By Duane Forde,
CFL.ca
God Bless Frank D’Angelo if his interest in becoming a Canadian Football League owner is sincere but his actions to date are enough to make Horn Chen suspicious. Conveniently, he first expressed his desire to purchase Ottawa’s Canadian Football League franchise a few days after they had suspended operations for the 2006 season. His excuse for waiting to get involved was that he was completely unaware that they were in trouble. This suggests one of two things about Mr. D’Angelo. Either he doesn’t follow the CFL very closely (which would be surprising given that his band frequently plays at Toronto Argonauts pre-game parties) or he’s not telling the whole truth. Whatever the case, the implication is the same…he is not qualified to own a CFL team. This is particularly true in the nation’s capital where the following qualities are mandatory for any future owner/ownership group to be successful:
1. The credibility of the individual or group must be obvious and their reputation virtually spotless.
2. One of the primary concerns of the individual or group must be earning the trust of Ottawa football fans.
3. The individual or group must demonstrate an understanding of the Ottawa market and its history.
4. There must be a commitment to building a competitive and entertaining football team.
5. The individual or group must be willing to cooperate with the league office and learn from the business practices of other successful CFL organizations.
By all outward appearances, Frank D’Angelo fails to meet any of these requirements. Admittedly, it would be unfair to question his reputation or credibility as a businessman as he has clearly run successful companies. His motives though, are questionable. Appearing alongside well-known former athletes in commercials for his products is his prerogative but, in the context of a prospective club owner, it negatively impacts his credibility. To those who don’t know him, he could easily be perceived as a camera-loving, self-promoter who would do anything to rub elbows with famous athletes (some might use the term “jock sniffer”). As a result, it appears as though he has come forward at this time to take advantage of photo opportunities, get free publicity for his products and, if he actually bought the team, to socialize with the players.
In addition, by proposing to rename the team after his brewery and frequently alluding to the natural connection between football and beer, D’Angelo has made it abundantly clear that the team’s greatest value to him is as a vehicle to promote sales of his beer. The team name comes off as especially self-serving considering that the brewery is nowhere near Ottawa. While his other businesses will generate more profits than a CFL team, publicly treating the club as a low priority will do nothing to earn the trust of fans in the capital region or convince them that he’s in it for the long haul.
Furthermore, anyone with an understanding of the Ottawa market would recognize the importance of marketing local sporting events as family entertainment. The beer and cheerleaders that are so critical to D’Angelo’s pitch are generally not considered cornerstones of such a family approach. Also, fans in Ottawa have spent the past decade being let down by owners who made brash entrances. At this stage, the city’s football fans will only be won over by substance, so it would be more effective to replace the hype with a touch of humility.
As far as building a competitive team goes, D’Angelo’s recently unveiled plan to take over in Ottawa included talk of a new team name and logo, redesigned uniforms, an impressive dance team, pre-game and halftime bands, and, of course, selling beer. What his proposal lacked, however, was a clear plan for the actual football operations. That might be an important aspect of building a winning team.
On the topic of working with the league, the CFL has expressed its desire to take time to ensure that the sale process is handled efficiently and to deal with the Ottawa situation away from the media spotlight so as not to distract from the excitement of the new season. D’Angelo’s decision to go public with his plan speaks volumes about his willingness to cooperate with the league and his level of concern for what’s best for the CFL as a whole.
If Frank D’Angelo’s interest is in fact sincere then he is going about proving it in completely the wrong manner. Also, given his connection to the Argonauts, if he was such a strong candidate to purchase the Renegades, one would think that the well-respected Toronto ownership team of David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski would have encouraged him to come forward during the league’s well-publicized search for an owner. Regardless, if this campaign is more legitimate than it appears on the surface, then good luck to those involved.
By the way, The Score Television Network is interested in buying the Ottawa Renegades and changing the name of the team to CFL Snap…just kidding (if you don’t get it, look below).
Duane Forde was a CFL fullback for 12 seasons and was a member of the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders in 1992 and 1998. He co-hosts CFL Snap on The Score.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
