The Edmonton Elks organization is parting ways with president Victor Cui, the board announced on Tuesday.
“This was a culmination of ongoing discussions between the board and Victor, as well as the board internally about the future of the club,” Tom Richards, chair of the EE Football Club board of directors, told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.Cui was not present for the news conference but released a written statement through the Elks on Tuesday morning.
“I have made the difficult decision to step back from the club and focus on my family. Despite the team’s current record, I have full confidence that the positives we are starting to see on the field will lead to success moving forward. I want to thank the board for this incredible opportunity and look forward to my role as a lifelong fan,” he said.
The decision to go a different direction from Cui comes as the team tries to pull itself out of a years-long slump.
The Elks have yet to win a game in the 2023 CFL season and have not won a game at home since Oct. 12, 2019.
“It’s been a challenging period for everyone who loves the Green and Gold,” Richards acknowledged.
The Elks plan to name an interim president and CEO within two to three weeks, Richards said.
A permanent replacement could be named around the end of the year.
“We will not rush the process,” Richards said. “We will take the necessary time to commit to making sure we’ve got the right person in place by the end of the year to guide us to a successful 2024.”
Cui was brought on to connect with fans and improve the stadium experience.
“It was an interesting call at the time, I haven’t regretted it, he was a new guy with new ideas, and we looked forward to something that was refreshing and new,” Richards said.
“Some of the things that he did worked, some of the things, decisions that we made as a board didn’t work, we’re all in this together going forward. Good things we’ll keep, other things we’ll reconsider.”
As the team moves in a new direction for president, Richards was asked about the position of head coach and general manager Chris Jones with the board and whether there was talk of replacing him.
“Solid,” Richards said with a shrug. “I’d like to see him win some games, sure. But he wants to win some games, too. But right now (dismissing him) is not a consideration.
Edmonton Elks head coach Chris Jones reacts to an interception on his team while playing the B.C. Lions during second half CFL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday July 29, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)
“I don’t think anybody, including him, saw where we were today, but confidence remains in Chris Jones. This is the better way for us in the future and right now, it is to keep Chris Jones.”
Despite the team’s record in 2023, Richards says things are slowly improving.
In last week’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the team was up 22-0 at one point before ultimately losing by nine points.
“There are great signs that things are improving on the field. And at the front office, that’s what we’re going to build on.”
But he acknowledges getting fans back in the stand is key to the community-owned team’s success.
“I’m not hiding it, we’d love to see you out. We’ve got concerns. If you come out, that’s the best way to support,” he said.
“We’ve got to focus on the game day experience. Come out and have fun.
“Bring your neighbour. Bring your friends.”
‘DIFFERENT AND BIZARRE’
TSN’s Farhan Lalji first broke the news about the split on Monday night.
In an interview with CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday, he said there were a lot of reasons for Cui and the team to part.
“We’ve heard different things about workplace environment, there’s people in the building that have gone on stress leave on the operations side, conversations around the finances and around the team, and things of that nature,” he said. “So there were a few things. I know the league had some concerns, other presidents had concerns, so it all added up to a decision to part ways midway through a season.”
Despite that, he said it’s unusual for a team to make such a drastic change mid-season.
TSN’s Farhan Lalji speaking to CTV News Edmonton on Aug. 15, 2023.
“It’s absolutely different and bizarre, because again, that doesn’t affect the players or the wins and losses,” Lalji said. “Most of them have probably never met Victor Cui beyond a group conversation. So that part was awkward.
“There’s a lot the organization didn’t say, but you had to know something serious was going on for them to make a decision like this 19 months after Victor Cui got hired and midway through a CFL season.”
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.
Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.
Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.
They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Alabama twin bill
Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.
Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.
Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.
The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”
Along Tobacco Road
Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.
The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.
“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”
Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.
Big 12 duo
Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.
Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.
The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.
Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.
“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland‘s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.
The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks to Houston and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million in 2022. The deal came amid Watson being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions. He settled civil lawsuits in all but one of those cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games with the Browns and then made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
TSN’s Farhan Lalji speaking to CTV News Edmonton on Aug. 15, 2023.
