Boys and their toys. And Leaf fans (and taxpayers) will likely get screwed more. I say forget the NFL.
I liked this column in the Star.
NFL deal is just a start
Taxpayers, get ready to hold onto your wallets again
Sep. 6, 2006. 10:32 AM
DAVE PERKINS
First, the disclaimer: No taxpayers were harmed yesterday as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Rogers Communications officially rolled back the covers to begin consummating what undoubtedly will turn into a multi-billion-dollar sporting marriage.
The goring of the taxpayer assuredly will come later.
For the time being, there was Ted (Uncle Junior) Rogers smiling broadly from behind his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, finally and officially in the MLSE fold, as Larry Tanenbaum, his friend and Forest Hill neighbour, giggled like a young bride.
The first step is a sponsorship deal, Uncle Junior's telecommunications giant handing over a few measly million in a six-year deal to provide services to MLSE and, as King Richard Peddie put it, "to deliver our teams' content over many platforms.''
By that he means Leafs, Raptors, Marlies until they move away and the soccer team until it folds. Rogers provides a cable TV carrier, phone company, wireless provider, you name it. Don't be surprised if, one day, it all shakes down into pay-TV for Leaf games.
"We'll see where technology takes us,'' Uncle Junior said of the great unknown, but it sounds as if sooner rather than later you'll be able to watch Maple Leaf goals on your Rogers cell phone.
"For the appropriate fee, of course,'' he said, maintaining the correct $pirit.
The big dream, as was written here before and finally was confirmed by both men yesterday, is joint proprietorship of an NFL franchise for Toronto. That would be both Tanenbaum and Rogers as individuals, rather than MLSE and Rogers Communications, based on NFL ownership requirements. A few of the principals are jetting away to Cleveland, on Larry's private jet, to finalize a 2007 or 2008 NFL regular-season game in Toronto, likely a Browns game, as a precursor to landing an NFL franchise. Phil Lind, No. 2 man at Rogers, has been making nice with Roger Goodell, the incoming commissioner of the NFL.
Sure, sure, you've heard it all before about an NFL team for Toronto. But here are two awfully rich guys, governments in their pockets, already sharing their sports toys, now going public about the NFL. Asked the standard question about a suitable stadium, Tanenbaum mumbled about Rogers — and the Rogers Centre — now being part of the team.
But Larry likes to pour concrete. That's his business. It's not a stretch to see these two trying to line up our gullible governments to provide a new NFL-suitable stadium — and you just know who will be allowed to pay for it: (Read back to that first paragraph).
That's down the road. The majority of this new partnership obviously is.
"Larry and I have been successful in getting our groups together,'' Rogers said. "We hope to have more joint ventures in the future (but) as far as ownership (of MLSE) there have been no discussions.''
They'll start small, but both Uncle Junior and Larry made repeated references to more marketing opportunities and expanding the brand and so on. Nobody ever mentioned the word championship, but why bother? They never need to around here.
In the meantime, look at the other part of this deal. It's Rogers replacing Bell as communications provider and that much is significant. Bell Globemedia, a fraction of which is owned by the high sheriffs around this paper, owns 15 per cent of MLSE. That's actually two points more than Tanenbaum's holding company owns and Tanenbaum has first right of refusal if any MLSE ownership stock comes into play.
Now, think about it. Bell and Rogers are bitter rivals in the cup-and-string universe. Would any company in a strong ownership position allow its main competitor into an asset? No chance.
Both Tanenbaum and Peddie said ownership provides no exclusivity and that MLSE makes deals according to what's best for MLSE, not for any part-owner. Maybe, but it looks more likely as if Tanenbaum will end up with the Bell Globemedia ownership share, particularly considering the recent passing of Ken Thomson, the main individual player in Bell Globemedia.
It has been mentioned here before that things are happening at the top level of MLSE and it became official yesterday, when Rogers puts his/its foot in the Maple Leaf door. It's the beginning of big things, all right.
