It's been a busy off-season for CFL commissioner
Tom Wright.
(CP File Photo)
Tom Wright is in a good spirits when he phones CBC on Tuesday.
Correction – the CFL commissioner sounds like he's in a fantastic mood.
"What's going on over there at CBC Sports Online?" he asks. "It's one day before the start of the season, the CFL on CBC is kicking into high gear and nothing much is going on over there?"
Wright's comments are a little startling. Was the commissioner's reputation as being soft-spoken, careful with his words and always on message unwarranted?
That's when the real interview starts.
As soon as he gets the first question, it's clear there's two different personalities to Wright – the upbeat friend and the reserved commissioner. His voice suddenly changes from excited to all-business and he answers with very little enthusiasm.
This lack of passion may be because this isn't the first time he's talked about subjects such as the future of the league, the return of the Gliebermans or his relationship with the CFL's board of governors.
His answers on these topics are detailed and well-thought-out. They've been refined and fine-tuned thanks to endless interviews with reporters for the past month.
But there is one subject that does get a little rise out of him – the topic of his future as commissioner.
Although the league is enjoying a popularity unseen in the past two decades, Wright's job looked like it was in jeopardy in May when some owners made it clear they didn't want to renew his contract, which expires in November.
After a heated 90-minute conference call, the CFL's board of governors reportedly agreed to give him a one-year contract extension – an offer Wright hasn't accepted yet.
"The information surrounding my contract negotiations are confidential," says Wright rather sternly. "I won't be making any comments about them. You might find some other people on the board that might, but not me."
What sparked the insurgency among some owners – rumoured to be Montreal, B.C. and Hamilton – was when Wright said a couple of months ago that the league needed to enforce its $2.6 million salary.
A salary management system is crucial for all teams to remain competitive, Wright argues, and he'll work with everyone to make sure it's a reality next year.
"I believe very firmly and strongly that we need to have the right kind of salary management system that will look for the economics of our league."
Wright has publicly said he would only remain as commissioner if he receives the freedom from the board of governors to run the league as he seems fit.
Many people believe he's done enough for the league to make those demands.
Television ratings have reached an all-time high and CFL football has enjoyed a rebirth in cities such as Vancouver and Hamilton under Wright's watch.
Last year, he found new ownership groups for the Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts.
Critics argue he didn't do enough to find a buyer for the troubled Ottawa Renegades, opening the door for the Gliebermans to return to the nation's capital and take over as majority owners in May.
Ottawa football fans didn't exactly cheer the re-arrival of the father-son duo. Many still blame them for the downfall of the last CFL franchise in the city.
Despite all of this, Wright defends the decision to allow them back in the league.
"I think people forget there were two ownership groups that followed Bernie when he last owned the Ottawa Rough Riders in the early 1990s.
"He loves the game, he's enamored with the community in Ottawa, he's totally committed to supporting and providing the resources to allow the team to flourish and grow.
"Last time I checked, most humans make mistakes and I think that's a measure of the individual to stand up and admit that he's made mistakes and he's learned from those mistakes."
Wright knew it would be a daunting learning curve as CFL commissioner, but said he has no misgivings about the last two and a half years.
"Not for one moment," he says, regaining the same conviction and energy he had in the first few minutes of the interview. "I think I've grown as an individual and as a manager and I feel I made a certain level of contribution to ensuring part of Canada's heritage is moving forward and getting healthier."
So does that mean Wright intends to stay at the post as long as possible?
"Under the right circumstances, absolutely," he says diplomatically.
