Picture this: I’m in the Connecticut headquarters of the WWF (now WWE), sitting across from Vince McMahon and his wife, talking about the possibility of them buying the Toronto Argonauts.

Ninety minutes in, Vince leans back and says, “I’m not interested in the Argos. I’m interested in buying the entire league.”

I let out a nervous laugh. Really? I didn’t know what to say. I definitely didn’t see that coming.

On the way back to the airport, riding in the biggest stretch limo I’ve ever seen, dread started to creep in. What if the media found out about this meeting and accused me of secretly trying to sell our treasured game to an American? No one would believe I was just looking for a new Argos owner.

It all started a month earlier when I met with the WWF’s Canadian rep. The Argos’ owner had told me they were done — not playing next season — so I had to move fast. The WWF was just one of several potential buyers I approached, though admittedly one of the boldest (and most controversial).

When I got back from Connecticut, I shared the news only with our Commissioner, John Tory. We decided to see where it went. Over the next few months, I spoke often with Vince. John and I even met with him in Toronto — a fascinating, top-secret meeting.

Funny thing: Vince didn’t like talking on cell phones. He’d call my cell and insist I call him back on a landline.

By late spring, John and I presented the idea to the CFL Board of Governors. We teased them at first — leading them to believe a major sports media company was interested. They were disappointed when we revealed it was the WWF, and as expected, they refused to explore it further. But strangely enough, they left the meeting feeling good: someone had seen real value in their league.

When I called Vince with the decision, he said, “In that case, I’m going to start my own league.” Not long after, he announced the XFL.

Moral of the story: you never know where bold, crazy ideas will take you. Most won’t work out — but you’ll have a lot of fun along the way.