The Canadian Football League is reviewing its credential policy after an individual given field access became engaged in an altercation with Ottawa Redblacks’ head coach Bob Dyce on Thursday night.
In a statement obtained by 3DownNation, the league revealed that the offending individual had been identified following an investigation but did not publicly disclose his name or affiliation.
“The CFL has investigated the events that transpired at the conclusion of the Saskatchewan and Ottawa game. The individual involved in the altercation has been identified, and it has been confirmed that he was permitted to be at field level. However, he was not authorized to enter the player bench area, and he was not authorized to interact with players, nor team personnel. He did so in an inappropriate and inexcusable manner that is not acceptable by league and Ottawa Redblacks standards. The CFL is reviewing its credential policy regarding access requirements.”
The review comes after a heated altercation near the Ottawa bench was caught on camera by TSN shortly after Lewis Ward hit a 14-yard field goal in double overtime to secure a 22-22 tie against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Dyce had to be physically restrained by colleagues as a mass of Redblacks’ players and staff rushed to his defence.
Speaking to the media following the game, the 58-year-old coach alleged that a man in a camo jacket with a beard and a nose ring had been harassing him and his player in the lead-up to the deciding kick. He declined to provide details about the nature of the language used in the interaction.
“He shouldn’t have been there, and he shouldn’t have been talking to our players, and he certainly seemed like he felt like he had the authority,” Dyce said. “I’m not going to let anybody talk to our players like that, and I’m not going to let anybody talk to me, and I’m not going to let anybody use terms that I feel are disrespectful, and that’s that.”
The altercation took place following a chaotic finish to the game in which Saskatchewan appeared to win on a fumble recovery earlier on the final drive, only for the CFL’s command centre to intervene and rule roughing the passer. Play had to be resumed after several players had already retreated to the locker room and members of the general public had descended onto the turf.
While it was originally believed that the perpetrator arrived amidst that chaos, the league has now confirmed that he was allowed to be on the sideline throughout the game. Photographic evidence obtained by 3DownNation shows that he was there as early as the start of overtime.
Greg Dick, the CFL’s chief football operations officer and commissioner Randy Ambrosie’s right-hand man, was on the sideline for the altercation and was in close proximity to the offending individual during the fray. Video captured by 3DownNation shows an animated discussion between him, Dyce, and Redblacks’ general manager Shawn Burke as the man in camo was escorted off the field by a referee.
The Redblacks (5-2-1) will return to action on Thursday, August 15 when they visit the Calgary Stampeders (4-5).
