Braley set to save Argonauts

The only thing David Braley says he enjoys more than a successful business venture is resurrecting a fallen CFL team.

It's the biggest reason the owner of the Lions sought to have his purchase of the Toronto Argonauts approved by the league's board of governors Tuesday.

The Hamilton-based league saviour signed off on a deal to buy the Argonauts from seven-year co-owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski that will give him control of teams in the country's two largest markets, and implied he did so almost with reluctance.

The Toronto co-owners, who were originally introduced to the CFL by Braley, couldn't build a stadium as promised, nor find partners or a league board willing to respond to their plea for revenue sharing.

Those failures sparked the transaction, which will close Friday.

But the challenge faced by league commissioner Mark Cohon to maintain order with Braley now in charge of two clubs in the eight-team league is matched by the task of rebuilding the Argos, 7-29 the past two seasons and struggling equally in the front office over the same time frame.

Braley vows he can prop up his new team at no risk to the Lions.

"The Lions are my team. I'm branded orange. People kept saying I would leave [after buying the Lions] and I'm still here 14 years later. They said [rebuilding the Lions] couldn't be done," said Braley.

"I believe that if you handle the [Toronto] market in a way that connects with the community, you can rebuild the franchise. It could take time. It could take five years."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though it has been reported Braley has invested in the Argos to the tune of $6.2 million, the amount of the team's debt.

Much of the deficit, however, could go away sooner rather than later, as it is expected Braley will have an option to purchase the rights to the Grey Cup game for two of the next three seasons. B.C. will play host to the 2011 Grey Cup.

Cohon, noting the CFL constitution allows for dual ownership similar to a structure adopted by Major League Soccer, must approve any transaction between the teams as a result of a resolution passed by the league board Tuesday mandating that the Argonauts and Lions operate separately.

Braley went a step further, telling The Province he will serve as league governor only for the Lions and Argos president Bob Nicholson will act for Toronto, with instructions to "vote independently."

"He's been very much a hands-off owner," Lions coach/GM Wally Buono said of Braley. "It's been seven years where ownership has respected the process and allowed football to be the priority issue."

Nonetheless, speculation will be top of mind whenever the teams do football business with one another.

Braley now employs his two favourite general managers in Buono and the Argos' Adam Rita, fired by the Lions owner after the 2002 season.

Rita then began a seven-year stint in Toronto, where his tenure was reaffirmed by Nicholson at a news conference Tuesday to announce the hiring of new head coach Jim Barker.

B.C. has five quarterbacks currently under contract, and Toronto has been in search of an offensive leader. Buono also is without a contract beyond the current season and unlike Toronto, the Lions are also without a club president.

Dual ownership will invariably lead to speculation, but the 68-year-old Braley said he is up for the fight. He said he has no plans to put the Lions in trust.

"I would say if I got really unhealthy around 75 I should look at passing it off, if you could find the ideal [ownership] candidate. That could be either market," said Braley.

"This will be no different than having two children. If my first [neck]tie is orange, my second one will have to be blue."

All the owner has to do now is work out a new place to watch games other than the sideline he has occupied with the Lions for more than a decade. Braley's two teams first meet July 23 in Toronto.

lullrich@theprovince.com