Dave Campbell
CFL.ca
Professional football enjoys the longest off-season among all the sports played in North America. Six months off which is sorely needed by the end of a six month season where nobody on the field really is operating at 100 per cent.
Training camp begins and the tedious and grueling two-a-days consume a player’s life. Nothing but football from the time you get up which is about 6am to the time you go to bed which could be around 10pm or later. Camp is usually close to a three-week grind but not this season. CFL teams played their first pre-season games a week after camp opened and then played their second game a week later. That’s it, two games in two weeks of training camp, that’s quick.
The Eskimos and the B.C. Lions will be the last teams to kick-off their regular season schedule on Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium. Two weeks from the last pre-season to the first regular season, veteran Eskimo slotback Kamau Peterson says the break has been nice because going from the start of training camp right into a game situation is difficult on the players.
“With our camp, I’ve always found it odd that you go for such a short period of intense two-a-days to a game which is a very different type of conditioning which is why I think you see so many injuries in that first pre-season game,” said Peterson. “You have a ton of depth; you’re not getting them game reps in terms of getting you game ready. With our game, the special teams are so important; it tires you out so much”.
In the past, the CFL played four pre-season games and 16 regular season games. Peterson doesn’t have an immediate solution but says he doesn’t want a longer training camp.
“I’d rather see them wipe-out the pre-season games because I think they just provide a hindrance”, Peterson said. “That’s always been a sticking point for us as players. If you can get through that first game, you’re okay. Getting through the game is such a crapshoot to whether or not you’re going to have something wrong with you at the end”.
The Eskimos did witness something wrong with a few of their players. Kick-returner Tristan Jackson hurt his shoulder during the June 13th game. Safety Elliot Richardson suffered an arm injury and middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd hurt his knee. Both Jackson and Richardson are on the 9-game injured list while Lloyd should be ready to go for the season-opener and appreciated the two-weeks to get healthy again.
Speaking on the Richie Hall Show (Monday’s 8PM MT on 630 CHED), the Eskimos head coach explained the biggest challenges of having a two week layover. The first one is boredom, how do the coaches keep practices and meetings interesting for the players. Hall fully admitted even the coaches need to find ways to keep away from the doldrums.
The second is watching the same game film over and over again from their 36-32 win over the Lions on June 20th. There’s only so much evaluating you can do.
For Kamau Peterson, he says the game is still what gets you motivated.
“You still have that overlaying excitement from just it being the new season again”, he said. “You shouldn’t be getting bored by week one. If anything, guys should be pretty fresh because we’re getting injected with some football here and there in the interim. Coach Hall is doing a pretty good job with his practice schedule”.
In fact, once the final cuts were made, Hall had the team practice for about an hour on Friday and Saturday. He then gave the team two days off before having them return for another short practice on Tuesday, leading into the first day of preparations on Wednesday the eve of the 2010 CFL regular season.
On Sunday, the wait will be over and Peterson says the team will be ready.
“We have a pretty veteran team and guys pretty much know the guys their facing this year with B.C. (for example)”, Peterson said. “Beginning of the year, you shouldn’t have too many guys not ready to go, bored already at this point. You may want to think of a new profession”.
Let the quest to host the 2010 Grey Cup begin.
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