Hervey Blasts the Eskimos

Wednesday promises to be an interesting day for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Twenty-four hours after their general manager Ed Hervey tore into his team’s offensive line — specifically right guard Simeon Rottier — and spoke out on every facet of the team that isn’t up to his standards, the Eskimos will go onto the field at Commonwealth Stadium and begin to prep for their Friday Labour Day rematch against the Calgary Stampeders.
The short week will begin with some differences. Rottier, Hervey pointed out multiple times, won’t be playing on Friday and likely the rest of the season. Offensive co-ordinator Doug Sams is having his role with the team re-shaped, and is no longer calling plays.
The the rest of the team, Hervey said, “is on notice.”
Head coach Kavis Reed, who has been given the rest of this season before Hervey re-evaluates his future with the Eskimos, says he and his players will soldier on.
“For me personally it’s business as usual,” he said.
“I truly believe that this football team is business as usual. We’re going to do everything we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win football games and give ourselves a chance to continue to get better. That’s what I’m about and I truly believe that’s what this team is about: Every single day, getting better.”
It seems Rottier, a 29-year-old second-year Eskimo from Westlock, won’t be given that opportunity, however. Unhappy enough to be OK with not seeing Rottier on the field again, Hervey won’t cut the player. Instead, he’s left to come to work every day with little-to-no hope of getting back in the lineup.
“The one-on-one conversation with Simeon will have to be addressed,” Reed said. “What is going on with him, what is obviously the proper protocol, is to make certain he understands what is expected of him and what we’d like moving forward.
“Simeon is a high-character individual who is going to handle things the way he’s always handled adverse situations.”
Reed recalled how Rottier dealt with then B.C. Lions defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell’s violent arm bar play last year and the media attention that brought as Rottier missed four games with a hyperextended elbow.
“He handled it with absolute grace and class, and I don’t expect that he’ll be any different in this situation,” Reed said.
While Hervey said that Reed would name the new play-caller on offence, the coach wasn’t ready to make that decision on Tuesday. He did say, however, that the situation didn’t mirror what happened last year when then O.C. Marcus Crandell was shifted away from his role and Reed assumed play-calling duties.
“Our coaching staff is very much like our football team, all very strong-character people. I don’t feel that it’s going to have that much of an effect on Doug in the way that he’s preparing this football team,” Reed said.
In singling out so much of his roster and coaching staff, Hervey has put the heat on the Eskimos from every direction as they try to pull out of their seven-game losing streak. He made it clear in his press conference that he felt his direct approach is the best one to take.

“This is not a picnic,” Hervey told reporters. “Players need to understand that. We’re not all friends. We’re trying to be a family here and win games but there will be accountability.”
“Obviously it’s going to be noisy around us because we’re 1-8, that’s the nature of it,” Reed said.
“For this football team, this football staff and for me personally, it’s about doing what’s right for this football team, which is making certain … we’re playing good football on Friday.”

(Edmonton Journal)