Perry Lefko

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.

The Caretaker, Bob Young.

Bob Young is prepared to spend $74 million towards a new stadium and the city of Hamilton.

I'm not sure if Bob Young plays poker, but he sure knows how to play the trump card.

And, no, I don't mean Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, when a facilitator announced his findings and solution on the battle between the City and the Ticats' owner (who calls himself the Caretaker) over a stadium site for the 2015 Pan Am Games, Young unveiled a letter that was like the ace he was waiting to use at the precise time.

The letter was addressed to Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who is at odds with him over the stadium and members of city council, and posted it on the Ticats' website. Here is the salient information: Young is agreeing with facilitator Michael Fenn's recommendation to consider a site that neither the city nor Young had championed. Young likes the alternate chosen site because it fits in with his desire to have it near the highway for greater visibility for a company/corporation/individual wishing to pay for naming rights and for greater opportunity for parking and access.

"The location of the compromise stadium would be very convenient for most fans," Young stated in the letter, and would "have a great deal more multi-purpose flexibility."

Young is prepared to spend $74 million in his commitment to the new stadium and the city, including $15 million to the cost of the stadium and the area around it. Sportsnet.ca had already reported he planned to pay at least $10 million.

The club will operate the stadium and cover the estimated annual operating cost of $3 million per year for the 10-year period outlined in the initial management contract. The club will assume the transition costs between today and the opening of the new stadium. It is scheduled to be ready at least a year in advance of the Games.

The Ticats would commit $14 million to bring two Grey Cup Games to Hamilton as soon as possible, and indicated the quantifiable economic benefit to the community will exceed $200 million. That may be a stretch given that Toronto recently outlined a report stating the economic benefit at about $100 million, but perhaps that figure will swell to twice that amount by about 2014. But let's not quibble.

The Ticats last played host to the Cup in 1996. It cost at least $4 million to buy the rights to the Cup from the CFL, but it could add up to profits of potentially $6 million for the team.

Young is also suggesting a desire to have a professional soccer team in Hamilton. He said purchasing and establishing a new professional team in Hamilton will require an investment of more than $5 million over the first few years of operations.

Young is also planning to enter into a long-term strategic marketing program to communities within 90 kms of Hamilton to encourage them to attend Tiger-Cat games and spend time in the city. It is Young's belief -- and forgive me if I find it a little sensational given the disappointing turnouts for games that contribute to losses of some $5 million annually operating the team -- that the Tiger-Cat brand is amongst the "strongest in North America. This is a reflection of the tremendous fan loyalty that has evolved over many years. Our fan base, web interest, and viewership are amongst the highest in the CFL."

Well, it's his letter and he can play with the facts as he chooses, given that he's prepared to continue putting his money where his mouth is. He bought the team from the CFL for $2 million after the 2003 season when nobody wanted it, and he's lost some $4 million annually during that time operating the Cats, who for the most part have floundered on the field.

"It is time to move forward. There is so much more that binds the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats than divides us," Young stated in the letter, adding a generation of Youngs have lived and worked in the community since 1870. Young lives in North Carolina now, owning and operating software companies that have made him a multi-billionaire, but his commitment to the city and the Ticats is strong.

A wise man might have bailed on the team long ago given that it is an annual license to lose money. Young's truculent president, Scott Mitchell, has repeatedly said the team is not for sale, amid speculation the good mayor had a person willing to purchase the Cats. The individual, though he didn't identify him, is Daryl Katz, the Edmonton Oilers' owner who has teamed up with Anschutz Entertainment Group, which is one of the world's largest operators of arenas, to build an infrastructure in the downtown core and buy some city-owned/operated buildings.

Let's just say the Tiger-Cats aren't ready to become the Tiger-Katz just yet, if ever.

By Wednesday, Hamilton city council is expected to decide whether or not to move forward on one site, specifically the one recommended in Fenn's report. It is expected the province, which owns the land of the newly-proposed site, will apply pressure to stop the bickering and go forward in a unified manner. The Pan Am Games committee gave Hamilton a deadline of July 8 to decide or risk losing the right to be the site for track and field. It is only scheduled to be a 15,000-seat stadium, but it will be doubled to account for the Ticats’ eventual move there.

We're quite sure Caretaker Bob had a cadre of people who helped him conceive his plan, and that his intentions were to unveil it just when it appeared he might consider moving his team. Sportsnet.ca first reported Young had been contacted by the representatives of three municipalities near Hamilton which were willing to relocate his team, Burlington being the likely site.

However you look at it, the ongoing dispute between Young and the city appears to be over, or so we think.

It's been somewhat of a soap opera in recent weeks. Call it the Young and Restless.