Riders defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry seems to be a little po'ed at some Rider alumni. He doesn't like the way TSN and CJME's Glen Suitor and CKRM's Scott Schultz have criticized his defence over the past few weeks. He let his anger be known today when talking to Rob Vanstone. Here is a snippet of that interview courtesy of Rob and his Rider Rumblings blog...
Does it filter in? You’re somewhat in a bubble as a coach, because you spend a lot of time immersed in film rooms in this cocoon, I would think. Does it trickle down and do you hear some of the things that are said? Does it get under your skin at times?
“The only thing that consistently gets under my skin — and this is a personal thing — tends to be our so-called partners at TSN, because they are supposed to be our partners. In fact, I sat in on a thing in 2008 with one of their broadcasters and I think it was a producer, and the broadcaster did all the talking. They talked about how we’re in partnership and said ‘trust us.’ Those are some of the last people in the world I would trust, because they have no idea about coaching, again. The interesting thing about all of this, to me, and something I find amusing more than anything else is that people who scrutinize don’t like to be scrutinized themselves. If you’re in the print media, it’s like misspellings and absolute inaccuracies and so on and so forth. If people wanted to buy just flat, erroneous reporting, we could start a website and have a hell of a time. We’d make all kinds of money with all the errors that are made, just commonly. To be quite frank, generally I don’t tend to read during the season. I don’t really read newspapers maybe as often as I should. With TSN, I watch it for reasons that I think can assist us — I’ll just leave it that way — not from what the broadcasters are saying, but from other sound bites that are coming, and sometimes in interviews that are being done of potential opponents. I have to suffer through what I find is said. Again, they’re all scrutinizers. There’s one exception — a glaring exception for one that has coached, and he was an abject failure as a coach. When they scrutinize, in some cases just absolutely erroneously, it’s funny. In the past, I’ve probably made the mistake of pointing out errors to them. Sometimes I think our players pay for it in the future. I probably will elect not to say that again.’
Is that Matt Dunigan you’re referring to (when you mention the coach)?
“In the national media, there’s no competition in Canada. TSN does it, period. There used to be CBC, not that they were any better. Here, there’s no competition. In the NFL, I don’t know of a coach who is on there as a coach . . . I think every one of them has been involved in at least one Super Bowl. Mike Ditka was involved in one Super Bowl as a head coach, and I think he was involved in multiple Super Bowls as an assistant coach.’’
Then there’s Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson and Tony Dungy.
“There’s multiple Super Bowls that they’ve been involved with, either as head coaches or assistant coaches. It’s really easy to scrutinize. We got some Rider alums who do the same thing, I’ve been told. I really haven’t heard them, but I’ve been told they do the same thing. Again, they’ve never coached where it counts. They might consider coaching their son in youth football. That doesn’t count. It’s when you can get fired for results that it starts to count. Then you maybe should really evaluate your scrutiny.’’
Some of the people who have said things about the defence lately include Glen Suitor. He hasn’t been taking a machine gun to you, but there are things he has pointed out. Scott Schultz went on the radio the other day and was quite critical. These guys did play the game.
“Never coached.’’
(Schultz) did play in your system. How much credibility do they have in critiquing the defence? “
Scott Schultz played for . . . I forget at what game number he retired, so he really hasn’t been in the system prior. He came to the team the year after I was here in 2000, so he really didn’t play in the system the whole year . . . Again, there are people who have opinions. There’s a difference between coaching and . . . (To) all the people who have opinions, I say, ‘If you walk in front a team, it’s your team, it’s your unit. The people may be respectful, but inside they’re all laughing because they don’t know what they’re talking about.’ There’s a difference when you walk in front of 30 men and you have to give them a plan and you have to detail that plan and you have to adjust that plan as you move forward. There’s a big difference between that and being behind a microphone or behind a pen and throwing opinions out there.’’
I'm guessing Schultzie will be chomping at the bit to be with Rod on the Sportscage Friday---and yes football fans, you won't have to deal with me hosting Friday as Rod won't be leaving Vancouver until Saturday morning. I'm guessing he'll have some sort of retort to this and I'm guessing Suitor will too. Both men have their opinions and they have stated them publicly and are willing to stand by their comments. Etcheverry has done the same thing. Game On!!
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Does it filter in? You’re somewhat in a bubble as a coach, because you spend a lot of time immersed in film rooms in this cocoon, I would think. Does it trickle down and do you hear some of the things that are said? Does it get under your skin at times?
“The only thing that consistently gets under my skin — and this is a personal thing — tends to be our so-called partners at TSN, because they are supposed to be our partners. In fact, I sat in on a thing in 2008 with one of their broadcasters and I think it was a producer, and the broadcaster did all the talking. They talked about how we’re in partnership and said ‘trust us.’ Those are some of the last people in the world I would trust, because they have no idea about coaching, again. The interesting thing about all of this, to me, and something I find amusing more than anything else is that people who scrutinize don’t like to be scrutinized themselves. If you’re in the print media, it’s like misspellings and absolute inaccuracies and so on and so forth. If people wanted to buy just flat, erroneous reporting, we could start a website and have a hell of a time. We’d make all kinds of money with all the errors that are made, just commonly. To be quite frank, generally I don’t tend to read during the season. I don’t really read newspapers maybe as often as I should. With TSN, I watch it for reasons that I think can assist us — I’ll just leave it that way — not from what the broadcasters are saying, but from other sound bites that are coming, and sometimes in interviews that are being done of potential opponents. I have to suffer through what I find is said. Again, they’re all scrutinizers. There’s one exception — a glaring exception for one that has coached, and he was an abject failure as a coach. When they scrutinize, in some cases just absolutely erroneously, it’s funny. In the past, I’ve probably made the mistake of pointing out errors to them. Sometimes I think our players pay for it in the future. I probably will elect not to say that again.’
Is that Matt Dunigan you’re referring to (when you mention the coach)?
“In the national media, there’s no competition in Canada. TSN does it, period. There used to be CBC, not that they were any better. Here, there’s no competition. In the NFL, I don’t know of a coach who is on there as a coach . . . I think every one of them has been involved in at least one Super Bowl. Mike Ditka was involved in one Super Bowl as a head coach, and I think he was involved in multiple Super Bowls as an assistant coach.’’
Then there’s Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson and Tony Dungy.
“There’s multiple Super Bowls that they’ve been involved with, either as head coaches or assistant coaches. It’s really easy to scrutinize. We got some Rider alums who do the same thing, I’ve been told. I really haven’t heard them, but I’ve been told they do the same thing. Again, they’ve never coached where it counts. They might consider coaching their son in youth football. That doesn’t count. It’s when you can get fired for results that it starts to count. Then you maybe should really evaluate your scrutiny.’’
Some of the people who have said things about the defence lately include Glen Suitor. He hasn’t been taking a machine gun to you, but there are things he has pointed out. Scott Schultz went on the radio the other day and was quite critical. These guys did play the game.
“Never coached.’’
(Schultz) did play in your system. How much credibility do they have in critiquing the defence? “
Scott Schultz played for . . . I forget at what game number he retired, so he really hasn’t been in the system prior. He came to the team the year after I was here in 2000, so he really didn’t play in the system the whole year . . . Again, there are people who have opinions. There’s a difference between coaching and . . . (To) all the people who have opinions, I say, ‘If you walk in front a team, it’s your team, it’s your unit. The people may be respectful, but inside they’re all laughing because they don’t know what they’re talking about.’ There’s a difference when you walk in front of 30 men and you have to give them a plan and you have to detail that plan and you have to adjust that plan as you move forward. There’s a big difference between that and being behind a microphone or behind a pen and throwing opinions out there.’’
I'm guessing Schultzie will be chomping at the bit to be with Rod on the Sportscage Friday---and yes football fans, you won't have to deal with me hosting Friday as Rod won't be leaving Vancouver until Saturday morning. I'm guessing he'll have some sort of retort to this and I'm guessing Suitor will too. Both men have their opinions and they have stated them publicly and are willing to stand by their comments. Etcheverry has done the same thing. Game On!!
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That baseball is about to be crushed by Jose Uribe and Game 1 of the World Series is about to go to the San Francisco Giants. I said the Giants had to get at least 4 runs a game if they hoped to win the Fall Classic and the team that struggles to get runs got that and a lot more. They hammered Cliff Lee and the Texas Rangers to take Game 1 11-7 in a game that not many thought would have that many runs considering Lee and Tim Lincecum were the pitchers.
Did you see Tony Bennett sing "God Bless America". The man can still belt it out in his late 80's.
I would have loved to have seen Bleeding Gums Murphy sing the "Star Spangled Banner" seeing the World Series is on FOX and they love to cross-promote. A Twitter follower of mine informed me BGM died years ago to which I replied if the Flyers can put Kate Smith on the big board to sing "God Bless America" than FOX could get BGM on the big screen. Alas, it will be another unfulfilled dream.
I still think AT and T park is the prettiest park out there. Should I put that place on my bucket list?
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Barry Bonds says he wants to come back to baseball as a hitting coach. If Mark McGwire can do it, Bonds can too. However, he's gotta come clean.
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I didn't think it was possible, but Chris Bosh may have supplanted Vince Carter as the biggest douchebag to ever wear a Toronto Raptors uniform. Bosh made it no secret that he was OK with the fact he was leaving Toronto. Yesterday, he said one of the reasons he did that was because he didn't get enough TV time in the US. OOOOOOOOOOOK! Hey Chris, judging from your performance opening night, you should be glad that act isn't on TV all the time and one other thing---you were the number one guy in Toronto, but you aren't in Miami. You are just a tag-along and soon everyone will see that.
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Now that John Farrell has become the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, there is talk that the former Boston pitching coach and former Red Sox Manny Ramirez might be re-united. I can't see that being a good thing for the Jays.
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Had enough of winter yet? Nothing like easing us in is there. YIKES!
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Graham James has been arrested. This is a great thing! Can David Frost be next? Those two should be placed in the same cell with one another as far as I'm concerned. In fact, they can rent a condo in hell together.
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TSN's decision to split up "Around The Horn" and "Pardon The Interruption" was just dumb. Why is "Around The Horn" on TSN2. I would rather put Rome's show there. I know there are a lot of Jim Rome fans out there. I can only take him in limited doses.
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WARNING: Being too open minded can lead to brains falling out-----
11 comments:
I read Rob's interviews with Etcheverry and Daley. Say what you will about Jim, but he handled Rob's interview with a great deal of class. He knows he is under the gun and he accepts that he needs to be better. He doesn't sugarcoat is.
On the other hand, Etcheverry comes off as a real ass and has this "Don't you dare question me attitude?" Some of the players have said its time to look in the mirror, its time for Etcheverry to do the same.
Brian
I'm guessing not many took over for Game 1 last night.Cliff Lee is human. What next, a big time snowstorm dumps 20 cm of snow on southern Sask before Halloween. Oh wait....................
Schultz was a moron when he played for the Riders. Good on Etch for calling him and Suitor out.
Dwayne
Went to AT&T last September and saw the Cubs (Zambrano) vs Giants (Lincecum. Great game (only 2 hours) and an outstanding park. Our seats were in the corner by the brick wall in right field.
Weaver
At least Bosh gave a sincere effort; Carter quit trying when he was with the Raps. That is inexcusable in a pro athlete.
Dwayne, it is you that's the moron.
CB
The Giants have slain the monster known as Cliff Lee. If Wilson doesn't pitch the game of his life tonight, its over!
Riley
Dwayne, I'm guessing you don't buy insurance from Schultz.
C'mon Etch, if you are going to be a head coach or a coach of any manner, you need to have a thick skin when things aren't going right.
Schultz, Suitor and any other TV guy has the right to criticize your schemes when its not working. Take the bad with the good.
PS: I've never heard Suitor's show on CJME. Is it any good?
Etcheverry gave the same type of response that Mike Kelly would have last year. Hopefully they partner up somewhere out of the CFL next year.
Tom
I've heard Suitor's show a couple of times and its alright. Its on at a bad time though and its not live. Why CJME wouldn't just give him an hour on a Thursday night and Remenda to hit the bricks is beyond me. In fact, they could just have Suitor replace Remenda as far as I'm concerned.
Of course, their shows pale in comparison to "The Sportscage"!!
Cory
I agree with Cory. Suitor's show would be outstanding if they would do it a different time. Dedicate one hour of Sportsnight to be Suitor's time. Poor programming decision, but I guess that's to be expected there.
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