THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE www.cfl.ca CBJ THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Jeffrey Orridge Discusses Year Two In the Commissioner’s Office By Angus Gillespie The 104th Grey Cup presented by Shaw is coming to Toronto and will be played on Sunday November 27, 2016 at BMO Field. Pictured is CFL Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge and Toronto Mayor John Tory. THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Jeffrey Orridge Discusses Year Two In the Commissioner’s Office The 104th Grey Cup presented by Shaw is coming to Toronto and will be played on Sunday November 27, 2016 at BMO Field. Pictured is CFL Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge and Toronto Mayor John Tory. 4 COVER FEATURE » Canadian Football League The arrival of summer brings with it another action-packed season of the Canadian Football League, a national sport steeped in rich tradition from coast to coast. It’s the league made famous through decades of exciting, fire-brand of offensive play-calling as well as numerous notorious Grey Cup championships including the 1962 Fog Bowl at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium and the 1977 Ice Bowl in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, where the hometown Alouettes slid to victory over the Edmonton Eskimos in field conditions more conducive for hockey than football. Fast forward to last year and we had the Eskimos’ big victory over the newest kid on the block, the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Winnipeg. Jeffrey Orridge, CFL Commissioner OTHER THAN THE climate-controlled domed sports league in the nation, behind only the stadiums of Toronto and Vancouver, (and in the National Hockey League. past Montreal), the CFL has played its games in As the 2016 regular season recently kicked conditions ranging from intensely hot to freezing off at BMO Field in Toronto it brought about the cold and everything in between, which in many start of the sophomore year of the CFL’s 13th ways is a mirror reflection of Canada itself. It’s a Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge, who has big plans resilient league that has always persevered, even to take the league to the next level during his ten- during the ups and downs of some financially ure at the helm. The New York City native comes difficult rollercoaster years. But one constant is from a strong career background in sports and that the league has always retained a loyal throng business management. Prior to joining the CFL he of fans. In fact, a nationwide survey conducted was Executive Director at CBC Sports, previous to by the University of Lethbridge in 2006 deter- which he was at Right to Play International, Mattel, mined the CFL was the second most popular Warner Bros., Reebok and USA Basketball. 5 JULY 2016 « The Canadian Business Journal 6 COVER FEATURE » Canadian Football League Player safety and reducing injuries on the field remains front and centre for the CFL. “I believe that those experiences have really major sports league is every bit as good – if not positioned me well to take on the challenges better. He subscribes to the theory that in order here,” Orridge says, who began his career as a to be successful you must listen, learn, prepare, corporate lawyer right out of Harvard Law School. plan and execute. “I’ve been involved in sport but most importantly During the exclusive interview with CBJ, I’ve been involved in the business of sport.” Orridge says he really liked what he saw in his Orridge and his wife have lived in Toronto for first year with the CFL, which he’s been a fan of almost a decade now and have two young sons. for many years. He had himself hoped to have been a profes- “From a competitive standpoint, the games sional athlete, but being the commissioner of a were close, scoring was up and there was level of 7 JULY 2016 « The Canadian Business Journal 8 COVER FEATURE » Canadian Football League Until this year, BMO Field in Toronto had been used exclusively for soccer. Photo: Abazz/Wikimedia Commons “I inherited a drug policy, recalls. In terms of excitement, enthusiasm and which by a lot of standards unpredictability and all the things that you look was sub-par, so we went about to sport for, last season had it all.” enhancing that and making it It is readily apparent Orridge is a results- more transparent by having driven individual who recognizes that, to expand more meaningful sanctions and and improve upon a brand, it’s essential to developing a more robust drug directly address areas that are cause for concern. policy.” He believes that in order to remove an obstacle, you need to address it head on. If Orridge fol- – Jeffrey Orridge, CFL Commissioner lows through on his pledge to be proactive in solving problems, it can only make the league unpredictability in the outcome, which may have that much stronger. been unprecedented where there were so many “One disappointing aspect was the num- games that were decided by six points or less, ber of quarterback injuries,” the commissioner often in the last three minutes of the game,” he candidly states. “We certainly want to see our Check out the full Kubota lineup at kubota.ca Until this year, BMO Field in Toronto had been used exclusively for soccer. Photo: Abazz/Wikimedia Commons GREAT TEAMS REQUIRE GREAT LEADERS. Strong, powerful and reliable Kubota is a leader in the development of agricultural equipment. Proud sponsor of the Canadian Football LeagueTM. 10 COVER FEATURE » Canadian Football League marquee quarterbacks out there more often, but “Player health and safety has at the same time it gave some emerging talent always been paramount for the the opportunity to be showcased.” league for so many reasons. In the major leagues, off-seasons are every The players are our greatest bit as important – and busy – as the playing asset, not only on the field but season itself. It’s a year round mission to remain in the community as well.” on top of everything from a business standpoint. This past offseason was no different, with the – Jeffrey Orridge commissioner and his executive team aiming to make immediate strides towards enhancing the brand beyond its current scope. side,” Orridge says. “We’ve expanded other “Off the field there are many things that we rules and reduced the number of padded prac- accomplished in short order,” Orridge says. “I tices in working with the union on that. We’ve inherited a drug policy, which by a lot of stan- got an injury spotter in the booth now that can dards was sub-par, so we went about enhancing recognize if anybody is in distress for better that and making it more transparent by having assessment in executing concussion protocol.” more meaningful sanctions and developing a Orridge exudes a high level of energy and more robust drug policy. We instituted new anti- enthusiasm and his excitement for what’s ahead tampering rules related to coaches, as well as a is evident in his voice. It’s clear that he is proud of new branding and marketing strategy.” what the league has been able to accomplish dur- ing a very short period of time. He has identified several key targeted areas, and plans to do every- Player Health & Safety thing possible to make continued improvements. Player health and safety is always top of mind, “Player health and safety has always been but in a sport like football where violent collisions paramount for the league for so many reasons,” are part of the game, it’s even more crucial to do Orridge says. “The players are our greatest asset, everything possible to protect the welfare of the not only on the field but in the community as players, who are the primary assets. Part of such a well. Helping to ensure their high level of per- safety plan includes having officials who are well formance and longevity not only makes human in tune with the latest rules and regulations. sense but it also makes business sense.” “We launched officiating development Orridge believes that the fundamental including our exchange program with the NFL training he has accrued in terms of his legal along with an expanded use of replay. We’ve got background has certainly helped his cause. The a video official on the player health and safety role of the commissioner has evolved over time, 11 JULY 2016 « The Canadian Business Journal Mosaic Stadium in Regina is scheduled to open in July, 2017 and will be the new home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. “My role really is to continue to for new revenue streams and attracting a new help evolve this league and to generation of fans. All of that requires a strong meet and exceed the current business person, in addition to a lover of sport. fans’ expectations as well as to “My role really is to continue to help evolve attract the attention of that next this league and to meet and exceed the current generation of fans.” fans’ expectations as well as to attract the atten- tion of that next generation of fans,” Orridge adds. – Jeffrey Orridge having become far more comprehensive and Stadium Upgrades complex than it was in the past. We are now Although some regions of the country will bristle living in a society that is much more litigious at the notion, Toronto must be one of lynchpins and there are many more transactional com- to the league’s future success. That will be made ponents to sport. There are also the marketing infinitely more likely now that the Argonauts and licencing aspects and constantly searching have moved out of the cavernous Rogers Centre, B:8.5” T:8” S:7” 12 COVER FEATURE » Canadian Football League THE ALL-NEW 2016 NISSAN T:10.5” B:11” S:10” B.C.