The looming departure of Tim Leiweke from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment doesn’t mean the end of negotiations to sell the Toronto Argonauts or move them to BMO Field, says Argos owner David Braley.

Leiweke’s announcement that he’s leaving by June doesn’t alter the dynamic, says Braley, even though the MLSE boss was the one who initiated talks.

“Ultimately, whether it’s him or someone else, we’re really dealing with the owners,” said Braley, who was approached last summer about selling the Argos to MLSE, which already controls the NHL’s Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Raptors, Toronto FC of the MLS, and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

That also led to conversations about a less dramatic deal, including the Argos moving to BMO Field, where Toronto FC plays.

“A year ago we started discussing this . . . Mr. Leiweke actually approached me and said, ‘Would you sell the team?’ But then we had these other aggravations. So we’re working our way through them,” said Braley, who called a move to a renovated BMO Field the Argos’ best shot at once again turning a profit.

“It had to be assessed. (The team) hasn’t made money for a long time. Now, we’ve got a solution to the problem. I wouldn’t call it common sense, but it should be an easy decision. Now, how do we get these other aggravations out of the way?”

Among those aggravations? The potential purchase of the Buffalo Bills by a Toronto-based group that includes MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum, the Rogers family and rocker Jon Bon Jovi.

Even though the bidding group is widely believed to be looking at moving the Bills to Toronto if they buy the team, Braley said he doesn’t expect that to happen.

“This is my opinion, but I do not believe there will be an NFL team in the foreseeable future. The NFL will not do anything to hurt the Canadian Football League, in my mind. So they’re going to stay out of here until we have a very, very successful Argonaut team that can stand two teams in the same city, if at all,” said Braley.

Another potential problem is funding BMO Field’s renovation.

MLSE has said it will contribute $90 million towards the stadium’s expansion, and the city has agreed to contribute $10 million. The anticipated funding from the federal and provincial governments ($10 million each) has yet to materialize.

The Argos’ lease with the Rogers Centre expires at the end of the 2017 season.

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