As a curious twist Calgary is usually seen as Canada's most 'American' city.This article from http://www.globeandmail.com was sent to you by ().
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globeandmail.com, Monday, September 17, 2001
Stampeders seek damages from CFL
By DAVID NAYLOR
>From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
BREAKING NEWS
Montreal As people and businesses around North America continue to count their losses in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks on the United States, the Calgary Stampeders want the Canadian Football League to pay for theirs.
The Stampeders organization sent a letter to the CFL office Monday informing commissioner Michael Lysko that it plans to ask the league for damages resulting from the postponement of its game Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
That game was rescheduled for Monday night.
"[Calgary owner] Siegfried Gutsche and The Calgary Stampeder Football Club Ltd. will be looking to the CFL and those franchises of the CFL that participated in this illegal decision making process to reimburse [Calgary owner] Mr. Gutsche and the Calgary Stampeder Football Club Ltd. for any losses or damages which they may suffer as a result of this unconstitutional and illegal action," the letter said.
The letter was printed on the letterhead of the Calgary law firm Scott Hall and was signed by lawyer Lorne W. Scott, who is the team's secretary treasurer.
However, Gutsche said Monday it was not his intent to sue the league for damages.
"I don't think you'd call it legal action," Gutsche said. "If they think they're going to be sued, all the better. Maybe they'll react. The problem with suing us is we have to collect from ourselves. I was a little bit miffed, that's all.
"If there is a financial loss, I wouldn't be looking to the entire league [for compensation]. I should be looking at the individual who made the decision that affected these teams. But suing? No, that would not be in the interest of the Calgary Stampeders."
The decision to postpone the games Friday, after a decision on Thursday to play them, was made by commissioner Michael Lysko, who was supported by, among others, Montreal owner Robert Wetenhall.
When asked his thoughts on the Stampeders' complaint, Wetenhall, who was at Monday night's game against the Toronto Argonauts, said the league had acted properly.
"My thoughts are not on that particular issue," he said. "My thoughts are on all the sad families in America who have lost people. The economics of the CFL are not an issue when it comes to doing the right thing. I'm glad the commissioner made his decision. It was the right decision, the courageous decision."
Gutsche said he was upset that the league postponed the games after a Friday conference call during which the league's board of governors voted unanimously to play them.
"We [the owners] are a small group of eight people and last week was a very emotional time for everybody," he said. "The Calgary Stampeders didn't mind the games being moved. The only thing we object to was not being contacted and that goes through the league. Five, six other teams were not consulted either. The board of governors should have found out when we were playing games through the league office, not through the radio."
Lysko said Monday that within hours of last Thursday's conference call with board of governors, the feeling to play was no longer unanimous. Several governors, he said, had a serious change of heart. That, along with misgivings expressed by several of the league's players and coaches, convinced the commissioner that it was in the best interest of the league to postpone the games.
Since then, Lysko has been the target of stinging criticism from both the Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers over what his decision might cost them in terms of revenues. Bombers' president Lyle Bauer said on the weekend he was considering sending a bill to the league.
While Lysko refused to comment on the letter delivered by the Stampeders, he was clearly bothered that Calgary and Winnipeg have chosen to air their beefs in the face of such serious tragedy elsewhere.
"It's a very difficult situation and I don't think it's time for anyone to be pointing fingers," Lysko said. "We should all understand that there are much, much, much bigger issues at play. This week's events make this whole issue with these clubs seem awfully petty. But I'm not going to judge the people in those cities because I think eventually they will realize we made the right decision."
"We [the league office] had the right to make this decision, they were consulted, albeit not reconsulted, and we were dealing in real time with an extremely sensitive issue. I had to make an executive interest in what I thought was the best interest of the league."
Lysko, who said he has never thought of resigning over this issue, said he was considering whether to fine those clubs which have publicly criticized the league over its decision.
"Any consideration of a fine will be withheld because of the range of emotional issue involved," he said.
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