Perry Lefko

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

Popp recently signed a four-year extension with Montreal

While Popp received an extension in Montreal, the same cannot be said for Maciocia in Edmonton.

It is somewhat of a coincidence that the only general manager the Montreal Alouettes, circa 1996, have had is given a contract extension only a few days after another Canadian Football League GM who began his career with the Als is fired.

GM Jim Popp received a strong vote of confidence from the Als organization on Wednesday when he was given a four-year extension, which means if he makes it to the end of this agreement, he will have been with the same organization for 20 years. Popp began with the Baltimore Stallions in 1994, and continued with the franchise when it shifted to Montreal in 1996. That’s an incredible run.

"In this business that’s not normal, especially in our league, to have a long-term deal," he told Sportsnet.ca. "A lot of people operate on strictly one- or two-year contracts. There’s no question. Winning helps you stay."

Compare that to Danny Maciocia, who began his professional coaching career as a volunteer with the Als in 1996. By 2001, he had become the Als’ offensive co-ordinator but left the organization the next season when Montreal changed head coaches. From 2002 to his dismissal last week, he experienced dramatic highs and lows. He won the Grey Cup as a rookie head coach in 2005 – beating the Als, no less – but found himself unceremoniously fired when the team started to fall from grace. It began in 2006 when the Eskimos missed the playoffs for the first time in 35 years. He divested himself of coaching after the 2008 season to concentrate on managing the team, but the Eskimos continued to struggle. He was canned when the team had a 0-4 record, last overall in the CFL.

There are myriad reasons why sports franchises replace general managers. Success does not always guarantee continued employment, but in some franchises, winning means a lot. The Eskimos’ domination during their five-year Grey Cup run from 1978-82, along with the run of the Edmonton Oilers in the '80s, made Edmonton the City of Champions. Coincidentally, both franchises have fallen precipitously. In fact, the Oilers were the worst team overall in the National Hockey League last year.

Now consider the Als, who have built up a history with a tradition of winning and excellence, in some ways similar to the Montreal Canadiens. They have not missed the playoffs since the relocation and have only had one losing season since 1996. That happened in 2007 when Popp coached the team during a turbulent time in the Als’ history. He took over from legendary head coach Don Matthews towards the end of the 2006 season and took the team to the Grey Cup, losing to the B.C. Lions.

He remained as head coach for the full 2007 season, one in which the team had problems on and off the field, posting a lackluster 8-10 record. Critics in the media called for Popp’s firing. Though he had to play without standout quarterback Anthony Calvillo for a total of six games due to injuries and a family issue, combined with turning over the roster with 24 rookies feeling changes had to be made, it was his record by which some in the media judged him.

"We made it a big change, but we were at a stage in our club where we were either going to sink or move forward," he said. "It’s the foundation of our team today…In order to stay at the top you’ve got to recognize and understand what the issues and the problems are because it’s evolving changes all the time.

"We can all find some talent," he added. "The reality is it’s having the ability to hire and find people that can get the job done and not to be afraid to surround yourself with good people. I think that’s one of my strengths and it’s not always just the players. You’re making the right choices to be able to have success. It’s a whole body of work. It’s a lot and it involves a lot of people. It’s not just one person."

The one thing Popp has had all along is the respect of the owner, Robert Wetenhall, who bought the team in 1997 and has backed him faithfully. It is a rarity in the CFL to have one owner – at least one who operates the franchise as a private company compared to community-owned – maintain proprietorship as along as Wetenhall. Losing money and/or losing games cause many owners to reconsider their investment.

"The owner trusts me," Popp said. "I can sit there and he knows when he has any questions, there’s no bull---- answer coming back. I just tell him the way it is. I can talk to him that way. I can tell him the way I see it, what I think. My opinion is what needs to be done. And that’s what he wants from me, and I know that I can give that to him, whether he agrees with me or not he respects me. He shows me respect to allow me to do that."

The Als have been to the Grey Cup more than any other organization in the CFL since 2000. But on the other hand, Montreal has as well lost more Grey Cups than any other organization during that period. It’s one of those glass half-full, half-empty types of things.

The Als can’t be called a dynasty because they haven’t won anything close to the Eskimos’ five consecutive Grey Cups, but they’ve been dominant throughout the past decade nonetheless. And Popp has been the consistent thread throughout.

"A lot of times in this business it’s what you done for me lately," he said. "You never feel that comfortable. It’s a tough business."

To illustrate that point, Maciocia had no idea that the Eskimos' board of directors voted to fire him leading into the team’s game last Friday, whether or not it won. They eked out a 28-25 win over B.C., and Eskimos president/chief executive officer Rick LeLacheur, who recommended the firing, publicly announced Maciocia’s dismissal. Maciocia had become so unpopular in Edmonton among the fans that the Eskimos' board decided it could not operate going forward with Maciocia. He simply had to go.

Popp will not offer any commentary on what happened to Maciocia because he is not part of the Eskimos’ organization and is not privy to how it operates. But really, it all comes down to one thing: the Eskimos, a franchise with a winning tradition, hadn’t been able to do just that, even with one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Ricky Ray. The Eskimos have won two Grey Cups since Ray joined the franchise in 2002. Maciocia played a vital role in Ray’s success.

But in the end, winning and losing in organizations known for success can ultimately come down to one person. It’s why Popp’s body of work has allowed him to stay employed in one organization for an incredible amount of time, while Maciocia’s time came to a sudden end. He had a run of 9½ years as a co-ordinator/coach and later GM, but winning – or conversely losing – became the only measuring stick in the end.

So while Popp is celebrating a new contract and continued stability, Maciocia will begin looking for a job next year.

As has often been said by the people that work in it, it’s a great game but a lousy business.