary know how to party – 2009 Grey Cup will be a blast there.
• BC: was in Vancouver for the private celebration of Bobby Ackles life and then returned the following week for the Winnipeg Game where we celebrated Bobby after the game. Bobby was an amazing person. He had a passion for our game and our league that is truly unmatched. He has passed the torch on to all of us to make sure the league is strong and growing – the best way to do it is bring your kids out to games, toss around a football in your backyard with your sons and daughters and sit around with your family and friends to enjoy the Grey Cup on TSN. The most moving part of the ceremony was when 25,000 fans gave a standing ovation to Kay and the Ackles family. There was not a dry eye in the house. I miss Bobby!

It has been a great start to the season. The games are high scoring, the offence is back, quarterbacks are looking good and this past weekend, all four games came right down to the final few minutes, even seconds. That is what CFL football is all about.

It is great to see Canadians are rallying around our league and are responding to our new campaign, “This is Our League” with overwhelming support. If you have not had a chance, click on the link below to see the video we produced:

www.youtube.com/cfl

This weekend I will be at the Argos game with my wife Suzanne and then enjoying the long weekend with my family, our little two year old girl (who already knows a three point stance and how to tackle her Dad) and friends. It will be good to catch up with everyone and enjoy a BBQ while catching the Stamps and Riders game on Saturday night.

Have a great long weekend.

Will write again soon!

Mark