Elliot Maisel, an AL-based beer distributor, is reportedly
ready to buy the Ottawa Rough Riders. Maisel could finalize the
deal as early as Wednesday. Team officials indicated the only
item holding back the deal was a potential offer from Chicago
restaurateur Horn Chen. Rider President Phil Kershaw also met
with Florida developer and leader of the Orlando baseball bid,
Norton Herrick. Herrick was "only letting the CFL know he was
interested in a team for Orlando as soon as possible." Maisel
and four partners would buy the club from current Owner Bruce
Firestone and sell it back to local interests after two years and
"purchase an expansion team for Mobile, possibly as early as
1997." The price of the franchise is reportedly close to $3M
(Don Campbell, OTTAWA CITIZEN, 2/14).
SPEROS SAID BALTIMORE IN THE RED: Baltimore CFL Owner Jim
Speros said that although his team led the league in attendance,
he lost $648,000 on the team. Speros said he would have drawn
even if not for the instability around the league (Ken Murray,
Baltimore SUN, 2/12).
