Ottawa Franchise GM

[TheLionKing]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414075

[Toppy Vann]

Popp last week sure made it clear that Desjardins should get the Ottawa job. Sort of makes you think he knew something was up as he was very definite that he would be his choice and also how he kind of suggested that HAM was wrong to dump him after 2007.

Now who will be his HC and how fast will they make that pick? Got to think Lapo and Greg Marshall will be in the mix there or would Desjardins be looking for Marcel Bellefeuille formerly of HAM? In 2007 MB was OC to Charlie Taffe.

[WestCoastJoe]

Could be a good pick. Dunno at this time. There did not seem to be an obvious pick sitting around, available, like John Hufnagel, or Kent Austin. I hope Desjardins works out.

(Re one ex-Ottawa-GM ... Since the New Year has come, and Eric Tillman has not spoken out, I am wondering if his firing, with pay, from the Eskimos, included a no talk agreement until ... whenever?)

Montreal is certainly taking hits with its staff. But I expect Jim Popp to make good hires.

Go Red Blacks. (Dunno about that name. Too far outside the box?)

[MykAussie]

At least now there seems to be increased good interest here in Ottawa. For too long I was worried that not many people here cared about the CFL. I moved here in June 2010 from Calgary will always be #1 Lion though!

[Toppy Vann]

Could be a good pick. Dunno at this time. There did not seem to be an obvious pick sitting around, available, like John Hufnagel, or Kent Austin. I hope Desjardins works out.

(Re one ex-Ottawa-GM ... Since the New Year has come, and Eric Tillman has not spoken out, I am wondering if his firing, with pay, from the Eskimos, included a no talk agreement until ... whenever?)

Montreal is certainly taking hits with its staff. But I expect Jim Popp to make good hires.

Go Red Blacks. (Dunno about that name. Too far outside the box?)

If ET had a contract that was not paid out then then the contracts must be paid out under Canadian law BUT the terminated person has a duty and obligation to mitigate the loss to the organization and in law is obligated to seek work. BUT, in reality most firms don't hound the guy but there have been times where a firm has knowledge that their fired guy is turning down jobs that should be taken and they have made issues of it. I thought Greg Marshall's comments in Vancouver could get a trigger happy organization furious in that he sort of intimated he was in no rush to get back - something like that. But when confronted people can just say that was a flippant media comment and show that they have been making progress on getting to work again.

Cortez is a good example. He had a long deal with HAM but now that he his hired in Sask as OC there must have been a payout by HAM or agreement to keep paying him something on that contract but not all of it.

As to non-disclosure agreements many organizations do require that in the event someone is terminated but in the ET there is not much to say. They fired him and now have the balance of his contract to pay out on.

I have been a supporter of the skills of ET as a GM but as a CFL supporter who believes that this game must grow I am adamantly opposed to non-residential GMs in the CFL. How he failed to move to Edmtn and his long absences if all true as published in the media are grounds for termination in my opinion.

As to Ottawa in the CFL I am skeptical except that the owner is a long term sports owner from Ottawa.

As to the new GM, he should do fine but yikes a new team from the start has such a huge upward battle it is not likely a job like Wally or Hufnagel have.

[the-real-hugo]

(Re one ex-Ottawa-GM ... Since the New Year has come, and Eric Tillman has not spoken out, I am wondering if his firing, with pay, from the Eskimos, included a no talk agreement until ... whenever?)

I would believe the silence is more of Tillman's own strategy, not something forced on him by the Esks. If ET has desires to return to a GM role down the road, the more time that passes, the more his tenure in Edmonton will be solely about the Ricky Ray trade. Now, as bad as the trade was, that can be passed off as one major blemish and a new team can let this one mistake go considering his record. But, all the rest of the crap in Edmonton that ultimately led to his dismissal wasn't a "one off" mistake, they were day to day choices. It would certainly hinder his future employment.

Also of note, I'm quite sure one of the Edm. media mentioned that ET's contract included a clause for a reduced buyout if he was terminated. Unfortunately, I can't find a confirmation on this.

[cromartie]

RedBlacks is a terrible name.

But Desjardins will prove to be a very good selection, I think. Every top tier GM needs a good underboss, and Desjardins has done very well in that role over the years.

[the-real-hugo]

Agree, cromartie. I think Desjardins is a what the franchise needs in the front office.

[Toppy Vann]

http://www.ottawasun.com/2013/01/25/qa- ... -jeff-hunt

Saw this Q&A with the owner. That Red Blacks seems like a done deal. He explains it in this session.