7/29/2007 8:31:39 PM
Edmonton Vs Saskatchewan # 2

Ok, so that was ugly. That was maybe the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen and believe me…I’ve seen plenty of ugly games in my day. I’ve been on the wrong end of scores like that more often than I care to remember, but in the past I’ve been less shocked once the gun sounds I think because our preparation, game plan or personnel was blatantly lacking. This time, I don’t feel as if those issues were lacking for us at all really, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel wholeheartedly that we could have won that game at the opening kickoff. In fact, at no point in that travesty of a game did I feel like they were showing us things that we hadn’t seen on film, prepared for or even expected to see. So how does a team that shows you everything that you expected to see from them and everything that you prepared for completely dominate the game in the way the Riders did yesterday? Well, remember the last time we played them I was talking about emotion and how much of a part that can play into momentum and changing the game completely? Guess what...we ended up on the wrong end of an emotional roller-coaster yesterday and were never able to get off.

Every single bounce of the ball that could have gone either way on that day not only went to the Riders, but bounced to them in stride and either scored a major, or set one up. Onside punt recovery?...TD, interceptions?...TDs, blocked punt?...TD, fumble?...you get the point. I knew we were in for a long day after they recovered the punt, but I knew we were snake bitten for that day when bad snap went over Kerry Joseph’s head bounced once like he dribbled it right back to him and then he ran for six yards. When it rains, it pours and this was a day that if anything could go wrong, it definitely did.

I’ve never witnessed anything like that in person in sports, where every single opportunity that presents itself for one team ends up materializing into major scores like that. It would be pretty much impossible to turn the ball over 6 times at home and keep the game respectable, so naturally to do that in a place like Regina after the comeback we staged here at Commonwealth was completely out of the question. After watching the film of such a travesty, one would think that the general feeling in the locker room would be one of disappointment, anger, resentment or even blame but that’s not what I sensed leaving after that film session. What I got from my teammates was a sense that this was an anomaly, that this was something that spiraled out of control before we were able to reign it back in and wasn’t really a reflection of who we are as a team, and I think that is an understandable feeling to have. However, I think it’s important to accept that each of us had a role to play in that nonsense. I don’t think it’s enough to just say “well, that’s just one of those games…” Or, “better to get it out of the way now.” While that may in fact be the truth and the game itself may be a hiccup on the road to greatness, there must be a level of accountability in what happened on Saturday in order to keep it from happening again.

Each of us must look at the mistakes that were made on the film because we all had some, myself included and search within ourselves to correct that which is correctable. The good news is that from what the tape shows; virtually all of our mistakes were correctable in terms of technique, communication, preparation, or just general knowledge of what we’re trying to get accomplished on each play top to bottom. Our practice tempo must be faster and more consistent in order to combat coming out of the gate so late and having to play from behind. I believe us to be a good team, I really do but to keep with this flare for the dramatic comeback is not the mark of a good team. While it looks great when you pull it off, it certainly adds strain and pressure on the entire squad.

Individually, we each need to elevate our games in this the closing first quarter of the season. As a team, we need to trust each other, and know that the man beside you will do everything in his power in terms of preparation and execution to keep anything like this from happening to this team again. If this game was truly not indicative of whom we are as a team, then the proof will certainly present itself in the coming weeks. For if there one thing certain in today’s CFL, it’s that there will be another team in by the end of the week ready and raring to put your teams true identity to the test. ©

KP8

7/27/2007 10:04:03 PM
Heat Wave

The words “heated” and “battle” tend to be thrown together in all facets of life quite often. I hear them all the time in movies, to promote fights, or even conflicts on shows. Tomorrow we’ve got a daytime kickoff against the Riders at Mosaic Stadium, in what promises to be a “heated battle” in every sense of the word. Day games pose a different preparation protocol than the night games that we get so accustomed to at the professional level, but they can be a nice change of pace when they do come up. However, when they come up in the middle of the summer like this one does things could get interesting. Heat will be a factor in this game, as forecasts call for temperatures to reach 37-43 degrees Celsius throughout the game’s duration. What that will quickly determine, is which team is better conditioned.

I doubt that it was near that temperature today at walk through, but it was definitely hot enough to see the heat lines rising from the new field turf that’s not quite settled in yet. The field turf is anchored by millions of little rubber chips surrounding blades of synthetic grass, but until the field is worn down over time enough to settle the chips it will be a heat conductor on hot days. As a player it’s definitely tough to simulate that kind of heat in practice, and I’m sure it must drive coaches and trainers crazy that we end up cramping at the worst times during these types of extreme heat games. Mainly because during the entire week we’re being force fed water, and encouraged to hydrate as much as humanly possible to over-saturate our bodies in preparation for how much water we’ll be losing throughout the course of the game.

The summertime day games are definitely in the back my mind during the offseason during the strength and conditioning phases of my workout, then again so are the cold playoff possibilities. That’s one of the great things about this league in my opinion, the entire gambit of elements really comes into play throughout this long season and if one is not prepared physically and mentally for such an experience, the results could be disastrous. In 2004 it seemed like every single home game we had in Winnipeg was rained on, which I think definitely played into our misfortunes as a team that year. In hindsight, perhaps it was my own personal cloud hovering over the stadium at that time, but be that as it may…it still seemed extreme to me at the time. A heat wave crossing Canada can have a similar effect on your team if it’s not responsive to the ups and downs that come from Mother Nature week in and week out in the CFL. If your star players are cramping up and strapped up to IV’s on the sidelines, it will be very difficult for them to make plays for you at crucial times. By the same token, I’ve seen some interesting things occur once the weather turns south as well. I’ve seen some good players become very average during a “Canadian Autumn,” as I like to call it. Very few can run 4.3 seconds in the forty yard dash as it is, but only a fraction of the population can run that in Edmonton in the first weeks of November, to run under a ball that is going to feel like a brick once it hits your hands in the cold night air.

I definitely take these games as a personal challenge, even more so than the challenge is by itself. The man that will be defending me will pose one set of challenges of which I feel like I’ve shed enough blood and sweat during the offseason and training camp to rise above, whereas the heat is an adversary that can either break you, or help you break the man across the line from you by wearing him down and making him question how bad he really wants to be out there fighting tooth and nail in an sauna.

I trust my preparation wholeheartedly, and I pray and believe that my teammates will ready themselves for what lies ahead. To say that the odds will be stacked against us, really is an understatement what, with the heat, the last games circumstances lingering, and the fact that we’re on the road. However, should we find some way to win this game…we would begin to venture down a different road as a team, one that we really need to be on to get where we want to go.

We’ll soon find out if we can stand the heat. ©

KP8

7/24/2007 11:37:08 PM
Round 2

I used to fight quite a bit, which led me to the martial arts and some boxing as a younger man. As a matter of fact, I fought enough in my youth that I’ve developed a taste for a good fight. However, in all my days of rough and tumble I’ve never fought someone twice in consecutive weeks until I began playing in this league. The physical wear and tear aside to play a team twice, in consecutive weeks is taxing to say the least. For one, you must find a way to beat an opponent that will be doing nothing but studying film on your strengths and weaknesses that showed up a few days ago when you two squared off. Which wouldn’t be so bad of course, if he wasn’t studying how he reacted to those strengths and weaknesses that you displayed and working diligently to correct his shortcomings and capitalize on the areas that you may be lacking in, for this week.

That’s just the beginning of the mental strain in one’s preparation for a repeat bout with so little time to prepare. The question of “How will I beat the same man on the same routes this week?” is one that can ultimately come down to physical play when all strategy fails, so as a competitor we tend to like those odds. To me the mental and physical strain of the encore performance really take a back seat to the emotional drain that is inevitable after not only a full house game against a rival, but a very close, come from behind win against a rival. To come from as far back as we did, in as short a time as we did took considerable focus, execution and heart. From those hearts spilled emotion from every pore in our bodies as we encouraged each other to stay the course, to keep each other’s heads up when things may have looked bleak, as well as the jubilation that seemed to last into the next couple of days following such an effort.

The problem with emotion is that when it is tapped into and poured out like it was last week, it’s a difficult thing to replenish. It is not something that can be relied upon week in and week out to put you over the hump, especially when the game is so close to the last game against the same opponent. It’s like a renewable natural resource that takes its sweet time to grow back and that can feel as if there’s a void present if that emotional lift is called on before sufficient time has passed. Coaches may call this a “lull” and will notice it quickly if a team coming from an extreme high then looks to be indifferent, or even down somewhat during moments that they should obviously be up. Kind of like us in the first half last game!

So what was our excuse? Could be a lull from the big win the week before I suppose, in which case one would argue that the chances are good of us coming out sluggish this week? I sure hope not, I don’t know if our coach’s vocal chords can take another half like that. Or perhaps we were pacing ourselves knowing that we play Saskatchewan 4 times this year so as long as we win 3 of them we’re in good shape? Not bloody likely. Like I said previously, I have absolutely no clue what the reasoning behind our first half lull last week was. What I do know is that one good thing about this particular back to back matchup is the fact that like I said, it’s a rival. So that means as emotionally charged as it was for us at home, it will be doubled in their stadium due to the hostility factor. I see two things happening potentially; either we’ll come out feeling around to assess the surroundings and the situation enabling the home team to ride the crowd into early success. Or, we can use the hostile environment against them and ride our own wave of emotion into an early lead, taking the crowd out of the game. Much like a fighter who finds himself scrapping in the wrong neighborhood, his sense of awareness is heightened due to the unfamiliar surroundings and the unknown dangers that may lurk around every corner, and in every person around him. We must find a way to harness the energy that the Rider faithful will be pitting against us, and allow it to heighten our own senses in order to promote clarity in our focus on the task at hand.

It turns out I was right when I predicted that leaving the first matchup, every player who played would feel go to bed definitely knowing that they were in a game. For round 2 I believe that the team that can impose its will on the other the most often will come away with this all important win. ©

On a side note, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this past weekend’s fire. My teammate Pat Woodcock was among them and things like that truly put things into perspective, if they weren't already. I'm thankful that no lives were lost in that tragedy and I hope you all get back on your feet quickly and can resume your lives with some normality.

KP8

7/21/2007 10:24:22 PM
Edmonton Vs Saskatchewan #1

The most rewarding wins to me are the ones that you have to earn. When I was young I remember racing kids in the school and allowing them to get ahead of me by a good amount before I would really turn it on, just so that the win would be more rewarding. Well last night, we certainly let them get ahead by a good amount before we kicked it into gear but it wasn’t by design. Coming out as flat as we did in the first half is really a mystery to me, I have no idea as to why one team isn’t awake from the opening bell, or why another team comes out blazing and then stalls out in the second half. If I knew that particular secret, I’d be able to make a killing in book sales to would-be coaches the world over because I’m certain it drives every coach crazy trying to find out which team is going to show up half to half, week to week. I don’t know much, but I do know what I saw. What I saw was a contagious wave of confidence that surged through each player in Green and Gold over 30 minutes of football, and was a beautiful sight to these eyes.

Down 20-1 after the first half and everyone knows what’s coming, but it still sort of takes you off guard because of who it comes from sometimes. You know there will be yelling at some point, but by whom is the key question, because I doubt it would have the same effect from everyone. The head coach and the offensive coordinator had the honors on this day and it was truly effective. Expected perhaps from coach Maciocia in some capacity but seldom seen from Jacques so it definitely makes you sit up and take notice when he comes in and begins a tirade. Sometimes it helps to be called out, to have your manhood challenged by someone from the outside looking in. Of course you have the man lined up across from you challenging you on every play which is certainly a trial within itself, but oddly enough for some that’s not enough all of the time. Occasionally it seems that when someone on the side lines, spots you losing that battle and challenges you in front of your peers to get your act together, it provides a spark for many of us.

It could have been the speech, it could have been the crowd, or we could have just realized that we weren’t playing anywhere near our capabilities but I saw a completely different team in the second half. Interestingly enough, both halves started in the same fashion for us offensively with me catching an out route for a first down. I relish that my role on this team so far calls for me to answer at key moments and to obtain first downs, either to spark a drive or to sustain a key one. This implies a level of consistency and reliability that has been otherwise lacking in my career on previous teams. It is definitely something that I take pride in, and am getting more comfortable with each week. One can’t imagine how exciting it is to make a play, and literally see your teammates lifted from it, and then go on to make plays of their own to help the cause. It was like a domino effect, and everyone was getting involved. From mine went Trevor’s, to Goldie’s, to Jason’s. And our offensive spark then gave the defence new life, both by allotting them time to rest on the sidelines, as well as seeing it in our eyes that we were hell bent on climbing out of the hole that we had dug for ourselves offensively. The defence amazingly held them to a zero point second half, and we seemed to get a few bounces our way as well in the way of drops and penalties by the opposition.

I said in an interview that I’m usually on teams that would fold at a score of 20-1 and end up losing 40-3 or something to that effect. It’s a fantastic feeling to be a part of a fighting team, one that doesn’t lay down because that’s all you can really ask of each other when push comes to shove. I got a taste of this emotional rivalry that is Edmonton V. Saskatchewan and I’m hooked on it. It has a labor day feel, in the middle of July which was unbelievable to me. It’s difficult not to be focused in with 46k screaming fans packed into your own back yard. I’m proud of the way my teammates responded when faced with adversity, and I’m glad to have been a contributing part of a game like that.
No doubt the Riders will be hungry this week, and that stadium will be hostile at best. The heat must be turned up in practice in my opinion. Now is the time in the year for me where I’m comfortable with the generic, basic aspects of my game. I’m pleased with the vanilla aspects of what I’m doing, but it’s now time for me to put more emphasis on the finer points. This stretch of games will call on some special play from many of us, and should my number be called on…I plan on being ready. ©

KP8

7/19/2007 4:14:28 PM
Coming Of Age

I find that I see things differently now. When I was in Calgary in my first two years, I can recall Travis Moore going down with injury, which was a major blow to our offence. With that injury, my role was upgraded from a fourth or fifth option to a second or third option as I assumed his position within the offence. I remember it being a very exciting time for me, and anxiously awaiting my chance in the spotlight feeling as if I had to prove to everyone that I could carry the load as well as Travis did. I recall being interviewed that first week and fielding questions like, “Do you feel more pressure to perform and be the “go-to-guy” with Travis out?” and I recall answering with phrases like, “Not pressure, opportunity. I feel like I can be a “go-to-guy” and this is just an unfortunate circumstance for me to go out and show people what I’m capable of.” Which is a politically correct way of saying, “I’ve been dying to have that kind of pressure, let me show you what I already know about the type of player that I am!”

With the threat of Jason Tucker missing this game looming, I was again posed that question some five years later and I found my answer to be quite different, and not by design…but it seems by genuine sentiment. “Pressure?” I responded, “No, I wouldn’t call it that by any means. I wouldn’t dream of going out there and trying to be Jason Tucker, that would be setting myself up for failure. What I will do is the only thing I can do…try to keep the offence from missing a beat. For Trevor, Andrew and I, all that we can really do in that situation is to go out and try to perform at a level that is high enough that the offensive coordinator can see fit to stick with the game plan. If we can elevate our game enough where Jacques feels comfortable calling the same plays that he would be calling if Jason was out there, and we are still able to execute those plays without Tucker’s presence, then we will have been successful. To put the type of pressure on yourself that comes with trying to literally replace a Jason Tucker by performance, statistics, or even presence I don’t think is wise for most. While we will no doubt be called upon to make more plays than on any other given night when we’re at full strength, I do feel that if we can achieve our goal of maintaining continuity and execution is at a high level all night, we will be successful as a team.

Perhaps that may be the main difference in why my answer to the same question may be different now than it was then. It could be that in my time spent around the league having some individual success but not much team success at all, I think I may have realized somewhere along the way that it is ok to just be yourself. It’s not necessary to try to be everything to everyone all the time, because there is usually a bigger picture that you are a small part of, and to try to make your role in that bigger picture larger or more important than it is, before it is ready to be…doesn’t help anyone. Patience and acceptance are difficult things to embrace when you’re as confident and self assured as many of us are, myself included. However, it’s a very nice feeling to actually understand that there are things bigger than you, and if you can stay the course and do your part good things are bound to happen for the TEAM, and when the team does well, everyone involved shines.

Whether Jason Tucker is able to play or not, rest assured that it won’t change much in the way of my play. I’ve still got the same task at hand regardless of where I’m lined up and who I’m up against. My team will still ask the same things of me; to make plays, play fast, minimize mistakes, and win the personal battle in front of me.
Sounds easy right? We’ll see soon enough. ©

KP8

7/17/2007 7:13:33 PM
Meeting of the Minds

Few would think of football as a cerebral game, but in many ways it most definitely is. There are match-ups going on the field that have more to do with mental gymnastics than they do brute strength, or lightning speed. And there are also battles taking place on the sidelines and spotters booths for both teams that warrant some attention as well. For instance there are two key battles that I’ll be taking a particular interest in during these next two games against Saskatchewan and believe it or not, they’ll both be more mental than physical; Chapdelaine Vs Hall, and Tucker Vs Davis.

I can imagine it would be difficult for the average viewer to understand fully what actually goes into a game plan preparation. It must be, because as a player executing that game plan I don’t fully know myself entirely what goes on at the creation level, save for the fact that there are many, many man hours that go into each one. When you have two coordinators that have been in those positions around the league for as long as these two have, there is a lot of past film that can be referenced and drawn upon. If Saskatchewan had a defensive scheme that gave B.C. fits in 2003, don’t be surprised if it makes its way into the game plan for 2007. And if Geroy Simon was able to get loose for a 150yd 3td explosion against Saskatchewan at any time in the recent past, look for Jason Tucker to be running similar patterns come Friday.

Ritchie Hall’s defences have been shutting down the league’s best for as long as I can remember being in this league. His defences have always been among the league leaders in sacks as well as interceptions, and are usually among the leaders in the majority of statistical categories. He’s put several players in position to walk away with post season honors, and he’s one of a few defensive minds in this league who seldom has a drop off week to week in the play of his defence, regardless of personnel changes. Some things are certain when playing a Ritchie Hall defence and as an offence you would be wise to understand them; You must take what he gives you, you must capitalize when a big play presents itself, there will be a plethora of defensive looks that come at you, and if you hold on to the ball too long it will be a very long night.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball Jacques Chapdelaine has had as much success moving the ball in this league as any offensive mind in recent memory. In spite of the recent defensive philosophy shift to a “bend don’t break” mindset league wide, Jacques has somehow managed to still put up points. He usually has at least 3 or 4 receivers among the league leaders, his scheme has produced several all-stars and his offence has produced 2 of the last 3 CFL Most Outstanding Players. Some things every defence should know about his offence; He will take what you give him, someone is always open, ball distribution is paramount, and if you let the QB hold onto the ball for too long, it will be a very long night.

Ahhh yes, what a chess match this should be! And what of the players you ask? While I can guarantee you there will be several great battles being waged during this series, we all have our favorites. While in theory I should have a good seat to my favorite between Jason Tucker and Eddie Davis, I won’t get to see it until film session the day after because I’ll be on the other side of the ball, trying to make a play or two myself. The potential is high for this to be an epic battle between two veterans who have been very successful in their own rights. Tucker is a rare combination of subtlety and explosion wrapped into the same package and while still learning the nuances of this offence as we all are, Jason could explode for a huge game any minute. Conversely, Eddie Davis has seen every route that this league has to offer and has seen them run by some of the best to have ever done it. Pitts, Stegall, Vaughn, Mitchell, Flutie, Simon, Cahoon all have come through Davis at one time or another. In my estimation Davis is the best at what he does today, and isn’t showing any signs of fading into the sunset with age. Much like Jason is to our receiving corps, the people around Eddie have changed somewhat but he remains a mainstay, and the standard of excellence for that secondary to strive to emulate. When you add up all that success and experience, the game comes down to making your opponent believe you're doing something you're not more than it does being bigger, stronger and faster than he is. It's about not showing your hand, setting up routes by making them look like others. Showing blitz, when in actuality you're dropping into a zone. Jason may go the whole first game setting up a route that he may not use until the second game. Or Eddie may purposely not play a route in the first, to bait us into throwing it in the second. And you thought it was all 40yd dashes and bench presses!

Needless to say this will be an emotionally charged divisional series, and all involved will lay head to pillow Friday night knowing they’ve been in a battle. We need to make sure we’re prepared for blistering pace and physical game because unless I’ve missed my guess…that’s exactly what we’re in for.

I may have to Tivo this one, I doubt I can wait until the day after to see how this pans out. ©

KP8

7/14/2007 11:03:47 PM
Edmonton Vs Winnipeg #2

Ok, so that was fun. Say what you want about how ugly a win it was, and how we should have looked better on offence, and we kept them in the game, and we should have used our special team opportunities better than we did and all of that is well, good and wonderful but it was terribly fun to be a part of. It’s important to come out of games like that with more than positives to take away from the film. To go into a hard fought battle, a physical game like that was and to be able to come out of it with a win is extremely rewarding. Rewarding because it could have easily gone either way up until the final gun sounded. Based on those two games, it would seem that we’re two evenly matched teams. Yet I think if you asked members of either team if that was the case you’d find some interesting results. The nature of the game from a player’s perspective it seems is that you always feel like you’re the better team in a close game win or lose. When you win you feel as if flat outplayed the other team, made more plays then they did when it counted, and you made those plays of course because of careful planning, precise execution, and a wealth of talent on your side. When you lose, those same close battles it’s not so much that you lost, but more that you beat yourselves, squandered opportunities, and just generally shot yourselves in the foot because really what else could it be, I mean the wealth of talent is clearly in your locker room right?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that it is not all about talent. It’s taken me several years in sports to realize and actually understand that premise. It seems simple enough really, but somewhere down the line it gets complicated. Usually, sometime after you’ve gotten used to physically dominating your opponent and still losing the game because other things tend to come into play. Other things like heart, desire, opportunity, momentum, preparation, and the ability to adjust when things don’t go as you’ve prepared. Those things play just as much if not more a part in these games it seems because at this level, everybody’s big and fast…those that make plays consistently have tapped into other resources.

To be on the plus side of a battle like that is a good feeling, but it’s not one that we can be satisfied with. While Winnipeg is in my estimation a very good team, we need not be happy with ourselves that we were able to scratch and claw a win out in the Peg. While it is a tough place to play, and even more tough when mother nature isn’t on your side and it’s sold out and waiting on baited breath for Milt to score a TD, good teams win at home, great teams win on the road. If we are to be a great team, we need to expect greatness from ourselves…and demand it of each other.

That was a good start…now it’s back to the drawing board. The riders are coming to town, and they’ll be as hungry for a win as we are. We need to prepare for our feast and their famine, and it will take some doing. The West is as strong as it’s been in some time, and we’re smack dab in the middle of it. The next three games will determine whether we stay in the middle or not. ©

KP8

7/12/2007 11:17:33 AM
Wheat or Chaff

Once adversity hits, or things don’t quite start as you would have imagined or expected you really only have a couple of options as a player. You can lie down and accept that your team still has quite a ways to go before it is actually a good one, or you can refuse to accept the poor level of play and take the steps to correct it. Everyone comes out of training camp with the same intentions and high illusions of grandeur, and those sentiments carry into the first few weeks of the season regardless of the team’s record. A team can always justify the first few losses and chalk them up to “needing time to gel” or “coming together as a team” or even “finding the team’s identity,” which to a degree is true, and to a degree is a professional sports translation for “we’re praying we can right this ship.” In truth there is some merit to the idea of a team taking time to come together, especially in this league because of the constant turnover that occurs. Very seldom are teams left stable and untouched in the offseason these days so, often there major player and coaching adjustments to be made, digested, applied and then finally applied with speed. But don’t be fooled, not every team that is struggling right now is “finding their identity” some of these teams just plain aren’t as good enough to compete among the elite in this league at this point.

That is the risk that comes with a major team overhaul like we’ve endured recently here in Edmonton, and similarly has gone on for what seems like the last 4 years or so in Hamilton. I would imagine the coaches involved would be in for some sleepless nights in the first 8 weeks or so while the “identity” of that team is sorting itself out because team dynamics are fickle. While you may feel like you have a team of confident superstars, in reality you may have a team of gifted athletes who have always been a part of successful teams…which is far from the same thing. To be successful on a team that is going to be successful whether you are a part of it or not, is completely different than being successful on a team that is overmatched every week. While I believe most athletes go through a level of adversity just being involved in pro sports, I don’t believe that every player has what is required to still shine on a team that may have to scratch and claw to win week in and week out.

From a coaching standpoint, imagine the restlessness that must come from waiting to find out if the guys you’ve chosen to revamp your squad with over the proven tested players from previous years are in fact those that can rise to the occasion while battered and bruised, or if they are frontrunners only. The whole thing sounds like a lot of acid reflux medicine to me. I certainly don’t envy their position because while coaching in some aspects is a very detailed and exact science in terms of X’s and O’s it is extremely inexact in terms of talent materializing into on field results.

And this is where we are as a team for the next 3 weeks I think. I believe how we compete and fair in the next 3 weeks will go a long way as to what team we’ll be in October/November. We need to decide what team we’re going to be, and decide what we’ll accept from ourselves and each other for this 2007 season…and we need to decide fast. ©

KP8

7/9/2007 11:00:36 PM
Where It Went Wrong…

It’s not a secret that I played for Winnipeg for a year or so, and also common knowledge that in my time there I never settled in and felt comfortable. I was traded to Hamilton for Chris Brazzell in 2005 after my play took a turn south. The organization felt that it was best for them cut their losses and try to get something in return for me no doubt before my value plummeted completely.

Going back to Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg each year since then certainly is an event for me, and this year will be no different. One would think that there is animosity on my part because they traded me away, or because the fans never warmed up to me, but that’s not the reason that the games in Winnipeg have significance to me… for me it’s all about struggle. I can honestly say that I don’t have any ill will towards Winnipeg as an organization, I certainly can’t blame the fans for wanting a better on field product during my tenure there so I’ve got no animosity there. Honestly, the way I was playing I would have traded me out of there too! I’ve got people on that team that I consider friends, and one that I have the utmost respect for whom I learned a great deal from so I’m grateful to have been there for the time that I was. That being said, when I get off of that plane the hair on the back of my neck will be standing up, I guarantee it.

The reason that game is significant each year to me regardless of what team I’m on and what the implications are in terms of the standings, is because that stadium symbolizes a time in my life when my best effort just wasn’t enough. I’d imagine if Edmonton played an exhibition in Green Bay it would be similar, but perhaps not because in Green Bay I played extremely well and didn’t make the team for reasons outside of my play. In Winnipeg, I did everything right in terms of my preparation but it just never materialized the way it should have as an on field product. That was a tough pill for me to swallow for a while, like trying to put together a massive puzzle and getting to the end only to find out that the last piece doesn’t fit. Now granted, we had all kinds of problems that year on offence. Literally, nobody had a year that they would be proud of but in spite of that, I always feel that my work ethic and doing things the right way over and over again will prevail ultimately. And in Winnipeg it just didn’t work out that way for me.

I’ve moved past that particular struggle for what it’s worth, but when you go through something like that it seems to alter you somewhat. Now I find that whenever I’m in that particular stadium I’m quite dialed in, I’m very focused, almost to the point of it being defensive. The same way you’d be if you were a soldier advancing across enemy lines. There’s a heightened sense of awareness involved because I absolutely know what to expect in that stadium, and there’s not a doubt in my mind what every person in the crowd is feeling when they see me play well…loathing. “Why couldn’t he play like that when he was here?!?” Honestly folks, I really don’t know. Perhaps I just wasn’t meant to shine in those colors, at that time, in that place. But I also know that without stopping over there, I would never have been able to get here. And there’s no place I’d rather be than where I’m at right now, playing slot back for the Edmonton Eskimos.

We are going into the most hostile of environments, to attempt to get two points that are needed in the worst way, against one of the best teams in the league. The tie that we played to in that great game in week one only makes the matchup more interesting in my opinion. Not to mention the potential Stegall touchdown record that is in play…this promises to be fun.

I’ve had visions of having a monster game on that field and winning the fans over in the past, but it was wearing Winnipeg colors. That vision never came to pass, so I have to wonder how I would react to having one on that field at their expense. I guess I’ll have to wait and see. How long I have to wait remains to be seen. ©

KP8

7/7/2007 11:51:54 PM
B.C. Vs Edmonton #1

Needless to say, it was a long trip back. After a showing like that you have a long time to think about what went wrong, why it went wrong, how much of it was your fault, and what you would change if you had it to do over again. I’ve always found it interesting, how many things you can find that occur throughout the course of a game that you can trace back to your own play. It’s our nature to be critical of ourselves and to expect greatness from ourselves on each and every play, we don’t live with shame very well, and embarrassment doesn’t take to easily either. I play through the game in its entirety in my mind several times from the stadium back to the hotel and then from the hotel to the airport, airport to meetings. Each time I’m playing the scenarios out, I’m trying to decide if there was more that I could do on each play for it to be as successful as possible. Could I have broken that tackle? Was that the best angle to take on that route? Would a different hand placement have helped me catch that ball in stride versus slowing for it? All of these questions and more are raised, debated and then ultimately answered on film and through our grade out sheets issued by our position coaches.

The film itself is a wonderful tool because it both humbles you as a player and gives you new hope at the same time. Even on your best day where you’re riding high because of your performance the day before, the tape will reveal some things that you could have done better. And when you feel like all is lost and you were outplayed or outmatched, the eye in the sky shows signs that you are closer to success than you thought previously. This game was no different, it wasn’t as bad as it felt but it certainly wasn’t where it needs to be in order to get a win in a place like Vancouver.

In the first half it felt as if we were dominant, and able to do whatever we wanted on the field, yet due to penalties and lapses in concentration we were not able to maximize our opportunities into major scores and that hurt us in the long run. Against a quality team like the B.C. Lions, the volume of mistakes that we made was simply too much for us to overcome. At home perhaps, but not on the road…on the road you need as close to perfection as is humanly possible with all of the other outlying factors playing in. In the second half I felt that the penalties we were inflicting upon ourselves seemed to take some of the wind out of our sails and prevented us from playing loose.

I can’t take anything away from the Lions because like I said, I’ve never seen a true champion lay down and let you take anything from him, and they certainly didn’t either. They played the game efficiently, and capitalized on our mistakes. That being said, I definitely look forward to playing them again.

On to the new task at hand, Winnipeg. If I recall correctly… we seem to have unfinished business. ©

KP8

7/5/2007 8:28:07 PM
On The Road

Road games aren’t for everybody. Many players don’t particularly care for the long days of travel, the eating out, the isolation or even the hostile environment that awaits us on game day. Call me crazy but I love road games and I always have. I’d say the majority of my best games in my career have come on the road. Home games are great because of the comfortable atmosphere and all, but “comfortable” is like a cousin to “complacent” for me it seems and things just wouldn’t feel right to me without some measure of struggle. It takes a different mentality to go on the road and impose your will on someone in their own back yard, it takes a certain temperament and attitude that may not be present in every player when outside of the comfort of their own grass. I’m not saying that I’m some kind of hard-nosed brute or anything like that, not at all. All that I know is that there’s something about road trips that appeals to me, and I’m certain that I can’t be the only one.

The road trip begins early in the morning, the day before the game with each player complying with the team dress code. As with any uniform we’re easily identifiable at airports by the fact that we’re approximately 50 well dressed, larger than normal men who tend to stand out in the formal dress of the day. The flight can be an adventure in and of itself especially when you think of the possibility of being seated between Patrick Kabongo and Dan Comiskey for a few hours in the summer heat, but its all part of the journey. From the flight, we make our way by bus to our opponent’s stadium for our walk through. It’s often on this bus ride that much is learned about the men you’re going to battle with, I’m not sure if it’s a combination of sleep deprivation or hunger, but it becomes “story time” pretty quickly! The team talkers and jokesters make their way to the forefront of conversation at this time without fail on every team I’ve ever been on.

The walk through is the time that we usually decide what footwear is going to be suitable by game time, what steps we can take to deal with the lighting issues in the domes, or anything else that may come up. And each position usually has its own inter-positional skill competitions while waiting for everyone to deal with media and make their way out to the field. Punt pass and kick by receivers, throwing accuracy contests by non quarterbacks, receiver /db 1 on 1’s by Offensive lineman…quite a sight to see. From there it’s on to meetings, and then we break up into smaller groups and find some good food somewhere. After a good night sleep we awake at our own pace and have our team pre-game meal in the early afternoon. Following that are our last meetings before we break off until the bus leaves for the stadium.

The more I think about it, it’s really the bonding that appeals to me. There’s a certain “us against the world” mentality that develops during this expedition into unwelcome lands in search of that elusive road win. You're away from any family, you don't have to worry about sharing a bed or infants waking you up prematurely. It makes sense to me why NFL teams will seclude the team in hotels even for home games. A fellowship ensues it seems, as we’re all there in search of a common goal and away from any distractions outside that goal. There’s a bond that forges in knowing that there is going to be some 30-40 thousand people out watching the fur fly, and very few of them are in your corner. In fact the vast majority of them paid good money to see you fail miserably! The environment itself is one that is not for the faint of heart. Hecklers, spitting, throwing objects and of course a steady stream of boos can certainly have you missing the comfort of your own locker room in a hurry.

The road game is a business trip that has very, personal connotations as nobody likes to think about another team coming in to their house and walking tall. As the team that’s trying to do the walking, I know that tomorrow when we take the field our bark and bite must be of equal size in order to make the statement that we’re trying to make. If we should fail in our mission and leave with no points, that bus ride back to the airport will most definitely be a quiet one, and the flight will be considerably longer than it was on the way here. ©

KP8

7/2/2007 10:56:13 PM
The Hunted

The blessings that come from being successful over time in this league are evident, they almost speak for themselves. When you’ve had the kind of success that the B.C. Lions have enjoyed for the past few years, you’ve pretty much set the standard for others to follow and certain rights and privileges definitely come with that standard. I can’t even remember when I’ve been on a team that won on the road in B.C. When people see B.C. place as a venue on their schedule the thoughts automatically enter into their heads that this must be the difficult portion of the schedule regardless of who they may be playing for the surrounding games. The lights seem just a bit brighter, the red zone seems somewhat further away, and the crowd seems louder for whatever reason. The precision that B.C. has operated with has allowed them to carry a swagger of confidence with them in spite of what turmoil they may have been going through at any time as a team. Through quarterback controversy, through key injuries and even replacing the team MVP of the previous year with an unproven back at the time, all seems to come up aces when you’re performing at that level, almost as if they can do no wrong.

What’s not so obvious about winning ways such as these is that every single team circles the date that B.C. is on the schedule, on their calendar as a chance to show that they’ve “arrived.” All of us that wish to someday be where they are realize the same truth…you’ve got to beat the champ to be the champ. There are ways to attain success that parallels that of B.C.’s but in the west, the Lions happen to be the gold standard and anyone wishing to unseat them, must first go into B.C. place and do just that. Trust me, it’s easier said than done. I’ve worked with Wally Buono and his staff and won a Grey Cup with them, and I understand full well the level of execution and professionalism that is demanded of the Lions and I think that as long as Wally is running the show there, the team will be successful.

That being said, we have an opportunity to walk into B.C. place this week as a team that everyone is really not too sure about just yet. Uncertainty does not provide comfortable nights in this line of work. In order to defeat a team that runs like a well oiled machine in their own backyard no less, one must prepare with a heightened level of scrutiny and emphasis on detail. At the CFL level we can all run, we can all hit, we can all block, catch and make plays. The difference between the success of teams is a combination of trust, comfort level, execution and accountability. We’ve got a young team that was recently a not so young team, so some of us are familiar with B.C.’s dominance in this league as of late, while others may not even know who to be aware of as potential playmakers. The opportunity in front of us is a great one for a number of reasons, the timing of the schedule puts us in a position where a win would send a distinct message to the rest of the Western Division that Edmonton is back in the fold. The circumstances of our last game would make for this showing to be a litmus test to see if last week’s offensive display was a fluke or an indicator of how things are going to be, and against two of the league’s best defenses in consecutive weeks at that. Not to mention that it would make the rest of the league raise an eyebrow as to what exactly is going on out here in Edmonton.
The main problem with being the champ is that you can guarantee you’ll get every other team’s best effort every night if nothing else. As a player the games against a B.C. type team could be auditions within themselves, for if you can have success against the champs individually, it must bode well for your skill level and ability to play for anyone in this league. This certainly won’t be an easy task, I’ve never seen a true champion lay down for anyone. As any contender worth his salt will tell you, all you can ask for is an opportunity, an opportunity to test the throne. If it’s our time, then perhaps we’ll shock some people…correction, a lot of people.

But if we should happen to walk out of B.C. place with a win, I can guarantee there won’t be much shock in the visitor’s locker room.

Happy Hunting fellas…©

KP8