Fines for voicing concerns off target

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This article was published 26/06/2024 (482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s the story that never ends. And yet another example of how the CFL just can’t seem to get out of its own way.

A couple of weeks ago, following the first game of the 2024 CFL season, Sergio Castillo brought to life the issue kickers were having with the micro-chipped balls that are being used to enhance TV broadcasts. The Blue Bombers kicker had just turned in one of his worst performances with Winnipeg, finishing one-for-three on field goals, while also missing his lone one-point convert.

While Castillo was certainly miffed, he voiced his frustration in a fairly calm manner, while also outing the CFL for not listening to the league’s kickers and their collective issue about the chipped balls. Later that night, fellow kickers Lewis Ward, Brett Lauther and Sean Whyte came to Castillo’s defence, voicing their concerns about the balls over social media.

The CFL listened and actually changed course, setting a new rule, effective immediately, that kickers now had the choice of whether or not to use the chipped balls. The league, which claimed there was no issue with the balls based on their own testing, was commended for the swift action and the story soon died.

That is, until Friday afternoon, when the CFL released its list of player fines and on it included the four kickers who had spoken out. Turns out, upon further review, the league decided a week later to fine Castillo for violating the CFL code of conduct and verbal abuse of an official, with Lauther, Ward and Whyte all fined for violating the league’s social media policy. Each player was fined $250.

I get the league prefers to have its dirty laundry remain behind closed doors but punishing players for fighting to keep the integrity of the game intact seems a bizarre move. And as if the small fine is going to prevent voicing their concerns in the future; it just makes the CFL look petty and keeps the story going longer than it should.

On that note, let’s move on and dive into the other top stories from Week 3 in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) There are three teams that have stayed perfect through three weeks, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes, both of whom are 3-0, as well as the 2-0 Toronto Argonauts, who had the bye in Week 2. Of that trio, the Alouettes have looked the most dominant. They may have just edged the lowly Edmonton Elks by three points — on the road, it should be noted — but dominant victories over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and last week against the Ottawa Redblacks have the Alouettes atop my power rankings. You got to like what’s brewing in Riderville under new head coach Corey Mace, but with two wins against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the other against the Elks, we’ll see how they perform after the bye when they travel to play the Argos.

2) The bye couldn’t come at a better time for the Riders. Count me among those shocked to hear QB Trevor Harris was in Mace’s ear late in their tilt against Hamilton on Saturday saying he was ready to go if needed. Harris had suffered what looked to be another serious knee injury just before halftime. He attempted three times to get up after he was hit, and the look in his eyes suggested it was bad, with concerns only heightened by the fact he missed a majority of last season with a significant knee injury. Now it sounds like he should be available for Week 5. As good as Riders are on defence and special teams, they appear to have dodged a major bullet, having to roll with backup Shae Patterson.

3) This column hasn’t been kind to A.J. Ouellette after the first two weeks of underwhelming play. The Riders RB proved third time’s a charm, as Ouellette busted out with 98 yards on 20 carries, adding a team-high 47 receiving yards on four catches against the Elks. He looked everything like the beast he was last season in Toronto. What I don’t understand, though, was Mace keeping him out there in a two-touchdown game while he was walking with a noticeable limp. What was inexcusable was Mace – after the Riders recovered an onside kick deep inside Hamilton territory – running Ouellette on five straight rushing plays, before Patterson punched in a TD to go up 35-14 with fewer than three minutes remaining.

4) From the penthouse to the basement, three teams – Bombers, Elks and Ticats – are all 0-3 to start the year. While I’m tempted to say the Elks are most in trouble, especially with a date with the B.C. Lions this weekend, the Ticats get the early designation as worst team in the CFL. QB Bo Levi Mitchell, after a solid first two weeks, reverted back to the turnover machine he’s been the last few years, and No. 1 receiver Tim White couldn’t catch a cold if he spent a week in a daycare. Some questionable coaching decisions by Scott Milanovich have also sunk them. But the biggest factor has been a lack of killer instinct, which was no more evident than getting their lunch money stolen, losing to a club playing its backup QB when desperately in need of a victory.

5) I’m not letting the Bombers off the hook. It’s been an uncharacteristically bad start to the year and it’s taking its toll on the organization – literally and figuratively. The Bombers will add two more players in receivers Dalton Schoen and Keric Wheatfall to the six-game injured list ahead of their game against the Calgary Stampeders. There are already eight players on the six-game, including all-star receiver Kenny Lawler and two other starters in defensive linemen Miles Fox and Celestin Haba. Winnipeg’s depth was already questionable, so how long will the Bombers wait before they look outside their building for help? If there’s any knock against the Blue and Gold, they can be loyal to a fault.

6) Credit to QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson for calling out the CFL for Edmonton’s short week before playing the Lions. The Elks played Saturday and are up again Thursday, making it just five days between games. Bethel-Thompson didn’t mince words when addressing the issue, hammering the CFL for what he said was a complete disinterest in player safety. Looking through the schedule, this happens five more times this season, including a second time for the Elks. Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan will also have a quick five-day turnaround. There’s no issue with scheduling after the Labour Day weekend, with the elimination of Thursday and Sunday games starting in September.

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7) Speaking of the Elks, could a loss to the Lions this week lead to the firing of Chris Jones? While an 0-4 start might be enough of a justification, it’s the fact the Elks head out on a bye week after this weekend that adds a ton of intrigue about Jones’ future. That’s usually when teams make a change, as the bye week provides time for a club to figure out its next steps and let the initial shock of a coaching change wear off. I doubt it happens, given the Elks have been competitive so far, but you have to think a butt-whooping by the Lions will make some people think.

8) I wrote in the first CFL Rundown of the season that this was Vernon Adams’ year to shine, and the Lions QB is living up to the hype. Adams leads the league in passing yards, with 1,038, and his six throwing touchdowns is one behind Harris and Cody Fajardo. I asked Lions head coach Rick Campbell about his curious decision to use Adams as his short-yardage QB and he seemed perplexed by everyone’s concern, noting outside of Mitchell last season, he couldn’t recall a QB getting injured on a short-yardage play. Campbell added he’ll re-evaluate once the other two QBs on the roster better learn the short-yardage playbook.

9) The Canadian talent at receiver is shining through so far this season, with six of the top 12 leaders in receiving yards being home grown. Montreal’s Tyson Philpot is leading the way, ranked second behind Alexander Hollins with 340 yards. Justin McInnis in B.C. isn’t far behind in third, with 289 yards, while Kaion Julien-Grant (MTL, 235 yards) is seventh, Kiondre Smith (HAM, 208) is 10th, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (EDM, 207) is 11th and Nic Demski (WPG, 179) is 12th.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.