Western Lacrosse Association commissioner Casey Cook and his assistant Sohen Gill abruptly resigned from their positions earlier this week, catching many off-guard after informing everyone via Twitter.
“The resignations of Commissioner Casey Cook & Ass't Commissioner Sohen Gill were tendered to the WLA today. Best wishes for future success!” Cook tweeted late Monday, just a handful of days after posting: “Excellent WLA Entertainment Committee meeting. Focused on expanding & improving webcast package for better viewing enjoyment. Stay tuned!”
Needless to say, the moves were unexpected.
“It certainly came as a surprise to me,” Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch said. “As far as I know, [Cook] did it today, by email, without notice, stating that effective immediately they were out.”
It came following a league meeting on Saturday in Vancouver in which the board passed a vote (5-2) to move forward with what Victoria Shamrocks’ executive director and vice-president of sales and marketing, Paul German, says was the league’s approval to “move to a modern, responsive website and toward a professional-grade webcast.”
Those are changes the majority of WLA governors want to implement sooner rather than later.
“I wasn’t at the meeting on the weekend, but my understanding is from whatever differences of opinion there were, some decisions were reached and people were moving forward,” Welch said. “That’s the normal course of business in an operation like the WLA, where you have a board of governors — majority rules, you vote and you move on.
“You don’t always end up on the winning side of a vote, but you go with the will of the majority. That’s how the system works. In this case, we have two people who have chosen, for whatever reasons, to go. That’s their choice and I respect it.”
Cook — who was and still is respected by current WLA board chairman Jim Hartshorne (who owns the Shamrocks) and the entire board — had served as commissioner since July 12, 2011, replacing Ernie Truant.
Cook was previously with the New Westminster Salmonbellies from 1980 to 2003 and served other roles within the league and the B.C. and Canadian Lacrosse Associations. Gill also wore many hats over decades of service within the WLA.
“Personally, I thank both of them for the amazing contributions they’ve made over the many years,” said Welch, who spoke for the Shamrocks. “They leave huge holes and it’s more than a little bit scary to think about when we’re only a month away from starting up a season — a season in which the Mann Cup will be hosted in the West.
“It’s a tough challenge for the league and a real test for the board of governors’ ability to work through this.”
Cook did not return a call looking for his comments on the situation.
Now the board will look for a replacement and would like to have one in place, either as an interim or permanently, by the next board meeting on April 29, with league play beginning just three weeks later.
“In all things in life, even in a marriage, you don’t always agree, but you work through your differences and find a way to keep going forward,” said Welch. “I guess in this case, for whatever reason, they both felt it was not a tenable situation any longer. I don’t really understand the fullness of why that is.
“All I can say is, I was surprised by their decision. I respect their decision. I wish them the best and I thank them for their service.”
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