Three months after Bill Manning was named president of the Toronto Argonauts, he spoke at Ryerson University. It was at a conference earlier this month, and he paused the proceedings to ask every Argo fan in the room to raise their hand.



“Literally one,” he said. “There were about 300 kids. One raised a hand.”



The Argos changed ownership again over the winter, with the team sliding under the large umbrella of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Manning, who was already president of Toronto FC, inherited his second franchise — and the company’s most vexing.



Attendance has not only been soft, it has been the worst in the Canadian Football League. The team is losing ground to other sports, and other activities. The Argos are Grey Cup champions, but they had to hold a rally, rather than a full parade, after their victory.



It is not a new problem, and it is not even the fault of the previous regime. The Argos...