Success on the football field is all about timing.
Quarterbacks have a fraction of a second to pass to an open wide receiver. Defensive players have a split second to make a tackle.
Off the field, timing can be just as important and Jeff Hunt has mastered the art.
Hunt and his partners Roger Greenberg, John Ruddy and William Shenkman have led a well-timed pursuit of a CFL franchise in Ottawa.
Let’s start with the recent Grey Cup weekend in Montreal. This event happened to coincide with the news about Ottawa’s chance to host the big game in 2014 – if the city launches its own team (that’s a big if).
Apparently, CFL commissioner Mark Cohen had already promised the game to Hunt and his partners this past spring, when they took ownership of the franchise. But this was a detail that was kept from the media.
Smart move. The Montreal weekend was great for the city and the league, as more than 66,000 fans packed Olympic Stadium to watch the game.
Any Ottawa city councilor flicking past the game would be sure to see the dollar signs. A Grey Cup game pulls in revenue for both the city and local businesses.
Hunt’s decision not to unveil the Grey Cup ticket during the Lansdowne Live press conference was also a good one.
When plans were released for a new stadium, aquarium and farmers market at Lansdowne Live, some reflection time was needed.
Private funding alone for the project is projected to be around $120 million dollars, and the timing was wrong to push for other big budget items.
Asking the city to contribute to another project like the Grey Cup game would surely have pushed the panic button.
Besides, the 2014 announcement is even more meaningful now that interest has been raised about building the stadium.
If city council supports construction of Lansdowne Live there’s a significant incentive for revenue in return.
Sure, Ottawa has seen the ugly side of Canadian football, but this could be the best time to give it another shot.
The league is thriving, averaging over 28,000 fans each game, and TV ratings are on the rise. Plus, weak teams in Toronto and Hamilton would mean that the new Ottawa franchise would have a fighting chance for the playoffs in the Eastern Division.
It’s no secret that the CFL wants back in our nation’s capital. Cohon has stated that he hopes Ottawa is back in the league by 2011. Cohon also seems to believe Hunt is the man to make it happen.
And with Eugene Melnyk’s dream of a soccer stadium in Kanata slipping away, Lansdowne Live could be turn into a reality.
Meetings have been set in the upcoming weeks between Hunt’s partners and the city.
Everything seems to be falling into place for an Ottawa football franchise, but the city still has the final say.
With interest rising, councilors will be facing more pressure than ex-Hamilton Tiger-Cat Danny McManus did at the line of scrimmage.
Cohon has said he expects a decision to be made by January about whether the city will build a new stadium.
Hunt and his group have timed everything perfectly, but the city holds the ball now.