FYI

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2010 (5888 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHEN TO CRACK THE WHIP: Head coach Paul LaPolice, hardly a screamer and a yeller, offers up his take on when to rip a player a new one and when to throw his arm around the shoulder in a show of support:

"When a guy makes a physical error I’m not a big fan of getting in his face and screaming… when a guy drops a ball, ‘Catch the ball’ is not the best coaching point. You ask him, ‘What did you do wrong? Did you track it? Were your hands in the right spot?’ You coach those guys up. Now, if a guy makes a mental error that’s when you get in his face — friendly — and get on him about ‘Hey, understand: be mentally tough. Know what you’re doing.’ "

HALL ON HOT SEAT? If the Bombers wonder about life under the microscope after dropping two straight, try living in Eskimo head coach Richie Hall’s world. Here’s Hall when asked Wednesday about whether his job would be in jeopardy if the Esks fall to 0-4 with a loss here in Winnipeg on the weekend:

"I don’t worry about that. I can’t control that. I don’t worry about things I can’t control. My job is to come out here and do the best job I can. If they see change, they see change and life goes on. If they don’t see a change, life goes on and life continues and we get ready for B.C.

"I don’t think of us as 0-4, I think of us as 1-3. I think one of the things you have to do is, if you have something you believe in, you have to weather the storm through the tough times. If you don’t believe in it, you’re going to jump off and panic. Well, then, you really weren’t committed to that train of thought. Right now, we’re committed to the direction that we’re going and we’re going to see it out one way or the other."

— Tait

Back to work

Receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris returned to practice Wednesday and has been green-lighted to play Saturday against the Eskimos. Safety Ian Logan, however, is unlikely to suit up as he has yet to return to the field. DB Alex Suber will also return. OL Brendon LaBatte’s work was limited at practice but he will be good to go.

Buck update

Still some hope QB Buck Pierce (knee) could return next week against Calgary or the week following in Hamilton. Here’s head coach Paul LaPolice on Pierce’s progress: "He’s got a strained knee. Everything we hear is it’s in really good shape and we’ve just to got to give him time."

Make hay now

Saturday’s home date against the Esks is one of only two over the next six weeks for the Bombers. They are on the road for back-to-back games in Calgary and Hamilton, return home to face the Ticats, then travel to Montreal before their bye week. After the break it’s off to Regina for the annual Labour Day Classic.