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"I came to a point where I was going to run the association or leave," he said. Gaining the top job in December of last year meant he had to quit his job with The Sports Network as a color commentaâ€" tor for football. Ferrone felt his continued employâ€" ment with TSN â€" which owns the Argonauts â€" would be a conflict of interest. « "I didn‘t have anything against (former CFLPA president and Saskatchewan Roughrider great) George Reed," Ferrone explained. "I just felt the association should take a certain proâ€"active approach. I‘ ve instituted a more aggressive mode of operation. My mandate is to generate revenue." * "Presently the players all pay $55 per game in By BRAD REAUME Special to the Beaver ffable and involved, former Toronto Argonaut and present Canadian Football League Players‘ Association president Dan Ferrone, just laughs at the range of responsibilities he has accepted in the three years since he retired as a player. In addition to running Ferrone Ventures Inc., which has interests in printing, fitness, boat sales, and product marketing, the one time offensive guard gives his time to volunteer activities, including a posiâ€" tion as blood collection chairperson for the Oakville Red Cross. However, it is the work of the CFLPA that keeps Ferrone jumping. Determined to run the mfll‘l ‘ ni player‘s association in the black, Ferrone has installed a dedicated faxâ€"phone in his office at Ferrone Fitness, and runs the associâ€" ation‘s office with no staff. "Sometimes I think the phone is glued to my head," Ferrone laughs. "I often spend five to six hours a day on that phone." Ferrone came into the CFLPA‘s top job with a lot of experience. After graduating from T.A. Blakelock, he attended Simon Frazer University in Vancouver and then went on to 12 years in the CFL trenches as an offensive guard. During his years playing football, Ferrone acted as a player representative and spent several years on the playâ€" er‘s association board of directors. Dan Ferrone may have tackled his toughest challenge as head of the CFL Players‘ Association Ferrone admits he could never have his hand in so many pies without the help of his family, particâ€" ularly wife Barbara. September Taste of the Month y "Expansion is a great thing," he said. "It S, increases our membership. It increases interest. CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAVERS ASSOCIATION Fear of the U.S.â€"based teams shouldn‘t exist. Those owners don‘t want to compete with the NFL. They want the league even more Canadian, even more different from the FL." "American players are nothing new in the CFL. I iA sls amith 2. dues to the association. I‘d like to eliminate the dues and generate our own revenue through licensâ€" ing agreements and other financial arrangements," Ferrone said. "These things take time. There‘s a lot of tail chasing involved." m "American players are sncl Allln" nothing new in the CFL. I find it hard to side with only Canadian players; I represent American playâ€" ers in the league as well. I don‘t know about proâ€" tecting the Canadian player quota, but I‘d like to protect what the Canadian player quota stands for, and that‘s giving Canadians a chance to be involved in the lsague. The quota insures teams will keep quality Canadian players on teams in order for their skills to catch up to their American counterparts." Ferrone explains that selling the league has been tough in recent years, but he is firmly behind expansion, saying several Canadian teams were awash in red ink and expansion provided the only way to turn the CFL around. Ferrone is readying for collective agreement bargaining as the CFL player‘s contract expires in June 1995. "Fans are fed up. We can‘t afford a strike or lockout in the CFL. With all the recent troubles in the league, fans wouldn‘t put up with it. There‘s a lot of pressure on (CFL commissioner) Larry Smith and me for an agreement. I hope the presâ€" sure is there with Smith, because if it isn‘t, he‘s really mistaken." Ferrone admits CFL players aren‘t asking for much. He said the players have made all the conâ€" cessions they were asked to make to help keep the league afloat. They will not make any more. "There comes a time when the players have to say, ‘If you can‘t make it within these parameters, then you‘ll never make it.‘ We could live with the status quo, but we‘re looking to fine tune the agreement on role adjustments, pensions, and health coverage." When things are more settled with the league, Ferrone says he will create a permanent office for © 1994 McDonald‘s Restaurants of Canada Limited Our tasty McChicken Club is here again â€" as our September Taste of the Month! It‘s all the classic McChicken Sandwich you love, plus lots more. We‘ve added a slice of crispy bacon, fresh tomato, shredded lettuce, and topped it all off with our special McChicken sauce. It‘s a tasty variation on a classic favourite, but it‘s only here until September 30th. So hurry into your local: McDonald‘s today! Canadian Football League Players‘ Association president Dan Ferrone models one of the CFLPA tâ€"shirts being sold by the association. Ferrone‘s goal is to generate enough revâ€" enue through licencing agreements and other financial arrangements to eventually elimiâ€" nate the players‘ dues. (Photo by Riziero Vertolli) the CFLPA, likely after the next collective agreeâ€" strike to oppose the owners unilaterally imposing a ment is signed. He doesn‘t ever expect to have the _ new contract. same arrangements as his NFLPA counterpart Ferrone said fans are really the number one Gene Upshaw, who he recently met with in issue. In addition, he pointed to the large number Washington, D.C. Upshaw presides over 42 of people whose livelihoods will be affected, such employees and six floors of office space. Ferrone as vendors and stadium attendants. just laughs at the contrast. He says the CFL has already undergone an ecoâ€" Ferrone‘s position gives him a unique perspecâ€" tive on the current major league baseball player‘s strike."It‘s not an issue of money; it‘s an issue of control," he said. "The owners want to limit the players‘ ability to make money by asking the playâ€" ers to introduce a salary cap to control the owners‘ spending." He says it‘s strange that the players have to SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 1994 PAGE 16 Ferrone admits he enjoys the job as CFLPA president. "I like all the places this thing takes me. Ordinary jobs just don‘t do that. Sure, there is some exasperation, but the excitement and variety is great." Ferrone said fans are really the number one issue. In addition, he pointed to the large number of people whose livelihoods will be affected, such as vendors and stadium attendants. He says the CFL has already undergone an ecoâ€" nomic correction stage and the other, bigger money sports like hockey and baseball, are just beginning the process. Quaker State Quality ever/fime‘" 260 Speers Road