Around The League Off Season Discussion

[Jacquie]

The gloves are off and claws have been extended:

 

[Taynted_Fayth]

5 hours ago, tracker said:

Hervey was the beneficiary of a darned good quarterback, maybe the best in the league. After awhile, his stupidity eclipsed whatever talent he had and it probably just a matter of time until he self-destructed.

Hervey was also the one to give wally a draft pick and bring reilly in. Iirc the bombers were interested in Reilly as well at the time, so at least he knew what he wanted and got him. I honestly thought he did alright as a GM, I'm sure there was a lot of factors at play; mic'd up bs, poaching Maas from Ottawa, not paying his coaching staff, ignoring the media..etc that was the bigger factor than his performance as GM

[Jacquie]

Here's his whole message from instagram:

Quote

After a lot of thought and prayer. I have decided to call it a career and retire from the CFL. I know I could still play a couple of years. However with how my body and more importantly my head have been acting up in the last couple years due to injuries. I feel that long term health and quality of life are my priority now. The spark and passion to play that I once had isn’t as strong as it was when I first started. I have been blessed to have had a successful career and the title of Grey Cup Champion. I have given a lot to this game and have given a lot up for it. People always say “you’ll know when it is time to walk away” and I have complete peace with the decision I am making. With that I would like to thank all of the people in my life who have journeyed with me through this process and have helped me become the player I was and more importantly into the man of God I have become. I want to thank my wife Tegan and my parents for all of their support throughout my career; I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. I want to thank the Edmonton Eskimos for the opportunity to be an Eskimo and to be a part of the great tradition here in Edmonton. I have created lifelong relationships in my 6 seasons here in Edmonton that I will have forever. I will miss my teammates, coaches and fans that supported me over the years. I’m hanging up my cleats and stepping into a new future that I feel God has called me into.
Psalm 144: 1-2 Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving all and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or imagine.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Jacquie

[Tracker]

1 minute ago, Jacquie said:

Here's his whole message from instagram:

 

So now he has a second career all lined up as a televangelist.

[bb1]

On 08/04/2017 at 3:39 PM, Jacquie said:

The gloves are off and claws have been extended:

 

Really the media telling the Eskies fans they will be better off hmmm. Wonder if Simmons would put his job on the line with that statement? Talk is cheap from the media would rather hear from some actual football people what they think of firing a GM 2 months before your season starts..?

[rebusrankin]

Decent point about Hervey's drafting, not too many names stand out yet. Compare that to Gossen/Chung/Loffler, ie three starters for Walters plus Corney, Couture as rotational guys.

[SpeedFlex27]

2 hours ago, bb1 said:

Really the media telling the Eskies fans they will be better off hmmm. Wonder if Simmons would put his job on the line with that statement? Talk is cheap from the media would rather hear from some actual football people what they think of firing a GM 2 months before your season starts..?

Esks fans are lining up berating Rhodes on Esks Fans, 3 Down Nation & social media. They blame Rhodes for everything & talk like Ed Hervey was a saint when he wasn't. They say the Esks erected a big black fence years ago around their practice facility which bothered a lot of fans as they felt they didn't have access to watch their team anymore like they could before it was erected. Somehow that was Rhodes fault but not Hervey's even though both weren't around when it was built. Hervey was the GM. If he didn't like that fence & cared about the fans then as GM he could have torn it down & replaced it with something else so fans could watch. Clearly he didn't care about those same fans that seem to have his back here & are spitting mad about his firing. It's been reported that the team's BOD's never consulted football ops about the mic games last year & rather than agree, he felt that he had to back Maas who was dead set against it. Hervey's continuing stifling of media access to players means less stories in the local media yet Hervey didn't care much about that either. The way I see it, the guy was refusing to get along even with Rhodes & the directors of the team whom he answered to which generally doesn't end well for an underling trying to pull a power play. The Esks board hired Hervey & they chose to fire him. I bet he thought they'd never do that. He was wrong.

Edited April 10, 2017 by SpeedFlex27

[bb1]

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Esks fans are lining up berating Rhodes on Esks Fans, 3 Down Nation & social media. They blame Rhodes for everything & talk like Ed Hervey was a saint when he wasn't. They say the Esks erected a big black fence years ago around their practice facility which bothered a lot of fans as they felt they didn't have access to watch their team anymore like they could before it was erected. Somehow that was Rhodes fault but not Hervey's even though both weren't around when it was built. Hervey was the GM. If he didn't like that fence & cared about the fans then as GM he could have torn it down & replaced it with something else so fans could watch. Clearly he didn't care about those same fans that seem to have his back here & are spitting mad about his firing. It's been reported that the team's BOD's never consulted football ops about the mic games last year & rather than agree, he felt that he had to back Maas who was dead set against it. Hervey's continuing stifling of media access to players means less stories in the local media yet Hervey didn't care much about that either. The way I see it, the guy was refusing to get along even with Rhodes & the directors of the team whom he answered to which generally doesn't end well for an underling trying to pull a power play. The Esks board hired Hervey & they chose to fire him. I bet he thought they'd never do that. He was wrong.

We will see how it looks for Rhodes and the BOD if Edm stumbles this year...any way you shake it firing your GM 2 months from the start of the season and just before the draft is idiotic....they knew what Hervey was long before this.

Edited April 10, 2017 by bb1

[WBBFanWest]

28 minutes ago, bb1 said:

We will see how it looks for Rhodes and the BOD if Edm stumbles this year...any way you shake it firing your GM 2 months from the start of the season and just before the draft is idiotic....they knew what Hervey was long before this.

Unless of course, Hervey said that he was open to doing things differently, stalled them out and then thought "They won't fire me this close to the draft and the start of the season."  and told them that he was going to stand his ground.  If that's the case, they called his bluff.  Or maybe, Hervey crossed some sort of line in dealing with the boss and Rhodes decided that he had no choice but to pull the trigger.  Lots of reasons that they might feel that they had no choice.  Or maybe they were idiotic.  We really can't say.

[SpeedFlex27]

32 minutes ago, bb1 said:

We will see how it looks for Rhodes and the BOD if Edm stumbles this year...any way you shake it firing your GM 2 months from the start of the season and just before the draft is idiotic....they knew what Hervey was long before this.

Agree. Ballsy move but if you have an employee that refuses to listen to the people he answers to & it's getting worse then there's no alternative but to fire him. The timing is bad but it is what it is.

[bb1]

10 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Agree. Ballsy move but if you have an employee that refuses to listen to the people he answers to & it's getting worse then there's no alternative but to fire him. The timing is bad but it is what it is.

Both you and WBBFanWest have some good points. Im just glad it's not the Blue Bombers that are in this situation.?

Edited April 10, 2017 by bb1

[Mike]

For all of those wondering if McLeod Bethel-Thompson is coming back, he's apparently a part of the new US spring league that has popped up (as are Adrian Hubbard, Brandon Browner, Greg Hardy and Ahmad Bradshaw) so I'm doubting he'll make his way back up here.

 

Good, in my opinion.

[Stickem]

 Esks.Nate Coehoorn calling it a day..????What's with the receivers retiring before their time....Health a big issue I would imagine and after weighing everything out have decide to pull the plug ....The esks. will be looking for receivers in the draft as well as us I would imagine.

[bearpants]

5 minutes ago, Stickem said:

 Esks.Nate Coehoorn calling it a day..????What's with the receivers retiring before their time....Health a big issue I would imagine and after weighing everything out have decide to pull the plug ....The esks. will be looking for receivers in the draft as well as us I would imagine.

This actually might not change much for our #6 pick... possibly Hamilton now looks at OL with #4 after losing Matheiu Girard.... then Edm looks wr at #5 after losing Coehorne... rather than the other way around...

or I have no idea what I'm talking about and just over-analyzing the situation (this is the most likely scenario)...

[basslicker]

I really liked Coehoorn's closing interview the Edmonton Sun had.  I had no idea he was a Christian. That's awesome to see someone in the public eye give credit where credit is due. (to God)  I applaud him for speaking what he believes. 

My wife and I went to the Calgary Stampeders Faith and Football dinner last season, it was a great event.  (yeah we rocked our Bomber jerseys!....but we had to sit with a couple Rider fans of course haha)  There is a strong Christian faith element in Football and the Stamps have a large contingent.  Some attendees/speakers were Drew Tate, Mitchell Gale, Marquay McDaniel, Anthony Parker and a bunch of others.  Probably almost 20.

Edited April 10, 2017 by basslicker

[Mr Dee]

Hell of a last few weeks...retirements, firings, combines, mock drafts and lots of CFL activity...

-Where are they now: former Hopkins HS star Terrell Sinkfield, who was in #Vikings camp last year as a WR, is switching to CB. And signs with them...
CFL history
Early attempt by #Rider fans to wear a watermelon fails miserably. After 3 games & nearly suffocating,  they thought to add holes #CFL

-40-Year-Old Randy Moss Signs Contract To Play Professional Soccer dailysnark.com/40-year-old-ra… via @DailySnark
#Ticats offensive lineman Mathieu Girard retires at 25 #CFL #HamOnt
wp.me/p65Ld4-5rV
 

https://twitter.com/darren_cameron/status/850036779881295873

#Bombers name Marty Costello as their Offensive Line Coach. Marty worked with Coach Wylie in 16' coaching the line - gave up 2nd fewest QBS.
Congrats @coachmartyc I've been waiting for this one. Great hire #Bombers -Matt Nichols

CFL News
-(Hervey) believes in a coccoon for his football team. #CFL moving the other way. Hervey didn't want to be part of that - @Morley_Scott #CFL
-More accessibility, not less, is the clear wave of the future in the #CFL. Anyone need proof? Look at smashing success of #MarksCFLWeek.

More on Hervey..

http://ckom.com/article/1447535/wray-morrison-good-ed-and-bad-ed

Nathan Coehoorn
"Crazy news out of Eskimo land. I wonder if giving pay cuts to a lot of veteran players had anything to do with it."
A couple of days later...he retires....

?‍?Montreal is the first team to hold a mini-camp this week in Vero Beach Florida.
CFL Staff
newcomers Darian Durant, Ernest Jackson and Freddie Plesius all expected to participate.
Expect the Alouettes to take Durant through the paces and start working on absorbing the playbook.
Where is SJ Green at with his injured knee?
A new president, new general manager, a head coach in his first full season as sideline boss and dozens of new faces and the Alouettes are primed for a makeover.
Training camp is where the physical work is put in but mini-camp is where mantras start.  It is where schemes are presented up and where terminology is introduced.
Mini-camp could give some insight into who may be early favourites to take the voids left by the departed Alan Michael Cash and Aaron Lavarius. Both are American-born and the Alouettes made it their mission to find national talent at the defensive tackle spot this off-season.  In are Keith Shologan and Jabar Westerman and so to is Plesius who is primarily a linebacker  but has played along the defensive front in spot duty from time to time.
And what does a change in ratio along the defensive line mean for the offensive line?  It is likely that the Als go with two american tackles so mini-camp good give Montreal a good look at the flexibility that might be available to them.
http://www.cfl.ca/2017/04/09/stories-of-intrigue-as-als-open-mini-camp/

 

?‍?Some good points and not. Read for yourself on the Hervey firing..

Posted by 3 DownNation, written by Allison Currie
?‍?Not a Good Point (lMO) - "Hervey suffered through years of mismanagement, watching Tillman dismantle the scouting apparatus in favor of his three-ring binders. He waited patiently, he knew what the team needed to return to its empire days and he held on to that. At a fan event prior to the 2015 season, Hervey admitted to those in attendance that he knew what it was going to take to right the ship, but kept it from Tillman in order to protect the team and organization."

?‍?Good Point -
"I guess stepping into a total circus, making the playoffs nearly every year and a Grey Cup win isn’t the mark of a great general manager. I guess having a team lose substantial personnel to questionable moves a province over, yet still making the West Final isn’t enough."

?‍?Good Point - 
"The lack of connection between the Eskimos and the community – lower attendance – has nothing to do with Hervey. To put blame on a man who lives up to “once an Eskimo, always an Eskimo” is ludicrous. It’s also short-sighted, as problems began long before Hervey came along and are issues that have nothing to do with the GM position."

?‍?Not a Good Point
"While unpopular with many mainstream media members, Hervey continued that protectiveness by limiting unnecessary gimmicks the media and league tried to introduce. From what I have been told, the live mic debacle stemmed from the Eskimos board of directors agreeing to the live mics, but not properly including football operations and the team in the decision. This left Hervey in a position to stand by his key players and head coach, Jason Maas, and not wear live mics during their game against Montreal."
Article by Allison Currie (an Edmonton-based writer)
http://3downnation.com/2017/04/09/len-rhodes-wrong-fire-ed-hervey/

So, what's going to break, in the news, this week?

[Stickem]

1 hour ago, bearpants said:

This actually might not change much for our #6 pick... possibly Hamilton now looks at OL with #4 after losing Matheiu Girard.... then Edm looks wr at #5 after losing Coehorne... rather than the other way around...

or I have no idea what I'm talking about and just over-analyzing the situation (this is the most likely scenario)...

Esks. could go receiver at 5 BUT there is mention, by some of the Esks. fans, that Rottier might call it a day after this season...They could go o line just as easy....Tough to predict our moves never mind theirs...  About a month to find out for sure..

[Noeller]

2 hours ago, basslicker said:

I really liked Coehoorn's closing interview the Edmonton Sun had.  I had no idea he was a Christian. That's awesome to see someone in the public eye give credit where credit is due. (to God)  I applaud him for speaking what he believes. 

My wife and I went to the Calgary Stampeders Faith and Football dinner last season, it was a great event.  (yeah we rocked our Bomber jerseys!....but we had to sit with a couple Rider fans of course haha)  There is a strong Christian faith element in Football and the Stamps have a large contingent.  Some attendees/speakers were Drew Tate, Mitchell Gale, Marquay McDaniel, Anthony Parker and a bunch of others.  Probably almost 20.

[johnzo]

Last year they said that S.J. Green would not be ready for camp, he'd need a year of rehab.

According to cfl.ca, he's on track to get into camp, though.  Real happy to hear this, the league needs guys like SJG on the field.

https://www.cfl.ca/2017/04/08/comeback-nearly-complete-injured-s-j-green/

[SpeedFlex27]

7 hours ago, Stickem said:

 Esks.Nate Coehoorn calling it a day..????What's with the receivers retiring before their time....Health a big issue I would imagine and after weighing everything out have decide to pull the plug ....The esks. will be looking for receivers in the draft as well as us I would imagine.

I read his message on Instagram. He says he has problems with his head & body because of injuries. He didn't specify what, though. He also said that he feels this is the right time to leave & has no doubts or regrets.

[Fatty Liver]

11 hours ago, Mr Dee said:

?‍?Not a Good Point

"While unpopular with many mainstream media members, Hervey continued that protectiveness by limiting unnecessary gimmicks the media and league tried to introduce. From what I have been told, the live mic debacle stemmed from the Eskimos board of directors agreeing to the live mics, but not properly including football operations and the team in the decision. This left Hervey in a position to stand by his key players and head coach, Jason Maas, and not wear live mics during their game against Montreal."
Article by Allison Currie (an Edmonton-based writer)
http://3downnation.com/2017/04/09/len-rhodes-wrong-fire-ed-hervey/

So, what's going to break, in the news, this week?

I wonder if the league will continue with the "live mic." experiment this year.  Hervey has a point, it really is no more than a gimmick and it's not a feature of the TSN broadcast that they can grow due to the information that opposing teams can pilfer from the broadcast feed.  So what's the point in doing this a couple of times per season?  It would be far more entertaining if they mic'd up a couple of trash talkers on either side of the ball and let them have at it.  Receivers and D backs would be good candidates.

[M.O.A.B.]

4 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

I wonder if the league will continue with the "live mic." experiment this year.  Hervey has a point, it really is no more than a gimmick and it's not a feature of the TSN broadcast that they can grow due to the information that opposing teams can pilfer from the broadcast feed.  So what's the point in doing this a couple of times per season?  It would be far more entertaining if they mic'd up a couple of trash talkers on either side of the ball and let them have at it.  Receivers and D backs would be good candidates.

OLine and DLine as well.

[bearpants]

7 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

I wonder if the league will continue with the "live mic." experiment this year.  Hervey has a point, it really is no more than a gimmick and it's not a feature of the TSN broadcast that they can grow due to the information that opposing teams can pilfer from the broadcast feed.  So what's the point in doing this a couple of times per season?  It would be far more entertaining if they mic'd up a couple of trash talkers on either side of the ball and let them have at it.  Receivers and D backs would be good candidates.

Having the coaches mic'd up to catch the interaction between him, players and other coaches is fun too... but I think it's safe to say the mic'd up experiment from last  year was a failure...

[WildPath]

I actually enjoyed the mics as far as I can remember. Expected it to be very gimmicky, but I'm surprised to hear how many didn't like it.

[WinnipegGordo]

Lol, Odell Willis with a dandy of a tweet;