VANCOUVER — Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the last surviving founder of the American Football League, died last week at age 95.

Bud Adams, the owner of the Tennessee Titans, slipped this mortal coil at 90 last August, and a number of octogenarians continue to preside over National Football League teams, among them 86-year-old Tom Benson of the Saints, 82-year-old Bill Bidwell of the Cardinals and Dan Rooney, the 81-year-old chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thus, David Braley — who is 72, the same age as New England Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft — is in no hurry to show himself out the door as the steward of the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions.

"Yup, this is my 18th season (with the Lions)," Braley explained, looking toward Friday's Orange Helmet Awards banquet at the Westin Bayshore. "How long will I continue to own the team? It could be one, it could be eight, it could be 10 (years). I have no idea. As long as I'm in good health I see no pressure to sell. If somebody's got $100 million, then I might think about selling. Right now, the team is not for sale. And I'm looking forward to my 18th season."

Reports have stated that Braley is planning to auction off the Lions and Toronto Argonauts, the two teams he owns, by his 75th birthday. He turns 73 on May 31, coincidentally enough, when main training camps are scheduled to open for the 2014 season.

As it stands, though, there is some trepidation that picket lines could be the order of the day outside practice fields.

The CFL Players' Association, in confirming the appointment of Montreal Alouettes lineman Scott Flory as the organization's new president, vowed in a news release Monday "that we will not play the 2014 season under the terms of the current CBA."

Discussions between the league and the CFLPA on a new collective bargaining agreement are scheduled for April 10-11, according to the players.

The CFL isn't commenting on negotiations, however, and commissioner Marc Cohon has threatened fines for teams, and their employees, who speak about specific issues publicly.

Braley is adhering to the dictum.

"I have no comment in regards to the CBA," he said. "That's the commissioner's job, not mine."

The Hamilton, Ont., businessman can speak in general terms about management-labour negotiations and provide a history lesson from 1989, when the CFL played the season under an existing CBA while a new one was being hammered out.

"We played the whole year without a union contract," explained Braley, who was owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1987 to 1990. "It was signed the night before the Grey Cup. We continued to work, continued to do business and everything was resolved by the start of the Grey Cup. Walking off the job, in my opinion, serves no party."

Braley said he's placing his faith "in common sense and practicality" that issues will be resolved or negotiations continued without a work stoppage.