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That’s it?
That’s the extent of the bye break bye-byes?
That’s the quick fix?
Dan Kepley resigns. Jeff Bleamer is fired.
Two down. And nobody else on deck?
The focus on Dan Kepley and his resignation, like the movement of a magician’s hand, deflects attention from where it belongs.
If Kepley’s resignation wasn’t simply a matter of a great linebacker reading the play that was coming his way, then all the Eskimos have done is can Jeff Bleamer.
There will be no more Edmonton Eskimo coaching changes between now and the next loss.
Players on deck
It’s the players who are on deck.
“We haven’t started with the players. Or maybe I should say we are beginning to start with the players. We’re still meeting,” said coach Richie Hall.
“We haven’t played the Eskimo way. We haven’t played with the tradition, tenacity and pride the people in this stadium and this city deserve. Up until now we haven’t done the job. We’re taking steps. If there are 100 of them to take we can’t take all 100 of them at once.”
If Kepley doesn’t count, then there are 99 to go.
“I was very surprised. I’m still surprised,” said Hall, of Kepley’s resignation.
“Rick approached me Monday and told me Kep had resigned. Kep called me Monday night.”
You want Kepley to resign from football with honour, considering the blood-and-guts, heart-and-soul career he has as one of the ultimate legends in Eskimos history.
But the truth is that Hugh Campbell may have saved Kepley’s life when he gave him a coaching job in the first place, and the all-time great has undeniably been on a protected-species list all these years, extended by a personal friendship with Maciocia.
The cold, hard truth of it is there was little evidence of any accomplishment in either developing or getting a high level of play from the linebacking crew. And there is no lack of players, past and present, who will tell you that as a coach Kepley was a great player.
Nobody, you’ll note, tried to talk him out of resigning.
With the offensive line in total disarray, Bleamer was such an obvious move to make, it defies further comment.
“We’re 1-6. We’re going in a different direction,” was all that Hall would say.
But is that it?
Offensive co-ordinator Kevin Strasser, with his 5-12 record in the job since replacing 5-4 Rick Worman after Labour Day last year, remains, and a mere position coach, Bleamer, goes? Of course he does.
Somebody has to coach up Tim Prinsen.
You can’t fire the offensive line coach and the offensive co-ordinator together in mid-season, even during a bye week.
The general managing by committee under Rick LeLacheur of Hall, Ed Hervey, Dan McKinnon, and Paul Jones decided quarterback Ricky Ray would have a better chance to be successful (and give me a break on the “Start Jared Zabransky” idiocy) with an improved offensive line than with improved game plans and play calling.
One thing for sure: replacing Bleamer with Prinsen and Kepley with Mark Nelson is not going to make the Eskimos any worse.
But this is a team that has been outscored 51-14 in first quarters, 98-25 in fourth quarters, owns a ghastly give-away/take-away ratio of minus-14, an insane average rushing-against stat of 167.3 yards per game, gives up 34.1 points per game, takes a criminal 109 yards of penalties per pathetic performance and a has a brutal 35% on second- down conversion rate.
Practice Monday
The players show up back at practice Monday.
With rumours that Kepley’s departure involved conflict with middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd, who came over with Hall from Saskatchewan and is now openly being identified as a cancer on the club, what’s his status?
“He’s still on our football team,” said Hall.
Most of the imports are going to get a game or two more before the NFL late cuts come. For many looking for clues to their job security, they should be aware any player who is in at least their sixth season must be released before their ninth game or you have to pay them for the entire season. It’s a sliding scale from there.
Maurice Lloyd is in his fifth year. They’ve got until Labour Day to get rid of him.
terry.jones@sunmedia.ca