Ticats for Sale, WTF?

So the news in the Spec today and other sources about city council meeting with Edmonton Oilers owner and Rexall magnate Daryl Katz and sports conglomerate AEG about taking over the lease of Copps and maybe the West Harbour stadium was a pretty big surprise. The idea of taking over Copps would be to control the lease for a future NHL team apparently, although one would think the potential owner (which assumedly would not be Katz) would want to control the arena themselves. News about the West Harbour stadium is also surprising and one would have to assume that the negotations with the Ticats aren't going well. Scott Mitchell having to deny the Cats are not for sale adds a new wrinkle as well, as quoted by Drew Edwards in the Scratching Post. I'm afraid to look at the Ticats.ca forums to see what the denizens there are doing.

The fact the Katz group is saying they love the West Harbour location is fascinating to me as a West Harbour supporter. I've long thought that there is value at the site and at least someone else is recognizing it.

News about the new collection bargaining agreement between the CFL and the players. I thought this article did a good job of showing how it isn't a particularly great deal for the players. One thing I've been confused about is the salary cap being at 4.2 million, but the players getting 56% of revenue (gate and television and anything else like merchandise), which now ends. So if last year that revenue share was over the salary cap, did the players get extra money or what? Also not to bring it back to the Pan Am stadium, but the Ticats assumed a 4.5% increase in expenses that would lead to a $7 million loss in 2015. However if there is no rise in salaries this year and only around a 2.5% rise next year, that's hardly 4.5% increase per year at least for player expenses. I always thought this 4.5% per year increase in expenses mentioned by the Cats was pure BS and this is more evidence it is. The option year closing is a big deal too, with potentially a lot of import players staying away from the CFL because of that, but really they don't have a lot of choice.