Jim Barker does Reddit AMA on rule changes, the XFL, and trading for Ricky Ray
Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions are becoming more common in the CFL, and Toronto Argonauts' general manager Jim Barker has become the latest big name to participate, answering questions from fans on Reddit Wednesday. As we remarked when former CFL commissioner Mark Cohon did a Reddit AMA last November, these events can be quite useful; there are some great questions and answers you won't see in a typical media interview, and while some of the questions are less than stellar, it's easy enough to either ignore those entirely or dismiss them. It's also an excellent way for team executives to connect with their fans. Barker did a terrific job with his responses here too, replying with the right combination of humour and seriousness. Here are some screengrabs of the best questions and answers. First, here's Barker talking about the import ratio, the team's defensive back turnover and potential CFL expansion:
And one of his funniest responses, on a rule change he'd like to see (see here for context):
Barker also had some interesting thoughts on Canadian quarterbacks, Twitter, and the age-old "is a hot dog a sandwich?" debate:
He dodged some potential tampering questions, and offered an interesting thought on what he enjoyed from his time with the XFL:
Still, Barker's funniest response might be about the biggest thing he'd change during his time as Argos' GM:
Who wouldn't want to trade for Ricky Ray? That's well done by Barker. Good for him for doing this, and for doing so with a good sense of humour. It would be nice to see other teams and executives follow suit.
