Language LaPolice outlaws ‘first place’

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This article was published 25/10/2011 (5153 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TALK of first place and the Grey Cup is now off-limits.

Yeah, right.

In an effort to get his team focused on Friday’s game with the last-place Toronto Argonauts (4-12) at Canad Inns Stadium, Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice told reporters that coaches and players will be fined if they utter the term “first place” this week.

It goes even further than that, the club says — or rather, doesn’t say.

The terms ‘Grey Cup’ and ‘East final’ are also off limits, and subject to the team collection agency. The penalty for the irresponsible utterance is $5 fine.

“The players will get fined if they say that term,” LaPolice told the media Monday.

Huh? Sensing an inconsistency similar to that of the Winnipeg offence in recent weeks, the obvious question was asked: Why was it okay to say things like ‘first place’ and Grey Cup’ last week or two weeks ago but not now?

“I don’t know,” LaPolice said, tongue-tied as he searched for more coach-speak. “I don’t want… now that they have the win (versus Montreal) and it’s (first place) so in front of them, I don’t want them to look past the goal. The goal is to get two points this week. If you don’t get two points you can’t get those other things.”

This bizarre, clumsy edict comes on the heels of the Bombers (10-6) beating the Montreal Alouettes 26-25 Saturday afternoon, a win that gives Winnipeg the inside track on first place in the East and a possible first-round bye. Two more wins from the Blue and Gold in the final two weeks means the East final will be played in Winnipeg, and sets up a situation where they would need just one win to reach the Grey Cup.

That’s a $15 paragraph right there.

As one can imagine, it might be tough to enforce this ‘rule’ on the players. Odell Willis, the CFL’s sack leader who’s now been limited to coming off the bench in passing situations, accidentally found his wallet dinged twice in one sentence Monday.

When asked about having his playing time cut against the Alouettes, he had this to say:

“We had six sacks without me,” said Willis, who is dealing with a rib injury and might not be ready to play Friday. “They made the right choice. (I have to) just continue what I do to help the team win. Hopefully we can get this ‘W’ (against the Argos), have the Eastern final game here, and go to the Grey Cup.”

Ten dollars, right there. It could be an expensive week for some players.

CORRECTION: Due to a glitch on the CFL’s website over the weekend, some Bomber player stats that appeared in Monday’s paper were reported incorrectly. The Free Press regrets any confusion this might have caused.

— Adam Wazny

ATTICS

Light and Easy

No pads. No running around. No problem. That was the level of intensity on the field, as the club went through the motions of an abbreviated practice Monday. Rest up, the coach told the players. “It’s a short week and we’ve played a bunch of physical games, and Toronto is a physical team,” Paul LaPolice said. The Bombers will be in full workout mode this morning.

Concern in B.C.

The CFL is making contingency plans for the Lions-Eskimos tilt scheduled in Vancouver Saturday. Employees in the BC Government Service and Employees’ Union, which includes staff at BC Place, can go on strike with 72 hours notice, so the league has informed Edmonton to put Commonwealth Stadium on standby. The Leos have two home games left, plus a potential Western final and the Grey Cup left to play at BC Place this season.