MULLINDER’S WEEK 20 PRIMER

By: Luc Mullinder

Two weeks ago Brendan Taman summed up the Saskatchewan Roughriders playoff outlook during an interview with Phil Andrews, and me, on the SportsCage…

“It doesn’t really matter where we go; we’re going to have to play well in order to advance.”

I wish I could have walked around Regina with that B.T. sound bite cued up every time someone asked me, “who we gonna see in the first round?”

There are pro’s and con’s to both folks.  In the West, you have the teams that look to use the run game in order to dictate their offensive flow.  In the East, you encounter the teams that will look to beat an opponent primarily through the air, and they have the receivers to do it.

Defensively, it’s a no brainer.  The better defences are in the West, not by a ton, but they get after the passer with more efficiency in BC, SK, EDM, and CGY.  One could actually sit here and go back and forth for hours trying to analyze what the better situation for the green and white is, but the reality is that it doesn’t matter.  Fate in Riderville runs through BC, and by the time some of you read this, the Lions game will be over and the Riders know what they can or can’t do…clear as mud.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I thought that I’d rather use this “primer” opportunity to talk about some things that I had on my mind.  I hope you guys don’t take issue with this, but considering that all I’ve seen and heard on social media is people trying to hawk their game seats, I didn’t think you’d mind me straying from the in-game tidbits we usually speak on.

The Rider Nominees

This week’s announcement of the CFL’s player award nominees didn’t cause too much fuss around Riderville.  I was more concerned with who the voters were, but with a quick little google search I found out that the voters are the head coaches and the “Football Reporters of Canada (FRC)” (whoever the hell those guys are).  I didn’t have a problem with any of the nominees out of Saskatchewan.  I do think that the Rookie of the Year nominee (Mark Legree) was probably the committee’s toughest choice here.  It was hard for Derek Walker to get a ton of public acknowledgement with the season that T. George had, but I really thought that #70 had an outstanding first campaign. He had a huge impact in the run game for the green and white, and showed flashes of athleticism from a pass rush perspective.  Definitely a guy that has created some great momentum for himself.

Another guy I think that has a really bright future in this league, and had a noticeable first year, was Dylan Ainsworth.  It may not have been “Rookie of the Year” worthy, but Ainsworth demonstrated that he definitely has the chops and ability to play in the CFL.  His body of work was mostly on special teams, however, Ainsworth showed four attributes that a coach can’t install in any player.  He’s a high effort/motor guy that is tough, and has a good nose for the ball.  The last attribute he has in his bag of tricks is athleticism.  If Ainsworth demonstrates an ability to retain information and continues to improve, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Ainsworth finds his way into the rotation as the Riders 5th Dlineman next year.

David Lee (91) proved to be serviceable this year, however he struggled with consistency.  Like the offensive line, the Riders have some really good young talent in the stable on the defensive side of the ball, and with Ainsworth, Walker, and Guyton all producing whenever they get the chance; the future of the Rider Dline is solid.

Our boy #95 Ricky Foley was the choice for Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Canadian.  I noticed that many of you immediately started debating who would be the overall winner of the award at the end of the year, and the main names of note were Foley and Jon Cornish.

It’s actually a very intriguing debate when discussing Cornish’s stats in an injury shortened season, vs #95’s stats over a full season.  Someone told me yesterday that Ricky Foley’s stats were only because he cleaned up whatever Chick or George missed out on.  My response was Cornish ran behind one of the best Olines and a lot of film shows that there were times where he wasn’t getting touched until he got into the 3rd level (DB area) of the defence!  Calgary also won without Jon (as was pointed out to me by Dan Plaster of the Riders).  Imagine if Foley had missed some games this year?!?  #RatioNightmare

Either way, I’d like to caution those jumping to conclusions regarding this award.  There are some other nominees around the CFL that could very well sneak in and grab this honour.  One of those guys maybe Toronto’s Chris Van Zeyl.  The behemoth right tackle has had an awesome year.  He uses his long arms so well.  One of the knocks on him previously was that you can get under his pads due to his height and the way he plays, but this year he really showed that he recognized the need to perfect his leverage and knee bend.  In previous years he also had a propensity to get beaten to the inside, however he’s done a stand up job of blocking any inside pass rush attempts.  I know it may seem far-fetched for an Olineman to win this award but he’s a physical presence that you can’t miss.  Don’t sleep on #54 for the Argos when looking for an outstanding Canadian of 2014.

Tom Higgins

Boy was I ever wrong about Tom Higgins!  He has done a fantastic job over the 2nd half of the year.  I applaud his ability to coach through the media storylines in Montreal and their constant badgering and scrutiny over the need for a Calvillo replacement.

I thought the Als were toast after another season ending injury to Brandon Whitaker, and a lengthy absence of Kyries Hebert.  Higgins, moved guys around and plugged playmakers into spots.

I didn’t think Higgins was cut out for the requirements of re-booting the franchise after the miserable start, and working with a GM who didn’t hire him.

Higgins and his staff worked through adversity, handled things internally and came out fighting near the top of the East.

Bravo sir…Bravo

John Hufnagel

This guy is unflappable.  The two things that jump off the page when mentioning Huf are his ability to have his team ready to compete, and his ability to find talent.  We’ve all seen what key injuries can do to a team’s make-up and psyche here in Ridernation.  With no contingency plan, an unprepared team can be left reeling.  Like Saskatchewan, Calgary was forced to play without its face of the franchise for stretches in the season, but it didn’t stop there!  This is a team that was also without its best defensive player (Charleston Hughes) and had to replace their two main receiving threats for long periods in Mo Price and Jeff Fuller.  The Stamps also mirrored the Riders by having to constantly re-shuffle Olineman with sporadic health issues to guys like Dan Federkiel.

Calgarys response in the wake of all these injury issues?  14-4…Hufnagel is a stud.

Time to Celebrate Jim Hopson

With the playoff situation dominating the headlines, something I came to realize a couple days ago is that this will be the final regular season game in which Jim Hopson is the President of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

I actually had to sit and let that thought marinate for a while.

I’m too young and don’t know enough about the franchise’s history to TRULY understand what Hopson has done here in Saskatchewan, but I was drafted by the Riders in ‘04 (in part because of Jim) and was a part of the “turnaround” which led directly to the competitive expectations that exist in Saskatchewan now, and the dawn of “Ridernation.”  I’d like to think I have some idea of what Hopson has truly done here.

The testimonials that are volunteered by those within the walls of the Riders organization really paint a picture of desolation prior to “Hoppy” putting his stamp down, and thankfully allow for me to weigh in on his tenure from an informed vantage point.

Every great president of any successful company possesses one or two traits that really stand out and highlight his or her leadership capabilities.

Jim is no exception.

Hopson knows and understands the people of this province like nobody else.  He knows what makes them tick, and he has governed this franchise with the same passion for the brand as a 3rd generation season ticket holder.

Unlike other places in the league, Jim is very accessible, and being the front man for the bleeding heart of the CFL has not changed the spirited way in which he interacts with the public.

He “gets it.”

Jim and his staff have worked hard to create relationships in the community are just as beneficial to the province as they are to the Riders.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another CFL team that is as entrenched in grassroots athletics as the Roughriders are.  The team has an incredible association with both the Rams and Huskies in this province, not to mention the flourishing junior programs.  The belief in the talent levels of the younger generations is underscored by the fact that the Riders constantly feature more home grown talent than any of the other 8 teams in the CFL.

The Riders have also set a precedent for community engagement during the course of Jim Hopson’s career in the front office.  Rider players are amazing role models for the youth but they don’t just show up and sign autographs.  The players have become activists and spokes people.  Jim’s value system has rubbed off on all those who have donned the green and white uniform.

The franchise couldn’t be in a better position right now.  Under Jim’s guidance the Roughriders have become one of the most recognizable brands in Canada.  More importantly, the Riders have come to be the one entity that binds Saskatchewan together, and that is an accomplishment that really underscores Hopson’s legacy.

From a locker room standpoint, Jim’s presence was scarce, but when he was around, it wasn’t because the team was in trouble and an overbearing president needed to “shake things up.”  When Jim was in the locker room, he was, and always will be, one of the fellas.  Everyone relates to him.  How could you not? He wanted to win just as bad as you did.  You could see it on his face during game day, specifically after a loss or a win.  More importantly, Jim gives the players the feeling that he truly wants them to succeed as individuals, and that’s big for younger guys who get easily intimidated when upper management from the front office walk into the room.  It’s the nature of the business.

When I played my first game as a visitor in Mosaic stadium after being traded in 2011, I remember that one of the first guys to greet me out on the field after game was Jim.  We shook hands, gave each other the football brotherhood hug and spoke briefly about this and that.  It’s important to note that Hoppy didn’t need to do any of that.  This is a business, first and foremost.  My trade was a part of that, and I never harboured any ill will towards anyone over it.  But what it did do was humanize the game for a split second.

It reminded me that playing in Saskatchewan was special and that the time I spent here meant something more than just trying to win games.  It allowed me to let my guard down momentarily and enjoy just being part of the game as a whole.

“Memories are a house that you build over time to live in when you’re older.”  One of my favorite coaches told me that one day.

As I look back and read this blog entry in hopes that I summed up Hopson with the respect that he deserves, I noticed myself flashing back to moments in time that I hope to be able to escape too when I finally settle in to retirement (again).

I hope Jim knows what he meant to Ridernation.  I hope that when he walks down the street years from now, a stranger pulls him aside and tells him an amazing story that he was a part of.

Hopefully Jim knows that the organization isn’t where it is today if anyone other than him took the reins 10 years ago.  The timing and the person where a perfect fit.

You’re never going to find a person like Hopson again.  Actually, the stage in which the team is at right now, probably calls for someone quite different moving forward.  But that’s ok when a franchise understands that it is expected to be a leader and the face of an entire league.  That expectation doesn’t come without Jim Hopson.

Saturday’s game will be the beginning of the end for one of the CFL’s most outstanding executives.  The Riders have plans to officially recognize Jim and all his accomplishments in 2015 and it will probably be an incredible tribute.  That’s perfect.  It will give all of Riderville a chance to put together a mental scrapbook of the instances that Jim someway or somehow left his mark on your lives.

Whether it’s as a player or a fan, Jim Hopson has left an indelible thumbprint on the face of the CFL and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  If you see him on the sidelines this Saturday, make sure to say Thank You.  He has really worked hard at getting this franchise to the forefront of the league, but more importantly, he has left so many around him feeling like they really mattered.

#ThankYouJim