First of all I have to say I agree with everything Marcel said, but I do not agree with how it was handled. Telling the media that he has 'second hand' info that players quit on Poapoa is not good for this organization. Also if your going to say this to the media than tell them who the coach in question is. The media in this country is not all that swift and assumes he was talking about Marshall, when in fact he was talking about Joe.
Early in the year we were in close games, there was no signs of players quiting, the only time they quit was that awfull stretch of football before Joe was cut loose.
Also he's saying it's second hand info that he's not 100% about, so why mention it?
So far I give Marcel a C in how he's handled things, releasing Hill without trying to send a message and suspend him first and now this.
Drexl, I agree with you. I was a bit shocked when I read the article this morning in the paper.
I have little doubt that what he said is true or has a basis of truth in it. By saying it in the press and not naming names, he has painted all the players with the same brush by association. This has opened up the individual players to speculation by fans which has started to some degree already.
I think this should have been handled in the dressing room, the board room and offices of the club. If a player is not playing up to standards tell him face to face and explain what could or will happen in the future. If they don't improve or change their attitude then by all means release them and tell the fans why at that point. Maybe this was done already, I hope so, but that should have been mentioned in the article. If not every player will be looking over his shoulder even if he has given 100% on the field and that isn't fair
I also like this kind of stuff, but there is a contradiction here, players can’t go out and say stuff like this about their coaches. If a player came out and said Joe was slacking, he wasn’t putting the time in in the film room, had poor game plans, then he’d be shown the door and labeled a headcase, selfish etc.
I agree too. One thing I've noticed since the dawn of the Bob Young Era is that the team's public communications have been top notch. Both Bob and Greg Marshall, in particular, have always sounded like they've been media trained, in terms of delivering just the right message, although it is quite likely that it came naturally.
As for Desjardins' latest comments, it's a little harder to figure out whether there was a strategy behind them, or just him speaking from the gut. If this was part of a strategy, then it seems that the team is trying to save the brand, but at the expense of the reputations of its current players. In that case I can't see how that's advisable. Far better to make the personnel changes first and make your accusations later.
By doing it this way he's effectively tarring all with the same brush. I, like everyone else, have been trying to figure out who he's referring to. And the players who HAVE been giving their best probably aren't thrilled to see such sweeping statements made about them. Will this negatively impact their desire to remain with the team under its current mgmt?
The other questionable aspect of the remarks is to repeat "second hand information" and even admit that it is second hand. If you're going to publicly criticize your own personnel you'd better be pretty sure about the accuracy of the statement. Who knows, maybe the source is very reliable. But it's still surprising to see the sentiments repeated.
And the players who HAVE been giving their best probably aren't thrilled to see such sweeping statements made about them.
Only those players that were actually dogging it would not be thrillled. Those that gave 100% all the time know they did and have nothing to worry about.
I get it. A player who thinks the coach is not doing his job effectively should not put forward an effort and secretly try and get the coach fired is that it? He would be released if he went to the media with displeasure, so he should try and get him fired instead…no, I don’t think so.
IMO if a player thinks a coach is not doing a good job he should try and work it out with the coach or coaches in a team like manner with the result being getting the most out of what you have and trying to win.
I was concerned 3 years ago when we had a staff full of rookie coaches, I never thought it was a good idea for Marshall to surround himself with pretty much all rookie coaches. I think in the end that was the largest factor in what transpired with the team over the next three years. There is no replaceing expeirience in coaching.
I’m not saying whe should have had NO rookie coaches, but, I am sure saying whe should not have had ALL rookie coaches either. To me that was a recipe for disaster. I also thought there is no way that Marshall should have won coach of the year either, regardless of the Cats turnaround record.
Truth be known…we fans will seldom get the inside story and the papers only print what is sellable and those in power only state what the want printed.
It’s obvious that we need a wholesale housecleaning and hopefully the GM will be able to field a winner next year! :thup:
I agree with Desjardins. Fans need to see that the organization is honnest and will demand a full effort, otherwise the fans simply won't renew their purchases and take the same approach as the players. Desjardins is making it clear to the marquee players that they have to show up and telling fans he's on it. Makes a lot of sense to me. The sad part is that he likely will be starting pretty much from scratch. I think with the right moves he can build a competitive team in one season. It was done in Winnipeg.
The players making big bucks might find it tougher then they think signing same contracts next winter with a cap in place.
Once again I have to say I am surprised that Marcel is speaking so openly in the media. I would be more impressed if all the talk was done in a more appropriate manner. Just get the job done without all the chatter.
I think the other GMs in the league know what is going on, by whom. Players (rightly or not) talk to each other, even on other teams, and I'm sure the work ethic is more apparent to the GMs than to Average Joe.
I seriously don't think we could have gotten anything other than a thank you for Yeast in a trade, just based on what I saw on the field.
I agree it wasn't the absolutely best way of handling the media, but I also think there were much, much worse things that could have been done about this (apparent) situation.
This is exactly the problem with football in Hamilton.
Most fans on here and in the stands are the first when the team is playing bad to drop personal insults and degrade the players while sitting behind the bench or trash them on here. They call out management, coaching, and players. However when our new GM comes in, does the same he gets roasted.
This is the exact kind of person this team needs running the running the show. Everyone always wondered what exactly was wrong with this team. Desjardins has told us now. And in doing so he has told the players that. I'm glad he did it publicly. It makes me more comfortable heading into next year.
These are professional athletes who get paid to play a sport they love. If they are only here for the money and have no pride in the team, the city or the fans, you get what we have here. A disaster of a season.
If these guys didn't like what was going fine. But you don't tank a game or a season. That is an insult to the fans who pay good money to watch them perfrom every week.
Desjardins can't be afraid of insulting the players. He's their boss. If they don't like what they ae hearing, chances are they are the issue he's talking about. If that is the case then start trying and giving your all for your paycheque or leave town.
I agree 100% with Drexl...they should have suspended Hill, not released him. You don't let a good player like that get away. He was dangerous everytime he returned a kick. Folkes had that good return, but hasn't done anything since. Holmes has done it in the past, but hasn't shown anything on returns this year. Bring Hill back!!!
8) Sure, bring Hill back by all means !! Then next season whenever he does not feel like coming to practice, or when he sleeps in again missing a game or two, we will make him the team captain for his dedication to the franchise !!!!!
Trouble makers like Hill seldom become rehabilitated and play to their potential for a team after they have been soundly disciplined by that team. Immediate removal from the team was necessary as Hamilton mgmnt has no time to just suspend him and putter around looking for a trade. The time for a new look Tiger Cats is now.
If the Ticat team was just starting the season or if it was in playoff contention, there would probably be a good argument for the new Ticat GM to keep his comments "in house". But at the end of a season in which the team badly underachieved, Marcel Desjardins' public comments seem to be warranted. Ticat fans who witnessed this debacle of a season want to know what went wrong. How did a team that looked so good on paper at the start of the year end up performing so poorly? It is Desjardins' job to find out and tell us what went wrong and to fix those aspects of the football operation.
As Desjardins has come here from a franchise that contends for first place in the CFL East every year, he has seen what it takes for a team to win. His comments suggest that he is very serious about bringing winning football to Hamilton and that he wants to find coaches and players who share his sense of urgency.