Chris O’Leary
Edmonton Journal
In a city starving for a winner, Len Rhodes has high hopes for the Edmonton Eskimos this year.
The Eskimos president and CEO knows a winning team often means the bottom line is a winner, too.
“Putting a competitive club on the field is what’s going to sell tickets and we recognize that,” Rhodes said on Tuesday afternoon at the Eskimos’ annual general meeting, which serves as a report to the shareholders of the Canadian Football League club.
“Stability, as well as building from a strong foundation,” Rhodes continued. “We have an aligned team, we share a common vision. Everyone that’s working around this club, on and off the field, wants to win and (general manager) Ed Hervey himself, there’s nothing more that he wants to do than win.
“We’re putting the building blocks in place and it’s about continuous improvement.”
The Eskimos’ consolidated net profit for the 2012 calendar year was $207,060, down from $473,471, but Rhodes said that lower number is due to structural changes made in the past year. A plethora of nine-game injuries played a part, as did the absence of a home playoff game, which Edmonton had in 2011. Transition costs — including the departure of GM Eric Tillman in November and two other senior executives, as well as outgoing president Rick LeLacheur — were a factor and game-day costs also came out of the net profit.
Rhodes said he was happy with the 2012 profit.
“We are not-for-profit, but we can generate more dollars at the bottom line. It’s about re-investing in football operations and putting it right back in the community as well,” Rhodes said after his first full year as Eskimos president.
“I’m really excited about the fact that we have a great football community. It’s really what is the most motivating factor of all. I’m disappointed in the sense of our performance. (Finishing) 7-11, that’s not to our standards in Edmonton and we’ve got to fix that, but overall, I’m very proud because of the changes we made and what it bodes for the future and what it holds now.”
The revenue, the community presence and the value that the community places on the Eskimos all go hand-in-hand with winning, Rhodes said.
“We want a winning record, that’s where it starts. The financials will always follow when you have a winning record, but (last year) we had some great wins, we had record revenues last year, but expenses went up. We had more injuries than we ever experienced in the club’s history.”
When a player is on the nine-game injured list, he doesn’t count against the team’s salary cap, but the organization still has to pay him.
Looking ahead to the 2013 season, Rhodes said fans will enjoy new seats at Commonwealth Stadium sooner than expected.
“Originally, the seat installation was supposed to be finished by the end of this calendar year, so we’re actually ahead of schedule. The weather delayed things to get started this year, but the lower bowl will be about 95 per cent complete by the pre-season game (June 14 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders) and the upper bowl is destined to be done by the end of September.”
The new seats in the upper bowl are visible to those driving past the stadium, looking west, and are a lighter green than the seats already installed in the lower bowl. Rhodes’ ongoing goal is filling those seats.
“I want more fans in the seats and the rest will come,” he said.
The Eskimos averaged a league-best 33,975 spectators last season.
“I want 40,000 fans for every single game. We should be proud that for 11 years in a row, our fans have really stood up. Let’s fill the stadium. (The season) starts with Saskatchewan in the pre-season and our home regular-season game (on June 29). No better way to lead into the year.
“Our fans have great passion. We owe them a great product. We can’t promise them that we’re going to win every game, but I can promise you one thing: With Ed Hervey, (head coach) Kavis Reed, all of the staff that are supporting us, we have one objective and that’s to be at the Grey Cup.”
Shareholders at Tuesday’s meeting elected three new members to the board of directors. Janice Agrios, Q.C. partner at Kennedy Agrios LLP; Douglas Cox, the CEO of Touchstone Holdings, Ltd.; and Marshall Sadd, the president and CEO of the Lloyd Sadd Group, were all voted in to serve three-year terms.
They’ll replace Allan Sawin, Diane Brickner and Harold Roozen, who concluded their terms. Bruce Bentley, who was previously the treasurer, was elected as board chairman, whiel John Moquin is the new treasurer and Chris Bruce the secretary.