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For the past year, MLSE has been run as a function of one man’s outsized personality. It can’t just go back to being an insurance company that happens to own a hockey team.

Troublingly, they also can’t find another guy who exists at Mr. Leiweke’s level, because such a person does not exist. He wasn’t just the best-connected sports executive in the country. He may have been the most hooked-in entertainment operator in the world.

Take the most famous Leiweke recruit – Drake.

In recent years, the hip-hop star had reached out on several occasions to MLSE, wanting to get involved with the Raptors. He didn’t really care how. This wasn’t a business opportunity. This was a fan with leverage.

No one at MLSE ever returned his calls. Think about that. Seriously. If you’re a fan of any one of MLSE’s teams, have a long think about what you’re going back to.

Eventually, Drake gave up.

Shortly after taking the job in Toronto, Mr. Leiweke was back in L.A. having a friendly chat with Scooter Braun, the man who manages Justin Bieber’s musical career. Mr. Braun mentioned Drake’s interest. Mr. Leiweke made the call.

Drake had no suggestions as to his role. Mr. Leiweke dreamed up the global brand ambassador title. It was all done in days. The effect on the club’s continental reputation has been seismic.

Draw a straight line from Drake to the “We The North” campaign to Kyle Lowry deciding he preferred the Raptors to the Lakers or the Knicks. Draw a line between all those moves and relevance.

Two years ago, that was impossible. Two years from now, without Mr. Leiweke, it’s impossible again.

Without Mr. Leiweke, Masai Ujiri is not the general manager of the Raptors.

Without Mr. Leiweke, Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley don’t both make risky leaps to Major League Soccer. It was Mr. Bradley’s agent, Ron Waxman, who reached out in the first place to Toronto FC. He’s the one who sold the idea to his player. Why?

“I really liked what Tim was doing there,” Mr. Waxman said. Not the team. Not the GM. “Tim.”

Mr. Ujiri, for one, has been frustrated at the corporation’s initial reluctance to build his team a new $30-million training facility (a key recruiting tool). It’s only happening now because Mr. Leiweke went to war for him at the board level.

What’s keeping Mr. Ujiri here now, aside from a paycheque? Who is his rabbi in management?

J-Roc wrote:Media continues with the anti MLSE rhetoric. Why not just call the guy out for wanting to get out of the cold? Everything laid out suggests TL would want to stay. EVEN with all the supposed trouble of dealing with MLSE, so much was accomplished. Therefore it wasn't that difficult. He's leaving because his family doesn't want to be here.

As for Drake, he could go off the rails without a respected TL to keep him in line. With no one at MLSE to deal with that kind of ego, Drake will be tempted to make his own calls.

Young_Buc wrote:

J-Roc wrote:Media continues with the anti MLSE rhetoric. Why not just call the guy out for wanting to get out of the cold? Everything laid out suggests TL would want to stay. EVEN with all the supposed trouble of dealing with MLSE, so much was accomplished. Therefore it wasn't that difficult. He's leaving because his family doesn't want to be here.

As for Drake, he could go off the rails without a respected TL to keep him in line. With no one at MLSE to deal with that kind of ego, Drake will be tempted to make his own calls.

MLSE wanting him out is how the narrative is playing out to me.

Young_Buc wrote:This article confirms our worst fears. EVERYTHING great about the past year was Leiwike. EVERYTHING.

Just a few days ago, we were talking in this space about Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant, and the possibility that he might choose Toronto in two years’ time. That was always a reach. Without Mr. Leiweke, it’s hopeless. He held that plan together. He knew all the players involved. You can’t hire another person who can do that. There isn’t one.

TANKNATION wrote:The media is trying to push this guy out early or something... he said he was going to leave June of next year but all im reading and watching stories of them all saying "goodbye Tim," & "Tim is leaving".... no he's not, he still has one year left. The guy already accomplished so much in 16 months - just get the raptors facility done, BMO reno. done, then come June give him a proper salute seriously.