Instead of cleaning out their lockers for another year, the Edmonton Eskimos are saying farewell for good.
The 2009 edition bid adieu to the confines of the home team dressing room at Commonwealth Stadium Monday.
After dropping last Sunday’s West Division final, 24-21, to the Calgary Stampeders, there wasn’t much left to do than pack their stuff up in garbage bags.
It was the last time the team will use the space before stadium renovations get underway that promise a state-of-the-art dressing room to go along with an indoor field house and other improvements already begun.
While their cleats and equipment were packed up in Glad bags, the Eskimos weren’t quite ready to trash some happy memories from the season.
“I’m very proud of them,” said Eskimos head coach Richie Hall. “(It’s) disappointing just because of the outcome (Sunday) and we’re not getting ready for Saskatchewan, but I’m very proud because we battled to the end.
“It’s not always the champion that’s the one that’s holding the trophy at the end of the year. A lot of times it’s the journey and the adversity to overcome the obstacles that they have come to try to get there that makes them the champion.”
The Eskimos joined the Hamilton Tiger-cats in bowing out of the CFL’s divisional semifinal round Sunday as Hall’s first season as a CFL head coach ended in a 9-9 record to claim third place in the division.
“We did have our chances, but we weren’t able to overcome those obstacles,” said Hall.
When the new lockers are installed, there will also be new names on some of them next season. As much as he would like to continue next year’s campaign with his current roster, Hall said changes are inevitable.
“But in reality, how many teams do that?” Hall said. “I think the nucleus of the football team is there, we’re shaping into being a very good football team.
“Whether we were Grey Cup champions in ’09 or we got bowed out in the first round, there’s always going to be changes. As to what the changes are, I can’t speculate at this time. It’s something we have to sit down and evaluate starting Tuesday, how can we compete better next year?”
Hall summed up his parting words with the players.
“I thanked them,” he said. “I’m very proud of them, they have nothing to hang their heads about and they made it a fun year for me.”
Not that it was all fun and games.
“There was adverse situations that we had to overcome, but at the end of the day I look back and I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I thanked them for the effort and the professionalism and everything that they gave me personally.”
TV TRIVIA: Sunday’s post-season edition of the CFL’s Battle of Alberta averaged 1.55 million viewers to become the most-watched conference semifinal in league history. Preliminary overnight data released Monday by BBM Canada showed Sunday’s early game, the B.C. Lions at the Hamilton Ticats, peaked at 2.1 million viewers during the final half hour as overtime was required to determine the winner. The average audience for that game was 1.36 million.
