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More about Jim Balsillie's next foe in Mortal Kombat, from this 2007 profile in SunMedia:
The controlled world of Larry Tanenbaum
GEORGE GROSS, SUN MEDIA May 6, 2007
It has often been said that Larry Tanenbaum navigated a long and sometimes circuitous route from the Ivy walls of Cornell University to chairman of the prestigious Kilmer Group and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
In his usually calm and quiet manner, he also became involved in the building of the Spadina Expressway, the CN Tower, a few Toronto hotels, as well as projects in Africa, Asia and Venezuela.
What not many are aware of is the fact that Tanenbaum is a philanthropist.
Actually, he recently donated $1 million to University of Toronto's Sports Scholarship Fund, without making any big announcement about it.
He sits in an elegant office on the 27th floor of a Toronto downtown building, analyzing each issue to its most minute detail before expressing an opinion. He seldom gets excited and that's why I was rather surprised when he almost exploded when a know-it-all radio critic referred to the MLSEL organization as dysfunctional.
"Our organization is anything but dysfunctional," he said in a louder than usual tone. "Anyone who claims that we are, should talk to the three commissioners of sports we are involved in -- the NHL, NBA and MLS. Recently, Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer emphasized that we are among the top two or three organizations in the league, even though we are an expansion team.
That's based on profitability, employee satisfaction and community services."
The chairman conceded though that if there was anything dysfunctional in the organization, it's the fact that the Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup for 40 years. Mind you, there were other owners before MLSEL took over the reins.
Tanenbaum has learned to stickhandle around difficult questions better than Bobby Orr in his heyday. Like when I asked him about the situations concerning CEO Richard Peddie and the often maligned Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr.
"Let me make it clear at the outset that I'm involved in the operation only as owner," said Tanenbaum. "I don't micromanage our teams. I'm involved in strategy and accountability. Our strategy is clear. We want to win. That means, we want the Stanley Cup, the NBA trophy and the MLS championship."
Does that mean Peddie and Ferguson are safe with long-term contracts?
"Every one of our employees gets an assessment for his performance," said the chairman. "That assessment has to be taken into context with a longer term in view. It's like going from a child to a man. The direction of the hockey team takes patience. At our next board meeting, we'll evaluate his (Ferguson Jr.) over a long period.
"Peddie, who does not have a written contract, will also be evaluated, as he has been every year. He is an excellent fit as a CEO. I don't get involved in (the running of) each team. I leave that to the general managers and coaches. Peddie sets the bar high for them. A year ago, Raptors were our biggest problem, but (GM) Bryan Colangelo did an excellent job this year."
If he seemingly gave Peddie a vote of confidence, I'm not convinced that Ferguson is quite as secure. In a friendly conversation about respected managers in the NHL, the names of Scotty Bowman and Brian Burke did come up, even though it is not known if either would be available, or interested in running the Leafs, should the MLSEL Board of Directors vote thumbs down on Ferguson.
Tanenbaum didn't avoid answering any of my questions, whether it was about Mats Sundin's injury, the influence of the MLSEL majority owners (the Teachers Pension Fund), the evaluation of the Leaf medical staff, or the soccer team's inability to score a single goal.
"I leave the Sundin issue to our medical staff," said Tanenbaum. "If our players seek outside medical help, then it's because this or that specialist has performed not 100, but 1,000 surgeries of this or that type.
"As for the Teachers, there is no interference. They are excellent partners. Our soccer club will improve and we all will be proud of the team. But we need patience. If I said before that development of teams requires the patience of a child developing into a man, with Toronto FC it's a case of an infant developing into a child en route to becoming a man.''
Patience is indeed a virtue.
---
The Tanenbaum will show The Balsillie the True Meaning of Power.
The controlled world of Larry Tanenbaum
GEORGE GROSS, SUN MEDIA May 6, 2007
It has often been said that Larry Tanenbaum navigated a long and sometimes circuitous route from the Ivy walls of Cornell University to chairman of the prestigious Kilmer Group and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
In his usually calm and quiet manner, he also became involved in the building of the Spadina Expressway, the CN Tower, a few Toronto hotels, as well as projects in Africa, Asia and Venezuela.
What not many are aware of is the fact that Tanenbaum is a philanthropist.
Actually, he recently donated $1 million to University of Toronto's Sports Scholarship Fund, without making any big announcement about it.
He sits in an elegant office on the 27th floor of a Toronto downtown building, analyzing each issue to its most minute detail before expressing an opinion. He seldom gets excited and that's why I was rather surprised when he almost exploded when a know-it-all radio critic referred to the MLSEL organization as dysfunctional.
"Our organization is anything but dysfunctional," he said in a louder than usual tone. "Anyone who claims that we are, should talk to the three commissioners of sports we are involved in -- the NHL, NBA and MLS. Recently, Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer emphasized that we are among the top two or three organizations in the league, even though we are an expansion team.
That's based on profitability, employee satisfaction and community services."
The chairman conceded though that if there was anything dysfunctional in the organization, it's the fact that the Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup for 40 years. Mind you, there were other owners before MLSEL took over the reins.
Tanenbaum has learned to stickhandle around difficult questions better than Bobby Orr in his heyday. Like when I asked him about the situations concerning CEO Richard Peddie and the often maligned Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr.
"Let me make it clear at the outset that I'm involved in the operation only as owner," said Tanenbaum. "I don't micromanage our teams. I'm involved in strategy and accountability. Our strategy is clear. We want to win. That means, we want the Stanley Cup, the NBA trophy and the MLS championship."
Does that mean Peddie and Ferguson are safe with long-term contracts?
"Every one of our employees gets an assessment for his performance," said the chairman. "That assessment has to be taken into context with a longer term in view. It's like going from a child to a man. The direction of the hockey team takes patience. At our next board meeting, we'll evaluate his (Ferguson Jr.) over a long period.
"Peddie, who does not have a written contract, will also be evaluated, as he has been every year. He is an excellent fit as a CEO. I don't get involved in (the running of) each team. I leave that to the general managers and coaches. Peddie sets the bar high for them. A year ago, Raptors were our biggest problem, but (GM) Bryan Colangelo did an excellent job this year."
If he seemingly gave Peddie a vote of confidence, I'm not convinced that Ferguson is quite as secure. In a friendly conversation about respected managers in the NHL, the names of Scotty Bowman and Brian Burke did come up, even though it is not known if either would be available, or interested in running the Leafs, should the MLSEL Board of Directors vote thumbs down on Ferguson.
Tanenbaum didn't avoid answering any of my questions, whether it was about Mats Sundin's injury, the influence of the MLSEL majority owners (the Teachers Pension Fund), the evaluation of the Leaf medical staff, or the soccer team's inability to score a single goal.
"I leave the Sundin issue to our medical staff," said Tanenbaum. "If our players seek outside medical help, then it's because this or that specialist has performed not 100, but 1,000 surgeries of this or that type.
"As for the Teachers, there is no interference. They are excellent partners. Our soccer club will improve and we all will be proud of the team. But we need patience. If I said before that development of teams requires the patience of a child developing into a man, with Toronto FC it's a case of an infant developing into a child en route to becoming a man.''
Patience is indeed a virtue.
---
The Tanenbaum will show The Balsillie the True Meaning of Power.
