The Case for Cohon

Tuesday April 17th 2007 was a red letter day in the life of Mark Cohon as it was his first day on the job as the 12th commissioner of the Canadian Football league .and unlike several of his predecessors he is imminently qualified.His background suits the position perfectly with the emphasis he has displayed on marketing in his previous work experiences.

Mark Cohon is 41years old and is the son of Canadian business legend George Cohon.who was one of the original founders of Mcdonalds Canada.

Cohon was born in the United States but spent most of his formative years in Canada playing high school football at Upper Canada College and going to Argo games with his father at old Exhibition Stadium.

He then moved to the United Sates where he became involved with the NBA and Major League baseball in various marketing scenarios which raised his profile to the point where he was a highly respected player in major league sporting activities .

David Stern the NBA commissioner is such a good ally of Cohons that he is only an E-mail way and has already offerred to help Mark out when he needs some strategical assistance and has stated that "Mark played a key role in building the NBA brand internationally.from TV sales to grass roots campaigns,he gets it." This is an incredibly positive endorsement from a man who has been a commissioner of a major league sport longer than anyone in the history of all the major league sports.

Paul Beeston the former President of Major League Baseball who at one time was the General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and knows the CFL said "Mark will be a great Commissioner because he brings the right skills,the right personality and presence and a passionate understanding of what it takes to build a game both on and off the field.Marks appointment is great for the CFL and its fans"

Tim Brosnan the Executive Vice President of Business of Major League Baseball states that "Mark understands the nuances of serving many owners and building a shared vision for them to buy into"

Cohon returned to Canada from the U. S. five years ago and lives in the Toronto suburb of Rosedale with his wife and young daughter.

There is no doubt that Cohon understands the culture of the CFL game and its importance to Canadians .He feels from a business point of view he will be the chief salesman for the league and from the football side he will be the steward and guardian.He thinks he has a great opportunity to build on what is already in place.

Keith Pelley the President of the Argos who was instrumental in recruiting Cohon says that Cohon oozes class and presence and that he dresses impeccably and has the ability to win over a room when he walks in.Pelley who is big on the League image factor feels Cohon is the perfect candidate to be the face of the league.

It would appear on the surface that the league has finally found the calibre of person to assume the Commissioners office who has all the right things going for him .Time will tell and as one prominent ex -Commissioner said "if Cohon does nothing else ,he has to protect the owners from themselves as left to their own devices the owners will overspend and destroy the competitive balance of the league".To this end Cohon has vowed to enforce the Salary Cap and institute a policy where offenders who overspend will be fined substantially as he knows from his NBA and major League Baseball days what careless regard for monetary management can do to a league.

Mark Cohon has enjoyed and created a winning successful environment wherever and whenever he has been involved in big league sporting situations and there is no reason to believe that he will not do the same in the CFL.