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On Monday, Ambrosie made his third straight off-season trip to Vancouver since taking over the big office and, for the third straight time, his sales pitch was hijacked by the melodrama over the Lions’ sale and the team’s off-field issues.

The former offensive lineman wanted to talk about the 10 different scouting combines the CFL will have hosted this winter on four different continents. He wanted to talk about the 24 best international recruits who have already been invited to the CFL combine in Toronto at the end of March, including Japanese running back Taku Lee, a player Ambrosie said is made for the CFL.

Photo by DARRYL DYCK / The Canadian Press

He wanted, in short, to tell Lions supporters that a new day is coming for the CFL and it will change the Canadian game as we know it. But, in this market, that message is a tough sell. In this market, all we know is that the Lions have been for sale forever, they’ve alienated their fan base, and neither situation appears close to resolution.

“I think (Lions owner David Braley) is committed to putting this team in a new set of hands,” said Ambrosie. “I’ve been very encouraged about my time with David.”

Great. So could a sale be imminent?

“It’s so difficult. As soon as you put an artificial timeline, you put unnecessary pressure on this,” Ambrosie said.

Figured as much.

On Monday, Ambrosie and Lions president Rick LeLacheur painted a picture in which several parties are interested in buying the Lions, but Braley won’t sell unless he has full confidence that the new owners are committed to the league and the market.