Insider Talk: player vaccinations, global kickers, potential GM hires

Photo courtesy: B.C. Lions

This week’s Insider Talk is full of discussion on CFL player vaccinations, the play of global kickers in Week 1, and a couple front-runners to potentially be hired as general managers in the future.

Insider Talk includes anonymous quotes from people around the CFL — players, coaches, personnel people, executives, and agents — regarding the latest news around the league. It’s a combination of insight, analysis, rumours, and friendly gossip.

Enjoy this week’s quotes and come back next Wednesday for another edition of Insider Talk.

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The CFL should have made it mandatory for all players to be vaccinated back when they first announced the new schedule. Sure, a few extra guys would have opted out, but it’s not like the league is competing for talent with a league like the XFL or AAF. There are a ton of players on the street who would have been happy to get vaccinated to play professional football.

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A bunch of teams thought they were gaming the system by using a global kicker. I wonder if they still feel that way after Takeru Yamasaki sucked (for B.C. in Week 1, missing two field goal attempts under 40 yards).

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If I were hiring a new general manager, I’d hire (Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ assistant general manager and director of player personnel) Ted Goveia or (Toronto Argonauts’ vice-president of player personnel) John Murphy.

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In the business world, the time to expand or think outside the box is when your business model is extremely stable and as efficient as it could conceivably be. The problem with the CFL’s global initiative is that it’s an outside-the-box idea when what’s inside the box is a disaster. There’s still lots of room for growth right here in Canada.

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Pretty much every team is only signing players who are fully vaccinated. They’re really scared to bring in anybody who’s not.

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I watched tape on all the CFL’s offensive tackles this summer. The best one is (Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ veteran right tackle) Chris Van Zeyl, especially when it comes to pass pro.

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Chris Casher wasn’t cut (by B.C.) because of money, he just got beaten out. Keep an eye on Obum Gwacham — he’s got a fantastic motor.

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I’m envious of Montreal. They got to bring Quan Bray back after he was caught with 157 pounds of pot in Texas. Meanwhile, our team president won’t let us sign someone who had a DUI five years ago.

John Hodge is a Canadian football reporter based in Winnipeg.