Bernie Glieberman, one of the most influential figures during a challenging time for the CFL, died on Monday in Michigan.
Glieberman, who was a part owner of two CFL teams in Ottawa and one in Shreveport, La., was 84. The Ira Kaufman Chapel says the funeral will be held Friday near his home in Michigan.
Glieberman, who made his money in real estate, and his son Lonie rescued the financially troubled Ottawa Rough Riders in 1991.
Lonie was the frontman for the franchise, which showed early promise before running into problems. One of the most notable signings was former NFL star Dexter Manley, who was banned from that league due to drug use. Coaches and Lonie feuded over Manley’s status on the roster.
With the Gliebermans looking to move the team to the U.S., the league reached a deal to split the Rough Riders in half, allowing for the creation of the Shreveport Pirates in 1994 in the CFL’s brief U.S. expansion era.
The team was a disaster on the field and at the box office. The Pirates, along with the other American teams, were gone after the 1995 season.
The Gliebermans resurfaced in CFL circles in 2005 to buy a new Ottawa franchise plagued by similar financial issues, the Renegades.
The Gliebermans hired then-71-year-old Forrest Gregg to run football operations after he coached the team in Shreveport. It didn’t work out. Controversial fan promotions, including an infamous Mardi Gras event, also drew criticism in Ottawa.
The Renegades played one season under the Gliebermans before they were suspended in 2006.
The league resurrected the Ottawa market under new ownership when the Redblacks entered the CFL in 2014.
Bernie Glieberman is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sandee, along with his son Lonie and daughter Tracey.
Lonie paid tribute to his father on his Facebook page on Monday.
“My dad was always the first guy I called when I had a business problem, a success, an idea or something I was trying to figure out,” Lonie wrote. “He was always excited to step in and help me work it through. He always made me feel better when the phone call was done and the complex problems were not nearly as problematic after talking to him.”
Just last week, the CFL also lost the former owner of its Las Vegas franchise, the Posse, when Nick Mileti died at age 93.