Lions’ and Argonauts’ owner David Braley resigns from Senate: what will that mean for the CFL?

Tuesday's big Canadian political news saw Conservative senator David Braley resign his seat, perhaps in protest of the decision to suspend three other senators without pay over various expenses scandals, perhaps because ofhow those senators are making the chamber look or perhaps just to spend more time at home. Regardless of why he made this decision, though, it could have notable CFL implications. Braley, a former CFL commissioner and a long-time power broker in the league, currently owns both the B.C. Lions and the Toronto Argonauts (after controversially secretly funding the latter team before buying them outright in 2010), and although he said this fall he's looking to sell both teams by 2016, neither sale appears particularly close right now. He might have more time to focus on selling those teams (and getting the Argonauts a new stadium, an efforthe's currently heading up) now that he's not in the Senate. However, Braley's departure from the Senate also leaves the CFL without one of its most notable governmental allies.

Does that matter? Well, it might. Despite the lacklustre fan support for the Bills in Toronto series (underwhelming for everyone but Rob Ford, at least) and that series' potential positive effect for the CFL as a delaying tactic, the chances of the NFL coming to Toronto on a permanent basis are still far from zero in the long run, and the rumoured interest from Jon Bon Jovi and his Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment pals would only seem to raise those. The last time serious noise was made about moving an NFL team to Toronto, NDP MP Peter Julian brought forward legislation in the House to give the CFL governmental protection, but that didn't get too far. That might change if the NFL threat was clear and present rather than vague and far-off, but having an influential politician like Braley onside certainly wouldn't hurt any pro-CFL legislation's chances.

Braley also likely played a role in the governmental funding for the 100th Grey Cup last year (which didn't exactly go to him, despite what some critics claimed. His leadership on the Argonauts' stadium front was also likely enhanced by his profile as a senator. It's not that the team will be completely unable to strike a stadium deal without Braley in the Senate or that the CFL's suddenly going to go under in the wake of an NFL invasion without him there, of course, and Braley has said this move won't affect his ownership of the Lions or the Argos, so it's not like a sale of either team is imminent. Still, his resignation from the Senate might not be a good thing for the CFL, which has lost one of its most prominent political allies thanks to this.