CFL B.C. Lions President Rick LeLacheur said the league's financial recovery from the COVID-19 padenmic will take "two or three years," according to Dan Barnes of the TORONTO SUN. LeLacheur, who also is a member of the CFL's player relations committee and BOG, said of revitalizing the league, "Everybody is going to have to participate in this to make it work. I think that's got to be the first priority." Barnes notes the league has to "reduce costs by at least" 20% and "increase gate revenues, its lifeblood, as much as it can to offset revenue lost to the pandemic." The CFL on Thursday "issued a formal request to the CFL Players Association to begin negotiations on an amended" CBA for '20 and '21. The current deal expires in '21 but the CFLPA "sent the CFL a list of items they believe require bargaining in advance of a shortened season." Player salary and benefits will "obviously be a focus and point of contention." Meanwhile, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie on Thursday announced that staff at the league office "took pay cuts of at least" 20% in April. LeLacheur said that the Lions' senior execs "took cuts" of 25%, even after the team "took advantage of a government relief program" (TORONTO SUN, 6/19).
