The new owner of the CFL鈥檚 B.C. Lions knows he has work to do.
Amar Doman has been a fan of the CFL club since he was 10 years old, and has watched its popularity fade throughout the community. Now the entrepreneur believes he has what it takes to reinvigorate not just the Lions but the league as a whole.
鈥淚 like to rebuild things,鈥� Doman told reporters Wednesday after it was announced he had purchased the team from the estate of previous owner David Braley.
鈥淚 think this needs a rebuild, a community touch. And the CFL, I believe, needs a bit of a reboot and I think I鈥檓 the guy to do it. I think I can pull the community together and also get the community and the team more involved locally.鈥�
The Victoria-born businessman is the founder and sole shareholder of the Futura Corporation, an asset management firm. He鈥檚 also helmed Doman Building Materials and Tree Island Steel.
And he鈥檚 long wanted to add owner of the B.C. Lions to his portfolio.
Doman said he talked to Braley about potentially buying the club 鈥渁 few times鈥� over the years but Braley simply wasn鈥檛 ready to let the team go.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 time business deals,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen they come up, you鈥檙e either going to move on them or you鈥檙e not. And this type of opportunity I鈥檝e been working on for a long time, so it鈥檚 something I would have happily closed on years ago, quite frankly.鈥�
Doman declined to say how much he had bought the team for, but noted he鈥檚 willing to dig into his pockets to ensure the team鈥檚 success.
鈥淚鈥檓 prepared to put dollars into this team, as most owners are right now in the CFL,鈥� he said.
鈥淚n the Canadian athletic space, sports space, you鈥檙e not in it to drive a big return. If a return comes, I think that鈥檚 great. I think the No. 1 thing you do with that return is reinvest it in the organization and the community.鈥�
Braley, a Hamilton businessman, a Canadian Football Hall of Famer and former senator, bought the team in 1997 and was rumoured several times to be looking for a buyer before he died last October at the age of 79.
He wanted someone who was local and passionate about Canadian football, but was never able to find the perfect fit.
鈥淒avid loved the Lions so much he could just never get to the finish line. It wasn鈥檛 a matter of money, he just loved the Lions,鈥� said the team鈥檚 president, Rick LeLacheur. 鈥淪o I think today, he鈥檇 be looking down and saying 鈥楢mar鈥檚 the right guy to replace me in this community.鈥欌�� I think he鈥檇 just love what鈥檚 happened today.鈥�
What makes Doman special, LeLacheur said, is that he鈥檚 long been a Lions supporter and had 鈥渢remendous patience鈥� in waiting to buy the team.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been a fan and he鈥檚 been a sponsor,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 professional, he knows governance, he gets management to manage his companies. But at the same time, he鈥檚 an idea guy.鈥�
He鈥檚 also someone uniquely positioned to connect with Metro Vancouver鈥檚 large South Asian community and get them interested in the Lions.
Doman said he鈥檚 proud of his South Asian heritage and how his grandparents came to Vancouver Island in 1906.
鈥淚 think I can definitely connect with (the South Asian community),鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I can鈥檛, who can I connect with? And I鈥檒l be leaning on them to come down to B.C. Place.鈥�
Having Doman come in at the beginning of the 2021 season 鈥渕akes exactly the right statement at exactly the right time,鈥� said CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
鈥淚 think having Amar step in and with the energy he鈥檚 going to bring to our league, he鈥檚 obviously very successful in business, he鈥檚 got a deep and very rich history of integration of businesses and driving success,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what we need a lot of.鈥�
The Lions finished the 2019 season last in the West Division with a 5-13 record. They are off to a 1-1 start this year and will play their first home game Thursday against the Edmonton Elks (0-2).
COVID-19 protocols will limit capacity to 12,500 fans and tickets were still available to the game as of Wednesday afternoon.
As owner, Doman plans to work behind the scenes to 鈥済et B.C. Place a little more noisy again鈥� and work with the team in the community, but he said head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell will remain the face of the team.
鈥淭o me, this isn鈥檛 about one season. This is about the next 25-30 years and rebuilding the brand,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of different factors that have to go in to get this going again. It won鈥檛 happen over night. But we鈥檝e got a good start just getting fans back into the seats after COVID.鈥�
鈥擥emma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
